Feb 3, 2018 5 min read

WAYNESBURG – Colleen Nelson is a storyteller through and through.

A frequent contributor to the Observer-Reporter, Nelson will be featuring art and writing samples at Waynesburg University’s Benedum Gallery through Feb. 23. The exhibit, “Retro-Spective,” opened with a reception Monday night.

Nelson spent the Friday and Saturday before her show organizing her pieces, looking at a collection that covered the 1980s to now.

“I’ve always known when I paint, I am saving something of the moment because the moment goes,” she said. “Every picture tells a story.”

And Nelson can tell the story behind each painting, like the piece she made while pregnant with her daughter in 1982. It’s an amalgamation of experience, her “life in review” at 33 in her third trimester.

Nelson’s work is heavy with color and loves to dance between complementary colors. She said as she works, she has to get out of the way of the painting and let it paint itself.

“I want the colors to talk. I want them to move,” she said. “I want people to get involved with my paintings.”

Andrew Heisey, director of the art program, tries to have at least one visiting artist each semester and is excited this year to feature a Greene County historian.

“It’s nice to have somebody from the area,” he said.

He’s hoping to show both his students and members of the community that art can be used in a documentary fashion.

“Every time I have a visiting artist, I have a goal in mind of what I want students to learn,” Heisey explained. “Colleen is unique because she’s been here for quite a while in our community. She’s been writing and recording about Greene County.”

Nelson’s art, he said, shows that someone can follow their passion for art no matter what they’re doing in life.

“To be in the arts, it doesn’t have to be your full-time occupation,” he said. “And she’s never done this before. She’s never had an opportunity to show off her work. She’s always doing it, always painting. She’s always drawing.”

Nelson is a staple in Greene County and has always been passionate about arts, something of which people might not be aware. Her collection is varied, with samples of her Greene County calendar, printed T-shirts, sketchbooks and more.

“Some of the paintings are individuals that if you ask her about it, she can tell you a whole story. Some of them, it’s a story she wrote and this illustrates that. I love that. There are so many people that are interested in the arts but they may never go into a full-time career in it, but if you have a passion for it, it still can be a huge part of who you are and you really see that with Colleen,” Heisey said. “She’s a historian and been researching things and all along, she’s also been doing the same thing with her artwork. She collects pictures and she turns them into paintings and drawings. Just like in her writing, she’s doing the same thing with images. I’m really excited to show that here.”

The gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment. For more information, call 724-852-3247.

Arts academy

coming this spring

Also coming up at the university is a Fine Arts Academy, which Heisey said will have a soft opening this spring. There has been much interest over the years for the university to offer music lessons, so the academy will be an initial test of offering classes en masse.

Group and private music classes will be available starting in February, as well as an introductory pottery class taught by Heisey for ages 12 and up.

There’s a robust art community that people may not be aware of. He said the effort is to bring the surrounding community into Waynesburg University and break down the proverbial wall that separates them.

“Lots of people don’t feel connected to the university, so I hope this breaks that down,” Heisey said. “It provides something for artists to teach. It also provides something for people to learn.”

Heisey is hoping to continue the series with a summer art camp and a more robust courseload in the fall after testing the spring classes to make sure the concept works. Group classes are primarily focused on middle-school aged children and older, all the way to adults, but they will offer opportunities for younger students later.

Classes start Feb. 18 and registration is required before Feb. 7.

For more information on the academy or to sign up, visit waynesburg.edu/now-at-waynesburg/waynesburg-university-fine-arts-academy.