International watercolor exhibit at MCC

One of America’s longest running traveling art exhibitions is in McCook for a six-week stop at McCook Community College’s Wrightstone Gallery.

The 158^th International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society opened Monday and will be at MCC through Oct. 27. The Wrightstone is located at 1205 E. Third on the MCC campus. The exhibit is free and open to the public seven days a week.

“This is a unique opportunity to witness the world's leading watercolor artists showcasing their expertise on an international scale,” said MCC Art Instructor Rick Johnson, who helped secure the exhibit.

The American Watercolor Society’s first meeting took place in December of 1866 and was founded to promote the use of watercolor and watermedia and is the longest running annual art exhibitions in the United States.

This year’s 40 exhibits include artists from 10 countries including: Norway, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Bulgaria, Great Britian, Peru, Spain, Canada and artists across the United States. Some famous artists who have been part of the AWS include Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, John La Farge, Edward Hopper, Lydia Field Emmet and Dean Mitchell.

“Dean Mitchell is someone I make reference to frequently in my classes and I show his landscapes and still life as examples,” said Johnson. “I’ve seen many of AWS’s artists in various textbooks back when I was a student and even now as a teacher. Seeing these works in person is always special.”

Johnson is not alone in his appreciation for the collective inspiration for this group. He worked with the AWS to make MCC part of the traveling exhibits in 2011, 2014 and 2020. Every one of these exhibits has always attracted visitors from a wide region.

He said the Colorado Watercolor Society, headquartered in Denver, usually schedules trips to visit the Wrightstone Gallery for this exhibit and depending on their schedule, have made weekend or overnight stays and one beautiful fall day a few years ago, the members brought blankets and had a picnic lunch on campus. This year, on the first day of the exhibit Monday, there were visitors from the Wichita Watercolor Society.

“One time, an architect from Kansas City came to see the show and it turns out, he was the one who originally designed the Wrightstone Gallery and decided to stop by to see the exhibit here in the gallery he designed,” said Johnson. 

The exhibit has also been a big draw for elementary and high school art teachers throughout Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. Johnson said over the years, many teachers have scheduled tours to see the exhibit either with their classes or some just as fans of art. MCC art students classes will take in the exhibition as part of their class assignments as they critique and examine techniques, identify examples and generate discussions from the art.

“Having this traveling show here has given me a great opportunity to take students into the gallery for eyes-on learning and this exhibit brings in area teachers and art enthusiasts that I wouldn’t have otherwise got to meet,” he said.

In order for MCC to host the exhibit, the college must follow specific instructions and documentation for unboxing the 40 pieces when it arrives, a white-glove installation procedure as well as stepped up security measures for the exhibit. To offer more viewing opportunities for this exhibit, MPCC has extended the Wrightstone Gallery hours to be open on weekends.

The gallery will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., open until 9 p.m. Thursdays and for this exhibition, will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

“We’re contracted to be open all 50 days this exhibit is in McCook,” said Johnson.

Submissions to the Annual International Exhibition are open each year to artists worldwide, both members and non-members.

Johnson had previously applied for membership in the AWS but had been denied – until he received notification in April of this year that he had been approved as an associate member.

“This is the gold-bar standard for watercolor artists, so finally being a part of a society where historically referenced artists are included, is a humbling honor,” said Johnson. “Not only for me – but for the college. It’s a reflection of how my journey as an artist was enhanced by my elementary, high school and college education in McCook and the community’s support and promotion of the arts.”

Johnson does not have a piece in this year’s traveling exhibit but he said seeing a collection of 40 of the best artists in the world always gives him inspiration.

“I encourage people to take time from their schedules to experience this unique fine art event,” he said. “Call a friend and make an afternoon or a daytrip to see renowned watercolor artists whose work is both exceptional and historically noteworthy.”

This year’s annual exhibition opened April 7-25 at the Salmagundi Club in New York, New York. MCC is the first of four U.S. stops for the traveling exhibit. Other venues include Mooresville, North Carolina; Martinsville, Virginia and Bradenton, Florida.

An opening reception for the MCC installation is set for Heritage Days weekend, Saturday, Sept. 20 from 1-3 p.m. at the gallery.