Diane Kidd Gallery to Host New Exhibition 'Kinetic Memory, Mobiles by Terry Welker'

Free Opening Reception is Thursday, October. 27

TIFFIN UNIVERSITY, TIFFIN, OH— TU’s Diane Kidd Gallery will host “Kinetic Memory, Mobiles by Terry Welker” as its second exhibition of the 2011-2012 season.

Welker, a Kettering, Ohio-based artist, is both a sculptor and architect. He works with metals and movement to create his distinctive mobiles. “Be prepared for a transforming experience when you enter the gallery to see Mr. Welker’s ‘Rain,’” remarks Marsha Pippenger, Gallery Director.

A special reception will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 at the gallery, located inside the Hayes Center for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public. No advance reservations are required.

During the opening reception, those in attendance will have the opportunity to meet the artist, who will make comments about his work beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and by appointment by calling Celinda Scherger at 419.448.3313. Group tours are also available.

The exhibition will continue through Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011.

“Making mobiles comes from my passion for architecture, poetic space and meaningful places,” Welker says. “Building on the tradition of Alexander Calder, I work to understand and extend the language of mobiles by animating form, space and surface with time and motion.”

 He adds, “The unique character of mobiles reveals the inherent challenge of gravity and the mystery of delicate balance. Seeking to push the limits of the art form with these forces, I work to orchestrate ‘near misses’ and enable ‘soft collisions’ by playing with that time and motion. The unpredictable and accidental nature of these movements allows the observer to move beyond simple viewing and become unconsciously engaged in the enjoyable act of ‘watching’ and ‘staring.’”

Welker began his formal education in fine art but later moved toward architecture. After completing his graduate work as a Wolfson Fellow at the University of Cincinnati in 1987, he continued teaching design and drawing at the university for several years. An award-winning architect, he opened his own office in 1994 and created the Archetype Gallery, serving artists of the Miami Valley. In 2000, he rekindled his own work as an artist in the Welker Studio. Today, as a distinguished member of the American Institute of Architects, his teaching experience, gallery knowledge and architectural practice informs his work as a sculptor.

 “I prefer to create works in series beginning with small maquettes and random experiments,” Welker remarks. “My larger works evolve from series as commissioned pieces with a particular size and scale created for a specific place and setting. Stainless steel rods and custom colored anodized aluminum sheets are my most commonly used materials because of their high quality anti-corrosiveness, formability, and vivid color retention. Seeking simplicity and elegant strength in every composition, I use curves, arcs, and lines as a continuous sub-theme as if to draw three dimensionally in space.”

Welker has exhibited his work in many solo and group shows. He has also been commissioned to create larger works for such clients as the Miami Valley Hospital and the Children’s Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, among many others.

More information about Welker is available through his website at www.welkerstudio.com.

ABOUT THE DIANE KIDD GALLERY:

Through the leadership and vision of Diane Kidd, the original Tiffin University Art Gallery opened in 1994. The gallery has grown to become the spacious and light-filled Diane Kidd Gallery. It is one of the finest exhibition spaces in the area – a drawing card for art lovers in northwest Ohio and beyond.

More information about the Diane Kidd Gallery and the 2011-2012 exhibition season is available by contacting Marsha Pippenger, Gallery Director, at marsha.pippenger@gmail.com.