01 Oct Stephenson Showcase: Critt Hunter’s “Colors of the Environment: The Square Peg Can Fit the Round Hole”
After 43 years working in education – teaching art in middle schools, serving as a principal, and managing programming in the prison system, Critt Hunter truly loved teaching. But a move from Kentucky to Indianapolis, retirement and a pandemic pushed Critt down the path of focusing solely on his own art. He had always focused on others, their learning and progress, and while championing for his many students, he had not championed for himself. This was new territory.
Jumping into art fairs, public exhibits, and selling his art lead him to Noblesville Creates, where he is a showcase artist in the Stephenson House for October with his exhibit, “Colors of the Environment: The Square Peg Can Fit the Round Hole.”
“The title defines my art, as well as myself.” As an art teacher, Critt encouraged students to focus on their strengths, regardless of the labels they were given. For some, their differences did not “fit in” with family and social expectations. In Critt’s classroom, even though they might be a square peg, all held value awakening to the fact that they fit the “round hole” of value. “Like many, I knew what it was like to not meet family and rural social expectations. I also am a Square Peg.”
In each painting, Critt looks to his strengths and finds ways to subtly stretch reality with arbitrary and complimentary colors. “Thus, my goal is to bring color variations to the square peg and to pleasantly surprise and please the viewer. I am grateful and honored to have my paintings exhibited and to even sell my work as my square peg fits beyond the ‘expected’ round hole.”
Critt’s exhibit will be on display in the Stephenson House from September 28 – October 29, during regular business hours. Meet him during October First Friday on Noblesville Creates campus as well as during his reception on October 21 from 5-8 p.m. – both events are free and open to everyone. Also, Critt was recently named Noblesville Creates’ Emerging Artist of the Year for 2022, so now is the time to meet this award-winning artist and purchase artwork that will look amazing in your home!
