Robert And Tabka will be there Saturday night from 5 – 10. Tabka will be demonstration some of her jewelry making techniques, and Robert wil be showing several new images.

Ralph can be seen frequently painting at the gallery on weekends.

If you can’t make it to the Pendleton Art Gallery, come by CoBe Gallery at the Pendleton Art Center on Final Friday ( 8/29/08)

The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Valet parking is available for $4.
For more information contact Sue Davis at 491.0089 or
Andrea Becker at 431-4770

Andrea Becker will be at the Loveland Art Show Sunday September 23rd, 11am-5pm. View their website for more information.

Sara Pearce’s Art Blog

On, Thursday, July 26th, deep beneath the hills of Indiana, Robert Coomer received his 5th national medal for cave photography. His image, humorously named “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Waters Churn, and Cavers Bubble” won the Best of Show medal in the National Speleological Society’s (NSS) B+W Print Salon. This makes his 4th for the B+W print salon, the other was in the Digital Print Salon. His image, “Dance with Light” took 3rd place. Both images were shot in a cave in southern Kentucky.

The following night at an awards dinner, Robert Coomer was name as a Fellow of the NSS. Fellows of the NSS are designated for their efforts over the years to further the goals of the Society through cave exploration, science, conservation, or administration. No more than 10 percent of the NSS members may be Fellows. The current percentage is quite a bit below 10%. Robert Coomer has served as editor, webmaster, and as a board member for the Greater Cincinnati Grotto, the local chapter of the NSS. He has also worked hard to help various non-profit caving groups and cave conservancies.

The awards dinner and photo competition took place during the National Speleological Society’s annual convention which was held this year in Marengo, Indiana. Both ceremonies were held about a half mile deep underground in the Marengo Warehouse & Distribution Center, one of America’s largest underground commercial storage facilities. It was once a large limestone mine and quarry.

Robert Coomer said. “I’m proud, and honored to have received both awards.”

Robert Coomer grew up in Brown County, Ohio and now lives in Batavia. Though locally Robert is know for his images of rural barns and farmscapes from Adams, Brown, and Clermont counties, he has been shooting cave photos for almost 10 years. When asked why he has chosen to take cave photos, he said, “Because it’s a challenge! It’s like being in another world. My images become abstract studies in darkness and light, even though they may quite literally be exactly what I saw. It’s a world very alien to most people. They’ll look at my images and wonder if they are real. Besides being a visual challenge, they are also a logistical one. Because caves are dark by nature, I have to provide my own light. Many times I may have a crew of 3 to 10 other cavers helping me to fulfill my vision, by carrying and holding flashbulbs and other equipment. Without their help, I couldn’t do it.”

Robert goes on to say, “Caves and are very fragile environment and are heavily affected by the world above them. I hope my images will help others to appreciate the beauty that may be just beneath their feet, and consider their environmental impact.” Robert Coomer is a charter member of the Rockcastle Karst Conservancy, an organization to help protect caves and provide cave education in the Rockcastle County area of Kentucky.

If you would like to see more of Robert’s images, visit his website at www.RobertCoomer.com . His prints can be seen and purchased and Row House Gallery in Milford, the Pendleton Art Gallery at Newport on the Levee, or online at www.ArtofOhio.com. On Final Fridays, Robert, his wife Tabka, and their partner Andrea Becker, run CoBe Gallery on the third floor of the Pendleton Art Center.

For more information on caves and caving, visit the NSS website, www.caves.org or the Greater Cincinnati Grotto’s website, www.GCGcavers.com. To learn more about cave conservation, visit www.RKCi.org

From the January 23rd Brown County Press
Mr. Silvis, the teacher, was involved beyond his classroom. He identified students with potential and involved them in building houses for low income families. The students had the satisfaction of being involved in a worthwhile project, and at the same time, learned many life-lessons in carpentry, responsibility and leadership. Some of those students are now teaching carpentry to other students, are school district superintendents or are contributing adults in the community and caring for their own families. These students became like members of the Silvis family.

The Silvis Sailing Camps are also legendary. An avid sailor, Ralph has passed on the love for this sport with countless young people who have also learned lessons which have benefited them as adults.

When Ralph was the pastor of a Brown County congregation, he did not limit his ministry to the members of the church. He learned about Cambodian refugees who were in need of help and he energized a group to provide that help. The church parsonage was used to house them and food and medical assistance were provided. Teachers were provided to help prepare the children for school. Nearly 200 frightened and homeless refugees benefited from Ralph’s good work, as well as, the numbers of volunteers who were involved.

When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Ralph Silvis was one of the early volunteers to come to their aid and he has returned many times. In addition to providing the work, he has also taught inexperienced volunteers to do the work that needs to be done, and connects with them on a personal basis.

Ralph is an accomplished artist. His work is displayed at several Cincinnati galleries. He continues to study art at Southern State Community College where his interaction with the other students is an important part of the class.

When one comes into contact with Ralph Silvis in any of these ways described above, friendship is the result. And, when any of his friends has a need, Ralph is there to attend to that need. Sometimes that has been to convert a single level building into a home when a friend could no longer live in their two-story home. Other times it is to assist a painter friend put brush to canvas after an accident has left them unable to manage by themselves.

Ralph and his wife, Dorothy, his high school sweetheart, have seven children. They generously share the warmth of their home with friends and acquaintances who benefit from a word of encouragement and a helping hand.

The award will be presented at the Brown County General Hospital Foundation’s Heart of Brown County Gala, to be help on Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Eagles Community Building in Georgetown. The public is invited.

Tickets are available by calling the Foundation office (937/378-7777) and must be purchased in advance.