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March 2021 | What’s Bloomin’ Downtown?

March 6, 2021 by Cameron Kelly

1st Street

Susan Kirk

A Beautiful Life Furnishings

250 E First St

Mark Thau

Art Etc

256 E First St

2nd Street

Ellen Hedfield

Diamond W Western Wear

181 E Second St

Candy Matthews

Magna Carta

113 W Second St

Daniel Donnelly

Bootleg

126 W Second St

Nick_StainGlassSunset, Photo,12x20 $86.00

Nick Knezic

LaRocca Vineyards Tasting Room

222 W Second St

3rd Street

Karen More-Durfee

Mountain Sports

176 E Third St

Vanessa Wolfe

Kirk's Jewelry

246 W Third St

Dory Schachner, Voices in the Sky, 2013, digital painting, 11x17, $50/print

Dory Ann Schachner

Sweet Chico Confections

121 W Third St

Paula Busch

Tomfoolery

126 W Third St

Broadway

Carolyn McLeod

Collier Hardware

105 Broadway St

Rachel Montoya

Live Life Juice Company

220 Broadway St

Reta Rickmers

Pita Pit

40 Broadway St

Lisa Freeman-Wood

3 Seas

334 Broadway St

Richard Whitehead

The Rawbar

346 Broadway St

Jackie Powers

Ellis Art & Engineering Supplies

122 Broadway St

Gunnar Loveland

For Elyse

228 Broadway St

Isabella Stewart

Urban Couture

245 Broadway St

Carla Greslie

Cottonparty

337 Broadway St

Mattie Hinkley

Stoble Coffee

418 Broadway St

Cheney LaRue

OM Foods

142 Broadway St

Mick Needham

Needham Stained Glass Studio

237 Broadway St

Cynthia Schildhauer

Birkenstock

333 Broadway St

Isla Kerr

Chico Paper Company

345 Broadway St

Carol Prebil Miles, Idaho Tree Swallow, 2019, watercolor, 8” x 7”, $165, Framed

Judy Kane & Carol Preble-Miles

Nantucket Home

603 Broadway St

Main Street

Sten Hoiland

The Bookstore

118 Main St

Nadia Kosheleff-Browne

Upper Crust Bakery

130 Main St

Karma Boyer

Little Red Hen Home

204 Main St

Elizabeth Newman Kuiper

Little Red Hen Vintage

215 Main St

Adele Etcheverry Sheets, "Ladies’ Rendezvous”, oil on linen panel, 8x10”, $175 framed. My intention is to paint these three beautiful cyclamens in a new US trending style, which I admire. Disrupted Realism started on the East coast in Philadelphia. Artists in the San Francisco Bay Area quickly absorbed it. Through the past year, I have experimented with Disrupted Realism. I like the idea of keeping realism but also distorting it to tell an interesting story. Currently, I am developing a collection of works that I intend to post to my OSAT virtual gallery in May 2021.

Adele Sheets

The Rustic Nest

232 Main St

Lori Tennant

Danceaway

228 Main St

Nicolai Larsen

Campus Bicycles

247 Main St

Cassandra Kassel

Fleet Feet

241 Main St

Travis Kavanagh

Melody Records

341 Main St

Esplanade

Daniel Donnelly

Northern Star Mills

510 Esplanade

March 2021 | Sun Dances: Julia Kay

March 2, 2021 by Cameron Kelly

All Hallows’ Eve
19 x 25 inches
Hand cut paper
$325.

Virtual Exhibit Opens March 6th

Zoom Reception: Sunday, March 28, 4:00 PM

The Sun Dances series is based on the shadows cast by the artist’s large-leafed tropical plants. This series has been one of the major themes in Kay’s work for the past 20 years. The pieces in the series range from recognizable plant shadows to completely abstract, with most artwork styles somewhere in between.

Click on logos to read press coverage of exhibit.

To purchase artwork, please contact Gallery Director, Cameron Kelly at ckelly@chicoartcenter.com

Watch Recorded Artist Talk

Autumn 48 x 36 inches Acrylic Paint on stretched canvas Not for sale

Monstera and Me 49 x 49 inches Acrylic paint on stretched canvas Not for sale

Broken Hip 50 x 38 inches Acrylic paint on paper $3000.

Primordial 50 x 38 inches Acrylic paint on paper $3000.

Lace Foliage Silhouette 72 x 48 inches Acrylic paint on paper Not for sale

Philodendron Descending 50 x 38 inches Acrylic paint on paper $3000.

Birth of a Leaf Pencil on paper, Sketch Club on iPad, Photoshop on Mac Please inquire for print sizes and prices

Boolean Logic of Leaves Graphite on paper Each piece 20 x 10.5 inches Not for sale

Ten Weeks 20 x 10.5 inches Colored Pencil on paper Not for sale Overlay of three drawings of the shadow from the same leaf, in the same place, at the same time of day, five weeks apart each time. Presented courtesy of Maureen Nathan.

I Learn by Going Where I Have to Go 16 x 12 inches Mixed media on hand cut paper, including neocolor, watercolor and water-miscible oil paint Not for sale

All Hallows’ Eve 19 x 25 inches Hand cut paper $325.

Cricut Sun Dance 14 x 11 inches Cricut-cut paper Not for sale

Painted Philodendron Graphite drawing scanned, and digitally painted with Sketchclub on iPad Please inquire for print sizes and prices

Plant Shadow Miniatures Each 6-8 inches tall, overall set 10 x 7 inches Brush and ink on cut paper ‘leftovers’ from the leaves. $150 for the set

Clockwise from upper left: Henry Moore’s Model Piano Bar Eeyore 5 x 7 inches each Gelli plate monotypes using cut paper masks and acrylic paint $75 each

Negative Space 16 x 20 inches Graphite on paper $300.

That Which Remains 22 x 30 inches Graphite on paper $450.

Maximized Minimalism Graphite on paper and Sketch Club, Drawing Pad & Imaengine Apps on iPad Please inquire for print sizes and prices. Maximum size 19 x 25 inches.

Underwater 16 x 12 Inches Graphite and watercolor on paper $450.

Congestion in Space 10 x 8 inches Mixed media including pencil, acrylic paint, scratch-away transparency and Yupo plastic paper $150.

Pool Party 6.75 x 6.75 inches Neocolor II watersoluble crayons on paper $75.

Dancing Across the Picture Plane 48 x 36 inches Acrylic paint on canvas $4000.

Canopy 22 x 30 inches Watercolor and acrylic ink on paper Not for sale

Blue Splash 22 x 30 Inches Watercolor and fugitive ink on paper Not for sale

Late Light 30 x 22 inches Acrylic and oil paints on paper $2500.

Necessary Adjustments 24 x 28 inches Acrylic paint on paper $1500.

Uneasy 28 x 24 inches Acrylic paint on paper $1500.

Mid Panic Attack, I 24 x 28 inches Acrylic paint on paper $1500.

Mid Panic Attack, II Pencil on paper, and multiple programs on iPad and Mac Please inquire for print sizes and pricing. Maximum size 16 x 20 inches

Two long, horizontal studies Top: Looking at Edges Bottom: Blowing in the Wind 3 x 7 inches each Ink on notepad paper $25 each

Clockwise from top left: Three Friends at Play And the Shapes Between Duck at a Plant Party Don't Bite 4 x 5 inches each Ink on paper $50 each

First Templeton Proposal Drawing, Graphite on paper, 36 x 48 inches $1200.

41.1 Seond Templeton Proposal Drawing41.1 Seond Templeton Proposal Drawing_webJPG

Second Drawing for the Templeton Commission, Sketchclub on iPad, 13 x 16 inches, please inquire for print pricing

Templeton Decoder (center detail) Procreate on iPad 11 x 14 inches each Please inquire for pricing.

Monochrome Studies Procreate on iPad In each case, Kay masked part of the design by making adjacent shapes the same tone. Please inquire for print sizes and pricing. Maximum size is 28 x 36 inches.

Color Studies Procreate on iPad Variations in a similar color range, some masking parts of the design or changing how the multiple shadow shapes are overlaid. Please inquire for print sizes and pricing. Maximum size is 28 x 36 inches.

Scattershot Procreate on iPad Selective inclusion of overlapping shapes Please inquire for print sizes and pricing. Maximum size is 13 x 17 inches.

Fire Dance Procreate on iPad The full design, but color causes different parts to be emphasized. Please inquire for print sizes and pricing. Maximum size is 13 x 17 inches

Partners Acrylic paint over digital print on paper, scanned and further adjusted digitally Please inquire for print sizes and pricing. Maximum size is 24 x 16 inches

Still Pond 18 x 24 inches Acrylic paint on stretched canvas Not for sale

Life of the Party 6 x 6 inches Acrylic paint on stretched canvas $250.

Easter Sunday 6 x 6 inches Acrylic paint on stretched canvas $250.

Dance at Dusk 6 x 6 inches Acrylic paint on stretched canvas $250.

Sea Echo 6 x 6 inches Acrylic paint on stretched canvas $250.

Stepping Out 3 x 4 feet Acrylic paint on stretched canvas Not for Sale Presented courtesy of Alan Templeton

Hiding in Plain Sight 3 x 4 feet Acrylic paint on stretched canvas Not for Sale Presented courtesy of Alan Templeton

Click here to view Julia Kay Artworks in Studio and In-Situ

February 2021 | Unbound: The Altered Book

January 5, 2021 by Cameron Kelly

Bonnie Kuhr, How I Feel, 2021, altered book, 12"H 10"D 8"W

Virtual Exhibit

Opens February 6, 2021

This juried exhibition of US artists transforms a book's original state or meaning. Book art takes many forms. Sculptural bookworks, for example, command attention so that viewers are compelled to reflect upon the issues explored in the work. Many compelling works integrate text with sculptural and material richness to create a multi-sensory reading experience.

A $300 cash prize to Best of Show will be awarded during the virtual reception.

To purchase artwork, please contact Gallery Director, Cameron Kelly at ckelly@chicoartcenter.com, text/mobile (415) 823-4418.

Bonnie Kuhr, How I Feel, 2021, Book pages, aluminium mesh, 12"H 10"D 8"W, NFS. This piece was just recently completed. It represents how I have felt during the past year. One side show anxiety regarding everything that has happened in the past year. The other side show open space where I would go to walk to regain my sanity. I used the iconic Edvard Munch the scream to represent anxiety and Vincent Van Gogh the wheat Field with cypresses for my sanity. It was made by hand forming perforated aluminum. I used a 1959 book on modern art and then shredded the color plates. I then needlepointed them into the aluminum.

Bonnie Kuhr, Snake & Egg, 2017, Mixed media, H-36" W-36" D-42", $12,000. Created from The Book of Earths by Edna Kenton, publication date 1929. It is a compilation of theories and lore that surrounds the beginnings of the cosmic universe. My sculpture was created from one book, with the pages becoming the body of the snake and the many mythological images making up the “cosmic egg.” Dissecting the book I removed the fabric cover from the book board, I then formed the tongue and eyes from the book board and covered them with the fabric. The fabric was also use to simulate the diamond shape marking of the snake skin. Because snakes are basically one long tube I wanted the wire form of the snake to be one continuous piece.

Roger Boulay, Volume of Periodicals, 2016, Archival inkjet print, 16x24", $750. I use books to investigate notions of instability and erasure. I am fascinated by the way stories form integral parts of larger cultural structures; how we consume and discard them in an endless cycle. Each book is altered or erased, creating passages that speaks to the decline of print media. Marred and distressed surfaces imply a loss that occurs from damage and aging. These images speak to the mutability and ephemerality of language. The marks and scars create a history of wear and disintegration. The paper in these photographs has a palpable texture; a fragile skin in the process of being shed and renewed. In this work I am exploring literal and metaphorical entropy at the intersection of language, architectural forms and texture.

Roger Boulay, A Confederacy of Dunces, 2016, Archival inkjet print, 30x40", $1,000. I use books to investigate notions of instability and erasure. For this piece, I "erased" the book's content with gold leaf. I was interested in replacing the potential value of the text of the book with a particular material that connotes value. Yet, how much gold begins to connote tastelessness or a lack of value? The economic value of cultural production such as fiction has become increasingly unclear as print media begins to disappear.

Stephanie Damoff, Eviscerated Reality, 2021, paper, wire mesh, 13” long, 8-1/2” high, 5” deep, $300. This accordion book is made of hardware cloth and handmade paper—hemp and pulped pages from a damaged copy of The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño. The novel is an account of the two elusive leaders of the visceral realism school of poetry and tracks their adventures in Mexico City and Europe. The two seem to spend more time scoring marijuana to sell than writing poetry. One narrator, an aspiring young poet, who seeks to tell the story through journal notes spends his time stealing books and pursuing women. The pulped pages—the viscera of the text—are caught by the metal frame and reconstituted into a sculptural artist book. The surviving fragments of the original text form concrete poetry that can be read according to the choice of the reader or in an act of bibliomancy: “end/meant/something/in and ourselves/silent/and yet,/have/but/discovered that/would’ve/with my/multiplying/complete/resigned/possible” is one reading.

Jeffrey Glossip, MegaBook Project, 2005-8, Paperback books, about 8x5x16 inches (variable). NFS. MegaBook Project is a work that consists of nine bestseller paperback books. The books have been unbound, combined, shuffled, then rebound. The concept of the Megabook Project is the opening of an infinite system from finite sources, As books are subsumed, they lose any intrinsic meaning they were meant to convey. It is impossible, for example, to follow any narrative for more than one page. Thus, the whole of the information contained in the Megabook is preserved but not retrievable.

Jeffrey Glossip, MegaBook Project, 2005-8, Paperback books, about 8x5x16 inches (variable), NFS. MegaBook Project is a work that consists of nine bestseller paperback books. The books have been unbound, combined, shuffled, then rebound. The concept of the Megabook Project is the opening of an infinite system from finite sources, As books are subsumed, they lose any intrinsic meaning they were meant to convey. It is impossible, for example, to follow any narrative for more than one page. Thus, the whole of the information contained in the Megabook is preserved but not retrievable.

Raluca Iancu, Tornadogenesis, 2020, Tunnel book with drypoint, monotype, hand tinting, 7.5" x 4.75" x 1.4", $500. My work explores disaster, memory and vulnerability. I question the way we look at tragedy, as well as the way we deal with its aftermath. This artist book presents the beginning of a storm. It can be interpreted as a time lapse, or as multiple simultaneous tornadoes.

Raluca Iancu, Tornadogenesis (detail), 2020, Tunnel book with drypoint, monotype, hand tinting, 7.5" x 4.75" x 1.4", $500. My work explores disaster, memory and vulnerability. I question the way we look at tragedy, as well as the way we deal with its aftermath. This artist book presents the beginning of a storm. It can be interpreted as a time lapse, or as multiple simultaneous tornadoes.

Raluca Iancu, The Sky Glows Orange, 2020, carousel book with monotype, drawing, cut paper, 11.5" x 5.45" x 1" (closed), $500. This work was made in response to the destructive events of 2020, both literal (fires in California and Australia), as well as metaphorical (the Covid-19 pandemic, the rising antagonism in politics in the United States).

Raluca Iancu, The Sky Glows Orange (cover), 2020, carousel book with monotype, drawing, cut paper, 11.5" x 5.45" x 1" (closed), $500. This work was made in response to the destructive events of 2020, both literal (fires in California and Australia), as well as metaphorical (the Covid-19 pandemic, the rising antagonism in politics in the United States).

Bonnie Kuhr, Endangered, 2020, altered book, 5'H 2.5'W .5"D, NFS. This piece was inspired by the book “Endangered Species” and was made into an altered book art. The images from the book are of the endangered species from the African continent. The back side shows the region they are from. The design or shape was fashioned after the skate or mermaid purse. The skate symbolizes that there is an embryo and the hope that the species will continue.

Bonnie Kuhr, Endangered (detail), 2020, altered book, 5'H 2.5'W .5"D, NFS. This piece was inspired by the book “Endangered Species” and was made into an altered book art. The images from the book are of the endangered species from the African continent. The back side shows the region they are from. The design or shape was fashioned after the skate or mermaid purse. The skate symbolizes that there is an embryo and the hope that the species will continue.

Locus Xiaotong Chen, Rice Composition in Modern Postage, 2019, Locus Xiaotong Chen, Intaglio prints, sliver mylar, rice, perforation on asian paper, 1 7/8 in x 1 7/8 in x 12 in, $1350. This book is a rework of my previous work on paper which is executed in a similar manner. More importantly, it is a contemplation on transforming the previous work into a minimalistic book form that enables new dialogues to speak out while retaining the original essence of an existing work. Let the work re-speaks in the form of a simple 32-page book. Rice Composition in Modern Postage has two modes of display: being flat as the original two-dimensional work and folding into a three-dimensional book form. When the book lays flat, the format imitates a full sheet of stamps: centered at each segment of square is a imagery in comprised of cut-out intaglio print with six grains of rice manifesting the same gesture glued in the center of the square; the perforated lines divide each stamp up and at the same time aggregate them all onto a full sheet. Imitation of the full sheet of stamps can be read as a complete edition of miniature prints (being browsed at once) before it is distributed to individual owners for different purposes. This idea is reflected on by using the original intaglio print as the collaging material for the stamps. Ideally, this work is meant be distributed to people as how an edition of fine art prints finds its way to individual owners and how each stamp from one same sheet parcels out onto different envelopes. The performative potential in the work’s form is drafted out but has not yet been realized. When the book is folded up and displayed in book form, it manifests a miniature maze with bewitching seesawed pathways of alternating mirroring imageries and components. The architectural strength of this book form gives the work a versatile and engaging structure, adding complexities into existing visual contents. The book explores the theme of dualistic powers between macro and micro, black and white, sameness and nuances, as rest of the works in the rice series.

Locus Xiaotong Chen, Rice Composition in Modern Postage (detail), 2019, Locus Xiaotong Chen, Intaglio prints, sliver mylar, rice, perforation on asian paper, 1 7/8 in x 1 7/8 in x 12 in, $1350. This book is a rework of my previous work on paper which is executed in a similar manner. More importantly, it is a contemplation on transforming the previous work into a minimalistic book form that enables new dialogues to speak out while retaining the original essence of an existing work. Let the work re-speaks in the form of a simple 32-page book. Rice Composition in Modern Postage has two modes of display: being flat as the original two-dimensional work and folding into a three-dimensional book form. When the book lays flat, the format imitates a full sheet of stamps: centered at each segment of square is a imagery in comprised of cut-out intaglio print with six grains of rice manifesting the same gesture glued in the center of the square; the perforated lines divide each stamp up and at the same time aggregate them all onto a full sheet. Imitation of the full sheet of stamps can be read as a complete edition of miniature prints (being browsed at once) before it is distributed to individual owners for different purposes. This idea is reflected on by using the original intaglio print as the collaging material for the stamps. Ideally, this work is meant be distributed to people as how an edition of fine art prints finds its way to individual owners and how each stamp from one same sheet parcels out onto different envelopes. The performative potential in the work’s form is drafted out but has not yet been realized. When the book is folded up and displayed in book form, it manifests a miniature maze with bewitching seesawed pathways of alternating mirroring imageries and components. The architectural strength of this book form gives the work a versatile and engaging structure, adding complexities into existing visual contents. The book explores the theme of dualistic powers between macro and micro, black and white, sameness and nuances, as rest of the works in the rice series.

Tony Gangitano, Magic of Storytelling, 2019, Digital Photo of Original Altered Book Sculpture, 16" x 20", $900. Depiction of a mother telling a story to a child, in an intimate setting. They experiencing a book together, thus promoting Interactive learning, visualizing, and understanding of relationships between actions and consequences. The Metallic Antenna represent enhanced communication.

Tony Gangitano, Magic of Story Time, 2018, Digital Photo of Original Altered Book Sculpture, 16" x 20", $900. Repurposed objects, representing the transfer of knowledge. A Parent or Teacher, is telling a story to a child, promoting Interactive learning, visualizing, and understanding of relationships between actions and consequences. The Metallic Antenna represent enhanced communication.

Leekyung Kang, Ecstasy of the surface, photo-etching and book-binding, 30x30" (unfolded), 11x11"(folded), $750. Through this work, the virtual experience in the digital form has transformed our perception of reality. The recognition of physicality of space has been distorted. By leveraging the tension between digital image and traditional mediums, I am able to intensify this distortion through mass image duplication, which result in an uncanny aesthetic. As a consequence of this experiment, one can find a co-existence of two and three dimensional world through disorientation, randomness and repetition as the way of navigation. I try to collect my idea archives and cartographic imagery to create the book form by traditional etching prints. It is through this digital reproduction system that I would like to share my view of the world with my viewer.

Nicolai Larsen, "Panurge & the Quest for the Holy Bottle" from the book "Gargantua & Pantagruel", 1970, Mahogany wood box, Ink, Goldleaf, 11 x 7 inches, NFS. When I was in art school my friend loaned me his book "Gargantua & Pantagruel" a tale about a giant and his son roaming the countryside in France causing comedic chaos . Farmers gave them herds of cattle to eat for dinner. They traveled far and wide searching for the oracle of the Holy Bottle .This classic was written by a 14th century French monk Francois Rabelais. Eventually the cover box wore out so I made a decorative one illustrating one of the stories...

Claudia Berlinski, Separate But Equal, 2011, Mixed media, 12” x 18” x 3”, $250. Separate But Equal was created in response to the climate crisis and the idea that global warming is creating devastating changes in the environment. I utilized an atlas for this project, focusing on the pages showing the arctic region and Antarctica to depict two different kinds of environmental disasters. Each page is modified through additive and subtractive processes and the addition of color. The book is displayed with a book stand.

Roger Boulay, Stories (diptych) 2016, archival inkjet print, 24x32" (each individual piece 24x16") $1,200. I use books to investigate notions of instability and erasure. I am fascinated by the way stories form integral parts of larger cultural structures; how we consume and discard them in an endless cycle. Each book is altered or erased, creating passages that speaks to the decline of print media. Marred and distressed surfaces imply a loss that occurs from damage and aging. These images speak to the mutability and ephemerality of language. The marks and scars create a history of wear and disintegration. The paper in these photographs has a palpable texture; a fragile skin in the process of being shed and renewed. In this work I am exploring literal and metaphorical entropy at the intersection of language, architectural forms and texture.

Claudia Berlinski, Another Deadly Day, 2008, Altered book with digital printing, 9” x 6” x 185” extended, $1,000. Another Deadly Day was created in response to the war in Iraq during the George W. Bush administration. The original book is a story of an oil baron from Texas which focuses on the ultimate importance of oil to our freedom. I disassembled the original book and reassemble it using title pages from many of the chapters. The chapter titles paralleled the topic of our dependency on the Middle East for oil and my views on the Bush administration. I printed imagery of circling sharks and headlines from newspapers regarding the war in Iraq and burned the pages to create an ulcerative looking hole that grows throughout the book pages.

Claudia Berlinski, Another Deadly Day (detail), 2008, Altered book with digital printing, 9” x 6” x 185” extended, $1,000. Another Deadly Day was created in response to the war in Iraq during the George W. Bush administration. The original book is a story of an oil baron from Texas which focuses on the ultimate importance of oil to our freedom. I disassembled the original book and reassemble it using title pages from many of the chapters. The chapter titles paralleled the topic of our dependency on the Middle East for oil and my views on the Bush administration. I printed imagery of circling sharks and headlines from newspapers regarding the war in Iraq and burned the pages to create an ulcerative looking hole that grows throughout the book pages.

Bryan Fellenbaum, Lullaby, 2020, Watercolor, ink, pencil, collage, tape, image transfer on book cover, 10 1/8” x 15”, $150. This piece is from a series based on the album "Lonesome Dreams" by Lord Huron, a story about going away to a new, unexplored place away from friends and family, but with a general sense of adventure. With "Lullaby," I wanted to explore the lyrics of the song which references dreams and strong feeling of melancholy. The beginning lyrics present us with a story of someone who returns in the morning after an unexplained journey in the night, but the events are never clarified. It merely states that "there's a price to be paid for the things that you do," reminiscent of the idea that every action has a resulting action. I thought this balance was very similar to the idea of dualism and the opposition of the sun and the moon, light and dark, good and bad.

Bryan Fellenbaum, Puppis, 2017, Watercolor, oil, collage, image transfer on book cover, 5 ½" x 8 ¼" , $125. I've made a handful of artworks depicting constellations and highlighting their scientific definitions. Often times the names of the stars, galaxies, or other celestial bodies are listed, and in other pieces I've even listed the coordinates or common names for these patterns. There's a very simple beauty to this information laid out for us. It acts as a map of our sky, but only works from our own planet: anywhere else, and the information is essentially inaccurate. "Puppis" doesn't contain a background story but is more-so an exercise in composition and design. The one aspect that I did want was the nebulous paint in the middle of the book cover and overlapping the constellation.

Bryan Fellenbaum, The First Days of Spring, 2017, Gouache, collage, pencil, image transfer on book cover, 9 1/2” x 12 1/2”, $130. The piece "The First Days of Spring" is part of another album series, based on the album of the same name, and by rock band Noah and the Whale. The art is minimal in content and reflects the first song of that album. "The First Days of Spring" is an album about separation and loss in a relationship, and being single again. With the solemn nature of the whole album and the quiet sound of the first song, I wanted to make less subject matter feel just as powerful and meaningful as it might with a "full" canvas.

Tony Gangitano, Magic of Sculpture: A Child's Perspective, 2020, Digital Photo of Original Altered Book Sculpture, 16" x 20", $900. Children (constructed from children’s books) who are viewing a towering biomorphic abstract sculpture, constructed from pages. Both incorporate Metallic Antenna representing enhanced communication. The conceptual emphasis is on the value of exposing children (or the child within adults), to Art, thereby promoting visual and mental understanding of the Elements of Art such as: Shape, Texture, Color, and Materials, and to stimulate the emotions and imagination.

Leekyung Kang, Transition in Unknown territory; Panic Architecture, risography, 11’’x17’’, 2018, $ 150. I am interested in book form that indicates my idea and conceptual archive from my initial idea to the final outcome of production. Variety of images encourage me to incorporate the image placement and writing components simultaneously so that printmaking practice gains the innovative process, which turns into different perspective of traditional medium.

Leekyung Kang, Transition in Unknown territory; Panic Architecture, 2018, Risography, 11’’x17’’, $ 150. I am interested in book form that indicates my idea and conceptual archive from my initial idea to the final outcome of production. Variety of images encourage me to incorporate the image placement and writing components simultaneously so that printmaking practice gains the innovative process, which turns into different perspective of traditional medium.

Jana Lawton, What A Lark, 2021, Book, 20"x12"x4", $200 donation to Butte Environmental Council. An old edition of John James Audubon's Birds of America was my source of inspiration for this altered book. Audubon's love of nature, his interest in birds, and his artistic skill were the driving forces behind this pictorial record of all the bird species of North America. I enjoyed studying and handling each page as I clipped them in the service of art to make each feather. The wings of the horned lark in flight is my new creation.

Claudia Berlinski, Speechless, 2012, Altered book with used coffee filters, 8" x 10" x 3", $250. Speechless grew out of a repetitive cathartic striking of the book using an art knife during a particularly difficult period in my life. After passing through this period I created the flower-like forms that emerge from the tattered book as an analogy for surviving and healing after that experience.

Evan D. Williams (b. 1986, Sayre, PA) investigates the quandaries of the numinous and carnal self in media ranging from open bite photography to maple bourbon lithography. I Don’t Understand The Logic of Yesterday (Folio n.p. [Syria Files: The Conquest of Canaan]; Folio n.p. [Textual Discourses: The Subcultural Paradigm of Expression in the Works of Tarantino]; Folio n.p. [Library of Babel: Evan]; Folio n.p. [Test of the Infinite Monkey Theorem]; Folio n.p. [XPA Numbers Station Transmission]) is a pentaptych of two-color woodblock prints on handmade papyrus pages with palimpsest electrostatic text, executed 2013–2019.

Locus Xiaotong Chen, Inventory of Coffee-Drinking, 2019, Used coffee filters, wire, paper tape, coffee beans, mica sheets, 8.5" x 13" x 2.5", $2021. I like to work with the materials that I collect and recycle from daily life and then manipulate them in the art-making process. I have collected used Chemex filters since 2019, categorizing them into this coffee "journal" with minimal editing. The leaves of this coffee filter book are arranged according to hues of coffee stains and bound together by a single wire. Coffee beans pasted on mica sheets are the "book covers." Attached onto the two sides of the binding wire are drilled coffee beans as ornaments.

Erin Wells, Shark Feed, 2020, Mixed media, 13 x 9 x 7 inches, $200. October arrives in a hurry, the boat is washed, and examined, all tired lines, split rings and hardware are replaced as needed...it is time for the Champagne Regatta, better known as the "shark feed at Bodega Bay". Sneaker waves, fat seals, thrills and chills, good friends, fast and wet fun. A weekend to cherish.

Erin Wells, Shark Feed, 2020, Mixed media, 13 x 9 x 7 inches, $200.

Locus Xiaotong Chen, The Blossom, 2019-2020, Japanese book pages, woodcut printing, monofilament, light-weight paper tape, paper, beads, embroidery, 11" x 8" x 6" (fully open), $3,200. Found materials have been a major element in my artwork. Antique, used, aging and repurposed materials are sensitive. They carry their intrinsic history and memory within the physicality, which allows me to manipulate differently in aware of their intrinsic history and qualities. I am immediately intrigued when the materials are in the state of aging or decay. The use of repurposed materials is my understanding on reclamation of the environment and humanity. The choice of using the repurposed materials is driven by the empathy for the materials, thus the nature and the environment whom created the materials; the action is to salvage under an anthropomorphic psyche. I annotate the traces of decay with my edits, thus new memories and timeline are added to the materials. The Blossom (2019-20) is a sculptural concertina made of antique Japanese calligraphy pages, possibly originally for bookkeeping. Brutal though delicate, the strips of book leaves are supported with inner monofilaments to let air penetrate in-between folded pages, forming shuttle-shaped petals that allow variable displays. Mark-making in embroidery and beads is later added in response to the existed marks on the original pages.

Locus Xiaotong Chen, The Blossom (detail), 2019-2020, Japanese book pages, woodcut printing, monofilament, light-weight paper tape, paper, beads, embroidery, 11" x 8" x 6" (fully open), $3,200. Found materials have been a major element in my artwork. Antique, used, aging and repurposed materials are sensitive. They carry their intrinsic history and memory within the physicality, which allows me to manipulate differently in aware of their intrinsic history and qualities. I am immediately intrigued when the materials are in the state of aging or decay. The use of repurposed materials is my understanding on reclamation of the environment and humanity. The choice of using the repurposed materials is driven by the empathy for the materials, thus the nature and the environment whom created the materials; the action is to salvage under an anthropomorphic psyche. I annotate the traces of decay with my edits, thus new memories and timeline are added to the materials. The Blossom (2019-20) is a sculptural concertina made of antique Japanese calligraphy pages, possibly originally for bookkeeping. Brutal though delicate, the strips of book leaves are supported with inner monofilaments to let air penetrate in-between folded pages, forming shuttle-shaped petals that allow variable displays. Mark-making in embroidery and beads is later added in response to the existed marks on the original pages.

Steven McCarthy, A Theory of the Efficient Organization, 2016, Mixed media collage, 9.5x13.5" open, NFS. All three books are from the larger work Wee Go Library, a mobile cabinet of 22 altered books. (Learn more here: https://faculty.design.umn.edu/mccarthy/WeeGoLibrary.html) The original books were "harvested" from Little Free Libraries in Minneapolis–St Paul, Minnesota. Within its cabinet drawer, each book is sourced to the donor library with a small pamphlet that has a pin-pointed map and photos of the library structure and sponsoring house. Various re-mixing techniques were used to enliven the books: collage, rebinding, cutting, folding, tearing and gluing.

Steven McCarthy, A Theory of the Efficient Organization, 2016, Mixed media collage, 9.5x13.5" open, NFS. All three books are from the larger work Wee Go Library, a mobile cabinet of 22 altered books. (Learn more here: https://faculty.design.umn.edu/mccarthy/WeeGoLibrary.html) The original books were "harvested" from Little Free Libraries in Minneapolis–St Paul, Minnesota. Within its cabinet drawer, each book is sourced to the donor library with a small pamphlet that has a pinpointed map and photos of the library structure and sponsoring house. Various re-mixing techniques were used to enliven the books: collage, rebinding, cutting, folding, tearing and gluing.

Steven McCarthy, Keeping Sugar Pumpkin Harvest, 2016, Mixed media collage, 11x17" open, NFS.

Steven McCarthy, Keeping Sugar Pumpkin Harvest, 2016, Mixed media collage, 11x17" open, NFS

Steven McCarthy, Words to Ponder Minor Prophets of Israel, 2016, Mixed media collage, 5 x 48" (open), NFS

Erin Wells, Flight, 2020-21, Mixed media, 9 x 5.25 x 2.5 inches, $150. I have always dreamed of flying. I actually did fly as a young woman and my love affair with flight continues on today. I love to watch all flyers, be they human, mechanical, animals or insects. The gift of flight is a wonderful act to behold.

Alice Figueroa, Seeds of Change, 2021, Mixed medium, 12 x 19 inches, $75. I love to garden. this is what could happen if the gardening book became the garden.

Lisa Freeman-Wood, Lisa's Gardening Book, 2020, Collected ephemera, 9 x 12 inches, NFS. I chose this book for several reasons. I wanted a gardening book and when I saw this one in the used bookstore I knew it was the one for me. I have long enjoyed Tasha Tudor's work. Her watercolors have illustrated many fairytales and nursery rhymes. As a retired elementary teacher, I have a love for storybooks. I loved the way she is so passionate about her garden and the book is full of little paintings of flowers on the pages. I have always loved flowers and gardens, and I paint primarily flowers. I have included some of my work in it as well as some of my friends' work that I like. Even though this is a large book with glossy pages, not the easiest to work on, I have made it work. I am not finished by any means and will continue to add to it for a long time.

Leekyung Kang talks about her work included in this exhibition.

Jeffrey Glossip talks about his work in this short video.

Watch the Recorded Zoom Reception Here

ART SUBMISSION PROSPECTUS

January 2021 | Birds of a Feather

January 5, 2021 by Cameron Kelly

Virtual Exhibit

Opens: January 24, 2021

Birds of a Feather celebrates birds as a symbol of freedom and community, as well as the artists' power to delight. This was an open-call for artwork of all media by northern California artists.

Additionally, you can support Chico Art Center while viewing more artwork by all of the participating artists by purchasing a $15 web access code to Open Studios Art Tour. Preview the virtual tour for free here, at ChicoOSAT.com.

Watch the Recorded Zoom Reception Here

Virtual Zoom Reception with Artist Talk: January 31, 4:00 PM

Artists, Richard Baldy, Susan Kirk and Stacey Gregory, as well as Mary Muchowski, Executive Director of the Altacal Audubon Society, share their work and information about migrating birds in our region and will respond to the birds featured in this exhibit. Artists in the exhibit ask each other questions and respond to each other's work.

To purchase artwork, please contact Gallery Director, Cameron Kelly at ckelly@chicoartcenter.com

Richard Baldy, Dark-eyed Junco, 2020, photograph, 18"X12" Free with $200 donation to Chico Housing Action Team or Friends of Bidwell Park

Richard Baldy, Turkey Vulture, 2020, photograph, 12"X15". Free with $200 donation to Chico Housing Action Team or Friends of Bidwell Park

Richard Baldy, Northern Flicker, 2020, Photograph,12"X17.5" Free with $200 donation to Chico Housing Action Team or Friends of Bidwell Park

Richard Baldy, Red Shouldered Hawk, 2020 Photograph, 12"X16" Free with $200 donation to Chico Housing Action Team or Friends of Bidwell Park

Richard Baldy, CA Quail, 2020, Photograph, 12"X15" Free with $200 donation to Chico Housing Action Team or Friends of Bidwell Park

Christine Connerly, Laughing Eagle, 2020, metal photo print, $85

Christine Connerly, Hummer Nest, 2020, metal photo print, 8"X 10", $85

Cristine Connerly, Fluffball Bushtit, 2020, metal photo print, 8"X 10", $85

Carol Prebil Miles, Bwick’s Wren, 2015, watercolor, 8” x 8”, $165 framed

Carol Prebil Miles, Idaho Tree Swallow, 2019, watercolor, 8” x 7”, $165, Framed

Carol Prebil Miles, Epicurean Cuisine, 20” x 17”, giclee print of an original watercolor. 2015, unframed $190

Nicolai Larsen, Scarlet Macaws, 1982, Watercolor, 22.5" x 28.5", $5000, 16 x 20 inch archival print on rag paper, $150.

Nicolai Larsen, Blue & Gold Macaws, 1983, Watercolor, 21.5" x 29.5", $5000, 16 x 20 inch archival print on rag paper, $150.

Jamie Albertie, Sandhill Cranes in Flight, 2018, oil, $750

Reta Rickmers, Cedar Waxwings, 2020, acrylic, 30x36", NFS

Cris Guenter, Scrub Jay, 2020, Colored Pencils, 4 3/4" x 6 1/4", NFS

William Kees, Nuttall Woodpecker, 2016, Photo, Variable, Donation

William Kees, Rufous Hummingbird - 2013, Photo, Variable, Contact artist for custom size prints

Susan Kirk, Feathers, 2020, coil built clay with carved and glazed feathers, 14" tall, $300

Susan Kirk, California Quail, 2020, ceramic and metal, 36", $575

Cris Guenter, From My Collection, 2021, Digital mixed media, 9" x 9", NFS

Christine Connerly, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, 2020, collage, 11"X14", $225

Vanessa Wolfe, group of paintings

Carolyn McLeod, Birdheart, 2021, Acrylic and Pen and Ink on Cradled Gesso Board, 12x12, $150

Susan Kirk, Gull, 2020, ceramic and metal, 24", $425/sold

Stacey Gregory, "Kim Kardashian: The Champagne Incident 3", 2018, oil on canvas, gold frame, 14"x12", $1400.

Stacey Gregory, "Ruth Bader Ginsburg", 2018, oil on canvas, black frame 13"x 16", $900.

Stacey Gregory, "Kris Jenner", 2018, oil on canvas, gold frame 12"x 15", $1200.

Stacey Gregory, "Dame Helen Mirren", 2018, oil on canvas, gray frame, 16"x 13", $1200.

Stacey Gregory, "Kylie Jenner at the Met Gala", 2018, oil on canvas, gold frame 12"x15", $1400.

Judy Kane, Berry Worry Bird, 2021, acrylic, 5” x 7”, $350

Marvey Meuller, Danger Lurks, 2020, Watercolor, 10x10", $250

Vanessa Wolfe, Emergence

Susan Kirk, Vermillion Flycatcher, 2019, ceramic and metal, 28", $375

Cris Guenter, Morning Meeting, 2021, Watercolors, 9" x 16", NFS

Reta Rickmers, Bluebird in the Trumpet Vines, 2020, acrylic, 36x36, $425.

Dory Schachner, Cormorants, 2016, digital painting, 11x17, $50/print

Jackie Powers, "California Condor", 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 11"x 14", $200.

Dory Schachner, Snow Geese, 2015, digital painting, 11x17, $50/print

Susan Kirk, American Kestrel, 2020, ceramic and metal, 36", $450

Bruce Dillman, Bird themed birdhouses, 2020, Sizes: 5”W x 12”H x 4”D (not for sale)

Carolyn McLeod, Red Breasted Nuthatch and Laughing Buddha (Budai), 2020, Photograph, 24x16, $200

Reta Rickmers, Scissortail Flycatcher, 2020,18x24", acrylic, $250

Judy Kane, Blue Goose, 2021, monoprint, 5” x 7”, $40

Judy Kane, Blue Heron, 2021, monoprint, 5” x 7”, $40

William Kees, Phainopepla, 2018, Photo, Variable, Donation

William Kees, Red-Shouldered Hawk, 2010, Photo, Variable, contact artist for custom size prints

Dory Ann Schachner, Egret, 2012, digital painting, 11x17, $50/print

Dory Schachner, Voices in the Sky, 2013, digital painting, 11x17, $50/print

Dory Schachner, Golden Eagle, 2015, digital painting, 11x17, $50/print

Christine Connerly, Singing Junco, 2020, collage, 10" x 12" framed, $175

Sally Dimas, Hanging Out, Mixed media, 16x20", $300

Corla Bertrand, Drawing Power, 2020, collage, 11" x 14", $30 print

Corla Bertrand, Venus, 2020, collage, 11" x 14", $30 print

Christian Davila, "Red Tail Hawk", 3D printed body covered in intricately cut book paper painted to look like a Red Tail Hawk, 6" tall, Sold.

Christian Davila, "Great Blue Heron", 3D printed body covered in intricately cut book paper, 12" tall, 6" x 5" wide, $500.

Christian Davila, "Big Bird", $200.

January 2021 | Member Showcase

December 10, 2020 by Cameron Kelly

Chico Art Center kicks off our 65th year with artworks by artists that support our organization with their membership. Whether an artist is a novice or pro, it is always a courageous and generous act to make one’s personal creation public for all to see. Visitors have a chance to see what studio artists, both regional and national offer up.

Virtual Gallery Reception: Sunday, January 24, 4:00 PM

Watch Recording of the Virtual Gallery Reception Here

This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of the artist, Cris Guenter.

Annai Smith, “Ode to Joy”, oil on canvas, 20x24”, $400. This past year has been a contemplation of “joy” for me. What does it mean to have joy and how do I have it? After much reflection I’ve come to realize that joy isn’t a fleeting emotion like happiness that comes and goes with possession of things or circumstance but a deep state of being, a contentment with my life, myself, and a feeling of peace. I long for that, I believe we all do. I’ve discovered ways to help me achieve that feeling of joy but it is something I work on daily. I painted a series of wild, loose, unencumbered abstract flowers as a symbol of joy for me. Vibrancy, growth in sometimes uncomfortable or unusual circumstance, and yet full of life and hope!

Richard Robinson, "California Break", collage on board, 16"x 20", $350.

Cris Guenter, "Levee", Digital oil, 10x 14”, NFS. This oil painting was done in fall 2020 in Wildwood Park in Chico, CA looking east across the levee into Upper Bidwell Park. With a nod to Thiebaud, I played with the creaminess of the paint and textures that could be created with bold strokes.

Christine Evans, "A View with a Room, 20-20", Oil and oil pastel, wax, 72”x 44”, $3000. I would describe my process as visual jazz. My paintings invite participation because of their patterns, form, color and texture. I combine elements to create rhythms, at times placing representational objects within the composition. As a result, my paintings work like jazz, stirring feelings without narration.

Nicolai Larsen, "Bumpass Hell", gouache on board, 20x 30", $5000. An excursion into the volcanic world of Lassen Peak painted with gouache on tinted museum board. Gouache is a water-based medium like watercolor except it is opaque and not transparent. Traditional watercolors are usually painted on white paper so that light will reflect off the surface and through the paint colors directly to the eye. With gouache, whites and light colors are obtained with the addition of Chinese white allowing the artist to paint on a darker surface such as tinted museum board.

Adele Etcheverry Sheets, "Ladies’ Rendezvous”, oil on linen panel, 8x10”, $175 framed. My intention is to paint these three beautiful cyclamens in a new US trending style, which I admire. Disrupted Realism started on the East coast in Philadelphia. Artists in the San Francisco Bay Area quickly absorbed it. Through the past year, I have experimented with Disrupted Realism. I like the idea of keeping realism but also distorting it to tell an interesting story. Currently, I am developing a collection of works that I intend to post to my OSAT virtual gallery in May 2021.

Richard Whitehead "Sacramento River", acrylic on canvas, 24"x30", $800. Freely painted acrylic interpretation of a view of the Sacramento River.

Jim Lawrence, "The Pinto", Acrylic on canvas, 16"x20", $400. I've been wanting to paint a landscape for a while but my attempts with a brush were not very successful, so I tried a pallet knife. The approach I took was to start at the top and work my way down the scene, finishing the painting as I went. One tab of paint at a time, one tree at a time, it felt a little like a meditation practice. I think I've found my inspiration for a while.

Dolores Mitchell, "Dreamscape No. One", Oil on canvas, 24x30", $750. I finished this painting on New Year's Eve, 2021. My goal was to create a buoyant image to celebrate the beginning of 2021.

Fay Grundvig, "Sun Rise", Oil on Canvas, 20x24" with frame, $600. When the North Complex fire swept across our hills, we were evacuated from our home for three weeks. When we returned to our property we were beyond overjoyed to see our house still standing. It was untouched despite the destruction of our outbuildings and vegetation. I painted this canvas almost immediately, being so thankful that our home was spared and that I had a studio. It represents that hope must rise just as the sun rises every day.

Lisa Freeman-Wood, "Everlasting Pea", watercolor on paper, 11x14", NFS. Everlasting Pea is a non-native vine that grows wild profusely in my area and on my property. They are invasive and almost impossible to remove. Deer eat the vines. The flowers are white to pink.

Elaine Davis, "Put the Kettle On...Yellow Satin", oil on panel, 9"x12", $650. I enjoy amplifying and examining the objects and scenes of everyday life, as well as studying the human face and figure. To me, they are all worthy of more than a moment's look.

Bill Flake, Lidded Vessel, High-fire stoneware, 8 1/2" x 6 1/2 ", $165.

Carolyn McLeod, "Shadows and Ginkgo Leaves", Photograph on Wrap Canvas, 24x 15", $200. I took this photograph a year ago last fall. My goal was to take an interesting photo of the Stansbury home, but what caught my interest was the ginkgo leaves on the pavement and the shadows from the fence. It is a simple but striking photo, that has recently received a national award.

Jason Tannen, "1942 Inspiration", archival pigment print, 17in x 21in (framed), $65. For over thirty years, I’ve photographed the urban environment. I’m particularly interested in the urban landscape of signs, symbols and pictures-in-pictures, along with curious or eccentric juxtapositions. Focusing on images without people or street action allows the images to be free-floating, without reference to a particular period or era. I work in color to explore the visual and material erosion that comes with time, the elements, or human intervention: colors that have bleached or are reduced to blues and reds, surfaces that have cracked, are peeling, or have been vandalized.

Richard Lea, Arch Side Table; 2 drawers, 15" wide, 24"long, 27"high; maple, wenge (80 hours to complete); $1600. My lifelong passion has been to design and build one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and accessories that are pleasing to the eye and will last for generations.

Dan Fregin, "With wings' cambers, a rose arose", 11 x 14", $190. In appreciation of a 43 year career of flying made possible by the cambered tops of wings, I continue to see these shapes in many other things. So I used as many of these shapes as practical to paint this one from our yard.

Sofia Whitehead, "Sweetie", wall hanging, fabric, 8.5 x 8.5", $27. Color makes me happy. My art aims to bring whimsy and wonder in everyone's life.

Lori Stevens, Untitled, Cold Wax and Photography, 24 x 16 x 2.5", $300. During these days of pandemic, I found solace in moving colors and textures into emotive surfaces around a window of clouds, signifying the beauty what we all still have access to and of life in general.

Karma Boyer, "Happy Cows on Table Mountain", photography on canvas, 20x30", $200 .

Reta Rickmers, "Blue Door", acrylic on canvas, 36x48", $900. I've been enjoying working big. This is my 3rd 36x48 door painting inspired by my trip to Merida, Yucatan. I love the layers of history hidden in the paint.

Mark Gailey, "Praveen with Big Hair", graphite on paper, medium size drawing, NFS. This is one of my all time favorite drawings. It is of a long time Chico World Beat dancer who is now a mainstay in the Portland dance scene. I think the drawing works both as a pensive portrait and an expressive figure study. Hair is notoriously difficult to draw, but I think I was able to catch it this time during this inspired figure drawing session.

Ruth Hall, "Paradise Pine", Mixed Media, 38 x 24", $80. Some year the pines will be gone.

Carol Preble-Miles, “Summer Trip to Lassen Volcanic", Giclee Print of Transparent Watercolor, 15 x 11”, $190.

Erin Wells, "Geared Up for Tea, Porcelain, 6x6x8" , $185. Mini Tea Pots are a creative challenge and a wonderful expression of my mood when I am working on them. Sometimes they are super serious and very proper and sometimes they are just a bit off.. either way, they work and are really fun to do.

April Richards-Senior, "Simson Ranch", Watercolor (giclee print), 11x 15", $75. This painting was begun during a private visit to the Simson Ranch to remember the lives of Burt and Marge Simson, who have now passed away, and who operated the dairy and rice farm partially shown in the painting. The artist has been a friend of several generations of the Simson Family. An attempt was made to show the remote beauty of the location and preserve memories of a proud farming family. The original is in the collection of a member of the Simson Family.

Gitta Brewster, "Sutter Buttes Flyover", Acrylic on canvas, 36x36", $500.

Nancy Beliveau, "Pelican Trio", acrylic on canvas, 37x 27” (frame included), $350. Pelicans are a favorite of mine. They are ungainly until you see them fly and dive.

Grizzelle Canter, "The Year Was 2020", Charcoal on Paper, 14 X 17", NFS. As we all grieve and are in disbelief for the loss of over 320,000 Souls lost in our Country, and the many more around the world during the Year 2020 due to the Covid Pandemic, we will continue to hope and work for a better tomorrow!

Joan North, "Cyclone", Botswana agate & sterling, size 8. $150. I like shapes that remind me of life situations (my “Metaphors in Metal” series, for example), starkly simple shapes, and combinations that draw your surprised eye. I love contrast in form and similarity in color. Incorporating stones into metal designs delights me. I dream of new designs, smiling in my sleep. Most of all, I want each piece to intrigue the viewer.

Become a member or renew today!

November 2020 | The Art of Remembrance

October 11, 2020 by Cameron Kelly

The Art of Remembrance

November 7- December 13, 2020

This community call for art exhibit honors those that have passed in portraits and a community altar. This exhibition expands on the tradition of Dia de los Muertos, by including art historical and contemporary genres of portraiture and welcomes all cultural practices of remembrance.

Bring an "ofrenda" or offering for the community altar. This is something to entice the spirit of a loved one back for a visit. Your offering can be a photo, poem, note, flowers, sweet treat, miniature beverage or something that the special person loved or shared with you. Or, simply add their name to the ribbon wall.

Article: Day of The Dead Traditions Around The World

Article: The History of Momento Mori Art

DYLAN TELLESEN, "Tania", mixed media on canvas, NFS. This portrait of Tania Heyman was commissioned in 2019 by her husband and two children; Nathan, Alexis and Nicholas. Not only does the portrait beautifully capture Tania, its creation was a therapeutic process for the family. All three family members, in separate sessions, worked to create the underpainting using colors, images and words that were meaningful to them and Tania. If you look closely, there are areas where the underpainting shows through. Working in this manner made this project that much more emotionally intense for the family and artist. Tania experienced a sudden onset of mental illness in 2012 and ended up taking her life at the age of 44.

DYLAN TELLESEN, "Sarah Kane", mixed media, $2,000. Sarah Kane (3 February 1971 – 20 February 1999) was an English playwright who is known for her plays that deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture—both physical and psychological—and death. They are characterised by a poetic intensity, pared-down language, exploration of theatrical form and, in her earlier work, the use of extreme and violent stage action.

DYLAN TELLESEN, "Kurt Cobain", mixed media, $2,400. Best known as the guitarist, primary songwriter and frontman of the rock band Nirvana, Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona, Cobain's compositions widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was often heralded as a spokesman of Generation X and is considered to be one of the most influential musicians in the history of alternative rock.

HEATHER BENNETT, "Steve", mixed media on board, $50.

ALBANY COYLE, "Erin", acrylic, NFS. The subject of my piece is my sister 'Erin', who passed on 11.11.19 in Paradise CA. 'Erin' was a light to all who knew her, gave unconditional love, fought adversity with such courage and strength, she was a beautiful example for everyone who faced struggle. She taught me to be myself, not hold back and strive to make every day matter, as it did for her. I have depicted her in "festival gear" as she loved music, dance, freedom, and know she would be proud of this piece, which was part of the healing process, still ongoing. I hope her smile lights up the room as it did in life.

REBECCA SHELLY, "Her fight is now ours!", colored pencil, spray fixitive and thread on fabric, $600.

REBECCA SHELLY, "Her fight is now ours!" (verso), colored pencil, spray fixitive and thread on fabric, $600.

LUCKY PRESTON, "Family Mask", bronze, NFS. This is a remembrance of my past generations. Hand sculpted in clay. The ceramic piece survived the Paradise fire of Nov. 2018.

MARK GAILEY, "Sal Casa", graphite on white paper, NFS. This, of course, is a portrait of Sal Casa, the local Chico art icon and mentor to many. I drew this portrait from life, as Sal posed for us at the end of one of his evening Chico Art Center figure drawing classes. Sal had great features to draw and I felt that I got a pretty good likeness of him in this portrait. Several of my other attempts to draw Sal over the years fell short, but this one seemed to work out.

MARK GAILEY, "Joe", graphite on paper, NFS. This is a portrait I did from life in 2009 of a long-time older Chico figure model named Joe. It was the best likeness I had done of Joe and the contrast of the drawing seemed to be sharp enough for display. A whole generation of our older Chico artists should instantly recognize Joe from his years of posing for figure drawing sessions. I imagine it's been a year or two since I heard that Joe had passed. Time passages, as they say.

JIM LAWRENCE, "The Raven", acrylic on canvas, $200. I had a friend in high school who people would describe as "dark" or just "weird". I went to a catholic school and he was the only person of color that attended that school. We called him "The Raven". He was really a very sensitive person and sadly did eventually die of an overdose. Life is not fair.

CHRISTIAN GARCIA, Beautiful Ascension spray paint, acrylic, paint pen. $550.

CHRISTIAN GARCIA "Un Mundo, Una Vida, Un Amor", spray paint, acrylic, watercolor, $365.

EMMANUEL GARCIA, "Death in the Mirror", pyrography, $60.

TEAL BUEHLER, "Dog", acrylic on canvas, $150.

TEAL BUEHLER, "Cat", acrylic on canvas, $150.

TEAL BUEHLER, "Hummingbird", acrylic on canvas, $130.

MADISON CANNAUGHTON, "Descanso en Paz", paint markers on cardstock, $50.

ROBERT ELESHA, "Rosé Muertos", ink, $10.

CYNTHIA SCHILDHAUER, "Remember", painted picture frame, $50.

CHRISTINE CONNERLY, "Light Will Come", mixed media, $85. In September while I was meditating, I had a vision of a figure standing in in a dark tunnel like space looking out on a rectangle of golden light. In many ways 2020 has been like a dark tunnel full of grieving for the loss of lives, natural places, homes, and civil discourse. Making art has given me a vision of light that will come again in the future.

ERIN WELLS, "Participantes del desfile del dia de los muertos ceramic on wood", $125. Many of us choose to celebrate our heritage and past family during this time of the year... My family is very northern European, but we do have our heros and they can be part of the ofrenda of our more Mediterranean Brothers and Sisters. I love to honor the dead with a bit of humor and a more relaxed vision of life beyond.

LYDIA CHAUVIN, "Simony's Lizard", ceramic, NFS. While this piece honors the extinct and endangered reptile species, it was inspired by Simony's lizard (Gallotia simonyi) which inhabits the Canary Islands and is listed as critically endangered. What remains of this species of lizard is confined to a mere handful of cliffs, though efforts are being made to reintroduce them to other suitable habitat.

Community Altar

CAROLYN MCLEOD, "Face in the Wall", photograph, $150.

LYNN JACOBS, "Sacred", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $325. When we began our lives as adults, we forged strong friendships. We went “back to the earth, figuring out how to live as our great grandparents did. Over the years we moved to different places, raised children and chose different versions of our lives. Still, our friendships lived on beneath all the changes, despite only rarely ever seeing one another. Now, close to 50 years later, we really only see each other at Celebrations of Life, as one after another life comes to an end here. After a painful recent loss I took stock of all who have gone and I realized that now I am the person losing their youthful companions. I’m becoming the elderly one who has fewer and fewer friends left. When you are young you don’t imagine this will ever be you, but if you are fortunate, it will be. This canvas is a tribute to my friends and family members who have gone ahead to prepare the way. I never imagined how much I miss you.

CAROLYN MCLEOD, "Mini Skull", acrylic and pen & ink, $100.

LEILANI SILVERMAN, "Dia De Los Muertos", charcoal, sharpie, watercolor, $25.

ERIN WELLS, "Distant Cousin, Erik the Red", ceramic and copper wire, $400. Many of us choose to celebrate our heritage and past family during this time of the year... My family is very northern European, but we do have our heros and they can be part of the ofrenda of our more Mediterranean Brothers and Sisters. I love to honor the dead with a bit of humor and a more relaxed vision of life beyond.

JADE PRESTON, "Confusion", pastel on scratchboard, $25.

LISA FREEMAN-WOOD, "Remembering Tina", collage, NFS. My sister Tina was a storyteller, a writer. She wrote magazines and newspaper articles, essays, and books. She came from a large family and raised 2 sons. Some of her happiest times were when she was in Alaska. Tina was drawn there because our grandmother lived there all our lives. Although Grandma Val lived so far away, she sent chatty letters, magazines, photos, a box of feathers, and artwork, some paintings she did as well as work by local Native Americans. Grandma Val was a writer too, having worked at her dad’s newspaper as a photo-journalist and continuing years of journals chronicling life in Alaska. Tina went to Eagle, Alaska, a tiny village on the Yukon River on the border of Canada to take down the oral history of the Native Americans that lived there so their stories wouldn’t be lost. She lived there for several years, learning and adapting to the living in the wild. She moved to Anchorage, with her sons near, she continued to write extensively about Alaska and the indigenous people. The Storyknife is used during storytime to draw pictures. Having read Grandma Val’s Alaska journals Tina wrote an essay titled The Good Stuff. Here is the final section, “ Life did not have to be a thrill a minute, I realized. In her celebration of the simple, the everyday, the beautiful, Val had shown me the real good stuff; by showing me how she lived her life, my grandmother had shown me how to live my own life. Pay attention, I learned, to small things around you; be thankful; immerse yourself in your surroundings; accept that some days will glide by like water, and other days will fight back like an unwieldy chunk of wood that resists being fed to the fire; don’t limit yourself to sticking to what you already know; keep striving; look forward to old age, for it brings satisfactions of its own. And above all keep your eyes open and your pen ready.” Tina took her own life when her mental pain became too much to bear. She was loved. She is remembered.

MICHAEL STERLING, "Richard Silvera", collage, NFS.

EMMANUEL GARCIA, "Time of Death", mixed medium, $300.

SALLY CARTER, "Remembering Marilu", acrylic collage, $100. I recently learned of the passing of my old coming of age friend. I could find no obituary so produced this work as a memorial. She loved the natural world so I felt that was fitting adornment.

OPEN CALL for ART

This is an open call for art (no juror). Exhibit artwork honoring the dead. All media, styles and subject matter welcome (family, friend, animal, public figure, etc) by artists of all ages. Invite friends to add a photo or offering to the community altar. For questions contact the Gallery Director at ckelly@chicoartcenter.com

Drop Off Artwork: Saturday, Oct. 31, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm & Sunday, Nov. 1, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Art Entry Fee: $10 Students/$25 CAC Members/$35 Non-members for up to 3 artworks
*Our volunteers will be on site to accept entries on the drop-off dates only. No early drop-offs.
Pick-Up Dates: Friday, Dec. 18, 12:00- 4:00 pm, Saturday- Sunday, Dec. 19-20, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Requirements & Terms for Entry:

A completed entry form.
Attach your name (and title if submitting multiple works) to the front. We use this tag to match your artwork with the wall label once it is hung. Do not attach this entry form to the artwork.
Title or price changes after the time of the drop-off are not allowed. All info for wall label is taken from this form.
Framing and hanging hardware is not required if artwork can be hung from stretcher bar.
A donation of 30% to CAC is suggested on all sales in this exhibit.
Artworks may not be removed prior to the close of the exhibition, nor will sold artworks be released early.
Works submitted must be completely dry.
Work determined by the director to be too fragile for safe handling and/or display will not be accepted.
Works not picked up after 60 days will be considered abandoned and may become property of CAC.

Artist’s Waiver
By entering this exhibit, you agree to the following:

The Chico Art Center (CAC) shall not be liable to any participating artist or to any third party for losses, damages, consequential damages, or any injury that may result from participation in the exhibition. The artist agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the CAC and the City of Chico harmless against any and all claims, demands, damages, fees, costs, and action of any kind asserted by or on behalf of any third party(ies) arising from the artist’s participation in the exhibition. Permission is released to the CAC to use images of entered artists and their artworks solely for purposes of documentation, education, and future publicity. Permission to sell displayed Artwork: I give Chico Art Center permission to sell my artwork displayed in the gallery. I understand payments will be made payable to me and I will be responsible for reporting the sale of my artwork. No tax will be collected.

FILL OUT YOUR ENTRY FORM HERE