Date: August 8, 2012
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

Odyssey Presents "Over The Rainbow" by Edwin Levitin

Edwin Levitin stands next to his exhibit, "Over The Rainbow" now on display at Purdue North Central

WESTVILLE – The Purdue University North Central Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series will present the exhibit, “ Over The Rainbow" by Edwin Levitin from Aug. 20 through Dec. 21 in the Library-Student-Faculty Building student lounge, Room 062 in the building's lower level. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Building hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Library-Student-Faculty Building is closed on Sundays.

Levitin has devoted almost 60 years of his working life to design and color in the textile field. His work lured the Brooklyn native to the Michigan City area in 1963 and he ultimately retired as executive vice president of Merchandising with Jaymar-Ruby and its Sansabelt brand.

At age 77, he thought it would be a good idea to put some of his thoughts relating to everyday surroundings on canvas. Always a doodler, eight years ago Levitin began painting after his son bought him a paint set with the admonition, “Dad, you've got to paint.”

“It seemed quite natural to use color as the basic element in my work. It follows, therefore, that the subject matter varies widely, but the interaction of the colors overshadows all else,” Levitin explained. “When I began, it was some work by Kandinsky that seemed to coincide with my own thoughts about how to interpret on canvas what my eyes see, for they are two different things. So, what I may see as a football scene, you may not see at all. Color and perhaps a bit of whimsy is what I hope to continue to achieve.”

His first work was a small butterfly picture in oil but he noted that it “took too long to dry,” leading him to use water colors and ultimately painting colorful, mostly abstract acrylics. “Experimentation is very important to me. I like to paint widely differing subjects without rhyme or reason,” Levitin noted.

A past member of the Southern Shore Art Association, he now serves as an advisor. His work has also been featured as part of the PNC Odyssey 8 Arts and Cultural Events; the Juried Art Competitions, Box Factory for the Arts, St. Joseph, Mich.; the ”Visions II” Juried Exhibit, Southern Shore Art Gallery, Michigan City and the Juried Exhibit, Chesterton Art Center, Chesterton.

Most works in this exhibit are for sale.

To obtain further information about this show or the Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series, contact Judy Jacobi, PNC assistant vice chancellor of Marketing and Campus Relations, at 785-5200, ext. 5593. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Jacobi.