Flatlanders, a sculpture supply shop and fine art gallery in Blissfield, MI, is hosting an exhibit by area artist Steven J. Athanas.
Steven’s work is a conglomeration of 2D and 3D art. He utilizes a variety of refurbished, found and unique items in his work, as well as different mediums in his drawings, paintings and writing. From rusty wires to tissue paper, random objects in nature and clay, he incorporates whatever he can get his hands on. His work has been shown in New York City, Baltimore, Northwest Ohio, Michigan, Chicago and West Palm Beach.
Mixed Media
Athanas has been making music and art professionally for over 5 decades now. He self-published several books of his drawings and “pomes” as well as releasing 3 CDs and a couple of cassette tapes of original songs. He received his bachelors in art education in 2000, taught for a few years, and when the jobs dried up, focused on his visual art.
Since then, he has expanded to creating mobiles and sculptures using various papers and attaching them to wire armature to make fish, birds, humans, and abstract forms. He then paints them with acrylics and coats them with water-based polyurethane for added strength and endurance. In keeping with his eclectic artwork and music tastes, these mobiles are in a world of their own.
More about Steven J. Athanas’s work can be found online at: https://www.facebook.com/artofstevenjay/
The Gallery: At This Juncture
Steven describes this new gallery as a “Bit o’ the old, bit o’ the new, a couple new mobiles, my series named ‘Lacks a Story Line,’ and some 2D and 3D work.” Visitors can expect colorful, zany, oftentimes borderline absurd, but entirely unique works of art. His stuff undeniably has a personality that art lovers, fellow artists, and sculptors alike have never seen elsewhere. He has shown work at Flatlanders since 2008.
The gallery is located at 11993 US-223 in Blissfield, Michigan. “When you’re heading toward Adrian on 223, you drive by a one-story building that has all these crazy, beautiful outdoor sculptures on the property. That’s Flatlanders,” Athanas said.
Flatlanders’ Fine Art Gallery features work intended for gift giving with an emphasis on fine craftsmanship, including prints, jewelry, sculptures, hand-blown glass, and ornaments among other things. In addition to their store, they offer sculpting services for both public and private projects throughout Ohio and Michigan.
For those unable to make it to their brick and mortar location, Flatlanders has an online exhibit: 2020 and the Challenge to Create. Curated by Athanas himself, the multi-modal exhibit includes work by Philip Hazard, Meighen Jackson, Valerie Mann, Chris Stofan, and Louie, and started as a means to provide the comfort of art during the pandemic.
Flatlanders is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday 10 am to 1 pm. The exhibit will run through August 27th, 2021. For more information about the gallery visit: https://www.flatlandersculpture.com/
They can also be found on both Facebook and Instagram.
