April News

April 14 - May 14 - Array at the City College Art Gallery

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 24th, 5 to 7pm

Curator’s statement: The Bay Area reflects a diversity of ideas and a richness in technology. We foster a culture of innovation and our artistic community celebrates hybrid media and digital exploration. This exhibition features the work of diverse artists whose work celebrates experimentation and invention.

City College Art Gallery, Visual Arts Building V109, City College of San Francisco, 50 Phelan Ave., SF

Ortranto in June!

I have been accepted to the Bau Institue in Ortranto, Italy, for an artist residency this coming June.   I look forward to being inspired by the architecture and seaside facing the Adriatic.   Already have a project – stand by!

News for Penny 

My documentary on Penny Cooper – trailblazer, celebrated criminal defense trial attorney, art collector, philanthropist and all around “fabulous” (her favorite word) trailbrazing woman.

Starting soon, The Kicktstarter Campaign to fund 1. a DVD with all the stories and cases that had to be left on the cutting room floor, more on her world class collection of art by women and  2. our cross country tour to partner with community organizations, schools, women’s groups, small theaters and more to inspire young women (and men too) to break new ground.   Because hen we have people to look up to in life, we are always more confident the ascent is possible.

Please visit our Facebook page, Penny the Documentary – like us and tell your friends! Don't do Facebook, visit the website, www.pennythedocumentary.com - you can tell us your Penny story there too.

Upcoming Gallery Talk

Last summer I spent a month at the Gullkistan artist residency in Iceland. I am currently showing work from that experience in my exhibit, Evolutionary Processes, at the Sebastopol Center For the Arts from April 4th through May 10th. I shared the experience with Sonoma County artist, Brooke Holve. On April 27th, 4:30 – 6, we will talk about our shared experiences, the power of residencies and my work and the stories that inspired it.  Come hear more!  It’s free and there will be refreshments!

Sebastopol Center for the Arts 282 S. High Street Sebastopol, CA Hours: Tu – Fri 10 – 4, Sat 1 -4

The Residents...and a few of the artists we met along the way.... - Gatewood Gallery, Greensboro, NC

If you happen to be in or near Greensboro, NC, please stop by the Gatewood Gallery at UNC, Greensboro, and see my work in The Residency Show there.   I am showing both 2D and video that grew out of my residency at Gullkistan in Iceland last summer.   There the panoramic views, ancient farmhouses, multi-colored lava rocks, winding rivers, steamy streams and slow ice flows presented a myriad of textures and shapes to explore. My plan to starting “fresh” with no plan was well suited to this primordial place which feels like the beginning of the earth.   Daily sketching using both traditional drawing and painting tools and video has inspired paths to new ideas and work – still very much in progress. Thanks Gullkistan!

January 14 - February 1 Residents... ...and a few of the artists we met along the way....

Panel Discussion with the Residents The Inside Scoop on Residencies How, Where, When, Why... Wednesday, January 23, 4-5:30 Cone 103

The Gatewood Gallery at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro 527 Highland Avenue, 138 Gatewood Studio Arts Building, Greensboro, NC 27412

Island Visit

Cuba has a great system for kids and elderly – 99% literacy, good safety net & health, but in between advancement is tough.   Socialism provides but the people are definitely not over burdened by choice (like us) – one kind of each thing - one choice of cookie, one choice of crackers, etc..  But everyone is out and about shopping and eating mediocre food in the gov't restaurants and snack bars and being wonderfully social as only Cubanas can be. Fuster’s Watts-Tower-Nikki-de-St-Phalle’s extravaganza.

The Pink Panther - 1951 Dodge with Mercedes engine, BMW brakes and partial dodge transmission – everyone a mechanic by necessity.

Home of Compay Segundo

Rush Hour

Fidel Clancey and his dad

Everyone has at least two dogs, and very few cats.

No Marketing – just a few Revolutionary billboards

Sunday at Callejon de Hamel with art by Salvador Gonzales

Berlin and then Home

Berlin has changed so much since I was there for the Berlin Short Film Festival in 2004.   Actually curator Megan Steinman told me it changes hugely each year!   Lots of construction, lots of action and lots and lots of amazing art.   Saw community gardens enlivening formerly drug infested plazas (including healthy yummy lunch counter),  an old hospital building  turned into a fabulous art center, a performance by one of the many American artists living there, a 5 story warehouse where temporary art exhibits make it worth climbing the stairs.

In addition to the permanent museum exhibits, there were 3 simultaneous shows of the succinct, elegant and profound Alfredo Jaar, the best retrospective of Diane Arbus I have ever seen, and 5 great shows at the Hamburger Banhoff including light sculptures by Anthony McCall, The White Field by Qui Shiuha, Cy Twombly and the School of Fontaineableu, indoor and outdoor neon works by Dan Flavin, a huge Architektonika 2 show of works inspired by architecture.

Lastly the very strange and elaborate Secret Universe III, dolls with hand sewn clothes and a variety of porcelain faces, ears and feet by Morton Bartlett.   He photographed and drew each doll after which he placed all of these materials in individual boxes and never showed them!

Part of Berlin's ongoing healing process is replacing cobblestones with brass plaques in front of buildings where Jews lived.   The plaques list their names, ages, dates of transport and where they were sent.

Days were hot and nights were perfect for eating outside by the Spree and watching all the boating and mobile beer parties.    And watching the Olympics on German TV was much better than NBCs MTV-like montages of event - although not understanding the anchor patter might have helped.

Re-entering with it's obligatory jet lag has been a challenge but getting back to my studio feels good and I look forward to seeing what my Gullkistan residency and subsequent travels will generate in the coming months (and even years.)

The Spectacular SEern Coast

Took a weekend studio break last weekend to tour the southeastern coast of Iceland with my friends Aegir and Linda from Reykjavik. Amazing that we got anywhere as we stopped every 30 meters for another fabulous photo op. Aegir won taking over 1000 photos in 2 days! We saw the ash from the eruption of the impossible to pronounce Eyjafjallajokul and brought some back to draw with...so far just grit to me. Miles of moss covered lava 10" thick that takes 100 years to grow back if you snitch some. standing on it feels like a trampoline.

Giant waterfalls that you can walk behind or climb to the top of.

Old houses and barns built into the mountainside.

Skogasandur with black beaches and cliffs of crystalline formations one more spectacular than the last.

And Glacier Lagoon at Jokolsarlon at the base of Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Europe covering 12,000 sq. killometers. The blue ice with black and white stripes, blue green water and chunks breaking off and heading down to the Atlantic where the waves crash over them is like watching the beginning of the planet...this is a "young" island. The lagoon and the ice formations are never the same and you can sit there for hours absorbing the beauty and peace of the place. Of course you can also take a raft trip, a glacier climbing trip or an amphibian boat trip around the lagoon which gives you a sense of the scale of the icebergs but sitting was perfect for me. The lagoon is 250 meters deep in places so you are literally seeing just the tip of the bergs.

And this is just one of Icelands scenic wonder areas...like India it would take multiple trips tomsee it all. Now back to my lovely studio with view in the barn.

Iceland Ho!

Next week I leave for the Gullkistan artist residency in Iceland. Sent supplies ahead and am trying to get Gear Small with iPad, tiny projector and camera. My laptop now seems huge. The residency is located in Laugarvatn, a small village 45 minutes east of Reykjavik in an agricultural area. Nearby are some popular tourist sites. The village of Laugarvatn has 250 inhabitants. The closest town is Selfoss, 45 km south of Laugarvatn. I am looking forward to absorbing my surroundings and the light and digging in in my studio. Brooke Holve and I will continue to collaborate as well as work separately. Watch for more posts.

New York Art

Just spent a week long art blitz in NYC. Always inspiring - especially the museums. Nice sync between Picasso guitar show at MOMA and Guitar Heros at the Met. Lower Eastside is happening and galleries are open on Sunday! Frosch & Portman up and coming. New Museum Condo, Benglis and The Hub, Laurie Simmons dolls, in Chelsea could not wait the 3 hours to see the Clock - maybe should not have waited until the last day of the show :). Tara Donovan at Pace - whole lotta pins, Morgan's library redone and open - has many "from the school ofs" - hmmmm. Hopper always a treat. Much to mull over, chew over, think over as soon as I get my show in Forestville at Quicksilver Mine Co. installed. Read Patti Smith "Just Kids" on the plane - fabulous.