The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery

Very nice, spacious gallery with plenty of wall and floor space to exhibit large pieces. It’s located inside the Vern Riffe Center. On the weekends you have to enter via State Street off to the side and walk up the stairs to get to the gallery entrance. All other times just enter the main building through the front during the building’s regular business hours.
I went to view the show «Go Figure,» running from Jan. 28-​March 23, 2016. Curated by Charles McWeeny and featuring 13 Ohio artists, this show ranges surreal to hyper real-​paintings, sculpture and photography. Nice array of styles and Ohio talent. Highly recommend.
They also have workshops for children (next one is Feb 20, 2 – 4) and a new two-​hour open figure drawing class on Wednesdays.

We were the first to attend the gallery last Saturday. We were there before the doors even opened. We chatted it up with the gallery attendant as we waited for the tardy security guards to unlock the space and turn the lights on.
The first few minutes we were there were very peaceful. There’s a fabulous watercolor show going on right now. Lots of different artists and subject matter. Lots of different styles. Go if you get the chance.
Like I said, the first few moments were peaceful, but then, all hell broke loose. A disheveled man and his two children who looked to be about 10 and 6, stood, half outside, half inside the Riffe Center, screaming at each other. The problem was that those doors were just being unlocked. The father and daughter had entered through the side door, but the son wanted to go through the revolving door. So, while the son unsuccessfully pushed and pushed, the father screamed: ‘Ty! Ty! Get in here Ty. Get in here. Come on. Get in here Ty.’ That’s the kind of thing that can break your concentration.
I tried to block it out. They managed to get the whole family indoors. The father charged forward, passing earsplitting judgment on every piece he saw. He was one of those know-​it-​alls who really doesn’t know anything: ‘I see what he’s trying to do here, but I don’t like it. I don’t like this one at all. This one’s good. I like this one. I can see how some people would think this one is nice because of the shadows. The shadows are good.’ He was like a friggin’ parrot!
‘Look at this still life,’ he told the kids. The son didn’t understand what a still life is, or rather a ‘still life still life’ as he called it. The daughter demonically explained, ‘It’s when you drain all the life out of something, and it become still.’ I moved to the other end of the gallery. I really was enjoying the show, but I had to get away from these insane people.
Anyway, the son didn’t seem to like the daughter’s answer, so he charged like a jouster into his father. The father got VERY angry and threw a temper tantrum. This began an argument between the two children. The gallery attendant, an old, sweet woman, came over and tried to speak with the young boy. She didn’t outright tell the trio to shut their traps. I think she was hoping her presence would have an effect on them. It didn’t. This family must have had a genetic social disorder.
I retreated even farther into the gallery.
Despite the craziness that went on inside the Riffe Gallery that day, I had a great time. The art was fantastic. There was one oil color of a boy with really curly hair. It was exquisite. There was another of a sunrise in Hawaii with a bunch of volcanic ash causing reflection in the sky. There was a roughly interpreted painting of a butterfly in flight. And there was a layered narrative about falling leaves. These were excellent, excellent pieces.
The gallery itself was enormous. It was well lit with high ceilings and little benches on which to sit and ponder. I’m hoping I’ll be able to really drink it all in on my next visit.