News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

"Scientific America" Photography & Changes Coming to Mayfield's Icehouse Gallery

Icehouse Gallery, Facebook

Mayfield's Ice House Gallery is showing "Scientific America; Photography by Ron Toth," through March 26th. Toth is a plant sciences professor at Northern Illinois University. Icehouse Interim Director Ric Watson tells us about the show and what else is happening at the Gallery under his direction.

Ron Toth is a professor emeritus at Northern Illinois University. He retired a few years ago and moved to the area. His specialty is botany, which is the subject of many of his photographs. Throughout his career, as a hobby, Toth took photos and developed them in silver gelatin prints in his home lab. The gallery show features 49 prints, mostly black and white, of a variety of botanical and man-made subjects. 

Watson says Toth will have on display two cases of pinecone specimens, which can also be seen in the photographs. In the man-made structures, Watson mentions a photo of a 70-foot tall corn dryer, in which you can see every sheet of metal and rivet that went into its construction. Toth uses chiaroscuro techniques to highlight the subjects against a dark backdrop. Watson says his shadows almost seem like solid objects composed with light focused on a certain way, making an interesting composition. 

The exhibit runs through March 26. A reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 20.

More about this exhibit at the Icehouse Gallery website

Changes at the Icehouse Gallery

Ric Watson came in as Interim Director in mid-January. His wife was director for 11 years. Being with her and working in the gallery over several years, Watson sees this as an opportunity to make some changes. They'll be remodeling the gift shop and office area so that artists can display work for sale and hold conversations about their work under good lighting. He also plans to remodel the work rooms to make them more convenient to work in and allow other groups to hold meetings or conferences in the space.

Watson says the goal is to bring more people through the gallery. He hopes that with increased traffic, there will also be an increase in membership donation. The Icehouse Gallery is 90% funded by donations. He wants new uses for the space, more art and artists from other regions and to enhance the ability to show member work. 

Icehouse Gallery is located at 120 North 8th Street. 

More at the Icehouse Gallery website

Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
Related Content