Grace Gallery celebrates Professional Artists of Central Texas

March 13, 2025

By Michelle Rodriguez

The Belton Journal

Art enthusiasts gathered to view art at Grace Gallery, located at 108 W. Central Ave. The grand opening of the new exhibit was on Thursday, March 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. The Impactful exhibit featured artists from the Professional Artists of Central Texas Group.

“Texas has awesome skies that are different every day. I’m excited to be here. It’s always good to show art. The longer you do it the more you get over feeling vulnerable. An artist always says they’ve ‘been painting a lifetime.’ I think art teachers are ninety percent cheerleaders especially elementary art,” said artist and art teacher Melanie Stokes. She painted three canvas paintings that hung next to each other to create one whole piece.

“That was intentional,” said Stokes, who showed an oil on gallery wrapped canvas she called “Glory filled the skies.” She also showed oil on gallery wrapped canvas, a triptych, two panels 40 inch by 20 inch each and a third panel 36 inch by 12 inch called “Skies will clear."

“I like to soak the art in. The piece Coy Koi is joyful. The name is a pun. It’s nice to have an upscale gallery in downtown Belton,” said spectator Jeanne Logsdon.

Kurt Ritterpusch showed a 24 inch by 48 inch oil unframed piece named “Pleasant Pheasant Patrol.”

His other piece was a piece he painted in downtown of the window at Main Street Bridal.

“I started a bridal portrait the next week. It took three weeks. I’ve also done a number of other portraits,” said Ritterpusch.

“I had paintings in the first show. They were watercolor mainly, but I like to try it all. I’m a jack of all trades. The art here is wonderful! It’s so amazing to see how everybody does something different,” said Sheron Driessner.

Artist Barbara Fontaine-White showed three pieces: a 20 inch by 20 inch framed oil and wax on arches oil paper called “Awashed”, another piece called “Breakwaters”, and a 20 inch by 28 inch oil and wax on arches oil paper called “Recovery.”

“I try to go on vacation where I can get source material. I’ve done a lot of paintings from central Texas. It’s nice to get away from the desert,” said Fontaine-White. “There was a forest fire there. It’s called Recovery because of that.”

Jo Mapel is the owner of Grace Gallery and chairman. Grace Gallery is named after artist Grace Mapel. Jo Mapel’s mother-in-law, also an artist, but her art has been seen mainly by her family.

“I think we have a wonder exhibit! Some of these artists come from a distance like Waco, Rockwall, and College Station. The turnout is great. I don’t have any favorites; they are all wonderful! They all have different techniques and different subjects,” said Mapel.

Kurt Ritterpusch stands in front of Recovery, an oil and wax on arches oil paper by Barbara Fontaine-White and his oil painting Pleasant Pheasant Patrol.