Western artist drawn to Henderson

Courtesy image

Watercolor “Nighttime in Time Square” is part of Henderson artist Charme Curtin’s “Art: The Song in Your Heart” exhibit at the Henderson Multigenerational Center Gallery.

By Becky Bosshart

Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 | 6:26 p.m.

What: Charmé Curtin's "Art: The Song in Your Heart"

Where: Henderson Multigenerational Center Gallery, 250 S. Green Valley Pkwy.

when: Through March 13; reception 7 p.m. Feb. 18

Info: 267-5800

Cowboys have always been an inspiration for Henderson artist Charmé Curtin.

She loves the West and the iconic pose cowboys strike over the harsh Sierra Nevada.

Her "Art: The Song in Your Heart" exhibit at the Henderson Multigenerational Center Gallery, which runs until March 13, features about 20 oil, acrylic and water color paintings, pen and ink drawings and a few pieces of sculpture. Curtin's reception is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the gallery.

The exhibit brings visitors from the hard-packed horse corral to a cement cityscape.

"One of my pieces is a watercolor I did off a photograph in New York's Times Square," she said. "I like it because it invokes the excitement of New York."

Curtin moved to Henderson about four years ago from Southern California. Her children live here, so they were a draw. But so was the art.

She was happy to find an established art group, the Henderson Arts Association. Her art became her focus after her children were grown.

These days Curtin, 63, is committed full time to working in her studio and part time to a seasonal gig demonstrating speciality dog foods. The studio time has paid off.

"I think her art has gotten more mature," said Jo Firm, Henderson Arts Association communications coordinator. "She has taken a lot of classes and I see a strength there that wasn't there when I first met her."

Portraits and landscapes, such as a mine in Searchlight and a creek in Sedona, Ariz., will be included in this exhibit.

Curtin is about two semesters away from earning her bachelor's of fine arts. She said it's an exciting time for Henderson artists.

"There are a lot of really good artists. There are great prices now because of the economy," she said. "In the future, it's going to go up and you'll not be able to get art at the bargain price now. It's amazing."

Curtin's prices start at $60, depending on the medium. The gallery is at 250 S. Green Valley Parkway.

Becky Bosshart can be reached at 990-7748 or becky.bosshart@hbcpub.com.