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Letter from the Editor
By AVITAL BINSHTOCK
There’s something undeniably
thrilling about auctions. The pursuit of beautiful objects in a
compellingly competitive environment seems to stoke some primal human
urge. One of my favorite
childhood memories, in fact, involves an auction: My mother had taken
me to the local swap meet in search of new school clothes. As we ambled
down the lively aisles overflowing with garments and shoes, knickknacks
and tchotchkes, we heard an auctioneer’s voice rise above the fray.
Transfixed, we followed his urgent voice and found that he was, amidst
a small crowd, peddling items far too beautiful for their swap meet
surroundings. One in particular caught my mother’s attention. It was a
tall and opulent Chinese vase, light blue, adorned with mythical birds
and exquisite flowers. The auctioneer said the vase was at least 100
years old. I could tell mom was in love. The bidding was underway
and I could see that she wanted it. The price rose and rose and there
was a pause when the bidding slowed. The auctioneer asked if there were
any higher bids. My mother, usually extraordinarily levelheaded and
risk-averse, suddenly called out a price. My head swiveled to look at
her. I’d never seen her be so spontaneous. She even seemed surprised at
herself. “Sold!”
Slightly stunned, we
lugged our new treasure into the car, strapped a seat belt around it,
and sheepishly presented it to my father when we got home. He loved it.
And that magnificent vase has been sitting in the entryway of my
childhood home ever since, a constant reminder that taking a risk in
the pursuit of beauty can pay off. Yes, there’s something
thrilling about auctions. True, art is not an inherently competitive
endeavor. But being surrounded by those as appreciative of art as you
are, the rush that comes along with placing a winning bid and the sheer
exposure to creators and consumers of creativity is about as
electrifying to art aficionados as jumping off a bridge is to
adrenaline junkies. This issue opens with an
in-depth look at auctions. Christen Cabe takes us deep into their
history, from their evolutionary origins to the many forms they embody
today, while introducing us to such characters as James Christie and
Samuel Baker (founder of Sotheby’s). For our monthly column
about business tips, Aletta de Wal explains the benefits and drawbacks
of buying and selling art in different forums. Should you buy or sell
at an auction? A gallery? An open studio? After reading de Wal’s
insightful explanation, you’ll have a better idea of the best option
for you. And since artists must
recognize that business savvy doesn’t always come hand in hand with
artistic talent, we asked Jeff Bramschreiber to tell us how to
effectively market ourselves as artists. Wondering how to develop and
market your portfolio? What kind of promotional materials to
distribute? Where and how to exhibit? Answers and guidance are below.
And while art collectors are more likely than artists to be good at
financial transactions and making investments, they too must continue
to educate themselves about the process of investing in art. Whether
you’re an artist or a collector (or both), maintaining knowledge is
crucial to success.
Also in this issue, my co-editor Katie Vaughn tackled the task of profiling SOLA’s newly named Collection 2005
artists. These are names readers will become more familiar with as the
time for SOLA’s auction draws nearer, but for now, these introductions
should whet our artistic appetites. This issue is devoted to
the success of artists and art collectors alike. It’s my hope that the
expertise we’ve provided here will continue to serve as a wonderful
resource for our devoted subscribers.
Avital Binshtock
Managing Editor, In the Studio Magazine
FROM DISREPUTE TO HAUTE COUTURE: THE HISTORY OF THE ART AUCTION
By CHRISTEN CABE
The aura of high fashion hangs thick in the air: the
aromas of lavish perfume, fine leather, cocktails and – yes – cash.
Nary a soul in the crowd is unequipped with a custom-tailored suite,
silk tie or colossal piece of diamond jewelry. Inside and out,
elegantly poised predators sip champagne, buzzing from table to table,
tent to tent, silently targeting their prey. They’ve come for one
thing: art. In all of its forms. Tonight, hoards of treasure will go
home with the most respectable names in the art world.
If you find yourself in
these surroundings, congratulations. You’ve made it to Sotheby’s, the
zenith of the art collecting universe, where the value of the finery to
be auctioned is mirrored by the breathtaking opulence of the crowd. But
many who participate in such auctions know that the road to becoming a
connoisseur is tricky and has seen many transformations throughout
history.
Sotheby’s claims to be
one of the world’s oldest auction houses, but this statement is quite
subjective. In 1744, a young British book dealer named Samuel Baker
founded the prestigious organization in London. Thanks to increasing
interest in literary texts as a status symbol, Sotheby’s popularity
grew rapidly. Only recently, however, has the company’s scope extended
beyond the library and into all art realms. Though it’s now one of the
world’s largest and most renowned auction companies, Sotheby’s can’t
claim to have invented the auction.
To understand the
auction’s evolution, we must first understand this: that the impulse to
collect is absolutely primal. This fascinating instinct manifests
itself in animal species across the biosphere, from birds collecting
paraphernalia as a means of attracting mates to human looters of
ancient ruins. Interesting to consider is that looters didn’t initially
regard art as marketable booty. Value came later, applied by excavators
who added worth based on such aspects as a work’s iconography, creator
and cultural context. It’s worth it to note that there’s a similarity
between birds and ancient looters: in both cases, the acquisition of
goods stemmed from a struggle to survive. The desire for
status-conferring material objects, on the other hand, appears to be a
uniquely human cognitive function. In “The Rare Art Traditions,”
journalist and art expert Joseph Alsop tracks man’s tendency to gather
and hoard. He starts with the Stone Age and demonstrates how, as time
passed, a market developed to center upon collectors’ demands. Auctions, Alsop
explains, can be traced back to Babylon in 500 B.C, when women and
slaves were commodities that were priced based on appearance, ability
and assets. Ancient Romans coined the practice of selling family
possessions as a means of gaining capital. For instance, Marcus
Aurelius is said to have auctioned furniture and other decorative
objects in order to repay debts. The practice reached
new extremes in 193 A.D., when the Praetorian Guard actually sold the
title of Roman Emperor to the highest bidder (Didius Julianus, who
maintained it for only a short time). Later, in seventh-century China,
holy men’s former belongings were auctioned to raise money for temples
and monasteries. In England, there’s no
record of auctions before the late 1600s. Popular publications from
this era make reference to gatherings of painters in cafés and taverns
to sell their works to the highest bidders. In the 17th century,
however, public auction did not have the fashionable connotation that
it does today. Auctioning off one’s goods denoted failure, desperation
and seediness much unlike today’s posh environments associated with
places like Sotheby’s and its equally reputable rival, Christie’s. Its founder, James
Christie, is largely responsible for the glamour that accompanies
modern-day art auctions. Those who knew him noted his charisma and
trustworthy personality. With his early auctions in 1766, he entered
the art market at just the right time to reap the benefits of an
increasingly prosperous 18th-century Europe. Thanks to the reign of
King George III, England found new means of acquiring capital,
particularly through trade and commerce. The Industrial Revolution
spread wealth in all new directions, no longer concentrating it within
the elite community. The newly rich sought ways of publicly proving
their status. Thus began the relentless pursuit of style, which brought
with it the practice of art collecting. Christie took advantage of the
growing materialism of his age, stressing the empowering nature of
purchasing. His wise business tactics, coupled with his dynamic persona
as an auctioneer, forever impacted the form and function of these
public redistributions. While high-end events
such as those put on by Sotheby’s and Christie’s remain prominent,
they’re no longer the standard for auctions. Today, auctions take place
at many social levels. Kelly Detweiler, an artist and Santa Clara
University art professor, frequently attends nonprofit art auctions. He
particularly supports the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art
(SJICA), which solicits emerging and established artists to donate
works annually.
After joining the SJICA,
Detweiler began receiving newsletters and invitations to attend the
organization’s annual auction. A relatively prolific artist himself,
Detweiler does not hesitate to hand over some of his lesser works to
the SJICA, and has done so for years. “I usually let them
choose what they’d like to take, and I find that they are pretty
reasonable in their selection of works,” he says. While these types of
local auctions can be a great way for upcoming artists to gain
exposure, Detweiler warns against offering one’s most prized works to
the bidders. Although his work has sold for equitable prices, he has
seen more than one contributing artist go home disappointed. Generally, artists and
event organizers agree upon a retail price prior to an auction. This,
however, is not the amount for which the work will usually sell.
Detweiler expects his auctioned works to sell for about 40 percent of
their retail value. The SJICA offers about 20 percent of the sales
price to the artist, and even this is often not collected, as many
artists choose to donate that money to the organization. In addition to
the fact that new artists seldom make a profit from auctions, the
possibility also exists that a work may not be sold. “Really, these events
can be as often a humiliation as they are an ego boost,” Detweiler
said. If the minimum price is not met, the auction’s organizer
discretely returns the work to the artist. Despite this, art
auctions are often a productive way for aspiring collectors to gain
experience. Particularly at nonprofit events, collectors can negotiate
with the newest artists to get decent prices on works they really like.
Detweiller advises collectors to consider art an investment. “Especially when you’re
just starting out, you should choose a work that you want to live with
for the rest of your life,” he explained. Former Sunnyvale
resident Karen Reilly has done just that, and does not regret buying
the three Salvador Dali lithographs at auctions sponsored by the
Officer’s Wives Club, a nonprofit organization and support group for
military spouses. The mood at any art
auction, whether international or community-based, is always conducive
to buying. An auction’s catalogue describes the event’s featured pieces
and artists, and allows participants to preview works prior to the
showing. Afterward, the crowd files into a room that becomes silent as
the auctioneer approaches. “There is a definite tension in the air,”
Reilly said. A good auctioneer,
Reilly explained, can whittle down the competition to two bidders, who
may end up offering more than they planned to. Detweiler and Reilly
agree that buyers should do their homework before bidding on an item,
because auctioneers are trained to slip in tidbits of information
during bidding to increase interest. Whether buying for
investment or pleasure, taking part in auctions allows artists and
collectors the chance to become integrated into the art market’s
intricate system. Catering to the universal impulse to seek out and
accumulate treasure, auctions have a long human history. Once a
disreputable, underground practice, auctions now take the format of
high-society assemblies, as well as forward-looking community functions
geared toward making the art world accessible to everyone.
Established Art Auctions: http://art-collecting.com/auctions.htm
ART BUSINESS TIPS: BECOME A MORE SUCCESSFUL COLLECTOR OR ARTIST BY DETERMINING WHERE – AND HOW – TO BUY AND SELL
BY ALETTA DE WAL, Artist Career Training
Eli Broad, billionaire
philanthropist and quite possibly the world's top art collector,
recently made this comment: “When the market went south and the bubble
burst, people decided they were better off with real estate and art
than they were with stocks.” Today, art collectors
have more choices than ever when spending discretionary income on art.
Buying art is an emotional process that requires many aesthetic and
financial decisions. Among them: which artist, which medium, which
period, how big or small how much to spend and, not least of all, where
(and how) to buy. Regardless of education,
experience or income, art collectors try to pursue work of the highest
quality at a fair price. With rare exceptions, art must be seen to be
bought, and for many collectors, the chase is more important than the
catch. While there are many
settings devoted to selling art, there are three primary ways to buy
and sell: auctions, galleries and open studios. Each provides different
ways by which working artists and collectors can connect. And while you
may find an equal distribution of quality in all three venues, each
serve a different niche. In any of these forums, a match of wants and
offers can lead to an exchange of work for money.
Showing work in any of
these three forums involves deadlines, which can usefully channel
creative flows. Aside from meeting financial responsibilities, artists
must establish and maintain credibility by representing themselves. In
these settings, prices are verifiable by future buyers or dealers.
Regardless of venue, an artist’s pricing must be consistent. Doing
business ethically requires conforming to all existing agreements.
Art dealers and
auctioneers are business professionals who build reputations in the art
community through exhibiting to their collector base. They represent
emerging and seasoned artists with a solid body of signature work and
résumés with a proven track record of sales. Since accomplished and
emerging artists exhibit in all venues, a common misunderstanding is
that studios and auctions sell only lesser-known or lower-priced work.
If a seasoned artist’s work is exhibited at museums or other galleries,
their art may subsequently command higher bids at auctions. One benefit
of selling at auctions as opposed to galleries? There is no upper
limit. However, selling at
galleries also has its benefits. Gallery dealers serve as pollinators,
connecting interested buyers with fine artists whose best work they
have “collected” for resale. They provide access to a defined audience.
The setting offers viewers the impression of security and credibility.
In exchange for this and promotional services, there is a fee. Auctions
charge lower fees for their more limited research services, and their
audiences may also be interested in items other than handmade fine art.
Terry Catalano, an artist
turned auctioneer, observed that artists continually donated their work
to auctions benefiting worthy nonprofit arts organizations. “An auction that
benefited the artists themselves was missing,” she said. Like a gallery
dealer, auctioneer Catalano “works to bring as many qualified buyers
together in one setting to bid on local artwork.” Auctions are lively
events and the excitement generated by bidding can lead to sales that
might otherwise be put off. Open studios, another
viable way to buy and sell art, allow artists and collectors to meet in
a more casual setting. During open studios, artists invite the public
directly into their studios. The best open studios make visitors feel
like honored guests at a party. The central attraction is an personal
introduction to art by the person who created it. The excitement of
seeing artists at work, the thrill of commissioning a piece or getting
an ‘inside’ story are all part of the experience that many art lovers
seek. Sales may happen spontaneously. More often, they are the result
of a prior relationship with the artist or a referral by a commercial
representative. Most artists are
involved in all aspects of making and distributing their art. For
artists to see their work in collections other than their own, the
importance of regularly connecting with the public, with or without
sales, is essential. Often, getting beyond the studio walls can be the
hardest part. The good news is that there are many informal learning
opportunities available through print and Internet resources, arts
organizations and artist communities like the Society of Local Artists
(SOLA). Art professionals, like gallery dealers and auctioneers,
usually make it their business to educate themselves about the artists
they represent and provide market-based art education to collectors and
artists alike. Aletta de Wal is
equal parts artist, educator and entrepreneur. As director of Artist
Career Training, she offers personal consultations and professionally
designed educational programs and tools to teach artists how to manage
their careers and how to get more exposure for their work. Reach her at
(650) 917-1225 or aletta@artistcareertraining.com. Read more articles like this at: http://www.artistcareertraining.com/newsletter.asp.
MARKETING YOUR ARTISTIC SELF
BY JEFF BRAMSCHREIBER
Rule number one: never compare
your work to anyone else’s. When we as artists compare ourselves to
others, we tend to compare our own weaknesses to another’s strengths.
Sadly, this flattens a lot of us before we even get started. Each artist has a
unique vision, a distinctive voice that we must believe in totally
before we can expect anyone else to believe in it or us. Once that’s
accomplished, we have to decide just what we want from our art careers.
What kind of exposure do we want? What level of success are we seeking?
What are we willing to do to make it happen? Of course, we must also
ask ourselves what we can afford.
Getting work in front
of an audience for the first time is usually the primary hurdle. You
must feel ready, and then you must select your venue, your comfort
zone. Walking right into a gallery or a museum may not be the way, as
this can be traumatizing even for a veteran artist. For many, it’s best
is to start showing at smaller venues and progress to larger ones. Find
a local art club and get involved in its programs. Many have monthly
competitions, annual shows and outside exhibiting venues. This way,
your work gets seen in a less threatening manner, building your
confidence and providing you with opportunities to network with other
artists. Not to mention the opening the door to awards, commissions and
sales.
When you’re ready,
take the next step by participating in bigger regional shows like Open
Studios, Avartfest (at the Triton Museum of Art) or the Saratoga Rotary
Show. These top-drawer exhibitions provide opportunities to reach
larger audiences and to gain a reputation. As these regional events are
usually juried, you will have access to a fine art professional who
will evaluate your work. This kind of one-on-one feedback can be
valuable for developing your work. The critique may not always be what
you expect, but you can use this information to improve your work. As
you continue to showcase, you may want to take larger steps into
statewide or even national competitions. Magazines such as “Artweek”
and “The Artist’s Magazine” are good sources for choosing shows.
While you are having a
wonderful time painting and exhibiting (remember, it should always
remain fun), you will need to develop promotional materials for
prospective clients. How many materials you create will be based on
your goals and your budget. Start with a nice business card, preferably
one with an image of your best work. Include your name, phone number,
e-mail address and Web site. Remember that a basic
knowledge of computers can really enhance an art career. Many artists
avoid computers; we consider them a tether of sorts. However, with
business cards, postcards, e-mail, virtual galleries, digital cameras
and Web sites at our fingertips, artists would do well to get over
their computer phobia.
You will also want to
keep track of exhibits that chose you, and awards you won along the
way. This will come in handy in the future. Consider developing both an
image and a high-quality slide portfolio, since these will often be
necessary to get into shows. Again, start small: one or two strong
images at a time should work. Don’t try to do it all at once. When promoting
themselves, artists should always show their best work. Never include
weaker pieces to fill out an exhibit or a portfolio as the weaker ones
drag down the impressive ones. You want your work to always be
remembered as solid and strong.
Inevitably, as your
work matures and becomes more public, you will begin to sell and
receive offers for commissions. Again, keep track of these transactions
and create a list of your patrons and clients. Sending them invitations
to exhibits or thank-you cards garners their appreciation, and works
well for you professionally and financially. Make it a rule to invite
at least ten people to any exhibit or show that involves your work.
Consider creating a
personal Web site or newsletter. Both have benefits and drawbacks, but
provide you with 24-hour-a-day exposure. Though these tools need
frequent updating to remain effective, they extend your reach beyond
your immediate geographical region. But to really be your
own best marketer, you have to first and foremost believe in yourself
and your unique vision, not comparing your work to others. How much you
do will be based on your desire, your energy and your budget. Always
remember though, your artwork comes first – without it there’s nothing
to market.
Jeff Bramschreiber
is a community arts liaison for the University Art Center and the
Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara. He is an award-winning artist,
demonstrator and instructor at the Triton Museum of Art and the
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. He is an exhibiting member and past
president of both the Santa Clara Art Association and East Valley
Artists. Jeff can be contacted at (408) 629-7883 or via e-mail at snjbram@aol.com.
COLLECTION 2005 ARTIST PROFILES
BY KATIE VAUGHN
Below are the winners of
SOLA’s Collection 2005 jurying. Our experienced jury selected these
artists’ works for this year's upcoming exhibit and live auction. Want
a sneak preview? Get to know them here first.
Dan Baumbach
A self-described “technical guy,” Dan Baumbach has a
strong affection for cameras and the photographic process. The son of a
New York City painter, he grew up among art and artists. Working in
commercial photography after college gave him a technical introduction
to the art form. Baumbach enjoys spending time outdoors, but instead of
simply photographing nature scenes, he aims to capture his experiences
through the camera. How does he choose the subject matter of his
dramatic and moody photographs? He photographs anything that moves him
so much that he wants to stop and stare. Sukey Bryan
Using layers of paints and glazes, drawn marks and scratches, Sukey
Bryan acutely observes her subjects while paring away details to allow
for broader interpretations. After studying fine art and English at
Yale, Bryan worked as a graphic designer in New York, then earned a
master’s degree in fine arts from the Maryland Institute in Boston. Now
based in Stanford, Bryan exhibits nationally. Her art draws on her
interest in the cyclical transformations caused by natural forces,
creating intense paintings with a strong sense of movement.
Linda Curtis
Fascinated by contrasts – light and dark, soft washes
and hard edges – Linda Curtis creates realistic watercolor paintings. A
graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art, she switched from acrylic
to watercolor five years ago. Curtis maximizes the intensity of color
in her floral, landscape and portrait paintings, with the goal of
evoking a sense of peace in viewers. Laura Deem
Although Laura Deem explored various artistic techniques for 20 years,
she has found herself particularly drawn to monotype printmaking, as
she believes it offers a spontaneous medium that allows her to develop
rich hues and tones. After earning undergraduate and graduate degrees
in art and communication from California State University at Chico,
Deem was appointed the public art commissioner to Palo Alto.
Backpacking trips through the Eastern Sierras provided a basis for her
interpretive landscapes, and she credits travel through Europe and Asia
as inspiration for her graceful, subtle monotype prints. Karen Garappolo
As an oil painter, Karen Garappolo uses strong colors in an expressive
manner to depict landscapes, streetscapes, still lifes and portraits.
She finds artistic inspiration in the beauty of ordinary objects and
familiar places. Often, she paints her subjects bathed in light or with
deep shadows. Now living in Saratoga, Garappolo received a bachelor’s
degree in painting at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a
master’s degree in medical illustration from the University of
Rochester. Judith Johnson-Williams
Finding beauty and inspiration in a material most people discard,
Judith Johnson-Williams makes cardboard – especially the recycled kind
– the basis of her art. Using a blade to remove outer layers to reveal
cardboard’s textures, she creates complex works of art, some which look
like carved wood. Johnson-Williams says working with cardboard offers
the ideal combination of creation and destruction, and likes that
mistakes and repairs are always visible. She also finds pleasure in
taking a material considered worthless and making it desirable and
valuable. After working in science and graphic arts, she became a
full-time artist five years ago. Marjorie Law
A New York City native, Marjorie Law became acquainted with nature
early in life at summer camps. After attending nursing school in Palm
Beach, she became a surgical nurse at the Stanford Medical Center. Yet,
over a 30-year period, Law has taken numerous art courses and studied
with master painters. The result is a unique style of abstract
expressionistic painting full of bold, moody colors and forceful,
dynamic gestures. Interested in rhythms and repetitions, she often
features curvilinear arcs and circles, organic forms and diaphanous
layers prominently in her paintings. Nancy Lewis
Nancy Lewis’s art hovers in the area between painting and sculpture.
She combines objects in an abstract, painterly way and considers forms
she draws on paper as sculptural objects. Raised in Arkansas with a
love of nature, Lewis earned a master of fine arts in sculpture. A
self-described obsessive collector of little plastic, metal and paper
items, she is intrigued by making “something from nothing,” and
disguises objects that formerly served another purpose in her work,
while exploring themes of ethereality, color and texture. Patricia Machmiller
Underlying Patricia Machmiller’s works as a printmaker and Chinese
brush painter is her love of haiku writing, an art form she has studied
and practiced for 30 years. She began exploring painting to augment her
writing, but discovered that brush painting and printmaking are both
visual art forms that respect the paper, ink and word. Although the San
Jose artist’s formal training lies in mathematics and chemistry, she
has studied various art forms with the masters. Her nature-inspired
works display a sense of quiet movement in their elegant minimalism. Julia Nelson-Gal
Julia Nelson-Gal composes her body of work from the small things people
leave behind and the simple moments recorded in photographs. Her
photo-based mixed media works with a vintage feel incorporate such
objects as handmade doilies, leaves or hair, raising questions on
authorship and artistic originality. A photographer from the age of
eight, Nelson-Gal studied photography in high school and college and
earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history. After working
in museums and auction houses across the country for 15 years, she
began focusing on her own artistic career in the Bay Area. Silvia Poloto
Born and raised in Brazil, Silvia Poloto moved to California to further
her career as an engineer. However, she discovered she wanted to make a
profession out of her desire to make art. Her thought-provoking
sculptures and abstract paintings display how she is constantly
experimenting with new ideas and techniques. Recently, she has focused
on what she calls photo-based paintings, which involve the use of
photographs and differ from her purely abstract works in that they
require her to decide what she wants to convey before she begins
painting. A resident of San Francisco’s Mission District, Poloto finds
inspiration in her surroundings. Simone Raoux
Simone Raoux paints both figurative works as well as colorful
abstracts. In her figurative works, she creates portraits that capture
female beauty by presenting women in moments when they are unaware of
or surprised by being watched. In her still lifes, she studies how the
arrangement of everyday objects changes their character and meaning.
Raoux uses limited color palettes to focus on the shapes. She applies
the principles of her figurative works to her bright abstract
paintings, concentrating on the harmony of saturated colors to visually
portray calmness, happiness, curiosity and solitude. Raoux was inspired
by contemporary European masterworks while growing up in East Germany.
She has taken art classes at several local colleges, and says painting
makes her more creative in physics, a subject in which she holds a
Ph.D. Steve Soult
Visits to Yosemite introduced Steve Soult to Ansel Adams’s subject
matter. At a workshop Soult attended in the 1970s, Adams himself taught
Soult the composition techniques he still uses to this day. Soult,
however, believes he must remain open to new ideas and experiment with
materials and techniques. His characteristic style is a
straightforward, honest portrayal of nature. Black and white
photography, Soult believes, is the perfect medium to accentuate light
and shadow as well as textural contrasts. He began his career in
high-quality black and white photography in 1967.
Cindy Stokes
Cindy Stokes photographs everyday scenes and nature in
such a way that her subjects become abstract or startling. Her black
and white images reflect her attraction to the peculiar and ambiguous,
as well as her interest in the need to discern order and structure
within complexity. She uses photographs to gently call attention to a
usually overlooked feature of a scene or object. Her art is an
exploration of how simply removing color or imposing borders can change
how an element of the natural world is understood. Trained in
biological engineering, Stokes took a photography class nine years ago
and has since taken classes and workshops to supplement her
self-directed study and practice. Brenda Trimble
San Jose-based Brenda Trimble specializes in macro-photography of
flowers. According to her, white flowers offer a particularly exquisite
sense of elegance. She captures them with beautiful light effects,
simultaneously illuminating their delicateness and strength. Her aim is
to create photos that transcend the urgency of daily life. Trimble
attended photography classes at a variety of schools, including the New
York Institute of Photography, Among her artistic influences are her
science background and Georgia O’Keeffe’s body of work. Michelle Waters
Michelle Waters creates wildly original paintings in which animals turn
the human-run world upside-down. Bears and cougars deconstruct dams
while cats remake Mount Rushmore into their own images. In addition to
holding a degree in studio art from the University of California Santa
Cruz, Waters has long been an environmental activist and nature lover.
Her colorful and witty paintings are an active questioning of human
domination over animals; she regards her artwork as cultural resistance
to humanity’s negative impact on the earth.
Upcoming Events
By Kerri Lawnsby, Director of SOLA & Silicon Valley Open Studios
Spring is a busy season for art!
But please make time for our local artists! There are several events
upcoming where you can meet local artists or see their artwork: March 15 - April 14, 2005 | STARS 2005 EXHIBIT
Main Street Cafe and Books, 134 Main Street, Los Altos
View the winners of the
2005 SoLA STARS program, selected by five prestigious Bay Area
curators. Exhibit and reception to be held at the Main Street Cafe and
Books on Main Street in Los Altos. Courtesy of Advisory Board member to
Silicon Valley Visual Arts, Paul Nyberg, publisher of the Los Altos
Town Crier. Public Reception: Wednesday March 16, 6:00-8:00pm
March 14 - June 3, 2005 | PEEK Into Open Studios: Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill
Preview artwork by Open
Studios artists during this extended exhibit at the beautiful Morgan
Hill Community and Cultural Center. Exhibit Hours: T-W-Th from 8:00am-8:00pm, M-F from 8:00am-5:00pm
Reception: For reception details, contact Daryl Manning, blkk915@yahoo.com, 408-891-1980
Friday April 1, 6:00-9:00pm | Gala Opening 2005
San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market , San Jose
The 2005 Gala Opening of Silicon Valley Open
Studios will be held on Friday April 1, 2005 from 6-9pm at the San Jose
Museum of Art. This catered event will feature a professional live
auction of Collection 2005: an exhibit of artworks selected by our
jurors as the most impressive entries to our SVOS Stars juried program.
Artwork by 6th-8th Graders in our Open Studios
for Schools program will be exhibited at the event as well; these kids
from the 49ers Academy in East Palo Alto have been taking after school
art classes with two of our local artists, Adriana Ippati-Torrens and
Gianfranco Paolozzi. They've been learning that art is a creative
outlet for them that keeps them on the right track. Brandon Lloyd of
the SF 49ers will be present to congratulate the kids on their
accomplishment. Click here to Purchase Tickets: $30/person
April 4 - May 16, 2005 | PEEK Into Open Studios: Santa Clara
Mission City Coffee, 2221 The Alameda, Santa Clara
Preview artwork by Open Studios artists during this extended exhibit at Mission City Coffee near Santa Clara University.
Exhibit Hours: Everyday from 8:00am-7:00pm
April 9 - May 13, 2005 | PEEK Into Open Studios: Palo Alto
Great American Framing Company, 229 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto
Preview artwork by Open Studios artists during
this month-long exhibit at Great American Framing Company on Hamilton
Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. Exhibit Hours: M-F 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun, 11am-5pm
Reception: Friday, May 6, 2005 from 6:00-8:30pm with Palo Alto Art Walk.
For reception details, contact Donna Orme, DonnaOrmeArt@aol.com
April 14 - 16, 2005 | PEEK Into Open Studios: San Jose
San Jose Convention Center during the Home & Garden Show, 150 W San Carlos Street, San Jose
Preview artwork by Open Studios artists during
this special exhibit that coincides with the Home & Garden Show at
the San Jose Convention Center. Exhibit Hours: Noon - 8:00pm
Reception: Thursday, April 14, 5:00-7:00pm
For reception details, contact Donna Orme, DonnaOrmeArt@aol.com
The SVOS Peek Exhibit is in collaboration with Phantom Galleries. For more information about Phantom Galleries, please visit www.PhantomGalleries.com or call 408-271- 5151.
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