Art View
By Jim Christiansen
Like spring flowers blooming, Artists Open their Studios, galleries shower us with Spring Shows and Showcases. This follows a successful March “Art of Justice” preview show at Picasso’s with great sales to benefit the Stanislaus Family Justice Center. Many of the artists may be in the combined Carnegie Arts Center and Mistlin Gallery Central Valley Showcase, opening April 1.
This is a juried show The showcase is open media, open category and runs at both Non-profit galleries to May 8. www.carnegieartsturlock.org and www.ccartsassn.org Lodi Art Association opens its 55th Annual Spring Show with a 50s themed gala April 10, at the Woodbridge Robert Mondavi Winery. That event encourages coming in costume, and a ticket purchase to attend. The remaining run of the show, April 11, 12 is free to the public. Directions and ticket information www.lodiartcenter.org
If you were out on Art Walk in March, you may have noticed some of our favorite Art Walk stops taking a break from the map for this season. The map has changed. Get a new Art Walk map, and look for entertainment, music, and local art in our restaurants that are off the map. Check out the new murals.
Crow Trading has taken a new focus opens a solo show for Artist Eva Haas, “Sit Down and Shut Up,” April 16 to April 26. Eva’s eclectic creations, and sense of humor have been featured at Crow Trading before. Maggie Camps was visiting Picasso’s in March, back temporarily from Ecuador. Maggie’s art will be featured at the Chartreuse Muse. Christine Obers won a ‘Best of Show” with the Pastel Society of the West Coast, with her portrait titled “Stephen.”
April ends with the big event, Stanislaus Artist Open Studio Tour weekend, April 25 and 26. Buy your maps early to plan your trip. There are 42 studio stops, and 66 artists, in Ripon, Escalon, Oakdale, Turlock and Modesto Look for the signs the Artists put out to identify the studios. If you don’t have a map, the artists do. Maps are $10, and are available in advance at Oakdale Chamber of Commerce, and Modesto Convention and Visitors Bureau. They are also available at the Chartreuse Muse which is open Saturday, and Carnegie Arts Center and Mistlin Gallery, which are also studio sites. Our sponsor NASCO arts and crafts center, will host a preview show, April 11, and feature demonstration by artist Lynn Takacs on April 25. Some studios will feature groups of artists. Most are home studios of individual artists.
The tour is a good way to meet the artists, see where they work, what tools they use, and is also an opportunity to purchase art, and see the breadth of what our visual artists in the county do. You may see portfolios open, different media that what goes up in a gallery show, so it’s a fun adventure into what our Stanislaus County visual artists do. Students welcome, with 18 and under in FREE with a map holder. Additional two nights of FREE preview showing for Open Studio in the Gallo Center lobby April 17 and 18. Maps will be sold at all Previews, and day of event. This is a rain or shine event, and features a drawing for five $200 gift certificates to spend with your favorite local artist on the tour. Forms to enter on back of map, drawn after tour ends.
