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Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor<\/span><\/p>\n Locals artists Sue and Harold Mason are featured in a month-long exhibit in Western\u2019s own Cannon Art Gallery, which opened on Sept. 26 and will remain open until Oct. 26. The exhibit is titled \u201cCreative Partnership\u201d and is located in the heart of Campbell hall.<\/span><\/p>\n When asked about the mission statement of the Cannon Art gallery, director Paula Booth replied that her goal was \u201cto expose our students to a lot of different types of art and a lot of different types of artists\u2026 You know, things that they might not always think about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Booth said that the gallery is usually booked a year in advance, sometimes two years. The gallery has shown both national and international artists, and holds around six exhibits per year. Harold and Sue approached Booth a couple of years ago with the desire to show an exhibit together, and Booth scheduled them into the gallery rotation.<\/span><\/p>\n Harold and Sue have been creative partners for the last 56 years. They started making art in the San Francisco Bay area and became involved in the arts community there. Throughout their careers they have moved and travelled extensively, making art everywhere they go. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have a tendency to move someplace instead of going there and staying for weeks at a time\u201d said Harold. Sue and Harold became more involved with the Native cultures of the American Southwest when they moved to the area and befriended the local Native community there, and the influence these communities had on their art is palpable.<\/span><\/p>\n The pair moved to Oregon about 15 years ago. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe knew we wanted to live near a campus, and so we ended up just a block and a half from (Western),\u201d commented Sue. Both Sue and Harold have taken art classes at Western, so they are familiar with the campus and well known by the faculty members in the department. \u201cWe\u2019re both delighted to have a show here. We love the university. So when the opportunity came up, we were quite pleased,\u201d said Sue.<\/span><\/p>\n On Oct. 3, the 700 square foot art gallery was glowing with bright show lights, and community members and students circulated around the ceramic sculptures and landscape paintings. During the reception, the Mason\u2019s answered questions and connected with community members and students alike.<\/span><\/p>\n Harold\u2019s art covered three of the gallery\u2019s walls. Most were untitled. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHarold didn\u2019t want to label all of his work and Sue didn\u2019t label all of hers either. So it\u2019s kind of more of an impression of their work,\u201d said Booth.<\/span><\/p>\n Harold\u2019s art was a collection of watercolor paintings, sketches, and mixed media pieces. Many paintings were landscape scenes that exhibited exquisite detail. Colors in this paintings were soft and the scenes contemplative. <\/span><\/p>\n When asked if he had a favorite piece, Harold replied, \u201cIf you say one\u2019s a favorite, it puts the other ones down, so I never have a favorite; they\u2019re all favorites. Or else they wouldn\u2019t be up there on the wall.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Sue\u2019s art consists of porcelain and stoneware works, relief prints, silkscreen prints and fetish pots. Fetish pots, according to the gallery description, \u201cuse materials of the natural world \u2014 clay, bone, hides, feathers, shells, etc. to show respect for nature and the world we live in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Sue\u2019s stoneware sculptures and vases are very domestic and intricately designed; the pieces could be contemplated for a significant amount of time and new details would continue to be found. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy aim is to inject joy, lightness and humor into each piece I make,\u201d quotes Sue\u2019s artist statement.<\/span><\/p>\n Her art is largely inspired by native cultures. Several sculptures are inspired by the Dio De Los Muertos celebrations in Mexican culture. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always loved folk art, and just the way the art represents the (native) cultures,\u201d Sue commented.<\/span><\/p>\n When asked what \u201ccreative partnership\u201d meant to them, Sue summed up her relationship with Harold, \u201cWe\u2019ve always been best of friends, as well as best of lovers, so best of both worlds.\u201d Harold and Sue have always been a partnership, and support each other in all of their artistic endeavors. Each artist\u2019s style is distinctive, yet complementary. Visitors to the exhibit can truly see the complexity of the artistic life Harold and Sue have built together. The pair\u2019s devotion to living an artistic life and supporting each other is truly enviable. The couple is still actively making art. Sue sculpts and Harold is active with his painting and has added writing into his repertoire.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n