Eufloria: Paintings and Photography
by Michael Jilg and Leon Staab
The Hutchinson Art Center is pleased to present Eufloria, a virtual exhibit by Michal Jilg and Leon Staab, of Hays, Kansas. This show will be available to viewing on our web site from April 24 to May 24, 2020. All of the artwork is for sale and prices will be listed. Contact us through email at hutchartcenter@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a piece. Please enjoy the following introductory video, generously provided to us by the Hays Arts Council:
Michael Florian Jilg
“For years, my art has been evidence of my imagination, resulting from controlled accidental beginnings such as pouring paint on canvas. Through the use of design, color, texture and value adjustments these beginnings developed into finished non-objective paintings. The joy of this type of work is in the process of discovering something that no one has seen before. I find this exciting and plan to continue this type of research. However, I have recently diverted my aesthetic attention to the production of a series of large naturalistic flower paintings. These are a reminder to myself, and the viewer of the fragility of beauty and brevity of life.” - Michael Florian Jilg
“The painting “Double Iris” is a portrait of a flower from Joyce Jilg’s garden. I have always admired the result of her labor and have started to paint special examples. I am representing these images in a large scale as a reminder of what we have to lose as we race toward environmental catastrophe.”
Leon J. Staab
Leon Staab was born in Hays, Kansas in 1947. He earned a BA degree in German with teaching minors in Journalism and Russian from Fort Hays State University in 1971. He also pursued graduate studies in German at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont and at the University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. He spent the next six years teaching at the high school level.
He opened Pioneer Photography a full service portrait studio in 1975 and during the next 39 years worked in his studio located in a historical building West 10th st. in Hays, Ks. Leon was active in The Kansas Professional Photographers Association. Pioneer Photography closed in 2014.
Leon continues to devote a portion of his time working on fine art photographic projects. His work has been accepted in many juried shows and has won top awards on many occasions. He has also exhibited in one man shows in Kansas and the adjoining states. He has juried photography shows in Kansas and has presented programs on photography to both professional and amateur photography groups.