Artist Celebrates Fayette County

Steve Shultz’s Texas Atmospheres opens at Arts for Rural Texas on Saturday, January 14. The artist is not from Fayetteville, but you would never know it. This Rhode Island resident wholeheartedly adopted Fayetteville as his new hometown. Inspired by the region, he has spent the last year painting and documenting the many images and experiences he has had. The exhibition of Steve Schultz’s work, Texas Atmospheres, captures the beauty and exquisite power of the grand Texas skies along with the charm of historical buildings and the rural countryside.

Executive Director, Karen Vernon, states, “Schultz sees the beauty that surrounds us every day. So often we become accustomed to the daily changes and don’t stop to appreciate the beauty that encompasses us and enriches our lives. Schultz has captured so much that we take for granted.”

After studying fine arts as an undergraduate at St. Lawrence University, Schultz began his career as a commercial artist in New York City. Through a series of opportunities, his path led him in a different direction, enjoying a career in finance.

On Saturday, January 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., you will be able to see the reincorporation of fine art into his life after this hiatus. The exhibition reception is open to the public and offers everyone the opportunity to meet the artist. Schultz considers this art to be a gift from God and insists that “if God has called you to art, go for it. Write, record, paint and build as God has gifted you all for His glory.” Schultz says that he paints because it is a form of communication that allows him to share his gift of art. He works to capture those moments of God’s grandeur, moments that are typically fleeting – ephemeral, only lasting a brief moment. His aim is “to provide the viewer with a lasting impression of that moment to appreciate anytime they wish.

“As you walk by the painting, I aim to cause you to stop, think and go to that place,” he said. “Maybe it’s the sound of grazing longhorns, or the wind in the trees, perhaps the heat of the mid-day Texas sun … I particularly enjoy painting skies-As the great British painter John Constable stated: ‘It will be difficult to name a class of landscape in which the sky is not the keynote…The sky is the source of light in nature.’ The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1) God paints a picture for us in the extraordinary sunsets of Fayette County, where my wife and I now reside. Here, I present to you my appreciation of that glorious gift Enjoy! Special thanks go to Emil Knodell for his creative inspiration and Heather Schultz, my chief advocate and critic.” For more information, contact Arts for Rural Texas at 979278-2113 or preview the works at www.artsforruraltexas.org. ARTS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides art education and cultural experiences to the youth and adults in the region. ARTS, located at 114 North Live Oak, Fayetteville, Texas, is open Tuesday – Saturday, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.