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SVOS GALA OPENING: A LAUNCHPAD FOR THE VISUAL ARTS COMMUNITY
By Angie Young with Patti Linder-Dodd
Pre-Gala excitement echoed off
every angle of steel, glass and concrete at the San Jose Museum of Art
Thursday evening, April 22nd. Volunteers busily jotted down the names
of ninety-five artists who contributed to the silent auction, labeling
the many works of art. A lovely musical duo - Kimberly Reeves-Parker
and brother Grant Reeves - tuned up their instruments before the crowd
arrived. Platters of fresh, sumptuous hors d’ oeuvres lined the tables
on leafy resting places, untouched only moments before the large
glass-paneled doors swing open, permitting the throng of 400
well-dressed guests to enter the world of art. This fashionable event
officially kicked off Silicon Valley Open Studios’ inaugural gala and
benefit auction.
For the visual art-starved
population of the South Bay, this celebration was a welcome sight. The
gala gave the message to artists, collectors, politicians, curators and
the general public that visual art is a vibrant, precious commodity.
The event featured two auctions, one live and the other silent. Artists
who received three or more stars in the juried SVOS Stars program had
their pieces up for sale. People streamed through the doors of the San
Jose Museum of Art to meet their creative colleagues and view the fine
works of art from Collection 2004 and accompanying winners who received Stars as part of the juried program.
Kerri Lawnsby, the executive
director of SVOS, devoted months to creating this first-time gig with
her team of fifty volunteers. The culmination of theirefforts paid off
Thursday night. We won’t be seeing the last of this type of soiree in
the South Bay, judging by the reaction of the guests who attended the
festive affair. The artists, too, were extremely pleased with the new
programs Kerri designed.
Painter Eric Rider came to the gala as the guest of Kathy Aoki (one of the Collection 2004)
artists. He is known in California for his provocative, colorful
paintings. He works at The Alameda Art Works where he met Kathy two
years ago.
“I’m pretty impressed with what they’ve
been doing this year,” said Eric. “They done a lot of really
interesting stuff,” Eric says. He feels the gala and other programs are
needed to boost the visual arts in the South Bay. He's done previous
open studios in San Jose before but he missed the deadline last fall
for 2004. Eric was pleased with the positive response to Kathy’s
artwork and the gala, and he admitted he felt a little guilty for not
participating this year. But there is always next year.
thy Aoki, impressed
by the sophisticated event, remarked on how she enjoyed being among
such an enthusiastic gathering of art patrons and artists. Juror Daniel
Keegan, executive director of the San Jose Museum of Art, chose her Teddy Harvest
image to be auctioned to the sole benefit of the San Jose Museum of
Art; this artwork was also etched upon the commemorative magnum wine
bottle, which was available for bid at the live auction. Making my rounds inside the crowded building, I bumped into Brenda Mills, another Collection 2004 artist and her husband Ken. Her piece, Quiet Turbulence
was up for live auction. “I’m having a great time. Everybody looks
great . . . the food is great, what a fun celebration. I think they’ve
(SVOS) done a great job.” She plans to return next year for open
studios because it has been such a good experience for her. The
hallways were festooned with the Star artists’ paintings, sculptures,
photographs and drawings. Standing at one of the
tables laden with hor d’ oeuvres, I take in the sight of people
schmoozing with one another, listening to live jazz while sipping white
wine or sampling a tasty veggie roll. Then it was time for the live
auction to begin. A volunteer asked me to
report to the Wendel room where the live auction would take place. I
was among several runners displaying the Collection 2004 art
before the standing-room only crowd. While the auctioneer, David
Reynolds described the selected piece, I would stand near him and hold
the piece above my head in my best Vanna White impression. The runners
took turns showcasing the art throughout the auction. The bidding commenced with David’s distinctive British flair. Kathy Aoki’s Teddy Harvest, Right On Schedule and West Sorting Station took the auction by storm. All three pieces sold, and the proceeds were divided between the artist and SVOS. Hung-Tsu Chen’s Adam’s Ponder,
found a home with art patron Anthony Wright. His friend, Krisztina Kis
Halas said Anthony saw himself in the drawing, which is why he
purchased it. Both Krisztina and Anthony enjoyed the gala and the live
auction.
Therese May’s quilt Tulip sold, as did Kerri Lawnsby’s Bird Bath In Roses II, Carolyn Shaw’s Grand View, Ellen Vogel's Earth Prayer and Dewey Garrett’s Red Truncation. As for the silent auction--seventeen pieces sold. For a complete listing, please inquire here: SVOS2004@yahoo.com.
San Jose Vice Mayor Patricia Dando and Denelle
Fedor, her legislative assistant, attended the gala. At the conclusion
of the live auction, Denelle shared her thoughts with the attendees
about how impressed the vice mayor and she were with Kerri’s
leadership, organization and the SVOS team’s efforts. From every
indication, San Jose will be a city that intends to continue supporting
more art programs such as SVOS. Time and time again individuals from all over
the Bay Area and the surrounding vicinities tell me how the visual arts
and the people who make it are priceless. The art – and creation of it
– is something nobody should take for granted.
ARTISTS IN MORGAN HILL HAVE A NEW VENUE FOR
OPEN STUDIOS
By Patti Linder-Dodd
Bringing artists together in the charming, quaint town
of Morgan Hill has never been so easy. Especially since Daryl Manning,
Art Specialist for the city has made it her mission to introduce local
and not so local artists to the area and Silicon Valley. The vehicle
that makes this possible is the new Morgan Hill Community and Cultural
Center. The Center just completed eighteen months ago, stands
prominently on the corner of Monterey Road and East Dunne near downtown
and is one of this year’s group sites for Silicon Valley Open Studios
(SVOS). With this new facility, Daryl Manning is hopeful in its ability
to increase public awareness of the large artistic community in the
South Valley.
During the weekend of May
1st and 2nd, visitors can meet nineteen local artists exhibiting their
work in the community center’s towering rotunda--the El Toro room.
Weather permitting, artwork will be on display out in the expansive
patio near the water fountain. Art enthusiasts can stroll along the
glass paneled sunlit walkways with its wide horizontal wooden plains
specifically designed to hang a variety of artwork.
The participating artists
will exhibit their unique creations in a multitude of mediums,
including drawing, painting, sculptures, ceramics, fiber, textiles,
jewelry, assemblage, photography, glass, digital, and printmaking. Many
have been inspired by the beauty surrounding Morgan Hill. From the
linear crop lines of agricultural fields to the warmth of the
California foothills, artists twist and tweak these images to
communicate their own visual voice. Here are a few artists you will enjoy visiting:
Fish and more fish--in every
shape, size, and color. As you pick up and examine these amusing items,
don’t forget to turn them over, for there is where you’ll find their
name. Ceramicist Shelley Hanes, their creator says bringing humor and a
smile to people is all she hopes for as she gives life to each fish.
Since she hand shapes every piece, they truly take on lives of their
own with a swish of a tail this way or a stripe of color that way.
If fish don’t
float your boat, maybe wood will. Don Jensen calls himself a "Wood
Alchemist," one visit through his living room, soon to be gallery, and
it is apparent he turns ordinary wood into valuable artworks. However,
there is nothing magical in the transformation; each piece is well
thought- out with a specific concept in mind. Starting with the tree
itself, Don mills his own lumber to meet the specifications of each
project. Then by carving, shaping and blending woods, often
incorporating glass, metal or stone, he produces works with artist
merit. You'll find Don's work exhibited in his home just behind the
community center. As in the case
of Photographer Anita Kell Mason--amazing things happen out of shear
boredom. At least that's what inspired her, a Morgan Hill native, to
pick up a camera twelve years ago and began looking at the world
(nature and wildlife) in a whole new frame. With the aid of her camera,
Anita captures the warm color spectrum in her lens of far off lands,
which is anything but boring! She will display these exotic landscapes
and animals at the open studio as well as photos from her latest
adventure in Page, Arizona. Early next year, Anita's camera will take
her to Tanzania. Back in the
United States, CJ Myers remembers always being an artist.
Unfortunately, her aunt thought otherwise. Especially since it was her
aunt’s walls, where CJ as a child, expressed her love of art. CJ
majored in painting in school, but as a single mother, found herself
turning to pastels because of their ease of use. Now, over thirty years
later, CJ’s pastels can be found in local galleries and museum
exhibitions. Her work has also been published in pastel journals.
From finance to
fine art seems to be a natural direction for Theresa Wayne. Theresa
started out drawing portraits in pencil. Now, she creates detailed
landscapes, still lives and figures in oils or acrylics. Painting
detailed realism is what gives her true satisfaction. She loves it when
the painting seems to jump off the canvas. Recently, Theresa has been
exploring a freer and looser painting style she hopes will offer
broader financial market appeal. Angie Young
works from her never tiring imagination. Whether it’s making 3D art
using a variety of materials such as gourds, clay, metal, sheet rock
and wood, or brightly painted canvases with their surreal quality; she
looks like she enjoys every minute. Maybe starting out as a cartoonist
may have something to do with it. Lately, however, Angie is developing
her fine art skills, through attending outdoor painting workshops. She
is perfecting her mechanical ability in order to achieve a higher
quality to her eclectic style. Visitors can expect to see works varying
from the enchanting countryside to comically whimsical sculptures.
Other SVOS artists showcasing at
the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center are Carole Belliveau,
Sheri Chakamian, Renee Filice, Mary Hiller, Jon Thomas Keegan, Gerry
Kuehn, Suzanne Perry, Marge Regan, Robert Rosalez, Steve Soult, Mrs,
Mrs. Stanford, Satu Vitanen. Participants displaying artwork at their
own studios are Bob Freimark, Don Jensen and John Hughes.
Each artist at this venue is unique at expressing
themselves, yet one message is abundantly clear; Morgan Hill is rich in
inspiration and having the opportunity to share this with others gives
them great pride.
PACIFIC ART LEAGUE: SPECIALISTS IN VISUAL TALENT
By Angie Young
The Pacific Art League will be opening its doors on the
first weekend of May as part of Silicon Valley Open Studios tours. A
gathering place for artists of all ages and abilities, the League
exhibits art for the enjoyment of art lovers everywhere. Nestled in the
heart of downtown Palo Alto is the headquarters and training ground for
them. The members of amateur and professional artists not only produce
high-quality art, but some teach their time-tested principals as well. The Pacific Art League is
located at 668 Ramona Street near University Avenue in the city of Palo
Alto. The organization was founded in 1921 as the Palo Alto Art Club,
and its members worked together, talking and critiquing each other’s
art. Many well-known artists such as nationally famous Phimister
Proctor and Elizabeth Norton were members, a reminder that great things
can begin in our own backyard. The venue and name changed in 1984 and
the organization now resides in the 7500 square-foot building in
downtown Palo Alto on Ramona. This building houses studios, classrooms,
office space, and galleries.
Claudia Morgan is the
Executive Director of Pacific Art League, which – in addition to
providing workspace and camaraderie for artists – offers classes,
exhibition opportunities, events, and outreach to the community. One
such outreach program is a traveling art therapy course offered under
the auspices of Kara (a center devoted to supporting individuals in
difficult situations). Through this program, an art therapist travels
to children struggling with a death or major illness in the family and
provides therapeutic art services. The Art League trains adults and
gives support material to those in similar agencies to continue the
lasting benefits of art to disadvantaged children.
Another event the League
hosts is the Palo Alto Art Walk from 6-9 on the first Friday night of
every month; this includes galleries and cafes around University Avenue
within close proximity to one another. Lastly, a great event to attend
this year is Off The Wall, on June 5, which is an annual fundraising
event and silent auction of more than 80 original works donated by the
members of the Pacific Art League. The zany-themed affair features
music, food and wine.
One of the premier artists,
Werner Glinka, joined Pacific Art League three years ago. He
specializes in mixed media, combining sleek, wooden panels with natural
fibers in his Visual Mantras series. The series might make
viewers think of a collision between the industrial revolution and
nature presented in an abstract collage. It is most delightful to study
and view Werner’s pieces; no wonder his works have found homes in many
galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area. Werner is looking forward to
SVOS and is quite comfortable speaking with the public about his work
and Pacific Art League. He has high regard for director Claudia Morgan
and his fellow artists for making this art venue a place to be for
established and up-and-coming artists. Another enterprising artist
at Pacific Art League is Steve Curl. He came on board twelve years ago.
He started out as a cartoonist, and encountered his first art critic
when he was a kid in elementary school. He drew someone and
subsequently found himself stuffed into a locker by the disapproving
student. Decades later, he draws editorial cartoons for the Palo Alto
Weekly and Palo Alto Daily and creates caricature sketches for
corporations. That is how I met him in 2001 at a high-rise office
building in San Jose. He drew a pretty good picture of me on the spot,
and I have kept the illustration ever since. Not only does Steve draw
cartoons--something he considers a cerebral art form--but he also does
outdoor painting. He loves watercolors and camping, and – merging these
two passions – he features the result of his romance with plein air
paintings at the open studios event this May 1st and 2nd. Steve teaches
three watercolor classes and an outdoor sketching on location class. Other creative forces
within the League who are participating at SVOS this year include Gary
Coleman, oil painter; Helen Ju, Sculptor; Susan Prather, photographer;
Roland Ralston, illustrator; and Pete Zivkov, photographer. They, together with Claudia
Morgan and rest of the League’s entire membership, work to uphold its
mission to enrich the lives of their communities by promoting the
enjoyment, understanding, and creation of art, and to make art a part
of the fabric of society. In that light, it’s easy to see why they’ve
been around for 83 years. For Pacific Art League’s course descriptions and schedules, visit their website: www.pacificartleague.com.
NOT JUST SUNDAY ARTISTS: The Alameda Art Works Studios Opens Its Doors
By Saaba MBB Lutzeler
When visitors first enter Alameda Art Works – the
roller-rink turned art studios – they are invariably wowed. “It’s so
clean,” one woman remarked. “It’s so open,” said another, the
click-clonk of her footsteps reverberating above the wood floor,
throughout the gallery-setting hallway, and up into the insulated
rafters. White light swathes the twenty studios from skylights
overhead, and music drifts unhindered beyond the twelve-foot partial
walls. Not surprisingly, given
the building’s welcoming, bright, and well-maintained condition, owner
and art enthusiast Falko Forbrich, keeps a year-round waiting list to
rent out his studios. Forbrich purchased the building in 1991 and
within a year, constructed all the varying sized workspaces. Some are
rented as single studios, while others are shared. The result is a
galvanized and creative community, its members regularly sharing
critiques and coffees, tools and tips, models and meals, props and
prospects. On any given day, as
many as ten of the building’s thirty artists can be found working in
media ranging from oil, acrylic, and pastel to prints, installations,
and polymer clay. The subjects of this work are even more varied than
the media in which it is made, including urban scenes with crossing
power-lines, window reflections, and clothes hanging limply on a
string; snippets of sky with an airplane’s streak silently crossing the
composition; emotive figures placed on fields of painterly color;
conceptual works playfully questioning gender-roles; whimsical
creatures; flowers; landscapes; traditional portraits; and stylized
faces. “We’re not just Sunday
artists,” explains one Alameda painter. “While it’s true that many here
have additional professions, we all take our art seriously and make a
point to work in the studio as often as possible.” While many artists
pursue jobs alongside their art, including design, social work and art
instruction to name but a few, the commitment and creative talent of
the Art Works gang is once again prominently displayed: three are Collection 2004 artists, five were awarded SVOS Stars, and virtually all exhibit their work regularly throughout the Bay Area.
Historically, the Alameda
Art Works studios have garnered large turnouts for SVOS, and its
artists say this year will be no exception. “One great thing about the
Alameda Art Works,” said an artist and regular SVOS participant, “is
that virtually all the artists here are committed to the event, so
visitors are always treated to a full house!”
Situated near the corner
of The Alameda and Race Street, behind the Recycle Book Store, and
conveniently across the street from numerous cafes and eateries, the
Alameda Art Works studios are sure to be a big hit this May. The
building is wheel chair accessible, family-friendly, and has free
parking. It will be a fun place for the casual viewer and an exciting
opportunity for art collectors big and small.
A chance to see how art is made: Demonstrations for May 1-2
By Kerri Lawnsby, Executive Director
Our artists are proud of their artwork--and they want
you to be excited about visual art as well! Many artists have
volunteered to show you how they do what they do---so look below for a
list of demonstrations taking place this coming weekend -- May 1-2 --
near you!
Campbell
Los Gatos
Morgan Hill
Oil Painting with Therese Wayne
Contact Daryl Manning for details at blkk915@yahoo.com or 408-782-0008
Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill 95037
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Scotts Valley
San Jose
Portrait Painting with Chuck Yokota
Saturday 11am-1pm (2hours start to finish)
420 Kiely Boulevard, San Jose 95117
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Clay/wheel-throwing; sculpture/modeling in clay; clay/hand building; jewelry; collage
Artists: Judith Enright, Jan Hawkins, Alison Pangburn, Kathleen Wade, Devora Wienapple
Saturday 12pm-3pm
2213 Radio Avenue, San Jose 95125
Map to Studio
Chinese Brush Painting with Ming-Shu Franz
Saturday 3-4pm
1753 Valpico Drive, San Jose 95124
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Live Model Sculpture with Gary Oblock
Saturday 3pm
2769 Rebeiro Ave.
Santa Clara, CA 95051
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Pastel Drawing with Kerri Lawnsby
Saturday 4-5pm
Sunday 12pm-1pm
948 Emory Street, San Jose 95126
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Papermaking with Lise Poulsen
Sunday 1pm-2pm
Audience can participate/20 min.
5445 Club Drive, San Jose 95127
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Oil Painting and Ceramic Sculpture with Amy Brown
Sunday 2pm-3pm
1215 Mildred Avenue, San Jose 95125
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Glass Blowing at the Bay Area Glass Institute
Contact Karen Kwan for times at studio@bagi.org or 408-993-2244
401 East Taylor Street, Suite 115, San Jose 95112
Map to Studio
Artist Page
Sunnyvale
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Gala Opening Benefit Auction: An Evening of Art at the San Jose Museum of Art
