Art View By Jim Christiansen Buy Art by local artists. Shop your local Art Walk stops.
Local artists encourage you to buy art for holiday gifts. Downtown Galleries and Art Walk stops are open most of the month, with art jewelry, paintings, sculpture, fabric art, ceramics for sale at reasonable prices at the Chartreuse Muse, Picasso’s Gourmet Deli and Gallery, Crow Trading, Mistlin Gallery. Café DEVA and Concetta have art on the walls you can purchase, for yourself, or that somebody you need to get an original gift. They also stock cards and prints. All sorts of styles and designs await you. At Picasso’s, you can find one of Jordi Camps specially painted books. And while you’re at it, stop at Beckles Candy on Tenth Street for your chocolate needs. Downtown Modesto Third Thursday Art Walk is December 20, but most locations open for shopping during the holiday season, so don’t wait to get the right art for your gift giving needs.
The Chartreuse Muse and Gift Box section at Mistlin Gallery, usually do a bustling holiday business for small items, jewelry and cards. David Glaister is the Muse featured December artist. Intrinsic Elements, C’est Joli and more are open, along with the mix of antiques, collectibles, local and other art at Crow Trading. The Central California Art Association members holiday show is open, each grid loaded with art for sale. And this is the last show at Mistlin Gallery for the year, and for the current décor. January has the gallery slated for new paint, new layout, to open the 2014 season.
The CCAA has executed a ten-year lease, in collaboration with Mistlin Gallery namesake and patron Tony Mistlin, so a gallery facelift is on the agenda of this ten year run. Expect a brighter Mistlin Gallery when the painting is done, and the “Art in the Family” show opens. Support the gallery painting effort by purchasing a City of Modesto Environmental Calendar, featuring local artists Linda Knoll, Jack McBride, Ana Barber, Virginia White, and more, only $15 at MIstlin Gallery.
“Art in the Family,” is chaired by artist Milt Bullard, with its theme inspired by Milt’s grandson expressing a wish to show his art with his grandfather. The show is open to CCAA members and non-members by application and jury, where a family gathering of artists on display in small groupings. Pick up a prospectus at the Mistlin Gallery, 1015 J Street, Modesto. Mistlin Gallery is also shaking up its show schedule, with the “Young at Art” Young Masters show moving from the first of the year to March, a new format for its annual Spring Show, a Dan Petersen Retrospective show in the Summer, and a Graffiti Summer event themed members show in the Spring. Check in on other changes, schedule notes at the web site http://ccartassn.org. Membership for the nonprofit Central California Art Association is $50 annually
A note on some North Modesto local art spots. In McHenry Village there is Hale Frame Shop in the back corner of the center. Trewin Framery and Uno Sergento Gallery in the One Stop Design Center are out on Pentecost Drive off Kiernan. Trey Reed has his studio/gallery by appointment out behind Green’s Market North Modesto location, and NASCO West out on Stoddard for a variety of art supplies.
Kudos again to Modesto Junior College Art Gallery for recent show of Alumni Masters, and subsequent High School Art Teachers Show on the East Campus. I don’t get the information quite soon enough for the column, so pays to check in and see if the MJC Art Club has the Gallery Open during the week. And thanks to John Griswold and local Lions Club for calling me out to help judge art for a Lions art competition featuring students from Shackleford Elementary School. Good to see what students come up with. To get an art event into ModestoView, email me at mercenary_graphics@yahoo.com
Finally, if you want to give a gift to our community, consider a donation to the State Theatre’s effort to raise $200,000 for its digital film transition so our historic film house shows well into the 21st Century.
