Fairfield Art Association renames membership exhibit after Mark Shafer

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Art Association is dedicating its upcoming membership exhibit to one of the association’s founding members, Mark Shafer.

Shafer died on Dec. 17 at the age of 73, and had been a member of the art association ever since he was in high school. Suzan Kessel, Volunteer Director of the Fairfield Art Association, said the group decided to honor Shafer by renaming its membership exhibit the Fairfield Art Association Mark Shafer Membership Exhibit.

The exhibit will be unveiled to the public on Friday, Jan. 6 at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, where residents can drop in during business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and in the evening from 6-7 p.m. Shafer’s funeral is scheduled for earlier that day at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church in Fairfield.

Kessel said the FAA will reserve a portion on one of its display walls for Shafer’s artwork, including a piece he planned to enter in this year’s membership exhibit. Shafer had dubbed the piece “Veil of Veronica,” and it was supposed to have a religious theme.

“Mark had just started on it, and I’m going to have his sketch book that he was working on for the painting,” Kessel said. “It shows how he starts a painting and where he wants to go with it.”

Kessel said the FAA also will display a piece of art that few have seen because it’s been hanging at Shafer’s home. It was one he painted in 1969 while in college that depicts his grandfather Will Summers reading a book to Mark when he was a little boy.

Painting portraits was one of Shafer’s hobbies, and something he got to do frequently for the Fairfield Entrepreneurs Association. Every year, Shafer was tasked with painting a portrait of the Entrepreneur of the Year, a famous person from Fairfield’s history. These portraits are on display in the arts center’s executive conference room.

Shafer played a critical role in producing the Lee T. Gobble II statue outside the arts center, erected in 2017. Shafer painted the original picture that became the basis for the life-size sculpture. He did extensive research on Gobble’s life to ensure that every detail from his 101 years on earth was reflected in the statue somewhere or other.

“A lot of the funny things Lee Gobble did or was known for, we made sure those were included in the sculpture, like the old-fashioned phone he had in his pocket he would ring, or the silver candy kiss in his hand,” Kessel said.

Shafer painted a series of neck ties that form the base of the statue, what Shafer called “neck tiles,” because Gobble was known for wearing ties. The ties fan out like a turkey’s feathers. Kessel said the FAA still has Shafer’s original neck tiles for the piece, and she plans to put those on display for the exhibit.

After the membership exhibit is up for about a month, awards will be given to the top artist during the FAA’s membership reception and awards night from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, during Fairfield First Fridays Art Walk. The event will be in the main gallery at FACC, and will include appetizers, desserts, beverages, judge’s critique and Favorite Art Piece Award. The public is invited to attend.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com