Leesa Haapapuro's News

Tom, who entered a drawing to have his portrait made, was my model during the opening of "Here's Looking at You; Portraits in Ohio" at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus through April 17.

I’m honored to be included in  Here’s Looking at You: Portraits in Ohio at The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery January 27 – April 17, 2011 The Riffe Gallery showcases the work of Ohio’s artists and the collections of the state’s museums and galleries. It is located in the Vern Riffe Center for the Government and the Arts, across from the Statehouse on High Street in Downtown Columbus. I will be sculpting a portrait during the reception will take place on January 27 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and also on Friday, January 28,  noon- 1 p.m. during the tour of the exhibit with Curator Kay Koeninger.
During the Family Day Workshop, on April 3, 2-4 p.m.  you are invited to join me in creating your own portrait in clay! Registration is required as space is limited; all children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Registration begins January 31 and ends March 28 at www.riffegallery.org.

“14 Ohio artists in the exhibition stretch the idea of what a portrait can be; through their eyes, we see not only the world but ourselves and others in a transformative new light. They are not constrained by a past art form but are energized and profoundly inspired by it”. – Kay Koeninger, Curator

Gallery Hours: 
Tuesday 10 – 4 p.m.
Wednesday and Friday 10 – 5:30 p.m.
 Thursday 10 – 8 p.m. 
Saturday and Sunday noon – 4 p.m.

Closed Mondays and state holidays.
Admission is free. For information or to schedule a tour call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624

Sculptural Vision was a wonderful event! photos of me demonstrating my technique for casting handmade paper can be seen here :http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourchester/sets/72157624914312553/with/5026496703/

That’s me making paper in Amalfi ( first paper-making city in Europe)

“About Face: The World of Puppets and Masks” open studio at Riverscape in downtown Dayton was a lot of fun As was the mask-making workshop  in Cheboygan MI

Here is video from the  Steamroller prints event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSptU-_9ntU

I love exhibiting with the Circus Art Collective I concluded my worry-doll project (and played scrabble in Christina Peyerman’s Out of ConText installation)

photo by Christine Dendy

I’ve been  helping sculpt the puppets for this Zoot theater production: http://www.zoottheatrecompany.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:the-zoot-theatre-company-presents-moby-dick&catid=64:press-releases&Itemid=79

Save the date: April 30th starting at 6:30 p.m.  http://www.daytonvisualarts.org/content/auction

This year I will be donating my Stone Woman relief, I hope she goes to a good home.

Can’t come to Dayton? Not to worry, here’s a how-to video link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Etbw1zrU4 (thanks to Dan Raridan!)

My recent work “Muncecas Quitapenas” (No Worries) is inspired by Guatemalan worry dolls.  The Mayans believed that if you whispered your worries to special dolls at night, when you woke up, the worry dolls would have taken your worries away. My worry dolls are meant to dissipate worry in the making- the idea being that the process of making frees the mind- you write your worry on the paper that makes up the heart and head, then as you wrap/bind, your worries go away. Maybe it will work for you! Photos from my University of Dayton Artist Residency will  be up on my website soon. The project will continue during this spring’s Urban Nights when I will be working with the Circus Art Collective at the Side Show.

The Chrysalis Project is going on now! Here is a link with more information: http://daytonvisualarts.org/programs/daybreak2009.html

Fabulous group of young artists!

Here are some photos of the works in progress and the finished manga inspired creatures: