Visit Dale art exhibit

The idea may have first emerged at our kitchen table.
But it will come to fruition on Saturday at Arts Place.
My path first crossed that of David Dale back in the 1980s. By then he already had a significant reputation as an artist, interior designer and teacher.
Born in Muncie and trained at the now-long-gone Fort Wayne Art School and Museum, he did some evening art classes in Jay County in the 1960s and was the interior designer for the offices of Portland Forge about the same time.
My wife and I had admired his work and finally had an opportunity to meet him at what was then the Center for the Arts in Portland. A few years later, when — in more prosperous times — the company sponsored a regional juried art show, I handed Dave a couple of checks after his work had been judged the best in the show more than once.
I’ve been awed by both his landscapes and his portraits. The breadth of his work is simply humbling.  
But it wasn’t until we attended an Indiana Public Radio fund-raising event that we really got acquainted.
One of the items in a silent auction at the fund-raiser was lunch with Dave and his wife Cindy at their place in Brown County.
We bid on it, won the item and scheduled a get-together while we were in southern Indiana to visit our daughter at IU.
And we had a great time. Dave was widowed a number of years ago, and Cindy had lost her husband. Together, they make a wonderful pair in later life.
There was nothing fancy about the get-together. We ate at the kitchen table, watching hummingbirds zip around several feeders outside the kitchen window and listening to Dave talk about how they met.
It was only natural that the next time they were in our part of the state that we return the favor and have a kitchen table chat at our house.
And about that time, the idea was born.
“Have you ever considered having a retrospective exhibit of your work?” I asked Dave.
He was skeptical and maybe a little bit miffed.
“I thought you had to be dead first,” he responded, making it clear that although he’s in his early 70s he’s far from ready to see the final credits roll.
But over time, he grew to like the idea.
Arts Place was the perfect venue because of his early ties to this part of the state and his history of exhibiting here.
So the idea took root.
That was about a year ago.
On Saturday, Sept. 7, “David Dale: A Life in Art” opens with a public reception at 6 p.m. It will stay up through most of October.
But in between a year ago and this week, I’ve learned pulling together an exhibit of this magnitude is no small task. Dave has worked tirelessly, contacting owners of his work and arranging to borrow it. He’s also been energized and has produced a number of new pieces just for the event.
In all, there are nearly 70 pieces in the show.
Works on loan include pieces in the corporate collections of Old National Bank, First Merchants Bank, Ontario Systems, Miller Veneers, Indiana University Health and a number of law firms and financial advisers. There are also pieces from individual collectors and places like the Richmond Art Museum and Minnetrista Cultural Center.
The works span a period of more than 30 years and range from abstracts to impressionist landscapes to family portraits. And this rich collection has never been in the same place at the same time; chances are these works will never be shown together again.
That’s pretty amazing when you think about it.
Do yourself a favor — even if you think you know nothing about art — and check it out.
I promise you won’t be disappointed.[[In-content Ad]]