Past Exhibits

Branching Out

March 1 - April 13, 2012

The tree is an easily recognized subject matter in many forms of art.  Throughout the ages, the tree has shared a rich and varied symbolic relationship with humankind.   It can symbolize the meaning of life, a moment of enlightenment or spiritual growth, renewal and destruction, “going green,” a source of shelter, a rapidly depleting resource, an ancient monument, the seasons of life, and much more.
From poets, playwrights, painters and more, the tree is as inspiring to artists today as it has been since the beginning of time.  The poet, Marie Howe, said that “every poem holds the unsayable inside.” The same can hold true for a visual work of art; a certain depth, an ancient wisdom, an astounding beauty.  Whether you are trekking through the redwood forest or enjoying your own backyard, each tree has a story to tell or a song to sing.
In this exhibit, Branching Out refers to the creative push an artist makes while staying grounded to such a universally recognized and admired subject.   Artist, Eric Zener, refers to “nature as a metaphor for renewal and reprise.”  Similarly, artist, Elaine Coombs, discusses the feeling she gets when she enters the forest.  For Elaine, whenever she needs to “regroup, breathe and return to center, it is the forest that can do this” for her every time.  In this exhibition, imagery of branches, roots, pods, figures and more encourage the viewer to enter the work with nature as their guide and the renewal of spring as the backdrop. 

Branching Out is an invitational exhibition approved and selected by the Town of Danville’s Curatorial Committee.
Artists include: Melissa Bolger, Linda Colnett, Elaine Coombs, Arthur Scott King, Lisa Lee, Melanie Tormos, Pep Ventosa, and Eric Zener.   

Exhibition dates are March 1 – April 13, 2012. 
 

Abstract Dialogue: John Toki and Pamela Stefl Toki

Jan. 6 – Feb. 17, 2012

John Toki is a respected studio artist and adjunct professor at the California College of the Arts (CCA) in Oakland, Toki is also the president and owner of Leslie Ceramic Supply Company in Berkeley, which his parents founded fifty years ago, and the co- author of several notable books on ceramic sculpture. Toki’s large-scale sculptures in clay and porcelain possess a timeless quality, inspired from forms found in nature (mountains, water, snow, sky) and suggest archaeological elements, yet they have a unique freshness in their technical complexity and resulting visual appeal. His work has been shown in the US, the Netherlands and Japan. He has completed public commissions and installations in Richmond, Berkeley, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, and Cincinnati. 

Pamela Stefl Toki creates her unique prints from a wet clay slab technique called clay monoprinting. This process provides her with the time to work the clay surface for hours through which she can freely implement her ideas. Each print combines Stefl Toki's imagination with imagery and designs which occasionally include colors from previous prints as the layers build with each successive print.

Surfaces: Selections from the California Fiber Artists Group

Nov. 10 – Dec. 15, 2011
Closing Reception: Dec. 15   4-7pm 

California Fiber Artists is a group of independent fiber artists who have joined their collective works together forming exhibitions and diverse fiber art.  CFA artists describe their work as fusion art using fiber as well as other mediums to develop texture, shape, design and color.  Some layer and stitch, others stretch and paint, while others sculpt and collage to create two and three-dimensional sculptural elements to showcase

Offerings; Works of Text and Image 

Curated by Cindy Shearer
Sept. 10 – Oct. 29, 2011

 Four Corners and a Center 

 

May 20 - July 1, 2011

 

This exhibition was juried by Renee Bott of Paulson Bott Press located in Berkeley, California. The 34 works from 24 artists were selected from members of the California Society of Printmakers, encompassing a range of styles and approaches based in the print medium. The selected works addressed existential themes, graphic imagery, and social commentary with insight and humor.

Finding Balance: Glass Art in the Bay Area

March 18 - May 7, 2011

This invitational exhibition will delight a variety of guests with its diverse palette of color and light, rhythm and balance. Local and regional glass artists exhibit functional and sculptural objects that span decades of glassmaking in the Bay Area. From world renowned glass makers Michael Nourot and Randy Strong to up and coming protégés like ten year old Theoren Hanks, this show will highlight the variety of techniques found amongst the glass art world.

Telling Tales and Mixing Metaphors 

January 7 - February 25, 2011

Artist, curator & professor, Tanya Wilkinson and Kirk Brooks, Tricia Grame and Priscilla Otani will explore ways in which different cultures and different historical periods have used narrative art to build and express community and identity. The selected works address existential themes, graphic imagery, and social commentary with insight and humor.