“The Grand Canyon in Oils Exhibit” cultural luncheon at Chillicothe on May 1

in Chillicothe. Artist Darrell Gardner will share a slideshow and information on his passion for the beauty of the Grand Canyon, and on his determination to catch some of that beauty in his oil paintings.

The luncheon is sponsored by the Chillicothe Area Arts Council, and reservations for the $5 lunch of a sandwich, chips, a cookie and a drink must be made by noon Monday, April 30. To make a reservation call the arts office at 646-1173 or e-mail the office at [email protected] A person does not have to order lunch to attend the presentation.

The luncheon is a tip-off event for a large exhibit of Gardner’s works which will be on display in the courtroom of the Livingston County Library from Thursday, May 3 to Wednesday, May 16. An opening reception will be held from 5:30 p.m.  to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 3 in the library courtroom. Hours for the remainder of the exhibit are 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through May 16.

“Darrell’s work commands your attention,” Margaret Vance, retired Chillicothe R-II art instructor, said. “The size of his artwork is so impressive. Outside of a museum, it is really unusual to get to see works this large,” she said. “Darrell strives to capture the immensity of the Grand Canyon through this large scale work, I think, and the grandeur of it is really neat. I love the colors and light shown in his work,” Vance said.

A hard-working man of several successful occupations, including dairy farmer and publisher, Gardner began painting about seven years ago and has applied his work ethic to his love of  working in oils. In just a short time, the Marceline native has gained acclaim for his painting, and has had several one-man gallery shows.

Funding for the exhibit has been provided, in part, by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.