Sherry, Muse, Collusion and Handbags - June Round-UP

by Patricia Frischer

Oh my, there are so many good exhibitions on right now  and it was hard to limit myself to just these four plus the New Contemporaries exhibition in Barrio Logan at cmcuritorial/basileIE. 

Madeline Sherry is showing new works at the Symbologist Gallery (2060 Logan Ave, SD 92113) from June 10 to July 28. More info: Kaarin Vaughn 619-693-5004

Make sure you look closely at the backgrounds of these works as there are little interventions by Ms. Sherry from current or imagined events that make these less nostalgic and more challenging images.  

The artist in front of her self portrait

Nine San Diego County museums, all members of the San Diego Museum Council (SDMC), have been paired with local artists to create mural concepts inspired by each museum’s mission and vision. The artists’ works will be revealed at a new exhibition entitled Muse: San Diego Museum Murals, which will be on display at the La Bodega Gallery in Barrio Logan June 17-30. The SDMC generated this creative concept in an effort to bring the museum community together in an authentic way broadens the scope of artist showing in Barrio Logan. 

We applaud the SD (County) Museum Council for their first supported show. The exhibition was curated by Danielle Derry and some of the following artist were particularly stimulating. 

Duke Windsor who works at the Midway and is also an independent artist was particularly skillful in his rendition of the mission, history and vision. of the Midway Museum 

Evgeniya Golik's diverse depiction of multiple race was imminently suitable the New Americans Museum

Dennise Wolf brought a contemporary treatment to honor the military, which is a large part of the Coronado Museum of History and Art

Mike Maxwell surprised and delighted us with the eye images branching out into the surrounding committee. We know how hard the Museum of  Photographic Arts has been working to involve new audiences at its Balboa Park location. 

Celeste Byers obviously had fun with the Museum of Natural History with a work that most children would enjoy. 

Neil Brooks is very familiar with Oceanside and this is a well composed and painted image that I truly enjoyed. But I wish it had addressed the role of the Oceanside Museum  of Art, which was the remit of this project. 

Extra-Ordinary Collusion is on view through July 2 at San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. Hours: 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon to 5 p. m. Sunday, Admission: Free-$5. Discussion artist/scientist teams, 6-8 p. m. June 28. More info: 619.236.0011.

I am not even going to try to explain the relationship and subjects of all these collaborations between artists and scientist. Works about cancer and aging were prevalent. Some of the artists developed a great connection and collaboration. others were truly just inspired by the research of the scientists. But the quality of the artists chosen to participate was so high, that the show is a winner. I take pride in knowing that almost all of these artists have been either SD Art Prize recipients or included in our New Contemporaries annual exhibitions. 

Shinpei Takeda (SD Art Prize recipient)

Thomas DeMello: Amazing use of the sky light at SDAI which have never been utilized before in my experience (New Contemporaries)

Sasha Koozel Reibstein is even better in this larger work. (New Contemporaries artist)

Jamex and Einar de la Torre never disappoint and this large lenticular work is stunning. (Art Prize recipients)

Hugo Crosthwaite goes to the wall

Crosthwaite detail

Vicki Walsh (New Contemporaries)

Marisol Rendon presented one of my favorite works. It came off the wall and was related to the pinching process of the research. See the details below (New Contemporaries)

David Forbes gave us this work installed in a corner. As you moved left and right (see details below) the shapes changed.  (New Contemporaries)

Irma Sofia Poeter is a real star and I was so lucky to discover her only this year. This tapestry is so much more than a quilt and that is chiefly as she is able to imbue all her work with layers of meaning. (San Diego Art Prize recipient)

This and the next work sadly did not survive by photography documentation so I don't know the name of the artist. So if someone sees this and can identify the artist it would be much appreciated. 

Debbie and Larry Kline set up a relaxing lounge space which gave you time to study this work which records where visitors to the exhibition circulated when they viewed the works. (San Diego Art Prize recipients)

Iana Quesnell did the deepest research into her scientist as evidenced by the huge stack of document that made part of her display. (San Diego Art Prize recipient)

Women’s Museum of California (2730 Historic Decatur Road)  - One Hundred Years of One Hundred Handbags, on view through July 2, 2017. 

This is a journey through the most elaborate special occasion handbags from the Jean Nemer collection. There are no every day purses here, but just glorious high fashion items, mostly too small to carry anything but the bare necessities. But surprisingly still big enough for a cell phone.

I matter

by Patricia Frischer

I am a busy person. I don’t like to waste time or effort. I am also a person worried about funding cuts for the arts. So I gamely signed petitions, wrote emails, and even made the occasional call to help those trying to save the status quo for the NEA, CAC, SD Commission for Arts and Culture and the City of Chula Vista City when asked. But I was truly surprised when I learned that these efforts really helped. What I did not know is that there is a formula that converts every contact into a ratio. So each email might, for example, represents 10,000 voters in the state. That makes a big difference to me. I like knowing that my time and effort is not wasted and that these seemingly small acts are relevant and can result in changes.

The City of San Diego passed the 2018 budget. It reduced the cuts to San Diego’s arts and culture funding from 31% to 3.5%. While less than ideal, this much smaller budget cut is great news for keeping most programs intact and minimizing job loss. This news comes from Rise Up for the Arts.

PLUS: the Chula Vista City Council voted unanimously to support a budget compromise that keeps the city's Cultural Arts program, and other important city programs, intact. The council’s action averts the potential layoff of 10 – 15 city employees, and other cutbacks, that would have eliminated the positions of the Cultural Arts Program Manager, the Marketing and Communications Manager, an Economic Development Specialist, two Code Enforcement officers and more. Thanks to Patricia Aguilar, Chula Vista Councilperson for this great update.

PLUS, PLUS: Grants totaling $15,032,837 have been awarded to various nonprofit organizations statewide this year by the California Arts Council. A total of 1,076 grantees will receive state grant funding for their work spanning the Arts Council's 15 unique program categories, benefiting California's students, veterans, arts educators, at-risk youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, underserved populations, and communities at large.

PLUS, PLUS, PLUS: it appears that the NEA and Public Broadcasting will not now be cut if the congress holds strong on these matters.  

At the American for the Arts Conference held in San Francisco this month, there were many wonderful sessions and they are all available via their YouTube page. I liked the presentation during Art and Politics in the Trump era by Sofia Klatzker,  Executive Director of Arts for LA in charge of art advocacy in Los Angeles.  I found her to do list for local action very concrete. She advocates for each community to declare an arts day, arts week and then arts month. Get out and do candidate surveys and post them online and then hold candidate forums in association with the league of women’s voters. Work to make non-profit art sites into polling places and add a performance or exhibition on the day. Do briefings about what is occurring and build local coalitions to mobilize when needed. And most importantly activate the youth. She has an 8 month training session that culminates with an advocacy project of their choice. And there is a program where volunteers actually walk young voters to the polls with slogans like “I matter”.

Finally, we are seeing many artist that are being activist i.e. artivist. Don’t Shut Up curated by Linda Litteral produced by FIG  (founder Anna Stump) is at City Gallery AH314, San Diego City College  (1508 C Street, SD 92101)  with an opening reception on July 8 from 5 to 8 pm and a panel discussion July 13 from 6 to 8 pm, and an artist talk on July 20 on 5 to 8 pm. Female-led art and activism  focused on raising women’s voices on an assortment of issues is featured. This exhibition includes an activist quilt featuring 40 blocks from all over the United States including San Diego. The opening reception will also feature a political postcard writing station by Lori Lipsman and spoken word performance by poet Stacy Dyson. This event runs until July 26.

WONDERSPACES: MAKING EXTRAORDINARY ACCESSIBLE

by Patricia Frischer 

Wonderspace is a new model to help artist who do installation and virtual reality art. It is setting up its tent in San Diego from June 2 to July 30. Tickets are $16 to $24 and this is a blast.  Two marines came up with this idea Jason Shin and Patrick Charles and they were able to raise the money and had no trouble getting the artists from all over the world to join in. This project is planned to go on tour and will generate income from tickets sales for the artists included. 

We are happy to report that Adam Belt (a SD Art Prize recipient) is one of the artists included.  You will see interactive, multi-media astonishments that will thrill the whole family.  Please note: event is at Civita Park, Mission Valley at Russell Parkway near the Art Institute of California. Aren't we lucky in San Diego to be the first stop on this innovative tour. 

Pulse Portal - DAVIS MCCARTY 

An Arc de Triomphe for Wonderspaces so let all that enter know the they are entering a memorable experience of sights and sounds.   This dichroic acrylic sculputure was shown at Burning Man in 2016

Not Myself Today – PARTNERS FOR MENTAL HEALTH

A doctor says, “Take two and call me in the morning.” A Wonderspace syou take one of these mood buttons, see all the displays, then hopefully discuss how you feel. Looking at Not Myself Today, you can also judge the general mood of those who have seen this interactive art work. This is an initiative of Partners for Mental Health, a Canadian charity that’s catalyzing a social movement to transform the way we think, act  and support mental health and people with mental illness.  

Sweet Spot -SHAWN CAUSEY AND MARK DANIELL 

Cross that thin red line and let these lines in space draw you in. You need to come up close and get personal with this work. It appears a blur from a distance, and in photos it looks static. But it is the spaces between these chromatic lines that make the magic as you eyes see through and merge together was is right in front of you. It is one of those impressive visual experiences that you can not have unless you come to Wonderspaces and see it in person. This is 3700 thin multicolor nylon cords, in a total of 19 miles of material the took 80 volunteers 1000 hours to construct.

The Last Word - ILLEGAL ART 

Literally, they are asking you to write down the last word that you might have spoken to someone, but were never able to utter. Get it off your chest.  Before or after you share your inner most thoughts, you can read some of the intimate things that others have deposited into this public confessional. This is truly interactive community based art. The Last Word was already installed at four different locations throughout the fall of 2009 in New York City.

ADA - Analog interactive installation - KARINA SMIGLA-BOBINSKI
Become child-like and enjoy the sheer pleasure of bouncing a huge ball and seeing it recoil off the walls. The difference is that this clear ball is spiked with charcoal markers that leave scuffs marks on the walls. So not only do you have the pleasure of playing but also you get the forbidden sense of making the pristine walls of an art gallery very dirty. Karina Smigla-Bobinski fromMunich, Germany was inspired by Ada Lovelace, a pioneer of computer science.

A Religious Experience - ADAM BELT

From the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:
AWAKE ! for Morning in the Bowl of Night

Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:

San Diego artist, Adam Belt, had re-created in an enlarged form his constellation filled ceiling which has been enhanced by a haze machine and a bright light from above to create shafts of everlasting light. For you it might be sacred or supernatural, infinite or illuminating. He has added two reliquaries, both brought to light by natural light stored in batteries. In the first, Cloudbreak, a light shines through condensation that changes every day depending on temperature and air pressure. The second, Light Rays, contains individual rays of light.

Blooms: Strobe Animated Sculptures Invented by John Edmark from John Edmark on Vimeo.

Blooms - JOHN EDMARK

We all like to see things where we can’t believe our own eyes. This certainly is one of those displays. Is it done with mirrors and strobe lighting?  I am not exactly sure, but that is the mystery of this work which constantly changes structure. The artist states his goals to, “… amplify our awareness of the sometimes tenuous relationship between facts and perception.” I guess I call that magic, and what a pleasure to the eye.  

Come Together – Michael Murphy

A set of miscellaneous color cylinders that almost look like bobbins of thread hanging from thin rods are in a pleasant enough grouping as you approach this work. But when you stand in just the right place these three dimensional pixels become a human fist.

raw OAHS from Matthew Matthew on Vimeo.

On a Human Scale – MATTHEW MATTHEW 

Every key on the piano at the front of the exhibit energizes a picture of a human face singing a note. The artist states that this is, “a fully playable instrument of humanity. “ If you are a talented musician you might produce a recognizable sound. We just banged happily away trying to match the key to which image was lighting up and  moving.

Sonar - PHILIPP MAAS

This virtual reality experience comes complete with eye and ear gear and takes you on a space journey through caves and caverns with a pretty scary ending. But the most impressive part was how this filmmaker gives subtle hints of where to look, north, east, south and west to take in the experience. Although each journey would be the same, you get to choose what to see so you might want to allow time to view this more than once.

NONOTAK STUDIO - DAYDREAM V.2 from NONOTAK STUDIO on Vimeo.

Daydream v2 - NONOTAK STUDIO

I have to admit that this one made me dizzy and so I could not stay long in this moving op art  black and white hypnotic trance making environment

Neon Tunnel - KITSCH NITSCH

Make sure you see this when the black curtain in front and back is installed. Being in total darkness would expand the topsy turvey tunnel affect.

Rainbow Museum – DANIELLE STRLE

A set of moving and stationary lights cast colorful shadows on the wall which are especially vivid if you stand up close to the wall. 

Other works that will be in the exhibition but not ready for this preview include: Silhouettes - GENE KOGAN, Connnected Heartbeats -PANN V, Show It 2 Me – TITMOUSE,  Transition - JOOST JORDENS AND MIKE VON ROTZ and Sweepers Clock - MAARTEN BAAS where the hour and minute hands are formed by two men sweeping garbage, clockwise, filmed in real time.