Focus on “Whole Fragment” by Cherie Louise Turner

“Whole Fragment,” which was on show at UNR’s Sheppard Gallery from Oct. 15 through Nov. 9, 2007, featured work by a number of artists- Polly Apfelbaum, Chakaia Booker, Nina Bovasso, Jennille Brewster, Arturo Herrera, Fawn Krieger and Losang Samten, who created a sand mandala.  The theme of the exhibition, curated by Marjorie Vecchio, director and curator of the gallery, was inspired by poet Ann Lauderbach’s essay, “As (It) Is: Toward a Poetics of the Whole Fragment.”

Lauderbach’s essay is a challenging read, stretching one’s mind around  this abstract concept of the Whole Fragment, which takes some mental gnawing on in order to fully grasp.  It’s well worth investing the suggested donation of $7 for the show catalogue and taking your time to mull through Lauderbach’s musings.  Resultant understanding is a joy to flip around in the mind.

Of general note, it is indicative of the forward movement of our arts community to encounter such an intelligent, thought-provoking art exhibition here; applause to Vecchio for continuing to contribute to the pushing of the local arts offerings envelope.  The artists represented have achieved notable recognition on the national, as well as international, art scene; they are part of the greater contemporary art world dialogue.

As to Vecchio’s curatorial choices, the pieces work well to illustrate the Whole Fragment concept in numerous variations on the theme.  Works are composed of pieces/fragments brought together to form something larger and at times becoming something different from what they had previously been.  One could easily imagine that each of these works could be reconfigured with its whole fragments to create yet another something, another experience, of equal aesthetic value, endlessly malleable and open to change; endlessly capable of construction and destruction, capable of eternal interpretation and experience.

If one absorbs the Lauderbach essay, these works resonate with meaning beyond the visual experience.  Without such background, however, the strength of the work varies.

Providing a high note is the wall sculpture of Booker.  Created out of rubber tire tread, her work, “Misleading Circumstances, 2005,” all loopy and flailing, transforms this roadside rubble into a well-balanced, elegantly lyrical work of art.  The piece ran along an entire wall of the gallery, spilling into the room and all but devoured the desk.  Though the message is perhaps not groundbreaking- yes, we’re a wasteful society choking on our own waste- being able to render what is literally garbage as large-scale lyrically flowing sculpture is notable.  Beautiful decay.

Other works were nice to look at, but smacked up a little too close to the current trendiness of decorative or cute- specifically that by Bovasso and Apfelbaum- or, in the case of Krieger’s work, quirkly illustrative a la Marcel Dzama.  That all said, however, these are works you’d typically not see outside of larger metropolitan areas; it’s a pleasure to see such works here.  Game on.

Focus on Michael Sarich by Cherie Louise Turner

I will reveal up front that I am, unequivocally, in love with “Like, Love, Lust,” the retrospective exhibition of works by UNR Professor and artist Michael Sarich.  I had debated on reporting about this exhibition for this column because it’s such a gimme. It’s an obvious choice to focus on, being that it’s the big show at the museum and anyone paying attention to the art scene in Northern Nevada already knows about it and has likely already seen it. But I feel it deserves as much attention as possible because it is such a special event.
For those who have yet to see it, please go, again and again. For those who’ve been, go again. I have. In the short time it’s been up, since January 26, I’ve viewed the work three times, and each time I see something new and worth yet another look. I plan to return numerous times until the show closes on March 30.
Before delving into the show itself, I would first like to give accolades to the staff at the museum which has worked for more than a year and a half to bring this exhibition to fruition. The diligent and dedicated hard work has paid off in spades. The presentation of the work is of the highest caliber, as is the 156-page exhibition catalog that accompanies the show. The explanatory wall text provides guidance and insight giving a jumping off place for all viewers.
Retrospectives are unique opportunities to view the entire career of an artist, see how the artist has progressed through his or her career. Here we have the unique chance to view work spanning three decades, cultivated from sources including the artist himself, private collections, and Sarich’s primary dealer, Reno’s Stremmel Gallery. The show begins in the mid-1970s and ends in the present. Also on show is a re-creation of Sarich’s campus office, a creative touch that gives an intimate look into the world this artist surrounds himself with, giving insight into creative inspiration and influence.
This exhibition shows us the wide breadth of the many media in which Sarich has worked and does work, from ceramic to multi-media wood sculpture, painting to installation to drawing. Over the years Sarich has progressed from personal to pop icons— among them Mickey Mouse and the Virgin Mary— in order to open his dialogue to a greater audience. The influence of outsider art and graffiti are evident in the raw nature of much of the work. His output explores the home, the body, religion, and popular culture, leaving open questions for the viewer to contemplate. No concrete solutions are offered. It is up to each and every one of us to bring and form our own thoughts around the imagery. There is much to gnaw on.
Like it, love it, lust after it. This is a show to digest completely. And it is one we should, proudly, thoroughly embrace.

biggest little art show in nevada VI: Juror’s Statement

Nevada Wide Open -2008

Nevada Wide Open was a great opportunity for artists to talk about the many issues that make Nevada interesting and exceptional. Coming from Washington and Idaho I had hoped to see engaging and serious dialog about social issues such as the transient population or the suburb/ casino dichotomy that is unique to Nevada. I was curious to see how the local artists would historically position themselves in a land with such a rich history. For example, I had hoped to see ghost towns juxtaposed with the energy and glitz of the casinos. With the title “Nevada Wide Open,” I was sure someone would have work about prostitution? I was shocked not one artist utilized such a searing issue. The theme was wide open.

As a whole, the majority of the entries were quite literal in their interpretation. While the landscapes of this state are beautiful, vast, and worthy of documentation, these landscapes weren’t any different from what I’ve seen in Idaho and Washington. Landscapes are overused and banal: simply romanticizing and documenting them isn’t enough. They need to be represented in a new and innovative way. Where are the casualties and the ramifications of urban sprawl? How is the desert population being affected?

In the absence of critical themes the ten awards were based on a combination of the artist’s interpretation of the title “Nevada Wide Open” and their use of the miniature scale. A few of the works that I really enjoyed were “Drive” by Gary Coyan, “Open NV” by Candace Nicol, and “Downtown Reno” by John Molezzo.

The sincere vulnerability of the artist who took advantage of the theme and scale by expressing something intimate and quiet is admirable. These types of images seem to entice the viewer and encourage revisiting the work many times. I also loved the innovative artist who used unconventional imagery, mixed media, texture, and color to communicate a narrative.  Moreover, the colors and energy in the image of Reno nightlife are stimulating and intriguing. This exhibit has a great format and beautiful subtleties. Furthermore, it is definitely worth visiting a couple times. I highly recommend, and would like to see more work by, Gary Coyan, Candace Nicol, and John Molezzo.

I ‘d like to extend my appreciation to the entire staff at Sierra Arts for inviting me and allowing me to write about the work within this exhibit. I would also like to acknowledge the long hours the entire staff has put into creating this exhibition opportunity for the artists within Nevada’s art community. It is my understanding that there are many extremely talented artists who, for unknown reasons, did not participate in this year’s juried show. Healthy art communities exist because of the symbiotic relationship between arts organizations, artists, and the patrons of art.

MaLynda Poulsen-Jones

Art at the Safari Club

The Safari Club International convention in Reno isn’t just about booking a safari or checking out the latest in hunting gear.  This annual gathering also features some of the very best in wildlife, Western and hunting art in the world.

In fact, you’re exposed to great art before you even get into the exhibit hall-  The convention directory, which includes the program and schedule for the four-day event, features images from a couple of the great names in Western art on its front and back covers.

On the front is a painting by Tom Mansanarez, “Narrow Escape.”  As always, Mansanarez has exquisitely captured the texture of light as it illuminates a scene of a mountain lion pouncing toward a bounding muley buck.

On the back cover is Craig Tennant’s “Over the Limit.”  No one captures life in the West with quite the same soul that Tennant does.  The way in which he presents the people and places is so true to their spirit that it can be almost heartbreaking at times.

And these are only two of the more than 70 artists exhibiting at this year’s convention, tagged “Own the Adventure.”  For more information about SCI and the annual convention in Reno, visit www.safariclub.org.

my space, shmy smace

No, we’re not putting down myspace.com. As a matter of fact, Sierra Arts is in the process of whipping up a drop-dead gorgeous MySpace.com page. But in the meantime, we’d like to direct your attention to a site called MyArtSpace.com. Like My Space, but aimed at artists. It’s not only got interviews, calls for artists, info on galleries and competitions, but it also sends out a weekly e-newsletter with links to recent news of note for the arts community

Here’s an example, from this past week’s edition;

“Museums Learn To Mimic Hollywood “In the era of movies with elaborate special effects and video games with graphics that cause players to marvel at the feeling of being inside the game, its no wonder museums are scrambling to keep up. For many, the answer to a more sophisticated audience and one with, perhaps, a shorter attention span is interactivity and immersion. Science and childrens museums have long trafficked in hands-on, sensory experiences. Now, with improved technology, the experiential exhibit is reaching new heights and turning up in a variety of venues.” The Christian Science Monitor 10/19/07

Queen-Sized Bed, Bath, Cable TV, And A Van Gogh An innkeeper in France is attempting to raise $30m or more to purchase a Van Gogh landscape at auction. If he is successful, the painting would hang in the attic room where the painter died two days after shooting himself in 1890. “The plan is dismissed as a mad fantasy by some curators and art dealers,” but the innkeeper seems to be skilled at attracting backers. The New York Times 10/18/07

The Art of Sex A London exhibition showcasing erotic art through the ages is rekindling old debates on art and pornography. “The exhibition throws light on how different cultures at different times have viewed sex. What it reveals above all is how styles of art have changed over the centuries, while human beings and their desires have essentially stayed the same.” BBC 10/16/07

A Portent For The Art Market? “A buyers’ revolt against escalating Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol values, and rising demand for Chinese and lower-priced Western art at London’s five-day auctions may be a guide to New York’s November sales.” Bloomberg 10/17/07

Assessing This Year’s Frieze London’s Frieze has only been around for five years, but it has rapidly become the UK’s largest and most influential art fair. “Some 151 galleries from 28 countries were chosen to take part this year, drawn from 450 applicants; each has a booth displaying its best pieces — or at least pieces it hoped would sell or provoke… To the extent there is a buzz at Frieze this year, it has centered on the booth run by Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, a New York gallery, which has been turned into a flea market organized by the artist Rob Pruitt.” The New York Times 10/13/07

Audience Participation Comes To The Art Gallery “Since Rudolf Stingel’s sleek midcareer survey opened at the Whitney Museum of American art in June, hundreds of visitors have been allowed to depart radically from traditional museum protocol (hands off) and have a go at the walls in the exhibition’s first gallery, using anything they happen to have with them: pens, money, credit cards, cellphones… Over the intervening months New York’s art-viewing public rose to the occasion: The room’s lower half is now equally dense with a kind of populist, manic, talking-in-tongues wallpaper.” The New York Times 10/13/07

Art That Refuses To Live In Fear Picasso’s Guernica is on display in Spain, where the painting’s anti-war message stands in stark contrast to the terrorist attacks endured regularly by Spaniards. Guernicaitself has been the target of violence over the years, to the extent that it used to be displayed only under heavy glass. These days, it hangs unprotected, and Michael Kimmelman says that public trust is what makes art, and the museums that house it, so uniquely human. The New York Times 10/13/07

Professor Pleads Guilty In Kurtz Art Case A genetics researcher at the University of Pittsburgh has pleaded guilty for obtaining biological materials for a friend’s art exhibit. Robert Ferrell “was indicted in June 2004, along with Steven A. Kurtz, a former Carnegie Mellon University art professor and founding member of the Critical Art Ensemble, which uses art to examine the impact of science and technology on consumer culture.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 10/11/07″

So, until we get our MySpace up and running, check in with MyArtSpace.com for art related digital networking…

Sierra Arts programs manager at College of the Sequoias

Sierra Arts Programs Manager Candace Nicol is also a local printmaker and the co-founder of the Northern Nevada Printmakers Conspiracy. She holds an MFA from Boise State University and is also a part-time instructor at Truckee Meadows Community College. From October 2 through November 1, the College of the Sequoias Art Gallery in Visalia, Calif., presents “Candace Nicol and Becki Smith: A Mixed Media Exhibition.”

Turning Point exhibition, reception

Sierra Arts and the City of Reno present a exhibition of artwork created by students from Turning Point – O’Brien and Turning Point – Alice Smith schools September 17 through October 26, with an artists reception on Thursday, September 27 from 3 to 5 pm, at McKinley Arts and Culture Center’s Gallery West, 925 Riverside Drive in Reno. The exhibition is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Erik Holland, Sierra Arts’ Artist-in-Residence, instructed students in grades 2-12, in various residencies as part of Sierra Arts’ Arts Alternatives program services. Turning Point, formerly known as the Secondary Transition Learning Center, is an alternative school for the severely emotionally and behaviorally challenged students in the Washoe County School District. The program gives students the opportunity to experiment in painting, drawing, mixed media and mural creation throughout the school year. It gives students positive outlet for expression and creative insight into their emotional issues instead of the need to express their emotions through aggressive verbal and physical means.

The mission of Turning Point is to provide the students with the emotional and behavior skills needed to be able to return to their regular school campus. Positive experience in the arts helps to unleash their creative potential and allow them to experience a sense of pride and self-achievement. Sierra Arts has been producing this program for six years with the Turning Point students and staff and has met great success.
Sierra Arts’ Arts Alternatives programs are supported by Washoe County Juvenile Services and funded by the Nell J. Redfield Foundation, the Sato Foundation, Nevada Arts Council, a state agency and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For more information about Sierra Arts’ Arts Alternatives programs and this exhibition, please call Sierra Arts at (775) 329-2787 or visit www.sierra-arts.org.

Fall Art Sale Sneak Preview

Sierra Arts teams up with the Reno Farmers Market on Friday, September 14, to provide a sneak peek at the Fall Arts Sale, which takes place the following day, Saturday, September 15.

If you haven’t visited the Farmers Market on City Plaza yet, this is the perfect time to do so. Sierra Arts staff stopped by on Friday, September 7, to scope things out for the sneak preview on Sept. 15… and we left loaded down with tons of treats! Our purchases included locally produced honey, juicy apples and fresh-baked bread, and we’ll be back for more stuff this coming Friday.

On September 14, more than a dozen of the artists participating in the annual Sierra Arts Fall Art Sale will be set up at the Farmers Market, giving shoppers a chance to purchase nourishment for their souls, as well as nourishment for their bodies. And then on Saturday morning, the Art Sale kicks into high gear, with art from more than 40 Sierra artists on display for purchase.

For more info, call Sierra Arts at 329-ARTS or visit the website at www.sierra-arts.org.

Music and food, too!

Not only will the Sierra Arts Fall Art Sale (September 15, City Plaza, Reno, Nevada) feature 45 Sierra artists and their pottery, photography, oil paintings, watercolors, glasswork, fiber art, jewelry, prints, sculptures and more— as if that weren’t enough— but there will also be live Bluegrass music during the event, as well as food for sale from our friends at Wild River Grille, www.wildrivergrille.com.

Sierra Arts Fall Art Sale, September 15!

RENO, NV – The highly anticipated Sierra Arts Fall Art Sale is scheduled for Saturday, September 15, outdoors on the City Plaza at 10 N. Virginia Street, (corner of First and Virginia Streets), in downtown Reno from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. In cooperation with the City of Reno, Sierra Arts will feature more than 45 regional fine artists, brought together in one venue for one day, to display their passions in a variety of media to include pottery, photography, oils, watercolors, glass, fiber, jewelry, printmaking, sculpture, gourds and mixed media works. The public is invited to purchase these one-of-a-kind pieces of work such as hand woven scarves, ceramic vases and tableware, gourds and vessels, gemstone necklaces and belts.

Sierra Arts presents these artists’ work to the public as part of the largest art sale of the year. 75% of all artwork proceeds are retained by the artists, while the remaining 25% of the proceeds go to Sierra Arts as a donation to support the many programs and community projects the local arts agency creates throughout the year.

The majority of artwork is priced at $100 or less but varies according to artist. Local restaurants, coffee houses and parking is all close by. The Sierra Arts Fall Art Sale presents itself as the perfect opportunity to shop for the holiday and is an established favorite shopping excursion for many people in town for the Reno Air Races. Local residents eagerly look forward to it as well.

For more information on Sierra Arts and the Fall Art Sale, call (775) 329-ARTS / 2787, or visit www.sierra-arts.org.