I am in Love with San Diego: Report on ArtWak, Arts Alive at SDMA and SDAI International Show

Mission Federal ArtWalk SDVAN sponsored participation booth with Kristel Boe on Sat/Sun April 25 & 26 11am to 6pm. Her stand is located on the North East corner of Beech and India and the ArtWalk is between Ash and Grape streets in the Little Italy. More info: Sandi Cottrell 6196151090

53rd International Show continues at San Diego Art Institute (1439 El Prado, Balboa Park, House of Charm, SD 92101) More info: Marina Grize 619.236.0011  

On April 24-26, The San Diego Museum of Art will be transformed by more than 100 floral designers bringing the Museum’s Permanent Collection to life during the 34th annual  Art Alive .   New this year, FIDM will be creating several fashion interpretations of works of art, and artist Chor Boogie will provide special installation artwork for the Bloom Bash kick off party on Friday 4/24.

I seem to be full of the joys of spring. The Jacaranda trees are in full bloom. There was a light breeze and the rain held off and I got to get my exercise walking for a couple of miles through the Art Walk and then over the bridge to the SDMA and SDAI.

Mission Federal ArtWalk SDVAN sponsored participation booth with Kristel Boe 

We have for many years now been sponsoring a participation booth at the Mission Federal ArtWalk. We are lucky to have discovered some wonderful volunteers who invent a project that can be done in a short time and is suitable for both adults and children. This year Kristel Boe did us proud with a foam printing project. She welcomed those to her booth along with the wonderful art walk volunteers and demonstrated how to cut into the foam and then ink it and make a print suitable for a greeting card or a mini art work from the result. Printing on colored paper made for a very festive display as the inks dried. 

Kristel Boe  does a printing participation event for both children and adults

Wonderful Art Walk volunteers

Great street sign

I only had a brief time to visit the rest of the ArtWalk but this sign caught my eye outside one of the many small private galleries that are springing up on the India street. 

The city hall with an avenue of Jacaranda trees and booth after booth of artists. I know that SDAI had a couple of booth at the fair and it was great to see so many organization represented as well as the individual artists.

Jeff Yoeman - one of the featured artists at Art Walk and long time participant and friend of SDVAN.

Gotta love those trees!

53rd International Show continues at San Diego Art Institute. Many of you may know that I am now on the board of SDAI and we are so excited about the changes that are happening at this revered resource in the middle of Balboa Park. We would like to see it made the best place to see contemporary art in the park and a real hub for artists of all ages. There is a new influx of young artist discovering SDAI for the first time and their energy and enthusiasm is heartening.   The membership is up, the grants are pouring in and this is due to the leadership of the new director Ginger Porcella and her great team. Some were worried about the closing of the north park facility but a lovely grant had made it possible to created the same size teaching space in the back storage room in the park and as you see below, there are also times when work tables are rolled into the gallery space. On Saturdays if you attend the free class even admittance is free.

The view from above of the free Saturday class held in the gallery space at SDAI

But it is also the quality of the art work that is now so impressive. There is still something for everyone and prices are still very affordable but the quality of works seems dramatically to have improved in my opinion. More than 90 people who have sent in testimonials about the changes in the space agree. We have a vast rich variety of art created in our county and I now find that I can see some of the best of the best at SDAI. This is a show juried by David A. Ross  who reviewed nearly 1,000 submissions of artwork. Ross has a 40-year career as an art museum professional and curator. He is currently the Chair of the MFA in Art Practice at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He previously held directorships at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1998-2001), The Whitney Museum of American Art (1991-1998), and The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (1982-1991). He has been involved in the organization and jurying process of major international exhibitions including Documenta, The Venice Biennale, and The Carnegie International to name just a few. I am delighted to say that most of the art accepted was by local artists including those who got the juror's and director's prizes.  I had a very hard time choosing just a few of the works to photograph. This is a show worth seeing in person.

Catherine Burce - porcelain and cedar

Warren Bakley's Beachware

Margaret Noble - Indices of Fear

The actual list of fears by Margaret Noble

Belize Iristay; ceramic and gold leaf

Belize Iristay - Turkish heritage

Hung Viet Nguyen

Arthur Martinez: Break Glass in case of Institutional Racism

Thomas Slager

Michael McCloud

Mark Schmidt

Larry Cavenay: Bat Man

Randy Rosas

Dan Adams

David Russel Talbott

Jane Szabo

Ryder Richards; plaster and velvet

Ryder Richards

The newly arranged gift store that shows art for sale made by artists who are members of SDAI.

The San Diego Museum of Art 34th annual  Art Alive .   I took the opportunity to walk across the Laurel street bridge, a walk I had never done before. I usually park beyond the organ pavilion. So I had a chance to see more jacaranda trees and this charming sculpture. Since I was on my way to the floral interpretation of the works at the SDMA I was struck by this lovely little pan of flowers at the feet of this work.

On majestic tree rise tall into the blue sky.

view from the bridge to the back of the zoo and jungle of palms

New patio furniture now enhanced the experience of the plaza...no longer just bare concrete. Hurrah.

I have attended Arts Alive many times but I was really stunned by the beauty of the giant arrangement in the rotunda of the museum. Cascades of white bloom...I saw iris and roses but there were many more flanking the corners and rising high into the stairwell. Even if you can't take the time to go see the rest, this has encouraged me each year to at least check out this floral tour de force. 

Some of the art is interpreted quite literally. Other arrangements were abstracted. I found this year that some of the arrangements seems a little heavy handed and others a bit ordinary. But I think without the crowds, then the zen of the experience might have been more genuinely felt. I imagine great care was spent making the decisions of how to relate to the works in all cases and I know this is a very popular event on the annual calendar. I was not allowed to take photos easily or I would have more documentation for you.

Paul Hernandez used his vivid imagination and skills in all sorts of medium to interpret some of the art works in fashion inspired statement.

Jamie Kales floral interpretation

Young Art 2015: Visualizing Music was the real surprise of my visit. Many galleries were turned over to the work of very young artists and the show was fascinating as they were challenges to make visual the audio experience. I was very impressed with the care shown for this display. I only got this one accidental shot as I was again scolded for taking pictures. Evidently I was supposed to be guided through my whole visit by an escort but none was available during this very busy day at the museum.