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New 20 North Gallery show highlights two talented local artists
Take mesmerizing plein air landscapes by Leslie Dietsch and combine them with psychedelic still photography courtesy of Jerry Gray, and you have one of the most fascinating art shows of the spring season, “Moments In Latitude,’ running through June 21
at 20 North Gallery in the Warehouse District.
The exhibit casts a mesmerizing spell courtesy of the two talented artists, whose respective artistic visions work in tandem with each other. Leslie Dietsch of Erie, Michigan, a University of Toledo graduate who also studied art at Scottsdale Artist School in Arizona, with landscapes have been displayed in numerous shows across the Midwest. She is a member of the Toledo Artists’ Club and the Athena Art Society, as well as serving as Chair for the Point Place Area Art Committee. Dietsch said she chose her paintings for “Moments in Latitude” as a way to pay homage to the Great Lakes Basin.
“The Great Lakes Basin has a light that is completely its own, and I’ve spent years learning to see it. It sits over the water and the flatlands like a blanket. Overcast or brilliant, it shapes everything,” said Dietsch. “I wanted to bring that into the gallery. This show
is part of a larger body of work. I’m exploring watersheds. This is a first iteration.”
Capturing the moment 20 North Gallery manager Anastasia Wagner praised Dietsch’s plein air approach to creating her artwork. “Leslie’s focus is capturing that moment that is in front of her. Just preserving that moment in time,” said Wagner. “Both artists are capturing moments in time and that’s what makes their work mesh so well together.”
Jerry Gray, has been a longtime fixture on the Toledo art scene and the proprietor of several art galleries in the Toledo area, such as Bozart’s, Quest For Fire Studios, and most recently, Just Jerry’s at The Switchboard. “Moments in Latitude” is one of the first career retrospectives of Gray’s photography and artwork.
“The works are a new collection of mono print landscapes as well as two large paintings,” said Gray. “The work itself speaks about documentation of memories and how they are capable of shifting over time.”
Wagner said the use of memories in the exhibit make both artists’ work mesh well together. “This exhibit is a wonderful look at landscapes familiar to the Great Lakes region,” said Wagner “For Jerry’s work, he extends a little further from across the country. It’s inspired by his cross-country road trips and hikes around this area. He is creating pieces that look at our memories of spaces and, while memories aren’t always accurate, our memories influence how we perceive these points of time.”
“Leslie Dietsch and Jerry Gray: Moments In Latitude” is on display through June 21 at 20 North Gallery, 18 N. St. Clair St. For more information, including gallery hours, visit 20northgallery.com.
