Shop the Paradigm Gallery for unique art and fine craft from over 65 local, regional, and national artists. At the Paradigm Gallery, we feature jewelry, wood turned objects, ceramics, hand-made apparel and accessories, all types of paintings, as well as photography and paper and origami objects.
New guidelines for shopping in the Paradigm Gallery will apply:
Please sanitize your hands before entering the gallery. Our team is taking the initiative to thoroughly clean high traffic surface areas daily but ask that you help do your part since most of our items/artwork cannot be sanitized.
In coordination with the CDC guidelines, we strongly encourage that you wear a facemask while shopping to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.
We also ask that you continue to practice social distancing. Please stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people.
 | Greg AdamsI have always been interested in Art and woodworking. My great-great-great-grandfather was a cooper, making barrels for the whiskey he made in Western Pennsylvania. Succeeding generation migrated to Indiana and operated barrel making factories. White oak trees were scouted and cut to produce barrel staves that were shipped to Cleveland where John Rockefeller shipped Kerosene in them. |
 | J. Collin BrownGeometry is a universal language that I use along with the natural beauty of wood to see the wonders of creation. I am fascinated by geometry in nature such as crystalline structure, honeycombs, spiral growth of shells and especially the carbon-60 molecule aptly named Buckminsterfullerene. I was fortunate to have a father who is a builder and had the patience to teach me. So I’ve had a passion for building things from a young age. From building forts and helping my dad as a kid to working as a carpenter and my main focus now of making geometric wooden lighting. Most of the pieces I make are based on the Platonic and Archimedean solids. They consist of anywhere between 12 and 180 pieces of wood all cut to precise angles and put together into these aesthetically pleasing geometric forms. I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy making it! |
 | Emily CarterI have been crocheting since 2010 and knitting since late 2015. I was never crafty growing up, but after being taught by friends and co-workers I’m completely in love with it! There's something wonderfully magical about taking a hook (or needles) and some yarn and transforming them into something both beautiful and useful. My favorite items to make are hats, wraps and fingerless gloves. I’ve recently gotten into designing my own knitted and crocheted goods. I am inspired by nature, particularly the warm colors of autumn and the cool pastels of spring. When I'm not knitting or crocheting, I enjoy reading, traveling and spending time with my family. |
 | Austin CartwrightAll art shares the same unique ability to freely express and completely capture purpose. It is its own purpose, with little to no effort. This quality in art opens the artist's possibilities to an infinite range. |
 | Jill Ellen ChambersAbout the Art When very young, I was given two gifts that have shaped me in ways that, I suppose, the givers would never have anticipated. |
 | Jennifer CreightonI started working in clay during my senior year at Defiance College. After a year of AmeriCorps service, I apprenticed under Steve Smith at 4 Corners Gallery in Angola, Indiana. Since then, I have worked to create and fine-tune my personal line of handcrafted ceramic products. Using an oxygen-saturated electric kiln atmosphere and contrasting glazes, I feel I have produced a line of products that is simultaneously functional and beautiful. |
 | Bob Cross
Abstract painting is an oddly reflective discipline, and one which can have a slow rate of maturity. While style, composition, scale, surface quality, and mysterious content are all important components of my work, I find that color is the most intriguing element. At birth we comprehend the world purely through our senses, for months or years before we understand language. The presence of color remains a very pure archetypal, abstract experience, one we are able to embrace at a uniquely personal level without a formal cognitive rationale. When we look at a sunset, or the turning of fall leaves, or a Rothko painting, the joy of abundant color connects us to our own personal freedom. Through painting I attempt to communicate the experience of freedom. |
 | Rachelle DavisI have been interested in art and jewelry ever since I was little. I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and originally went to college there for mechanical engineering, and took metalsmithing classes as a hobby. |
 | Monte EllsonMonte Ellson is truly one of America's most skilled artists. Monte holds a degree in Drafting, Design & CAD and was an honor graduate. He had spent many years professionally in the drafting and engineering industry until his talent led him into the field of professional art. For more than two decades, Monte has been drawing Big City Skylines. He began to enter his drawings in art shows in 2003, and since then he has won dozens of awards, including 1st Place on several occasions. Some of the cities that have gained him great acclaim are Charleston SC, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Nashville, New York 9/11 Memorial, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Savannah, and San Diego. |
 | Braydee EulissWORN is a jewelry line launched in 2014 by artist Braydee Euliss. Her sculpture background informs both design and production processes. |
 | Claire EwartI'll never forget when my kindergarten teacher thumb-tacked my crayon drawing of a robin up on the classroom bulletin board. I'm sure I scuffed my penny loafers on the linoleum floor. I know that my cheeks burned with pride as she held my drawing in front of the class! No wonder that all these years later I am still drawing! Since first holding a crayon, my natural instinct has been to tell a story. |
 | Helen FrostHelen Frost was born in Brookings, South Dakota, the fifth of ten children. She graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Elementary Education and a concentration in English, with Philip Booth and W. D. Snodgrass among her teachers. She received her Masters degree in English from Indiana University in 1994. She is the recipient of a 2009 National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship. |
 | Marcia GabetTo me, glass is a thing of beauty with its vivid colors reflecting light like rare gems. I have immersed myself in the world of fused glass since 2008. |
 | Sayaka GanzSayaka Ganz was born in Yokohama, Japan and grew up living in Japan, Brazil, and Hong Kong. Currently she teaches design and drawing courses at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). |
 | John GeversRooted in the Heartland of the United States, John is known both for capturing the splendor of the world and for revealing a person's essence and spirit in portrait photography. You may receive John Gevers’ free occasional email journal featuring behind-the-scenes views of his photography endeavors, as well as his musings on how photographic discovery affects the art of living. The journal entries speak to photographers of all levels, as well as to fans of art photography. To subscribe, go to http://eepurl.com/gms2B9 |
 | Rebecca GravesRebecca Graves' background in graphic design, printmaking, and textiles is apparent in the carved surfaces of her ceramics. Her desire to create truly useful pottery is the direct result of years working in environmental and interior design. |
 | Diane Allen GroenertI was born in San Diego on 1949 and traveled with my Navy family around the states and Japan until graduating from high school in Annandale, Va. I did three Semesters at the University of New Hampshire in the Art Department, dropped out to hitch-hike the East Coast a bit, then came to Fort Wayne to go to the Division of General and Technical Studies at Indiana University, receiving an Associate Degree in Commercial Art in 1974. |
 | Julie GuerinI am an art teacher and a painter but have recently realized my love for the serendipitous creation of new stuffed animals from old ones. I have always had a soft spot for stuffed animals, and now bringing new ones into this world for others to love brings me immense joy. I first got the idea to make FrankenFuzzies when I was in college during my final project in textiles class. I originally made about 15 of them, which I enjoyed, but then thought nothing more of it. Nine years later I decided I would try making them again and found that I loved doing it. Everyone I showed my creations to was ecstatic about them and instantly drawn to one. I decided I should spread the love and create enough so that many people could connect with their own Fuzzy friend. I find gently used stuffed animals that no one wants anymore, clean them up, and swap their parts to give them a second chance at love. There will never be two FrankenFuzzies that are exactly alike. They each have their own unique personality which speaks to me and my husband and so we try to give a glimpse of it through the name and the blurb on their tags. I love each and every one of my FrankenFuzzies, and I hope that you will too. |
 | Amy GundersonWhat is Nuno felt? Nuno felting is a new spin on an ancient art. It is produced by applying wool or other natural fibers into a fine woven cloth. The wool is then worked into the cloth by applying soap, water, and lots of elbow grease. As the wool shrinks, it works its way into the cloth and creates a lovely crinkled effect. The result is a fabric that is unique, durable, flexible, warm, and light as air. |
 | Gwen GutweinMy paintings are individual interpretations of what I see and feel presented in front of me. My goal is to meld the visual subject matter with the mood, character and beauty I feel. This may require a particular temperature or value in my hues. It may also require an adjustment in my approach to paint application. None of this is established ahead of time. Each scene or subject matter requires me to open myself to what is before me and make it part of me. Only after this is accomplished can the process flow through my experience, my heart and into my hands. |
 | Dawn HaneyDawn Haney's photography-inspired product lines include; note cards, fine art prints, glass art cutting boards, woven throws and tapestry tote bags. The Fort Wayne Museum of Art features many of her Fort Wayne landmark photography and design products in their gift shop. |
 | Dawn England HarlessI have been an artist all of my life. While I know this sounds cliché, I think it is true. As far back as I can recall, I remember creatively organizing, transforming and redirecting. Most of my career was spent working in 2D-graphic design and Realist paintings and drawings. I took an intro to glass workshop and was hooked. While it seems that there would be no connection to my previous work, glass has many similarities. Good design is good design-regardless of medium. My glass studio-Shattered Dreamz Glass-utilizes traditional and contemporary techniques in fused and stained glass to create functional and non-functional fine art. I continue to learn and apply new techniques to create innovative work. I hope to draw a new audience to this centuries old material. I named my studio-Shattered Dreamz -for the following reason: “Shattered dreams do not necessarily have to have negative connotations. When things shatter it gives us an opportunity to reorganize and recreate…and sometimes the results can be more interesting than the original. Shattered dreams can force us to redirect…maybe on a path we otherwise would not have taken…maybe a better path.” |
 | Lori Haselrick |
 | Malinda HenningI loved the teeter-totter at my grandmother's in Whitley County. Perhaps that might have been a hint that my life and art might be about balance. I studied at I.U. in Bloomington, Philadelphia College of Art and Purdue at IPFW. My main artistic influences were Robert Godfrey and Walter Ehrlbacher, and crafting with my mother and Girl Scouts. |
 | JUKKA HONZA Studio[yoo-kuh hahn-zuh] Jukka Honza Studio, founded in early 2019 by artist/writer John Jack Cantey, is a small business based in downtown Fort Wayne that specializes in a wide range of handmade art objects, including original prints and collages, cards, books, magnets, and more. |
 | Fred InmanI was born in 1955 and grew up in Huntertown, IN. I went to Huntertown Elementary & Carroll High School. I helped farmers around the area bale hay. I worked for Phelps Dodge for 37 years & am still working for Rae Magnet Wire. |
 | Rhonda InmanI was born in 1961, grew up in Huntertown and went to Huntertown & Perry Elementary, then Carroll High School. I've worked for Fort Wayne Newspapers for 34 years (+). |
 | Ben Keffer"When I was 5 years old I started watching a show called McGee & Me. In the show a boy draws a cartoon character named McGee which comes to life and teaches him valuable life lessons. I immediately started drawing in hopes that my drawings would come to life as well. Unfortunately none of my work has ever come to life but I have never stopped pursuing art. In 2015 I started Wandering Press as a means to provide people with an affordable way to acquire and enjoy hand made artwork and as a means to give back. I also knew I wanted to give back with my work which is why Wandering Press is committed to donated $1 from every item sold to providing clean drinking water for people in The Central African Republic through Water For Good." |
 | Ronia Marie KriegRonia Marie loves art. She expresses her love of natural materials and color in practical ways. She makes wearable and usable art. She pours her soul into everything she creates. Her jewelry designs are fun and rich, while her Shibori-dyed scarves are intricate and intriguing. She works from her 100 year old farmstead that she shares with her husband, seven sheep, one goat, two alpaca, a dozen chickens and one very lovable dog. |
 | Alan LarkinAlan Larkin received his BA in art from Carleton College in Northfield Minnesota in 1975 and his MFA in printmaking from the Pennsylvania State University in 1977. Though recently retired, he taught drawing and printmaking for almost forty years at Indiana University South Bend. He has won many prizes in regional, national and international competitions for his artwork, including the prestigious Founder's Award in the 2016 Pastel 100 Competition sponsored by the Pastel Journal and the Best of Show Award at the 75th and 91st Annual Hoosier Salon Exhibition in Indianapolis. His works are in numerous private collections including the corporate collections of Pillsbury, NIPSCO, and Lincoln Life Insurance Companies. His work may be seen on the web at www.alanlarkin.net. |
 | Rick LiederPainter and photographer Rick Lieder's art has appeared on award-winning novels ranging from mysteries and science fiction, to books based on the X-Files TV series and Newberry Award-winning books for children. |
 | Jan McCuneIndiana"Creating a pendant engages not only my hands but my mind as I problem solve design and construction issues. I love everything about creating pendants: from the initial design work, through the multitude of production steps, to the final polishing of the metal." |
 | John MishlerNationally renowned art sculptor John Mishler specializes in the use of the common metals including aluminum, copper, steel and stainless steel to create both abstract and symbolic works of art. |
 | Duly MitchellCrystalline Porcelain You'll have to brush up on your physics and chemistry to fully understand the process by which Duly Mitchell creates his crystalline porcelain. But you only have to love classical refinement and perfection to appreciate his handsome vases and jars individualized by shimmering crystal wafers floating on translucent surfaces. |
 | Karen MoriartyKaren Moriarty's award-winning paintings are represented in galleries, group and solo shows, residential, medical and corporate collections throughout the country. Her large oils have dominated her last few years of work and recently she began working on metals. She maintains a studio in downtown Fort Wayne. Classically trained, Moriarty majoring in painting at the Fort Wayne Art Institute before living in San Francisco for several years. Returning to Indiana, she worked in contract interior design, illustration and graphic arts and later studied at Indiana University with esteemed painters Audrey Ushenko and John Hrehov, before starting her painting practice. |
 | Sara NordlingSara Nordling has been involved in fiber art in many forms for most of her life; weaving however, didn’t enter her life until she was an adult and she was hooked immediately. What began as a hobby turned into a passion and a return to school for a B.F.A. and then an M.F.A. in studio art/textiles. Sara enjoys the technical side of weaving as well as the color, textures and rhythms weaving provides. - Process gives a work its form. For my work as a textile artist and weaver, it involves dyeing the yarns, threading them individually on a loom and weaving them into cloth. Once an idea for a work is envisioned, the process of making it can begin. Yarns are weighed, measured and often dyed. I don’t often use commercially dyed yarns because they are seldom available in the colors or effects I am after in my finished work. This process alone will take several days to complete. After all yarns are dyed, they are wound and threaded on to the loom. Each thread at this point is handed individually so that it will weave the sort of fabric I intend. Setting up the loom may take a day or more, depending on the quantity of the threads and the complexity of the structure. Finally weaving can commence. Weaving can go relatively quickly or quite slowing. Weaving a work with pleats can progress at the rate of one to two inches an hour at the slow end of the spectrum. After a weaving is completed it is washed, the edges and finishing work are completed and it ready for display or use. How does this process affect the overall look and why would you need to know it? I strive to make works that are attractive whether you know what is involved in the making of them or not. I use color, textures, and lines to enhance my compositions. However, there is a calmness and meditative quality to many of my works and I believe this is evidence of the process by which they are made. I really cannot rush any part of the process; it takes thoughtfulness and time. If my mind is distracted, mistakes are made, colors come out wrong, threads get tangled, mistakes happen in the weave that can compromise the integrity of the cloth. It is the weaving process that I enjoy, combined with my desire to create art that is intriguing and enjoyable at many levels. |
 | Eran ParkEran Park is the owner of the Glass Park in Fort Wayne, IN. He has been blowing glass since 1999. Eran has spent time learning and working with glass in Grants Pass, Oregon. With about 16 years of experience, Eran now owns his own studio where he creates ornamental glass, and teaches others to do it, too. |
 | Matthew J. PaskietI see the artist as creator. We take raw material and transform it into objects that hold aesthetic significance, creating beauty from virtually nothing. Despite my critical eye, a sense of wonder emerges every time I cast my first gaze upon a finished piece. The object I hold in my hand today was nothing more than an idea and a pool of molten liquid yesterday. |
 | Joe PelkaHandmade Ceramic Art Handmade ceramic art with an emphasis on form, design and color can best describe Pelka Ceramics, a husband and wife team. I, Joseph, am the sole designer and creator of the ceramic art while Kathleen manages the business. |
 | Stephen PerfectStephen Michael Perfect is a photographic educator and studio owner whose teaching, lecturing and workshop experiences are varied and extensive, spanning a period of four decades. During his photographic career, Stephen's work has been widely exhibited for many years throughout the United States and abroad. His images are as varied as the techniques available to him, ranging from carbros, photographic intaglio embossings and small intimate landscapes printed on hand-sensitized watercolor paper to bold non-objective color abstracts and digital. |
 | Joel PisowiczI make functional pottery. While my approach to ceramics is naturally rooted in utility, some elements of my work do stray from the basic definition of utilitarian. The pots I make are typically meant for use on a regular basis and I strive for my work to have a healthy balance between aesthetic and utility. At this point in life, I am not making any huge claims through my pottery. I am focused on producing well-made and informed pots. I intend my pottery to reach and be appreciated by a wide audience, while also appealing specifically to an informed audience.
My forms draw inspiration from objects, structures and pottery that I find interesting and exciting. Industrial forms, various types of architecture, hardware, contemporary ceramics and historical pottery inform my studio practice. My goal is not to let a single one of these influences dominate my aesthetic, but to have a blend of elements that communicates a familiar yet elusive feeling to the viewer. |
 | Terry PulleyPulley’s career as a contemporary Hoosier Impressionist has made him a prolific creator of dynamically layered still lifes and landscapes inspired by the beauty of Northern Indiana. He has said that color, rhythimic patterns of light and shade fill his canvases. Not to be chained by the restrictions of realism, his focus has been more on his inward expression of a subject than trying to capture its exact representation. With his new series of abstract paintings, Pulley continues to harness the power of showing us this unique inner world that yearns to express the essence of things. With acrylics his medium of choice, this material is well suited to his style of rapid execution and penchant for bold, vibrant colors. |
 | Audrey RileyI am interested in the concepts of chaos and order. Therefore, I find myself intrigued by the ways in which we humans try to order the chaos of our world through the use of language or numerals. I believe our desire to name and number everything stems from the need to feel that we are in control of our world, albeit illusory. |
 | Ed RobertsEven at a young age I have always been intrigued with the smallest of details and textures in glass, chrome and liquid. I have always studied the abstract shapes and colors that define rooms and objects collaged together which revealed my inspiration to paint photorealism. |
 | Justin RothshankI use an electric potter's wheel set upon a stand so that I can throw each of my ceramic pieces from a standing position. The handles on my mugs and pitchers are pulled by hand. My plates and bowls are trimmed by hand. |
 | Britt SchmiesingI started drawing when I was 9. I shifted to knitting, sewing, stitching and crafting after my kids were born and my attention span shortened. |
 | Peggy SchuningAs a mixed media and mosaic artist, I enjoy uncovering a masterpiece in the broken, discarded, or unused pieces of daily life. My artwork is inspired by the hidden or modest splendor of the earth around me. Using slate, marble, stone, stained glass, ceramic tile, smalti, and other repurposed and found objects, I focus on the beauty of the element itself. I then strive to highlight its color, design, or other understated detail with relevant pieces. In my realistic work, the same materials can be used to produce a convincing representational piece. Currently, I am captivated by the natural and subtle allure of slate, stone, and marble. It is quite breathtaking to discover and build a relationship with a piece and call attention to the textures and movement that can be observed. Much of my art is created out of assorted sizes of slate and marble previously utilized as roofing or flooring. |
 | Steven & Susan ShaikhOur work is a representation of east meets west in concept. Coming from an Indian tradition of gemstone jewelry, we use architecture, art and cultures for inspiration. Our patron and the love we get are our driving force for our jewelry designs. |
 | Steve SmithSteve Smith produces functional, decorative and sculptural works in clay, steel and stone. A graduate of Bluffton College with Masters Degrees from Bowling Green State University, he has taught at Defiance College since 1980. |
 | Carol SpaidCarol Spaid began sewing as a child, first learning to quilt and then making clothing in her local 4-H program. As an adult, she continued to sew clothing for herself and her children and make crafts for gift giving. |
 | Marcia SteereI think of myself, not as a poet or artist, but as one who responds to the beauty of color, and uses it to express feelings of love and loss. |
 | Bill SteffenBill Steffen grew up in Indiana his entire life. His first experience with wood working was in high school. |
 | Ralph StuckmanRalph Stuckman was born on a farm near Bucyrus, Ohio. He has been highly influenced in the ceramic arts due to these early experiences with nature. |
 | Paul Siefert & Lisa VetterThe Art Farm is the home and studio of the husband/wife creative team of Lisa Vetter & Paul Siefert. They are best known for their found object functional art and jewelry. Their philosophy that life is art translates in the mixed media assemblages and jewelry they create for both love and money. They have spent much of the last 9 years restoring their 1860 farmhouse and studio building. |
 | VivasmithVivasmith stands for the last names of its founders Deborah Vivas and Melissa Smith. It means forgers of life – adequate for the couple, as one carves her way with metals, while the other facets her way with gemstones. Deborah is a multi-disciplinary designer with a background in architecture. She approaches her designs through order, color and form. Her current work displays a combination of metals, which she fuses like a painter mixes colors on a palette. Mild steel is her canvas, which gives each piece structure and definition. Fine gold, fine silver with hints of copper are her color choices. Melissa is passionate about gemstones and approaches her faceting by bringing out the natural beauty of each stone. In some cases she showcases the gems inclusions, which she believes adds beauty and character to the design. Both Deborah and Melissa are dedicated to sustainability in their studio and believe that playful and interesting jewelry does not need to sacrifice elegance or ethics. Each piece can reflect a commitment to finding balance with the environment that provides our resources. |
 | Mary Pat WallenI believe, with in us all, there lies a strength that helps us to remain whole, intact and above all balanced. My wall pieces and sculptures are influenced by my own reflection of human struggles and the need to achieve balance. By stretching the legs and body, my figures depict the great lengths humans can be "stretched" yet still maintain the power to overcome the odds and achieve the near impossible. The birds are present to sing a song of encouragement. Like the birds, we too can rise above our frail appearance, draw strengths from within and remain perfectly balanced in mid air. |
 | Deb WashlerI am a Midwest fiber artist. I have had a longtime love of fabric and thread. Drawings and images are created in a well worn orange sketchbook and a few others. My daughters have added their touch to a few of those sketches. The drawings are then created in thread which are displayed here. Portraits have been another exploration in thread. A few of those works can be seen. Enjoy! |
 | Ted Weimerskirch |
 | James WilliamsJim Williams was raised in Western Massachusetts, and, after receiving his A.S. degree in Nursing from Springfield College, he moved to New York City in 1984. |
 | Jim WolnoskyI have been a professional artist for about 40 years, working almost exclusively in wood, creating fine art furniture, sculptures and mobiles. This stainless steel is new for me and gives me the opportunity to create objects that can be used inside as well as outdoors. Serendipity played a large role in this whole journey with stainless steel: I was browsing through a metal recycling center one day and found a roll of stainless steel ribbon. I instantly knew where I wanted to begin and had confidence I would end up some place interesting. These mobiles and stabiles are where this journey has brought me so far. |
 | Norman ZiolkowskiI first took an interest in making wood art nearly thirty years ago. I was employed as a wood pattern maker, a trade requiring skills now antiquated by CNC machining. (A wood pattern maker would fabricate precise, three-dimensional forms specified on engineering drawings). The distinct nature of my work at the time pointed me down a creative path. |
Join us for 2nd Thursday in the Paradigm Gallery, your opportunity to experience the fine art and craft from over 65 local and regional Paradigm artists in deeper ways. Each second Thursday of the month will feature artist demonstrations, trunk shows, tastings, and performances. Enjoy free admission, edibles and a cash bar with friends.
2nd Thursday in the Paradigm Gallery is from 5-7:30pm.
July 9: No 2nd Thursday
August 13: Plein Air Paint In/Paint OutWatch local painters paint live in and around the museum! Artists will work in the galleries, outdoors, and throughout the FWMoA area to create masterpieces on the spot. This event is produced in collaboration with the Fort Wayne Artists Guild.
September
10: Dawn England-Harless fused glass demonstration
Watch the fascinating process of fused
glass through Dawn England-Harless’s skillful demonstration. She utilizes traditional
and innovative processes in glass with a focus on impeccable design. Her 20
years in graphic desig, training in advanced glass techniques with top glass
artists, and award winning paintings and drawings exhibited in top galleries in
Chicago and New York gives her work a strong focus on design and innovation.