Gloria Plevin (b.1934)
Cottonwoods, Spring, 1999
Materials: Chalk pastel drawing
Dimensions: 26.5” x 21”
Location at Summa Health: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower on the Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), Sixth Floor Hallway, outside patient rooms H6-117 and H6-118
About the Art
Gloria Plevin’s Cottonwoods, Spring captures the quiet dynamism of nature’s early spring transformation. Through the soft yet vibrant medium of chalk pastel, Plevin conveys the freshness of cottonwood trees just beginning to bud, their delicate branches reaching toward a sky filled with light and dark contrasts. The drawing evokes a sense of crisp, early spring air, with hints of movement, as if a light breeze is stirring the budding branches and surrounding shrubbery. The hopeful, bright green of new growth contrasts with the more rigid, man-made lines of vertical porch railings, creating a subtle juxtaposition between the natural world and human presence. The edges of the piece hint at human structures, but they are softened by the flourishing plant life that dominates the composition.
Plevin’s work often emerges from candid photographs taken in and around Chautauqua, New York, where she and her late husband maintained a summer home and gallery. This connection to place and nature deeply informs her artistic process. Known for her use of chalk pastels, acrylics, watercolors, and techniques like monoprint and etching, Plevin’s artwork reflects both an acute sensitivity to her environment and a mastery of materials that allow her to translate fleeting moments into enduring visual experiences.
About the Artist
A native of West Virginia, Gloria Plevin moved to Cleveland with her husband and has made the city her home ever since. She pursued her artistic education at Ohio University and later at the Cleveland Institute of Art while raising her children. Her work has been a consistent presence in both Cleveland and Chautauqua, where her summer home and gallery inspired much of her artistic output.
Where You Can See More of This Artist’s Work
Plevin’s work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Cleveland and Chautauqua, including a recent solo show at the Art Neo Museum of Northeast Ohio Art. Her prints and artwork are represented by galleries in Cleveland, and she is archived in the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve. For a more intimate look at her creative process, a lively interview with Plevin is available online, offering further insight into her artistic journey.