FEATURES - WEEKENDER 14
By Bill Mayr
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
A series of projects and exhibitions by a group of women organized by Renee Kropat has borne yet more fruit.
The newest iteration, "Passages III -- Trust and Surrender,'' fills the first-floor spaces of the High Road Gallery in Worthington with what might be called constructions.
"Basically what we are doing is a cooperative venture among artists to be able to start a piece, surrender it to another artist and trust that the other artist will complete the piece,'' Kropat said.
The exhibition includes a small decked- out suitcase, a stylized manikin and a strange-looking ox.
Kropat, of Westerville, said the project started with 27 participants; 22 completed the works, and 22 pieces are on display. Six or seven participants worked on each piece.
Participants were required to use a delivery service or the mail to ship the piece to the next person. "The artists were not allowed to tell the next artist what to do, but they were allowed to do a journal and give it to the next artist. The journals became very important parts of the pieces.''
"The process of the art,'' Kropat said, "becomes far more important than the end piece, although the end pieces are beautiful.''
It was an exciting process, said participant Diane Greene of Columbus. "When you'd get a piece in the mail, you'd open it like it was your birthday.'' Greene started her piece, a small, wooden box reflecting elemental aspects of Earth, such as wind, water and fire. It came back to her with shark's teeth and "a kimono for Barbie in it.'' "It is fabulous, ages beyond what I could have done with it,'' she said.
The project required almost two years to complete. Kropat and her associates, meanwhile, are off on Part IV, which will feature "being able to tell a story with the journal and for people to read it, by words or visually.''
"Passages III -- Trust and Surrender'' continues through Aug. 21 at High Road Gallery, 12 E. Stafford Ave., Worthington. Portions of the previous two parts of the Passages series are also on display.
Hours: noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Call 614-781-6454.
Bill Mayr is a Dispatch arts reporter. bmayr@dispatch.com
Illustration: Photo appeared in newspaper, not in the archive. Photo caption: (1) Susan B. Oxeny (2) Suitcase Please prin