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Dovey Wuvey serves up a melange of art in an exhibition at Trumbull Art Gallery.
"Melange" is curated by David Wheeler, who uses the moniker Dovey Wuvey for his art. In addition to his own work, it features pieces by 15 other artists, some of whom are showing their work locally for the first time.
Wheeler regularly curates art shows at the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County's Art on Park in the same block as TAG in downtown Warren as well as at Havana House in Niles and other spaces in the Mahoning Valley.
He's been featured in several group shows at TAG, but this is the first time he's curated an exhibition there.
"The original idea is it would be my show, and I'd pick a little art to hang with me," Wheeler said. "As it developed, I went a little nuts and got a lot of artists and accepted a lot of their work, so there's not that much of mine. It's definitely a group show."
In addition to Wheeler, the participating artists and where they currently are based are: Eric Alleman, Robert Dennick Joki, Brian HIll, Jersey Hogue, James Pernotto and Dylan Weaver, all of Youngstown; Audrey Gardner, Girard; Marcus P. Blackwell, Davey Highben and Chad Kessler, all of Columbus; Orrville Brown, Cleveland: Paul Jackson Burgess, Pittsburgh; Steve Ehret, Canton; Lynn Wheeler, Worthington; and Elizabeth Given, Georgia.
"It's a mix, a big mix," Wheeler said. "I've been following a lot of these artists, and this was the first time I got to meet them. It was exciting to go around and meet artists I hadn't met before. Others are good friends of mine, people who I've respected their work for a long time, and a couple are fresh and fairly new to the scene."
"I had a vision for the show, a list of artists and kind of specific works I wanted to show, and then as the process developed, the overall look of the show changed dramatically on its own."
The art is intermixed throughout the gallery instead of grouping each artist's work together. Even with the different backgrounds and experience levels of the selected artists, Wheeler does see some commonality among the pieces.
"It's a little bit on the outsider art side, lots of figurative work, a lot of color and chaos, a looseness," he said. "In a sense, a lot of these artists remind me of my own work and what I'd like my work to be."
The work will be on display through Feb. 9, and a reception is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
"A lot of these artists don't know each other, and I'm hoping they get to meet," Wheeler said. "I think a lot of them would appreciate each other."
If you go …
WHAT: "Melange: Dovey Wuvey's Selected Artists"
WHEN: Through Feb. 9 with reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Trumbull Art Gallery, 158 N. Park Ave., Warren:
HOW MUCH: Admission is free. For more information, go to www.trumbullartgallery.com or call 330-395-4876.