100 Artists, 100 Years, SDMA Artists Guild at OMA by Patricia Frischer

100 Artists, 100 Years: The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild opensSat April. 18 at 6 pm and runs until July 26 at the Oceanside Museum of Art ( 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, 92054) Exhibition curator Mark-Elliott Lugo states, “… I believe San Diegans will be excited and proud to see the exceptional skill and creativity of the artists who have lived and worked in the area.” More info:Raziah Roushan 760-435-3721

This exhibition does not pretend to be a survey of all the best local art of the last 100 years, but it does showcase the best of the artists who over the years were members of the SDMA Artist Guild. The Guild has a very varied history with lots of ups and downs Dennis Paul Batt started a history of the guild but passed away before it was finished. We understand there is a book now underway by current members of the guild. The selection of works for this show was made very astutely by Mark-Elliot Lugo and it is his eye we have to thank for the quality of the work which is very high. Years of research went into tracking down the artists and getting permission to borrow all these items. Hopefully it will be well documented and this selection will be viewable long after the show comes down. My  selected below are 14% of those on view.

If you go to many, many art exhibitions every year and you can go to a show and can be surprised, then I consider this a success. I was surprised by the quality of work and by the variety and by learning about new artist that I had never heard of before. The fact is that I am constantly surprised by new artists in San Diego. You would think that as someone who coordinated the largest visual arts directory in our county, I would be exposed to almost everything. But that is simply not true. I see new work all the time that is currently being made. But there are few instances that I get to see historical local art. I was impressed with the Plein Air paintings at the New SD History Center, a show put up for the centennial exhibition because the quality was so very high. This show stuck me similarly.

Everett Gee Jackson, Sailor Beware, 1934
This was one of my favorite works in the show because it was so much of the period and also truly represented San Diego and the military presence then and maybe even now. Amazing that it is the sailor that is being warned instead of the Latin women. But it is the color and subtle painting of the sailor collar that entranced me in this work as much as the subject.

Charles Rieiffel, SD Back Country
Having just spent a weekend in Spring Valley at Vineyard Hacienda B&B, this landscape struck home. It is exactly the feeling of lush opulence I experienced in this surprising part of our county. From Rancho San Diego to Tecata, I think we will see a new tourist industry blossom with wineries, restaurants, hotels and even a new casino  along Highway 94. And that will connect people to the Valley to Guadeloupe which already has a large tourist economy in the same manner.  It will be up to us to populate this with visual and performing arts.  

Rex Brandt, Momsy and Popsy, 1940
My student Ashleigh and I both agreed that this 40's sun bathing couple  was a favorite and reminded us both of days on the beach growing up. It is the sweeping lines of the two bodies that draws you into the small composition.

Lenore Simone, Lady of the High Wire 1969
Very delicate almost early Picasso-like composition is charm itself. 

Barney Reid, 1950's
Nothing is more 50's than a mobile of cut shapes and this one makes shadows that triple its dimensions.

Leslie Lee
In photo reproduction this looks like any portrait of a Latino man, but in real life the image glows with life and seems almost to be renaissance in nature. Go just to see this one image and you won't be disappointed with the show. 

Mark Elliot Lugo, Anything Helps 2015
The curator includes his own current work in the show in a daring move to be both artist and arbitrator.

Martha Alf, Red and Black, 1973
Simple but amazing effective. red on red on black

Renata Spiazzi
I have been to Renata's home many times and seen a huge variety of work especially recent digital imagery. But grouping these three relatively early sculptures together was a tour de force by Mark. Together they show how really remarkable this artist has always been.

John Baldesari
The master does not disappoint.

Manny Farber,  Cherries and Fennal, 1996
One of my personal favorites is Manny Farber who passed away before we could give him the SD Art Prize. A giant in the movie critic world, he came into his own in SD with these wonderful happy unusual still lives which are more about color and composition than depictions of a subject. I wish there was an artist who could carry his mantle further and that could be Gail Roberts (below)  if she brought color back to her work.

Gail Roberts, Submerge, 2013
Exquisite combinations of paint as light and dark

Manualita Brown, Verity, 2007
At her best in this small pared down abstraction of the women she know so well.

Ethel Green, Waterbed, 1970
Our own surrealist whose world I am always scared and but pleased to enter.

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.