Can You Imagine…

In the show Can You Imagine… the fundamental artistic elements of color, texture, and shape take on new life through an examination of the unconventional and the spontaneous. The two artists, practicing in different mediums find common ground as each address their mediums from an alternative angle. For Pam Brekas, an abstract painter and photographer, this means exposing beauty in decay. “Beauty can be found anywhere,” Pam says. “Rust has a beauty that most people don’t consider, or easily bypass. To me, rust offers the ultimate palette.” In Can You Imagine… Brekas presents a series of abstract paintings inspired by the colors, textures, and details found in the rust of machinery and metal she has discovered abandoned in the landscape. In a similar vein, Jack Taylor, a ceramicist and sculptor, is incorporating non-traditional materials into his ceramic works in order to “add a twist and an element of surprise to the traditional pot.” Trained as a potter,  Taylor has, in more recent years, ventured into the world of sculpture. In this show, his metal and clay fusions have evolved further into a full-scale installation. Both artist bring us an opportunity to be re-inspired by our own landscapes as they share the inspiration they have found in the shapes and colors that are intrinsic to the landscapes of Nevada and the west.

More Information

Pam Brekas:

Artist Statement

I’m not sure exactly what happens when I paint, but magically images appear and rhythmic patterns emerge.  Colors just seem to want to be together, and when I try to stay out of the “control loop”, and merely let the materials and inspiration take over, a creativity comes through that can only be God given.  I do believe we each have our inner artist who already has completed the work for us; we just need to let it come out.

After spending several decades teaching in the public school system in California, I retired to Nevada in 2005 and reinvented myself as a full time abstract artist and photographer.  People were receptive to the unusual techniques I was using with acrylics, and my work has gained recognition in local, regional, national, and international venues winning over 170 awards since 2002.  I’ve also had the opportunity to show my paintings in solo shows in several states.  I can’t take myself or my work too seriously, as it has to be fun for me, and almost a game to find unusual compositions in photographing rust, or painting with the kitchen spatulas and linoleum brayers on paper, or canvas. If I am not enjoying what I am doing, then I had better find another way to express myself.  I find great delight in opening doors for those who believe they are incapable of creating art.

“Can You Imagine” is part of my evolution as an artist.  My palette remains fairly neutral with textural emphasis and images that connect with nature. You will undoubtedly see things in my work that I’m not aware of.  I hope you enjoy the show.

Biography

Since retiring from teaching high school art in California, Pam Brekas has thrown herself into her art and photography.  An art studio was built into her Gardnerville home, where she creatively attacks life, art, and photography.  Her abstract painting style is quite different, and she transfers that style to her photography.  She takes countless images of textures, patinas, details of buildings, classic cars and motorcycles. Her photos are frequently seen on channel KTVN weather segments, in the Record Courier, and have been in the Nevada Appeal.  Photos have been juried into several international photography shows, and have won awards in art shows, the Nevada State Fair, the Carson Valley Photo and other venues. Pam has also served as photographer for the Carson-Tahoe Harley Owners Group, and lectured on digital photography for the Norwegian Cruise Line.

Primarily an abstract painter, the photography enhances her life, provides another abstract approach to her creativity and life.  She is active in California and Nevada art and photography groups, and has been awarded Nevada Arts Council jackpot grants, and Sierra Arts Fellowship.  Her work can be seen at Brewery Arts Center Gallery in Carson City, and East Fork Gallery in Gardnerville.  She has had solo shows for art, photography, and combined art and photography  at the Copeland Cultural Arts Center in Minden, Nevada, the Carson Nugget casino in Carson City, Nevada, St. Mary’s Art Center in Virginia City,  and the Northern Nevada Museum in Elko.

Jack Taylor

Artist Statement

Clay has been my passion for the past 49 years. I have been studying and working with clay since high school at Hug High in Reno.  I had produced forms for functional ware for most of my ceramic career.  Exploring the clay body led me to alter the clay into unconventional shapes.  Next, I began designing clay pieces which seem to defy gravity.

Five years ago, I became interested in metal and metal sculpting.  I explored “welding” for art and began designing my clay forms for adding metal accents.  My traditional shapes had transformed into art forms with inclusion of steel and copper.  Cutting, shaping, and developing metal additions is as time consuming as working with clay.  But the marriage of the two elements can be pleasing and interesting to the eye while stimulating the imagination.

In my work I hope to add a twist and an element of surprise to the traditional pot.  These pieces are inspired by the shapes and colors of the Nevada desert rocks and nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains where I enjoy relaxing and exploring.

Raising money for the arts has never been more fun. On Friday, February 3rd, 2012, John Ascuaga’s Nugget welcomes the Seventeenth Annual Sierra Arts Brew HaHa to the Rose Ballroom, beginning at 8 p.m. The event will feature thirty five breweries and live music by Del Castillo to keep the party hopping throughout the evening.

Tickets for Brew HaHa available online through the Nugget Box Office, click here:  Brew Haha Ticket Sales or pick them up at Sierra Arts.

[Ticket update: The Nugget has officially run out of VIP tickets! VIP Brew Haha tickets can no longer be purchased at the Nugget Box office or online. A limited number are still available at the Sierra Arts Gallery.]

For the past seventeen years the Brew HaHa has helped generate much-needed funding for the Sierra Arts Foundation, which provides support for area artists and community arts programs, such as Arts in Education, the Elder Care Concert Series, and the Arts Infusion Project. A longtime area favorite, the 2012 event will shake things up with live music by Del Castillo and a VIP Brewers’ Reception beginning at 7 p.m.

A rare chance to speak with those who concoct the drafts in a private setting will be a highlight for those purchasing VIP tickets. A special area will be set up for this pre-event opportunity to sample beverages and speak to the brewers directly. Among the featured breweries this year are Buckbean, Silver Peak, Great Basin, New Belgium, Newcastle, Pyramid, Merchant du Vin, Anderson Valley, North Coast, Heineken, Mammoth, Stone, Deschutes, Big Sky, Sierra Nevada, Alaskan, Kona, Red Hook, Sam Adams and Rail City.  Select brewers will also feature beer and cheese pairings with cheeses provided by Cabot Creamery.

A wide array of raffle prizes will offer guests entertainment of another sort. A no-host bar and light snacks will also be available for those wanting a momentary distraction from malted barley and hops.

Tickets for the 2012 Sierra Arts Brew HaHa are $50 for general admission, or $60 for VIP tickets, 50% of which is tax-deductible. Cost of entry will include entertainment, a commemorative beer pint tumbler and all the beer one can responsibly drink.  VIP tickets also include entrance to the private Brewers’ Reception at 7 p.m., and a seat in the exclusive VIP section, with a private dance floor directly in front of the stage.  Sierra Arts members will receive a $5 discount per ticket.

John Molezzo to exhibit Digital prints with mixed media on canvas in a show titled “Visions Redux” at the Sierra Arts Gallery, 17 S. Virginia Street, Suite 120, Reno, NV from December 30, 2011 – February 17, 2012. An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 6^th from 5 – 7 pm, and is free and open to the public.

Local photographer, painter, and writer John Molezzo creates large collages of Reno’s downtown area using digital prints on canvas with oil paints and wax mediums.  “As seen in my ever continuing series of collages entitled “Visions Redux” and also in my more traditional shots, I show remnants of the Reno I knew as a kid and the Reno that I see today in an attempt to let the viewer experience for themselves my own personal vision of our wonderful city.”   John grew up in Reno, attended UNR, and later moved to California.  While in San Diego, He worked with nationally recognized Sledgehammer Theatre and cofounded the multimedia art group IEC.

“I have always been drawn to our local landmarks, our wonderful old motel signs as well as our architecture and gaming establishments. “The feeling” of my images comes from mixture of those memories.  What was my past is now my present and who I am today as an artist is a direct reflection of my early years growing up here.  Reno’s art is in its buildings and streets and sky and river and mountains and people.”  http://www.saveriocine.com/

You make the arts happen in our community when you support Sierra Arts Foundation!

We know this is a time when organizations are asking for your year-end tax deductible donation, and we are no exception.  January 1st is coming up quickly and now is the time to think about your favorite causes and how you can help them into the New Year.  Our mission at Sierra Arts Foundation is to nurture, educate and support the arts in our community.  This is the time when we like to remind you how your contributions make a difference:

• Nurture:  You changed the lives of 250 senior citizens in Alzheimer’s and Nursing facilities by providing local musicians every month to entertain, nurture and engage them in the Elder Care Concert Series.
• Educate:  Your good work had helped to educate 5,000 children through the Washoe County School District with artists in residence in their classrooms who teach sequential standards based lesson plans in visual arts, theater, music, dance and creative writing.
• Support:  You made it possible for artists to exhibit in the Sierra Arts Gallery at the Riverside Artist Lofts.  You support local artists by giving them the opportunity to work in our programs.  Artists create better communities and you support their work in ours.

Please consider making a year-end contribution to Sierra Arts Foundation to help continue the fine work of the organization.  You may safely donate online – simply click on the “Donate Now” button on our Website at www.sierra-arts.org.  Our Tax ID number is:  88-0113398.

I want to personally thank you for a contribution in any amount.  It is greatly appreciated and I hope to see you soon at a gallery opening or one of our community events!  Happy Arts in 2012!

Sincerely,

Stacey Spain

Interim Executive Director

It seems everyone at some point in their life changes residences, some more than others.  While the reasons for relocating are stories in their own, I’m more intrigued by the stories that accompany the home; the quiet stories, the stories of everyday life.  They are encased in the layers of paint that cover the facade and the interior walls.  They are on porches, in stains on wooden cabinets.  I’m searching for  moment of connection between the past and the present.  Photography by Emily Rogers

Marilee Salvator exhibits lithography in a show titled “Uncontrolled Growth” at the University of Phoenix Gallery from November 21, 2011 – February 15, 2012.

 The body of work, Uncontrolled Growth, draws inspiration from repetitive mark making, biological forms and plant life.  It is a formal exploration of shape and pattern.  Salvator is fascinated by nature and biology.  Cells are of particular interest to her.  She is intrigued by their ability to reproduce, mutate and spread uncontrollably.  To the untrained eye, cells can be seen as beautiful forms/shapes, interesting patterns.  However, to a specialist these forms mean so much more including the spread of unwanted disease and death.  I find it fascinating how something so detrimental as cancer, can look so beautiful under a microscope .  In our world, things often appear one way, but upon closer examination, are completely different.

Salvator removes the patterns of these forms and or shapes from their current context and incorporates them into her own abstract language.  The most important image making process she employs is layering.  Layering allows the work to slowly reveal itself.  She admires the beauty of transparency and rich textural surfaces created through the process.

Marilee Salvator’s work has been exhibited in over 70 solo and group exhibitions throughout North America, South Korea, China, Poland, Italy and Romania.

She has taught printmaking and design at University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB and is currently an Assistant Professor at Bloomsburg University.

Marilee Salvator received her BFA from Illinois State University, Normal, IL in 2000 and her MFA degree from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM in 2004.

NEVADA EXPRESSIONS: An Exhibition of Nevada Artists to Benefit Historic Preservation

Sierra Arts Foundation Gallery

September 10 and 11, 2011

Reception:   September 10,  5:00 – 8:00 p.m. | September 11,  5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

NEVADA EXPRESSIONS is a group invitational exhibition and sale of fine art.  Proceeds go to benefit preservation of the Virginia City National Historic Landmark.

The Comstock Residents Association is pleased to host a public opening and artist reception for the September 10 and 11 exhibition.  NEVADA EXPRESSIONS visitors can meet artists as well as have an opportunity to view and purchase a wide array of media.

The two day exhibit will showcase: paintings, sculpture, ceramics and prints by 21 of Nevada’s preeminent and nationally recognized artists:

• Joan Arrizabalaga
• Jean LeGassick
• Ron Arthaud
• Ed Martinez
• Buckeye Blake
• Jim McCormick
• John Bogard
• Jeff Nicholson
• Eric Holland
• Elaine Parks
• Bill Jewell
• Mimi Patrick
• Peter Kraemer
• Deon Reynolds
• Karen Kreyeski
• Trish Reynolds
• Julie LaCroix
• Paula Saponaro
• Peter Laufer
• Sidne Teske
• Larry Wahrenbrock

Location: Sierra Arts Gallery  (Old Riverside Hotel) | 17 S. Virginia | Reno, Nevada

Gallery Hours: Saturday, September 10 – 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Sunday, September 11 – 12:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Admission: Free, but a suggested donation of $5.00

Public Parking: Within walking distance

Contact: Beau Guthrie   775 847 0759  Cell: 619 884 1392 | Robin Cobbey  775 847 0321

Visit us at comstockresidents.org or on Facebook: Comstock Residents Association

Sierra Arts is currently accepting proposals from professional artists, students, and curators for exhibitions at the University of Phoenix Gallery. This gallery is free to the public and contributes to the cultural vibrancy of the region. A committee consisting of staff, patrons, and instructors will review submissions and select finalists based on artistic excellence and appropriateness for the venue. Local artists and those residing outside the community will be given equal attention. Contemporary artwork in all media will be considered.

There is no entry fee. Exhibitions are currently scheduled until January 2012. Approved proposals will be exhibited after this date.

Click here to download: University of Phoenix – Call For Entries Form. Entries may be submitted via e-mail or postal mail.

Sierra Arts is also currently accepting submissions from professional, student and amateur artists, as well as fine-crafters, for ornaments and items to sell in the Riverside Holiday Shop at the Sierra Arts Gallery which will be open Monday-Saturday November 21- December 24, 2011. The Riverside Holiday Shop will replace the traditional Sierra Arts Ornament Sale.

Download the submission forms for more information.

Raising money for the arts has never been more fun. On Friday, February 3rd, 2012, John Ascuaga’s Nugget welcomes the Seventeenth Annual Sierra Arts Brew HaHa to the Rose Ballroom, beginning at 8 p.m. The event will feature thirty five breweries and live music by Del Castillo to keep the party hopping throughout the evening.

Tickets for Brew HaHa available online through the Nugget Box Office, click here:  Brew HaHa Ticket Sales or pick them up at Sierra Arts.