Art View, Art is in the AirBy Jim Christiansen
February is the month when you might find Valentine’s Art gifts cheaper than chocolates in our downtown Art District. The galleries have art and crafter gifts at The Chartreuse Muse, Peer Recovery Art Project, Mistlin Gallery, Dragonfly Art for Life, along with Intrinsic Elements, Beads of Contentment, Picasso’s Gourmet Deli and Gallery. You need to shop during regular hours as Art Walk is a day late on February 15.
Big Earl Matthews will be giving a Macramé workshop at Peer Recover Art Project during Third Thursday Art Walk hours on the 15th. This is among the classes, workshops, and gallery opportunities PRAP hopes to offer in 2024 as they celebrate their 15th Anniversary as a nonprofit organization on February 24 with an Art, Music, and Car show in association with Brian Friend.
The Official Third Thursday Art Walk announced that a collaborative effort, Visit Modesto, D.I.D, D.O.M.O, and the Stanislaus Arts Council are joining forces to elevate the Art Walk experience. This partnership brings together the resources and expertise of Visit Modesto’s marketing team to amplify the reach and impact of Art Walk. The aim is to showcase more artists and highlight local businesses on the Art Walk route.
Some other changes moving into March are going on with what is still called the Mistlin Gallery. Featured this month is The Stanislaus Arts Council International Photography contest exhibit, which opens on January 30 and runs until March 1. With this show, there is the opening of the Grace Lieberman Cabaret Series, featuring “Moody Moments in Music” by the Synergy Chamber Players on February 17 at 7 PM. The show includes Classical and Contemporary music featuring a String Quartet and artist Nicole Slater’s paintings to live music. Tickets are available at the gallery, 1015 J Street, Modesto. This month is also open for entry in the Young at Art student show from March 5 to 30, complete with a music, dance, and poetry concert on March 9 featuring young artists from our community.
Among the changes already in progress with the Mistlin Gallery, now operated by and home to the Stanislaus Arts Council, is the new website address. http://www.stanislausarts.org/mistlin-gallery The first message that greeted me in bold print as I checked the link for writing this column was that the Arts Council is offering a $5000 Arts Grant, with applications due on February 29. If you are an artist, educator, or a member of an arts organization, you may be eligible. Click the new link for more details.
The Stanislaus Arts Council will be partnering with Stanislaus County on social media during February to spotlight the amazing talent of Black Artists, of all different disciplines, from our county to celebrate Black History Month. Social Media Posts will be on Thursdays, beginning on 2/1.
The annual “Expressions” show at Tracy Community Center, 950 East Street in Tracy, is open from February 16 to 23. Modesto artist Henrietta Sparkman was the Juror for this exhibit. She also curates the art displays at Kruse-Lucas Imports Gallery, 525 Tully Rd across from MJC. This month, multimedia artist William Taylor.
If you venture down to Turlock, the Carnegie Arts Center Ferrari gallery has more displays of the “West Side Story” mural project and is viewable until May 18 as part of a larger show of the artist’s work.
The clear winner for the exhibition in January’s Modesto art scene was “Single Exposure: A Don Hall Show” at Mistlin Gallery, complete with a Big Al from Good Day Sacramento interview listed on their YouTube page under Stanislaus Arts Council. An upcoming exhibition to look for is the Heartland Creative Corps Grant Project with Modesto Art Academy and artist collaboration Paul Harmon and the Boys and Girls Club of Stanislaus County called “Bottled Ecology”. The installation will be announced.
