JWCC Heath Center Art Gallery Hosts Art Show by Amanda Brown-DeClue
The John Wood Community College Heath Center Art Gallery will host artwork by Amanda Brown-DeClue. The art show is open now through Friday, March 25, 2022.
Brown-DeClue is originally from Camdenton, MO. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with an emphasis in studio art from Culver-Stockton College.
Most of her pieces are realistic paintings, predominantly consisting of landscapes done in soft pastels. The subject matter is of places she’s been to and has fond memories of. Her collection also includes abstract work featuring color-washed backgrounds that support intricate geometric drawings. She has extended the use of these drawings as graphic designs because of the rich patterns and texture they have.
“My love for creating realistic works of art correlates with my love of traveling and documenting those travels with photography,” she said. “I use my own photos as references to create my artwork. This lets me connect to the viewer and lets me talk about my travels. When I am creating abstract artwork, it gives me a nice reprieve from the realistic side of art. The abstract pieces challenge me differently because I have to use my imagination as opposed to drawing from life or a photograph. Both styles are beneficial to my growth as an artist.
“Personal growth is important to me in all aspects of my life,” she said. “It is especially necessary to become a successful artist. I believe in this ideal and it pushes me to keep creating and improving my skills. I grow by learning from my mistakes and trying new techniques, experimenting with different mediums and by accepting constructive criticism.”
Brown-DeClue currently lives in Quincy and works for Quincy Art Center as the Administrative Assistant and Beaux Arts and Volunteer Coordinator. She has recently had work exhibited and awarded at the Hannibal Arts Council. She is also one of 11 artists selected to have their artwork printed and displayed on traffic boxes around Hannibal. Her traffic box can be viewed at the 1700 block of Market Street, in front of Eugene Field Elementary School. Her works have also been exhibited at the Alliance Art Gallery in Hannibal and at Quincy Art Center.
She also sells jewelry and other products featuring her artwork online through Zazzle. Follow her on Facebook at AmandaStudioCreations.
Most pieces will be for sale. The college does retain a portion of each sale to enhance the arts education program at JWCC through the Foundation Office.
The exhibit is open through Friday, March 25. The JWCC Heath Center Art Gallery is located at the Quincy Campus, 48th & Harrison, on the lower-level of the Paul Heath Fine Arts Center. The Gallery is open during normal college hours Monday-Thursday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Fridays from 8:00 am to noon. To learn more about fine art programs at JWCC, visit www.jwcc.edu.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Jenna Seaborn, JWCC Heath Center Art Gallery Curator, at jseaborn@jwcc.edu or 217-653-3246.
