Shakin up the Arts

Each year there is a ‘Shakin up the Arts’ show at the Carmen Durazo Center in Calexico.  This year the show was just about equally divided between high school students and adult artist entries.

Some of the adult entries

There was quite a crowd at the reception

Some more adult entries.

The support pillars are ideal places for the small artworks

The one on the left was my favorite in the whole show

Artist Sherry Nash and I met and discussed work – this is one of her mixed media pieces

Sherry also does acrylic pours

Some more of the student work. This young lady had no qualms about asking me whether I liked her painting!

There were some 3-d pieces also.

Calexico 110th birthday art show.

Yesterday evening was the reception for the Calexico 110th birthday celebration at the Carmen Durazo Cultural Arts center. The art show had 110 pieces of art in there. Fortunately it’s a big hall, and there were some paintings in the lobby of which I didn’t take photos.
The reception was well attended and there was a short speech by the Mayor, followed by a group photo of all the participating artists that were present.  Enjoy the show!

Women in Art event

Last night my friend Bob and I went to the Women in Art event at the Carmen Durazo Cultural Center in Calexico.  I had a half dozen paintings in the show, and had brought some items from my gallerist Alana of sm’Art Studio in La Quinta.

An interesting item for me is that I had never seen ‘A Week in Politics III‘ hung on a wall.  I’d seen it in the booth but had never gone to the lengths of putting 7 nails in the wall at home to display it, so this was a treat.

“A week in politics III”. Oil on seven 14×11″ canvases.

When I went to take a photo of the display, a couple ladies were having their photo taken in front of it.  I later spoke to one of them – Monica Lepe-Negrete, who it turns out is running for Superior Court Judge.  She loved the serendipity of her choice of background once I’d told her the story behind the artwork.

Some mixed-media horses by Alana Marston, and a few ceramic pieces.  Alana is into horses – does it show?

The reception was a joint reception with the Chamber of Commerce and we got to meet several business owners.  There were three short speeches given by local business people and community members about the importance of women’s history in the world and the community, and also of empowering the next generation of women to achieve what they are capable of.

A dozen students and a box of watercolor pieces

Twelve students engrossed in fun

Take a box of watercolor pieces, add mats, matching foamcores, glue, brushes and twelve students.  The result?  Lots of fun, loads of creativity and quite a few who would like to do it again on the 9th.  Several of the students had the time to do multiple artworks. If you live in the Calexico area, I have one more youth class this month, and two adult classes.  Check out the options on the Calexico brochure online.

Really getting into it

All the finished pieces

The first six.

Painting on mats too