At the Petaluma Arts Center, curators Janet Moore and Geri Olson have selected a wide variety of dynamic art from artists attending the creative programs at the Cedars of Marin in Ross, the NIAD Art Center in Richmond, Creative Growth in Oakland and Creativity Explored in San Francisco. We are pleased to include two Petaluma studios: Alchemia and The Open Studio at OADS as well as Becoming Independent in Santa Rosa and several individual artists; Zoe Petersen, and Monique Harris. Works include painting, sculpture, ceramics, fiber art, prints, and mixed media.

In conjunction with Undercover Genius, the Arts Center will host various activities for the public led by artists with disabilities in an atmosphere of inclusiveness. Docent tours are available for groups.

Saturday, July 13, 4 – 6 pm: Opening Reception

Saturday, August 3, 6 – 7 pm: Presentation and Book Signing with artist Kelly Greenwald: $5 donation

Wednesday, August 7,11:30 am – 1:00 pm: Artists Reception

Friday, August 16, 11:30 am – 1 pm: “Out of Sight” Family Knitting Workshop with artist Pam Oncina. Cost: $10

Wednesday, August 28, 4-6 pm: Disability Art & Art by People with Disabilities Presentation by Anthony Tusler: $5 donation

Wednesday, Sept 11 – 6pm: Panel Discussion moderated by Barbara Harris, Art Production Coordinator, Becoming Independent; Manager, The Gallery of Sea and Heaven: $5 donation

The centers who have graciously agreed to participate in this exhibition serve adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development, gallery exhibition and representation and a social atmosphere among peers. Highly skilled staff carefully guides the often award-winning artists to realize their unique and intuitive potential in a variety of media.

Since 1973, Creative Growth (CG) has played a significant role in increasing public interest in the artistic capabilities and achievements of people with disabilities. Artwork created at CG is exhibited directly in the on-site gallery as well as in outside galleries, museums, and private collections throughout the world. CG provides a professional art studio setting and facilitation for over 140 artists in drawing, painting, video production, ceramics, mosaics, wood, fiber arts, textiles, printmaking and photography. Two of the CG artists have been collected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

For 92 years, The Cedars of Marin has inspired adults with developmental disabilities by cultivating their interests, skills, and independence. Located in Marin County, California, Cedars supports individuals through award winning, innovative day programs that involve them in community service projects, work experiences, textile arts, gardening, creative arts and functional academics.

For 30 years, NIAD Art Center (National Institute of Art & Disabilities) has been offering a studio arts program to adults with developmental and other physical disabilities in Richmond, California. NIAD was co-founded in 1982 by Elias Katz, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, and the late Florence Ludins-Katz, artist and educator. NIAD has received the Helen Crocker Award from the San Francisco Foundation, the Vineyards Award from the Golden Gate Chapter of the National Association of Fund-Raising Executives, and a citation from the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities and Advocacy, Inc.

Since 1980, Becoming Independent (BI) has grown to become the largest service provider of its kind in the North Bay area, offering a broad variety of vocational, instructional and support services for those with developmental disabilities. By the early 1990s, various locations throughout the community became the showplaces for exhibiting art until an on-site gallery opened in 2004. As the art program grew and exhibits were increasing, BI was offered exhibit space which became The Gallery of Sea and Heaven located in downtown Santa Rosa’s SOFA (South of A) arts district. Since 2007, the artists have had a presence in the neighborhood and the building which houses 7 professional artists’ studios. This opportunity fulfills the BI mission to promote community inclusion and participation for people with developmental disabilities.

Since 1998, Alchemia’s staff of professional artists have provided arts programming for adults with developmental disabilities who identify as artists or who are passionate about deepening their artistic, social, and communication skills through the expressive arts. The artists and performers have touched the hearts of thousands of community members, and have shared their work in front of audiences in a wide range of venues: from touring throughout Australia, to exhibiting work in Japan, to connecting to our neighbors right in our own Bay Area backyard.

Since 1971, OADS (Old Adobe Developmental Services) has provided opportunities for individuals with developmental challenges to reach their fullest potentials. They are known as leaders in their field in seven distinct programs in the North Bay region. In 2012 Marti Sanders began developing their open studios program.

Since 1983, Creativity Explored has provided people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to express themselves through the creation of art. Additionally, they provide studio artists the opportunity to earn income from the sale of their artwork and to pursue a livelihood as a visual artist to the fullest extent possible. In addition to participating in numerous group exhibitions in the Bay Area, Creativity Explored artists have had one-person gallery shows in New Zealand and Australia. Several artists’ work has been included in international group exhibitions, as well as in commercial and nonprofit venues across the nation.

Art Shapes The World - Youth Arts Exhibit

Art Shapes the World: 

A Youth Arts Exhibition at the Petaluma Arts Center 

Exhibit Dates: March 15 – March 29, 2013
Reception for the Artists:  Saturday, March 16, 4-6 pm

In conjunction with National Youth Arts Month (YAM) the Youth Arts Exhibition will give students an opportunity to exhibit their art in a professional setting, be recognized in the community and on the state and national levels for their creative achievements.

Special Awards will be given in each of the following categories Artistic Perception, Creative Expression, Historic and Cultural Context, Connections, Relationships and Applications. Several students will be selected to participate in the Northern California Youth Arts Exhibit at the regional Youth Arts Exhibit in Sacramento.

The exhibit is partially funded by The Petaluma Art Association and The Rotary Club of Petaluma Foundation. Program Partner is Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLC.

March 8, 2013 – 7:00 p.m.
Call 707-762-5600 for reservations
Suggested donation $5

Inge Horton will present an illustrated talk about early women architects of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Julia Morgan’s Cohorts …. Julia Morgan is widely known as an eminent woman architect, but she was not alone. Many other women practiced architecture in the late 19th and early 20th century in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, the work and career of these path-breaking women were mostly unknown until Inge Horton discovered their history and work. Her research was full of surprises and eventually led to writing a book about these amazing women.

Early Women Architects of the San Francisco Bay Area – The Lives and Work of Fifty Professionals, 1890-1951 was published as a richly illustrated reference book by McFarland & Company in August of 2010.

Come join us for a fun easy art project to support Petaluma Echumenical Properties and low income senior housing in our community.

There is plenty of room.. RSVPs are appreciated.

Exhibition Statement

Our opening reception on April 13 at the Arts Center was fantastic all around – thank you to everyone who came, participated and made it such a success. If you missed the reception or any of our other Cosmic Terrain events, don’t worry! We have more events coming up:

*June 1, 8:00 pm: Cosmic Terrain Closing Party Join us for a special closing party with the artists and DJ Romanowski. Requested $5 minimum donation to help pay for the DJ.

Mirus Gallery owner Paul Hemming speaks with gallery manager Monica about one of the collaborations featuring Mars-1, Damon Soule, and Oliver Vernon seen in the entry to the Crucible exhibition.

 In the Petaluma Arts Center Galleries

Mars-1, Damon Soule and Oliver Vernon transcend genres and labels with their surreal cosmic landscapes that rhythmically deconstruct and reconstruct our world. Richly detailed elements form and reform into revealing patterns, images, visual poems, and spontaneous narratives.  The Petaluma Arts Center galleries will contain works by the individual artists, including three dimensional works, and a selection of their large scale collaborative canvases.

Compositionally complex, with intricate shapes and geometric patterning, the paintings pulse with life and dimensionality.  Recognizable elements of the natural world such as mass, space, depth, and movement are embraced and transformed by a strong creative spirit leading to a convergence of the celestial with the terrestrial.  This work is a powerful new visual language of the moment.

The Phoenix Mural by Ricky Watts

North Bay resident Ricky Watts grew up painting in and around the alternative music and arts theater now known as the Phoenix. He has a strong base in photo realistic illustration as well as an abstract sweep that moves toward the musical and the magical. He is an arts organizer, bringing groups of painters together to create on a large scale. He recently created a prominent mural for the stage at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco. As part of this exhibition, Watts will create a dynamic mural featuring interlocking waves of color on the massive south wall of the Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington Street. Watts grew up in Petaluma. [Mural painting expected to start March 20th, 2013.]

About the Artists

Collaboration featuring Mars-1, Oliver Vernon, Damon Soule, David Chong Lee, and Nome Edonna – as seen Nov 29, 2012 at the Mirus Gallery – Crucible exhibition.

Longtime friends Mario Mars-1, Oliver Vernon, and Damon Soule have admired each other’s work, shared ideas and created works on a collaborative basis.  Based in San Francisco, they have published three books together: 4 Words (2003), Convergence (2005) and Further (2010). Ricky Watts is a well-known painter based in Sebastopol who has developed a strong body of work blending the “real” and surreal.

Mars-1 on Furtherrr    http://furtherrr.com/MARS-1
Oliver Vernon    http://furtherrr.com/OLIVER-VERNON
Damon Soule   http://furtherrr.com/DAMON-SOULE
Ricky Watts http://rickywatts.com

The exhibition is partially funded by Jean Schulz, Karen and Scott Hess and Anorcase Foundation. Program Partner is Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLC. Donors include Karen Petersen, Gentry/McNeill Family, Harvey & Janet Charnofsky, Vicky Kumpfer, Jennifer Krasnoff, and Mary Dooley and Chris Lynch – MAD architecture.

www.petalumaartscenter.org

Contact Scott Hess for donations to the exhibit. 707 765-0580 or email me at  Scottscotthessphotocom

You can send us a check or donate on line. 

p.s. Gifts of every amount are appreciated! 
Donors of $100 and more will receive membership for one year, and will be invited to the Sponsors’ preview.
Donors of $250 and more will be named on the Title Wall.

This exhibition is made possible by these generous supporters:
Anorcase Foundation
Karen & Scott Hess
Midstate Construction
Jean Schulz
Harvey & Janet Charnofsky
Gentry/McNeill Family
Vicky Kumpfer
Jennifer Krasnoff
Mary Dooley, Chris Lynch – MAD architecture
Karen Petersen
Juliana Navarro and Jack E. Miller
Ricky Watts

PROGRAM PARTNER:
Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLP
Scott Hess, Exhibition Coordinator

Our grateful appreciation to Brian Chambers and Paul Hemming who generously shared their private art collections.

The Ricky Watts mural project supporters:
P.O.S.T. – Wellness by Design
Kaagen Monroe, Spider Staging
Kickstarter Donors
John Jones and Kristin McMaster
Colin Day
Sean Paul Lorenz
Cody McCoy
Daniel Morehouse

Stop by the Arts Center for some Holiday Cheer and browse a wonderful selection of new used art books

Books make great gifts. We also have art cards, prints, paintings, sculpture and more for sale. Proceedes from the sale of cards will go to the Judy Oster Scholarship Fund. Support the artist in your family with a membership or gift certificate for a class

Then stop by the Theater Square for more Holiday festivities including the
Festival of Trees and Jacki Yurth with an art activity for kids.

Honoring Petaluma Senior Artist David Moore

The Members’ Annual Exhibition features a diverse array of artworks by talented Arts Center members.  This is a non-juried exhibition which is open to all current members of the arts center. Become a member today, participate in the exhibit, and celebrate the creativity of members. Holiday arts sales are encouraged.  Purchased artwork will be taken off the wall at the time of purchase, and the artist may replace it, keeping the exhibition ever changing. We will also be holding a used book sale – Art Books Only

Members Call for Art 2012 PDF

Exhibition Calendar

November 10-11,12 to 4pm                     Delivery of artwork,
November 17, 4 to 6 pm                           Artists’ reception
Sunday, December 23 – 4 to 6pm         Pick up of unsold artwork (exceptions by prior arrangement only)

Donate online NOW with a dedication to the Judy Oster Scholarship Fund

“Tomorrow’s workforce must act confidently, communicate effectively, and think creatively-all qualities that can be enhanced through arts and theater education. So often, the seeds for these critical skills are planted in childhood through exposure to the arts and live theater.” – James S. Turley, Global Chairman and CEO, Ernst & Young and 2012 BCA Leadership Award winner.

You may send your contributions made payable to Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville St, Petaluma, CA.

Better still, call us and we’ll be happy to take your donation over the phone during regular center hours 12-4pm. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays .  707-762-5600
 

El Dia de los Muertos Petaluma 2012

Jim Nikas Ted Talk

October4 – November 4, 2012
Reception October 13, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Friday, October 19, 6:30 – 8:00 pm -  Join us for an Evening’s Journey with Guest Curator/filmmaker Jim Nikas. He will discuss the art and Imagery of social movements with roots in the 22-year collaboration between Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1923) and publisher Aontonio Vanegas Arroyo (1852-1917).