People use different forms of art as a creative outlet. Painters use canvas as a window to show their visions. Musicians express emotion through the instruments in their hands.
Artist and Pottsville native Lewis Achenbach blends the visual and auditory arts in his new exhibit, "Jazz Occurrence, Works by 31 Artists," at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, Aurora, Illinois. The exhibit, which runs until Aug. 23, is a partnership with the Aurora Public Art Commission.
The exhibit features jazz-inspired work from artists around the United States and world. Achenbach featured works from artists from Pottsville, including Geoffrey Beadle, Michael Mahalchick and Dave Naydock.
"There is some Dave Naydock energy in the room," Achenbach said.
The exhibit opened May 23 with a reception headlined by the Vince Davis Achtet, while Achenbach painted on canvases placed around the band. Achenbach said he paints not only the musicians, but the music and atmosphere of the room.
"The space that's between me and the music is not empty space," he said.
During the event, the artists recorded music and video of the painting, and interviews were conducted for a live-stream and a short film about Jazz Occurrence.
Now a resident of Wheaton, Illinois, Achenbach said he began the project about two years ago. He said he basically goes out to shows, paints the band and posts the work on the Internet. At the Jazz Occurrence opening reception, Achenbach released a self-published book of his work over the past two years, "Hear This Book: Achenbach in Chicagoland."
"I'm part of the band when I do this," he said.
While the exhibit is a showcase for music and art, it also served as a reunion for Achenbach. For the first time in 25 years, his work is displayed next to longtime friends Beadle and Mahalchick.
"Twenty-five years later, (it was) an excuse to get the boys back together," Achenbach said.
The three artists developed a friendship while they were students at Pottsville Area High School. They first showed their work together for an Advanced Placement class taught by Beth Shields.
Shields said the class, designed by the College Board to allow high school students to take college-level courses in high school, was begun for Achenbach, Beadle and Mahalchick.
"In fact, the first year it was offered only as an independent study, kind of on a trial basis. They were the only three students and we did the class after school on our own time at the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts," Shields said.
She said the studio art course had two sections - a portfolio demonstrating the breadth of the artist's skills in their art form and the concentration, which required students to development an idea or concept visually.
"When I first met Lew, Geoff and Mike, I recognized their outstanding talent and felt they could excel with Advanced Placement," Shields said. "The portfolios are scored on a 1 to 5 basis. If I remember correctly, Lew and Geoff each had a 5 and Mike had a 4. Lew's portfolio was chosen as one of the 30 best portfolios in the country."
The course concluded with the three artists holding a show at the Yuengling Mansion called "An Underdeveloped Retrospective."
Beadle, who was born and raised in Pottsville, said he wasn't sure which of his pieces were on display in Aurora.
"I sent three paintings and one drawing but I'm not actually sure what made it into the show. These images were not made specifically for the Jazz Occurrence exhibit, but are representative of the figurative," he said.
Beadle said he lived in Pottsville until he graduated from high school in 1989. After graduation, he attended Temple University's Tyler School of Art, earning a bachelor's degree in painting in 1995. Two years later, he received his master's in painting from Boston University. He currently works at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
"I began teaching at Edinboro University in 1999 and have been there ever since. I am a full professor and teach painting, drawing, color theory and foundation design," Beadle said, adding he is also serving a third term as assistant chairperson of the Art Department, the university's largest department.
Beadle said he has not been able to visit the Jazz Occurrence exhibit yet.
"I live about eight hours from Chicago and have not been able to get there to see the exhibition," he said.
Throughout the years, Beadle said he and Achenbach have stayed in touch, but he has not spoken with Mahalchick since they were in college.
Mahalchick lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works in the fields of visual art and contemporary dance. He is currently preparing for a workshop on performance art this month in Duesseldorf, Germany.
For Jazz Occurrence, he said he contributed one work titled "Holiday." It is part of a body of work he is making using posters as the jumping off point.
"This particular piece uses a poster of Billie Holiday. Although this work was not made specifically for this exhibition, I had just finished it when Lew invited me to be part of the show and, oddly enough, it fit the jazz theme he had in mind," Mahalchick said.
Like Beadle, Mahalchick said he is currently unable to attend the exhibit, but he said he would "love" to if the opportunity arose.
"Lew did an amazing job assembling some really great artists whose work I admire," he said.
Mahalchick said the three didn't keep in contact much over the years, but like so many other people, they were able to reconnect over the Internet.
"Being able to exhibit once again with my high school art friends after all these years makes me extremely happy as it means that we have all been able to overcome the challenges that come with choosing to pursue art as a life and are all still going strong," Mahalchick said. "Surviving as an artist is difficult and that the three of us have been able to follow our high school hopes without giving up makes me admire and respect them more than ever."
A quarter century later, their art hangs together again. Achenbach said when the art was hung for the exhibit in Aurora, by coincidence, their pieces were placed on the same wall.
"I never doubted that these three had the talent to be successful artists," Shields said. "I think it's wonderful that they are still working in the arts and are exhibiting together again. It makes me feel as though I perhaps made a difference in helping to direct them to a career and a life that is both lucrative and fulfilling."
Shields said she no longer teaches art, having "retired" after the birth of her first child. Currently, she works as a yoga teacher, but said she still paints and makes jewelry. With her youngest child heading to college in the fall, Shields said she hopes to return to more work in the arts.
In Aurora, Achenbach is planning a second Jazz Occurrence performance to be held Aug. 1 at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center. He also plans to move some pieces to the Elastic Arts Foundation, Chicago, in October.
So far, Achenbach said the exhibit has been a hit. He said he will continue to do it as long as there is interest.
"If the musicians weren't playing their souls out, I wouldn't be doing this," he said.