Thyen Clark Cultural Center featuring five mixed media artists

Jasper Arts is pleased to present the ‘Group Exhibit: Elements of Alchemy’ featuring five Mixed Media artists, Curtis R. Uebelhor, Bill Whorrall, Ashley Brossart, Art Orr, and Curtis Grace for the months of February through April 2026 at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center.

Mixed media artwork has been around for over a hundred years and has been enjoying an explosion of interest for the last 15-20 years, with people from all walks of life and ages making collages, assemblages and mixed media artworks.

This group exhibit features 5 working artists whose work all share the use of many materials in their artmaking processes, but all have their own ways of mixing the various media that they use.

Some of the artists are familiar faces in the local arts community, but others are totally new to this area. Local artist Bill Whorrall will be showing new work that is often laced with humor. Art Orr, of Louisville, packs his assemblages with whimsy and explosive color. Ashley Brossart, also from Louisville and a recent winner of the annual Jasper Arts Juried Show, will exhibit 3-D assemblages featuring a wide variety of found objects with architectural references. Curtis Grace of Paducah, KY, is a storyteller and uses materials from his vast collection of “stuff” to encourage the viewer to complete the story he has illustrated.

Rounding out the group of hunters and gatherers is Curtis R. Uebelhor of Ferdinand. A local mixed media artist, Curt turns curiosity, humor, and anything that may bother, intrigue or amuse him into vibrant, playful, and thought-provoking creations. Uebelhor is a retired Art Teacher and Assistant Gallery Director, currently working as a
professional artist. He received his M.F.A in Sculpture from Southern Illinois University, received his B.S. in Fine Art and Teaching Certification for K-12 Art from University of Southern Indiana.

“To quote many politicians, who were quoting John Mellencamp, ‘I was born in a small town’. Ferdinand, to be precise, grew up here, moved away for a time and returned to live here for the past 30 years. I like living in Indiana. If something bothers me, intrigues me, amuses me, etc…,” Uebelhor said. “it will usually manifest itself, in one way or another, in my artwork.”

Bill Whorrall, also a retired Art Teacher, currently working as a professional artist is living in Shoals, IN. Whorrall received his M.F.A. in Printmaking, his M.S. in Secondary Education and his B.S. in Art Education, all from Indiana University.

When asked about his artwork, Whorrall states, “I just do the best I can and try to be as honest as possible.”

Art Orr is a professional artist, living in Louisville, KY. Orr received his M.F.A. in Painting/Drawing at Ohio State University and Academy of Art College, San Francisco, California, along with receiving his B.F.A. in Studio Arts from the Louisville School of Art.

Orr says his artwork is a visual biography reflecting memories, experiences, and interests. “It’s like talking to one’s self in visual terms about observation, execution, process, visual manipulations, and truth of statement. Many artists say that creating art is a pursuit of personal truth and I tend to agree,” says Orr.

Ashley Brossart is a professional artist living in Louisville, KY. Brossart received her M.S. in Human Resources and Organizational Development and her B.A. in Studio Art, both from University of Louisville. She also attended the Art Academy of Cincinnati, International Baccalaureate Art Program, and Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts.

“My sculptures depict a future-scape place at the intersection of natural occurring elements and morphic fields of energy and pattern and human-made architecture found in cities. I am influenced by visual and experiential systems, architecture, and socio-cultural trends of change focused on the development of people, place and rebirth between systems, environments, and relationship to place and one another,” she said. “My intention is for the sculpture to act as a model of a potential place, existing as a catalyst for expanding the imagination. I place an emphasis on the influence of naturally occurring elements and environments on our human-built environment and architecture through the use of organic and inorganic pattern, shape, color and texture. Each series is created to be experienced individually and as a whole, similar to experiencing locations within a city and / or the individual and group.”

Curtis Grace is a professional artist living in Paducah, KY. Grace studied Fashion Illustration at Parsons School of Design.

When asking about his artwork, Grace states, “I create stories. Personal, religious, out of context tales, both introspective and irreverent, from bits and pieces of things I have collected since my preteens. It began around 8 or 9, with a country auction I went to with my father, where I scooped up stuff meant for a burn pile and brought it home. I continued to collect, in a similar manner, for most of my life.”

In 2013, Grace retired from a 30-year career in event and display design, and the assemblage and collage art forms soon began to occupy his time.

“I don’t like to explain my work. I prefer that the viewer derives their own interpretation. Often, they too personal to describe.”

Join the artists and us for a Gallery Talk at The First Thursday Opening Reception on Thursday, February 5th, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Free event and open to the public.

The Group Exhibit: Elements of Alchemy will be on display in The Galleries at The Thyen-Clark Cultural Center from February 5th to April 26th, 2026.

The galleries at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center, located at 100 3rd Avenue, Suite A, Jasper, IN 47546, are open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and Sunday from noon to 3:00 pm. School groups, clubs, and students are welcome. Admission is free. Donations appreciated.