Community art centers play an important role that is outside the mission statement of museums and most commercial galleries.

The art centers give full-time and part-time artists an opportunity to show work, even if their professional “pedigree” does not include an MFA and several, single-spaced pages of exhibit, residency, publication, and grant history. Art center shows can be a great motivator for artists to keep advancing their work and, if desired, preparing to show in galleries and other exhibit spaces. If you’ve only shown work so far to your family and friends, community shows can provide an opportunity to get your work out there and start building that multipage CV!

I think of visiting a community art show like going to a community orchestra concert. At community orchestra concerts, you’re not expecting the same level of over-the-top expertise and risk-taking as you would from a big-city symphony orchestra. Community orchestras are mainly concerned with playing in tune and keeping everyone together – which is important!

At least once in any community orchestra performance a sublime phrase or a focused passage comes together, and that makes going to the concert worthwhile. In the art world, if you’ve spent the day pounding pavement going from gallery to gallery, seeing just one or two engaging pieces can justify the effort.

The Salon des Refusés exhibit includes pieces that demonstrate interesting beginnings, satisfying and engaging statements, and even one piece that would be at home at any museum. It’s worth going to see this show!

The exhibit continues Saturdays and Sundays, August 4, 10 & 11, 11am – 5pm, at Sheishin Studio, off of Art Alley, behind 312 South A Street, Santa Rosa, California.

Here are some pieces that I’d like to comment on.

In the Eyes of the Beholder

Corlene Van Sluizer

I like the red plus black theme. The symmetry is foremost, but divides the piece into two opposing forces. This ends up being a “hot” and confrontational piece. The white in the piece provides enough oxygen for the viewer to visually move left to right and back again. It’s a piece that I can stick with for quite a while, and then come back to. A picky point: I think the patterning on the heavy frame competes with and locks down the piece too much. I’d like to see another presentation for this piece.

Study in Green

Pamela Nachtigall

This still life is very satisfying in terms of all the elements that are “supposed to be there,” such as a stable composition, drawing/painting skills, and an elegant color palette. It’s amazing that such a traditional format can still hold my interest. I guess it’s a testament to the power of painting. There’s something refreshing about a movie that is not filled with explosions and car chase scenes, just as there can be something appealing and moving about a piece of art that is driven primarily by aesthetics like this one.

Exposed

Bridgit Lee

I like the premise of this piece, but I am left craving some small area of focus and refinement as a part of this classical figure. I really like the organic growth or decay emerging from the back of the figure. The colors work well. The juxtaposition of chaos and control is an interesting visual theme.

Blues

Nancy Dempster

Nancy Dempster is one of my favorite local artists, and her piece, “Blues,” is immediately identifiable as “a Dempster.” The swirling paths allude to history, and are partly representational (smoke and atmosphere) and partly a record of emotion and our own unknowable psyche. Always many layers in Dempster’s work. Her use of varied blues – cool and warm – make this piece a quiet adventure.

I’ll See You in Hell – Trapped

Zoë Good

I really like double stories in paintings, or looking through screens onto a second scene or narrative. In this painting the viewer is looking through exposed “bars” to a woman’s face. The contrast between the flatness of the nearer screen and the modeled face works well. I can imagine many alternative paths for this idea, such as the red going grayer or the face going slightly green, in order to push away from the red more. Also I can imagine breaking through the flat red area in a couple of places to let a little more oxygen into the painting. However, that being said, maybe the artist’s intent was to communicate a feeling of claustrophobia.

Jesus Mocked by Soldiers

Nicholas Mancillas

Interesting piece by Nicholas Mancillas. On its own, the piece is loaded with intense, timely references, and for practicing or former Christians, a revamping of part of the passion story. It’s a lot to take on, and Mancillas deserves credit for throwing himself at it. The strength of the piece is his artistic hand, evidenced by the drawing and painting. For me, the plastic soldiers let the piece down a bit. They are important, but I feel they need to be manipulated more. But over all, the piece is really engaging. Mancillas based this piece on Manet’s Head of Christ, which was revolutionary in its presentation of Jesus as a real human being. And related to that, Mancillas’ human mark is the most engaging aspect of this piece.

Plaza

Bill Shelley

My own entry into the Salon des Refusés exhibit, this piece is a tribute to the 17th century artist Canaletto, who painted sweeping scenes of Venice for aristocratic tourists. He most certainly used a camera obscura to nail down his super-accurate renderings of the city, to the point where his paintings are somewhat cold. To compensate for that, he populated his cityscapes with crowds of people. But if you look closely at one of his paintings, the people are just dots and dashes of paint – but standing a few feet away from the painting, they are totally convincing as people. I’m interested in architecture and in public spaces, so this project was right up my alley. I would like to do more of these. Improvements might include strengthening the craftsmanship of the piece and nuancing the colors.

GMO – OMG

Chris Beards

I give this piece, “GMO – OMG” by Chris Beards the “Best in Show” award. This tragi-comedic piece is worthy of any museum. The piece is so right on, on so many levels. Timely and timeless. Political and deeply psychological. Beards is a master at summarizing (and triggering) fears and fascinations with his sculptures, and this piece is totally effective. It takes a current political issue (GMO produced foods) and pulls it into an urgent immediacy by confronting the viewer with a familiar object that has been transformed into a repugnant presence, with the horrific invitation to look and (God forbid) touch the mutant vegetable. Everything about this piece (color, texture, scale) works, and the end effect is quite scary. Congratulations, Chris!