Third Street Gallery archive: 2009 Exhibitions: Six Unruly Artists Paint the Town

Humboldt State University First Street Gallery is pleased to present, Six Unruly Artists Paint the Town.  Featured in the exhibition are paintings by six artists from California's North Coast who work in diverse contexts and styles.

The participating artists display a colorfully rich show that runs the gamut from realist interpretations to imaginative expressions. This exhibition is divided between two rooms offering viewers polemically charged subjects in one room and poetically inspired visions in another. The exhibition’s broad spectrum of painterly expression demonstrates to the community the infinite choices of subjects and methods available to the contemporary painter.

In one room the figurative works capture thought-provoking issues of personal, political, inter-personal interactions and societal affairs. Fernando Ramirez portrays an intimate series that examines what he calls “self-love” and the importance of observing in one’s self the “difference in masculinity/ femininity, dominance/ submission and other such gender-based binary oppositions.” Rebecca Glaspy’s feminist inspired paintings address gender inequalities and culturally entrenched biases.  In portraits of powerful women, such as Hillary Clinton or Oprah Winfrey, Glaspy portrays women who have endured and thrived despite the hardships and judgments they face merely because they are born as women.

In another room the gallery visitor will find art that registers on the poetic end of the painting spectrum.  Artist Julie McNiel grasps her imaginative license and “re-creates for us to see her fanciful and powerful world of characters, stories and imaginary landscapes drawn from all the realms and influences of her life” (Artweek magazine, November 2007). Kelly Leal approaches her paintings by “just letting elements and forms come as they would,” poetically portraying her imagination without the obstruction of explanations.

Participants include:

• Rebecca Glaspy
• Alyse LaVerne
• Kelly Leal
• Julie McNiel
• Jake Mondragon
• Fernando Ramirez

“Six Unruly Artists Paint the Town” is produced by Humboldt State University students enrolled in the Art Museum and Gallery Practices Program who participate in the daily management and planning of shows at the gallery.  The gallery provides real-life opportunities for the students to develop their gallery and museum skills, which in turn provides them with experience that will help them to enter the job market. Many students who have participated in the program have gone on to careers in museums and galleries throughout the nation. 

Exhibition Schedule

The exhibition will run from October 3rd through November 7th.  There will be an opening reception for the artists that will coincide with Arts Alive on Saturday October 3rd from 6-9pm. An open house will be held on November 7th for the closing of the show.  First Street Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12-5pm and is located at 422 First Street, Old Town, Eureka, CA.  For more information call (707) 826-3424.