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New exhibit at Ray Frederick Gallery

People, places and things

T-R PHOTOS BY JANINE ERMAN Preparing the gallery to host his artwork Will Hildebrandt talks about his piece “Votives.” “It is done in acrylics and shows candles in the church that are lit for prayers,” said Hildebrandt.

Will Hildebrandt art pieces will be the featured display in the Ray Frederick Gallery at Marshalltown Community College (MCC) Wednesday through March 27.

Hildebrandt has displayed his artwork at the Iowa State Fair, Blanden Memorial Art Museum, Linn Creek Art Festival, Polk County Heritage Gallery and in various juried exhibits in Iowa.

Pieces on display at the show will include pastel, colored pencil and acrylic as well as gourds.

“These are some of the dinosaur skin gourds I grew and decided to work with,” Hildebrandt said.

Dinosaur gourds are non-edible ornamental gourds with hard ridges. Another type of gourd that will be on display is what he calls a birdhouse gourd.

Dinosaur skin gourds grown and dried at his home are some of the artwork of Will Hildebrandt. He was drawn to this medium because of the texture of the gourd. They are known for their hard green skin and “armor-like” projections.

This is the third time Hildebrandt art has been featured in the gallery. Tim Castle, MCC professor of art, schedules artists for the Ray Frederick Gallery.

“In the past they have asked me. So when someone canceled Tim asked me if I had work to substitute in for this month,” Hildebrandt said.

He chose the theme of people, places and things.

“They’re places we visited, Michigan Lake Superior, Sangre de Christo mountains in Colorado, Ireland, Dachau concentration camp in Germany, and different people. One is my father-in-law and his farm near the Ionia New Hampton area in northeast Iowa,” Hildebrandt said. “Subjects vary from a collapsing farm house to the despair shared by many people around the world.” Hildebrandt says his images have elements of mystery and the human condition.

Hildebrandt is grateful for the network of teachers within the community. He hopes the teachers and students from many of the area schools come to the gallery to view his work.

T-R PHOTO BY JANINE ERMAN “Where Will the Children Play” is a Will Hildebrandt piece done in chalks. It will be seen at the entrance to the Ray Frederick Gallery.

“One time I even had composition students come in and write their impressions,” he said.

Some of the art pieces will be for sale. To purchase potential buyers will need to take the artists card provided in the gallery and contact the artist for purchase.

Art has not only been a vocation for Will Hildebrandt but has been his passion as well. After being an art instructor for more than 30 years he is retired and living in LeGrand.

“I continued to develop my own art throughout the years. I retired from teaching in 2008,” Hildebrandt said.

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Contact Janine Erman 641-753-6611 or jerman@timesrepublican.com

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