Art on a plate

"300 Plates" is not part of a restaurant's inventory list; it's the title of the fund-raiser/exhibition at Art Access Gallery — a visually solid, satisfying show of 300 aluminum printer plates transformed by 57 local artists in their signature style.

When hung in close proximity (centimeters apart) on the gallery walls, the image diversity of the completed plates somehow produces an uncluttered collage of creativity, a stimulating mixture. When studied as individual works, each plate is a personal, evocative statement.

The idea for the show as a fund-raiser began five years ago with Joe Ostraff and John Ohran's "Restoration of Good Fortune: One Through Three Hundred and Fifty," a collection of 350 aluminum printer plates adorned with the image of King Rama V of Thailand.

"It was an incredible show," said Ruth Lubbers, director of Art Access. "It benefited Sudanese refugees."

The artists numbered the plates 1 through 350. Plate 1 was $1; plate 2 was $2 and so on up to plate 350 for $350. "It was very successful," Lubbers said, "and allowed a lot of people to buy original art who otherwise may not have been able to do so."

When looking for a fund-raiser idea last year, Ostraff (who is on the Art Access board) suggested a similar project, only this time employing numerous artists who support Art Access and its programs. (Art Access assists adults and children with disabilities, and others who are underserved in some way, to participate in the arts.)

"Last year people lined up, waiting to get in," said Lubbers. The same thing happened this year; with plates ranging from $50 to $300 "it was very competitive. People were excited about buying art from a lot of these artists."

This year's list of the 57 participating artists reads like a Who's Who of Utah painters, photographers and printmakers. "What we asked them to do was create art in their own recognizable style," said Lubbers. She wanted them to have fun creating the art and then sign the plate.

Besides being a fund-raiser, Lubbers feels that "getting 57 different artists represented on our walls is truly a happening. When you walk into the gallery, you are overwhelmed, like walking into an installation. And so the fund-raiser, I think, becomes an important exhibition."

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