The Venue shows art of Timothy Fannin

Yellow Tail Chardonnay flowed Friday as many guests discovered The Venue, Fine Art and Gifts for the first time for the opening reception of Timothy W. Fannin’s work.

Fannin’s two dimensional drawings and paintings on display were figurative and chaotic, yet each piece had a hidden message.

“It almost has that ‘Where’s Waldo?’ effect,” Venue owner Dave Colman said.
What fellow owner Gabriel Colman described as Fannin’s “anchor piece” might at first look like chaotic scribbles, but among the scribbles, there lies a story.

“The standard for a piece at The Venue is that it has to continually give back to the viewer,” Gabriel said. “Fannin’s work does that. At first it’s incredibly chaotic, but if you spend time with it, you’ll see a narrative.”

Much like Fannin’s individual work, the pieces together created a sense of chaos. Then, one piece emerged from the madness.

“Jet City Woman” contrasted Fannin’s other works at the exhibit, having what Dave described as naked emotion.

Fannin brought the painting of the superhero-like woman from his own home and specifically asked that it not be sold.

Fannin’s pieces will be shown through March 17. While his work is what drew visitors to The Venue, many were captivated by other artists.

Graduate students Molly Poitevint, Jessica Heidrich and Meredith Zafian said they enjoyed exploring The Venue’s small pieces and gifts. As first time visitors, the women said they appreciated the local, colorful and affordable art.

“I really love the bookmarks,” Zafain said. “It’s great that there are low cost items so that even grad students can have a little art in their lives.”

The Venue has two events every week. Some of Gabriel’s favorites throughout the years have included Jim Keplinger’s magic show and Ron Volbrecht’s guitar show.

“It feels really happy here,” Poitevint said. “I love all the colors that they have a variety of different art.”