Wednesday, December 28, 2016

State of the Arts/State of a Website 2017

by Patricia Frischer

State of the Arts/State of a Website 2017

In 2017, time will be my most valuable commodity. Taking care of my mother with the help of my husband is a precious job that needs more attention as she travels through the journey of her life. We all must choose how to use our energies, both physical and mental. We wasted so much emotion on the election last year, and I would not like that to happen in 2017. So I see an efficient website as a vital part of my life.

The San Diego Visual Arts Network still favors a front page layout to include as much information as possible about events and projects in the region. We know that many sites focus on just a few current events, but as we represent 2500 resources in San Diego, this just seems too restricted for us.

In 2016, we added an automated scrolling featured event feature on the home page which is now fully illustrated and can also be seen on a new featured event page.  We added a voting app for our New Contemporaries Exhibitions that can be utilized by other organizations as well. You have to be present to vote for an artist which helps eliminate stuffing the voting box, a concern for everyone in this election year. We made it easier for everyone listing on our calendar to add images which no longer have to be online.

Website design has changed constantly and we at SDVAN continue to evolve the website. We are lucky to have the help of Anand Bora of Determinant Studios when we make any changes on the site that involve coding. This has become a valuable relationship because it is so important to respect and trust a good partner for website re-designs. You need good communication and valuable input to help sort out new direction and solve glitches.  Working with this creative company in India brings some time change challenges, but this continues to be a very rewarding and successful relationship for us. Mr. Bora came to San Diego for the first time in 2017 and established some relationships with artists for projects and we applaud these collaborations. . A little know fact is that SDVAN started over 13 years ago with code written in India.

The same evolving nature is true of email and event companies. We are lucky to have found John Campbell whose newly launch Smorgborg is a development of his Campbell Network which has supported us for years . Still in beta testing, we so lucky to be already using this new system that eliminates the need to maintain multiple mailing lists on different platforms. Smorgborg will be launching all sorts of new features in the coming months. When we add back end mailing list improvements, it frees us to work on other projects, and that is vital.

We are also grateful to continue our relationship with IMhosted. When the site goes down as all sites do occasionally, they are quick and efficient in helping us to stay visible. Their generous support keeps our cost down and our spirit high.


We are very involved with the North County Arts Network. We see this new organization as a pilot for other regions which could eventually join together to form a much needed SD County Arts Council. The NCAN website needs to focus on aiding collaborations, which is the most important job of a council. These collaborations are what bring a community together. Watch for a newly launched NCAN site in 2017 which will be an exceptional venue for sharing and promoting our interconnectivity.

Finally I join with all of you to hope for a peaceful and diverse New Year with opportunities for all. 

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Jingle and Mingle SDVAN Annual Potluck Lunch and Accessory exchange

by Patricia Frischer




 Mingle and Jingle,t the SDVAN  Annual 2016 Holiday Potluck Lunch on Tuesday, Dec 13, 11 am to 2 pm (2487 Montgomery Avenue, Cardiff by the Sea, Ca 92007) RSVP: patricia@sdvisualarts.net 760.943.0148. Please bring: One dish or drinks for 8 to share and Jewelry and Accessories for our annual swap exchange.

It is always amazing when you gather a group of creatives together.  This year was no exception and the food that was prepared and delivered was exceptional as was the variety of accessories (jewelry, scarves, belts, shoes etc.) that changed hands. 

Here is a small selection of those who attended our end of year celebration. Many, many more attended like Kira Carrillo Corser​, Alice Diamond, Ralyn Wolfstein, Irene De Watteville​, Janine Free, Cheryl Tall​, Ellen Speert​, Rosemary KimBal, Lonnie and Maurice Hewitt,Barbro and Alex Kilpatrick, Emmy Garnica, Kathy and John (Kaarin Vaughn parents), and some new friends like Marian Zeldin and  Lynn A. Buettner​(who supplied some of the photos below.  There were lots of new faces and so please do pass this on to them if you read this.


Cheryl NIckel, Anna Siqueiros, Naimeh Tahna, Kaarin Vaughn

Heidi Rufeh, Fritzie Urquhart, Patricia Frischer, Lia Strell

Alessandra Cofi, William Lesley, Naomi Nussbaum

Michelle Kurtis Cole and Deanne Sabeck

Kaz Maslanka and John Campbell

Jennifer and Peggy

Ellen Arcadi

Christina and Nancy

Marti Kransberg between Bill and Peggy French

Melinda Resendes with John Campbell

Gerrit Greve and Nate Wolfstein

Doug Diamond

A view of the spread

Artists created ugly sweater cookies

Decor galore

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Cheryl Tall, Symbologist Gallery, Terri Beth Mitchell and Mario Terero at CM Curatorial and basileIE

By Patricia Frischer

The delightful Cheryl Tall opens her studio in Leucadia during the holidays each year for a special day. Many works are very reasonable priced and you get a chance to see new ceramic works by this talented sculptor. A special treat is a wonderful band playing cool jazz out front, Endangered Species. 







Cheryl and Bruce Tall

Endangered Species, with Janine Free's husband, Marvin



Symbologist Gallery at 2060 Logan Ave unit C, SD 92113 in Barrio Logan is the newest gallery to open its doors. Kaarin Vaughn is the director and the gallery will feature the work of local visual artists, designers and craftspersons. The space is tall and well finished with good walls and light. There will be an attached gift shop. For more info: artvixen@gmail.com


Patricia Frischer and Kaarin Vaughn

The directors Mother Kathy and stepfather John, helping out on the night. 

Anna Siquerious to San Diego from Los Angeles who has a muralism foundation. 




2070 Logan Ave, SD 92113
More info: Chris Martino cm@cmartino.com 858.361.9052
Sat Dec 10 to Sat Feb 4
This is a gallery with two parts and on the west side in Pink/Blue and the east side is Mario Torero. 


Pink / Blue by Terri Beth Mitchell

A humorous study on gender, focusing on visual and verbal designators historically representing male and female.







Homegrown: Mario Torero compiles a mini retrospective of the work of this muralist from Lima Peru, whose father Guillermo Acevedo  was an artist in San Diego and model for the first generation of Chicano artist in this community. 


The artist actively explaining the show to Darwin Slindee





Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Gronborg at the Mingei, Free at Gallery 21, de la Hoz at Art Produce,EFA party and Breakout at Vision Museum

By Patricia Frischer
 Erik Gronborg Experience at the Mingei until March 12, 2017 curated by Dave Hampton. 

The first major retrospective devoted to Erik Gronborg, this exhibition will present a full picture of this Danish-born American artist’s creative life over fifty-five years. This project brings together examples of Gronborg’s sculpture in cast bronze, carved wood, and other media, as well as studio furniture and a comprehensive survey of his ceramics. Images of the remarkable house and garden that Erik and his wife Irina have carefully modified over the years in Solana Beach will add environmental context for the objects in the exhibition. Gronborg’s writing, another aspect of his rich creative life, are also be featured.











Janine Free and Pat MacGillis in Wire, Wire on the Wall: Street Art meets Meditation at Gallery 21 in Spanish Village, Balboa Park Nov 23 to Dec 5.. More info janinefree@gmail.comFollowing a rusty wire throughout the gallery, Janine Free, a Street Photographer from France, and Pat MacGillis, an abstract painter with a social message, lead you through a path of grit and elegance.











Historias del MalTrato/ Stories of abuse and bad deals by Marianela de la Hoz presented by Noel-Baza Fine Art at Art Produce (3139 University Ave, SD 92104) from Nov 10 to Dec 4. More info:noel-baza@cox.net These paintings talk about racism, child and domestic abuse, about the people who live in poverty and much more.







Encinitas Friends of the Arts Membership appreciation party was a lovely event with fabulous food and entertainment by The Bviolin Mystic Groove Duet and started the holiday season off on Dec 1 at the Encinitas Library community room. Free tickets for three wonderful raffle prizes were an extra treat for all those who made the second year of the EFA such a stunning success. A short film by Johnathan Woodward showed snippets from Passport to Africa, Passport to France and the Day of the Dead celebration as well as the support by EFA for the Syrian Refuge project at the Leichtag Foundation.  
 .


EFA's number one elf Naimeh Tahna Woodward

Laura Diede and the gifts for the guest from the free raffle

Food from all over the world but concentrating on the Silk Road which is next year's Passport Event

Art by Hannah Elias, one of the student from San Dieguito Academy who is part of the new EFA Teen Council

Carolyn Knapp, another of the teen council members. All five showed their work at the event. 


Breakout: Quilt Visions 2016  runs to Jan 8
Luscious hand painted silk, vibrant fabrics and elegant designs with thread. These textile elements are all on view in Breakout: Quilt Visions 2016, the 14th international juried biennial exhibition produced by Visions Art Museum: Contemporary Quilts + Textiles.  The three esteemed jurors chose 41 stunning works of art from 434 entries for this internationally recognized biennial exhibition. The selected artists exemplify the most creative innovations in quilt art today. While the term "quilt" brings to mind a bed covering, these works resemble paintings designed for the wall. Several awards for excellence in design and craftsmanship will be announced at the opening reception. A full color catalog is available.



Urban Cathedral by Hope-Wilmarth