Kim Emerson for CAC of SDMA at Robin Lipman

Contemporary Arts Committee of SDMA will present Kim Emerson for a short talk about her tile work on
March 11 at 7 pm. It will be held at the fascinating home of  Robin J. Lipman. For more info:858.794.7968

I am continually amazed by the richness of visual art that we have in San Diego. I know I am privileged to be sent tons of announcements to exhibitions, more than humanly possible to attend. I try to get to a venue and experience the art first hand as often as possible. But sometimes my antennae need just the right combination of stimulation to get me to the right place at the right time. I first met Kim Emmerson at the annual fashion show that her sister-in-law produces for St. Madeleine’s Sophie Center. She was charming but it barely registered that she was a mosaic artists except I knew that the students at the center did lots of tile art work. I have known Robin Lipman for a number of years because we seem to have similar taste and she shows up at lots of events I attend. She came on our Tijuana bus trip to Entijuanarte a few years ago. And she became the newsletter editor for the Contemporary Art Committee of the San Diego Museum of Art. I have been a member of that group off and on and always support their activities.

But when Betsy Lane choose Kim to give a talk for the CAC and it was held at Robin Lipman’s home, the muses sang into my ear and told me I must attend. I invited Sandra Chanis who is organizing this year’s Oceanside Museum of Art fundraising auction to come with me. The public is invited to attend one meeting a year without being a member, and I highly recommend you try out this group in that way. You will get swept along into paying the very modest dues and be exposed to a whole fascinating group of artists and art patrons.

I was just astounded with Kim’s work which she presented in a slide show. She was careful to show entire commissions, public works and studio work and also bring us in for close-ups so we could see the intricate details. There were also three small works on display so we could experience them close up. One of the three will be in the Blanks 2 Beauty art auction on April 27 (Buy tickets for Blanks to Beauty Bash only $15 in advance) in aid of SDVAN, Synergy Art Foundation and Feeding America San Diego which is part of our P Squared: PALETTE TO PALATE evening.

There was also a chance to see a work in progress as Robin has commissioned Kim to create an outdoor adornment for her patio. A massive amount of engineering skill is needed to construct these large scale works and make them permanent. I know the weather in San Diego is conducive to outdoor works, but some of Kim’s works make up the most charming additions to Carley’s Garden at Rady’s Children Hospital and so they have to be safe and secure for ill children and they do indeed engender great joy and comfort.

A huge bonus of the evening was to see the home of Robin Lipman. It is filled with every imaginable color and shape, a real feast for the eyes. Everywhere you turn is some wonderful find and they are combined together to make a magical environment. A vintage collector of tomato collectables gives the house its name Tomaytoland. Now Robin has turned one whole room into a gallery with changing exhibitions. She is a huge supporter of local artists. It was a privilege to get this view of her home.