MAY 2019 Art Exhibit

MAY 2019 Art Exhibit

For May 2019 Art Exhibition we will have a group of three artists, Marion Coleman, Gale McKee and Virginia Jourdan exhibiting together in both galleries. The name of the exhibition is Ragtime.

Artist:  Marion Coleman
Medium: Fiber Collage

Artist Statement:  People, history, social/cultural events and their impact on our individual and community relationships serve as inspiration for the art that I make. Although I began by exploring traditional and contemporary techniques related to patchwork, fiber collage and quilting, I have expanded the concept of the quilt by using a wide range of materials including metals, porcelain enamel and large scale translucent fabrics. Ultimately my designs are transferable to a variety of media and I am interested in exploring the possibilities.   

However, my attraction to fiber as my primary media stems from my relationship with my maternal grandmother who taught me to sew when I was a youngster growing up in North Texas.  During my generation women frequently made their own clothing and this was especially true for African American women. As a young woman it was almost a necessity for me to sew clothing because I am 5’10 and I had great difficulty finding pants that were long enough.  Along with sewing I have also explored crocheting, embroidery, and beading. However, over twenty five years ago I began quilting. I don’t know why it took me so long since two of my great aunts and my maternal great grandmother all made beautiful traditional quilts. I am particularly grateful to my great Aunt Corine who took me under her wing and shared quilts and quilt discussions with me until she was over 100 years old.  I frequently say I hope the quilting gene lets me last as long.

Of equal importance was my introduction to digital technology, the ability to transfer photo imagery to cloth and  access to the internet has opened new and exciting doors for storytelling with cloth. There are memories, history, social justice,  arts and culture and so much more to explore and I am enjoying and challenged by the opportunity to move forward and create as many works as possible.  As a confirmed fiber junkie I am fascinated by the colors, weights, textures and intimacy of cloth.  We are swaddled in it at birth and live with it and wear it until our dying day. As an artist I strive to bring the viewer closer to their own stories since we each have so many to tell.

People, history, social/cultural events and their impact on our individual and community relationships serve as inspiration for the art that I make. Although I began by exploring traditional and contemporary techniques related to patchwork, fiber collage and quilting, I have expanded the concept of the quilt by using a wide range of materials including metals, porcelain enamel and large scale translucent fabrics. Ultimately my designs are transferable to a variety of media and I am interested in exploring the possibilities.   

However, my attraction to fiber as my primary media stems from my relationship with my maternal grandmother who taught me to sew when I was a youngster growing up in North Texas.  During my generation women frequently made their own clothing and this was especially true for African American women. As a young woman it was almost a necessity for me to sew clothing because I am 5’10 and I had great difficulty finding pants that were long enough.  Along with sewing I have also explored crocheting, embroidery, and beading. However, over twenty five years ago I began quilting. I don’t know why it took me so long since two of my great aunts and my maternal great grandmother all made beautiful traditional quilts. I am particularly grateful to my great Aunt Corine who took me under her wing and shared quilts and quilt discussions with me until she was over 100 years old.  I frequently say I hope the quilting gene lets me last as long.

Of equal importance was my introduction to digital technology, the ability to transfer photo imagery to cloth and  access to the internet has opened new and exciting doors for storytelling with cloth. There are memories, history, social justice,  arts and culture and so much more to explore and I am enjoying and challenged by the opportunity to move forward and create as many works as possible.  

As a confirmed fiber junkie I am fascinated by the colors, weights, textures and intimacy of cloth.  We are swaddled in it at birth and live with it and wear it until our dying day. As an artist I strive to bring the viewer closer to their own stories since we each have so many to tell.

 

Artist:  Gale McKee
Medium: Printed Vintage Photo, Acrylic on Raw Linen

Statement

My work is about exploring the power of color and texture through a variety of diverse concepts and mediums.Through multi layers of paint or mixed-media I use upbeat, unique color combinations and unexpected loose juxtapositions of shapes. With a fresh brush stroke technique, scrubbing, scratching, and blurring I create a painterly feel that invites the viewer to come in, have a look around, and further explore the implied and unanswered questions the abstract quality presents. It is a place where realism meets abstraction.

My passion for color and texture gives me a universal language to communicate what I feel and see as an artist. I want the viewer to be moved by the painting’s timeless beauty, energy and intensity.

Biography

Gale S. McKee is a Northern California painter whose sophisticated landscape, figurative and abstract work has received national acknowledgement She works in acrylic on canvas, and with mixed media.

Gale’s work has been exhibited extensively in both solo and group juried shows at museums and galleries, including Triton Museum of Art, the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Bedford Gallery, Icehouse Gallery, Atrium Gallery, and Gallery Route One, She has won many competitions and received numerous awards.

Gale was born in San Francisco, attended the Croydon College of Art in London, and received a BFA from the University of Denver. Her professional background includes experience as a graphic designer, illustrator, and product designer for Pottery Barn Kids.

 

 

Artist:  Virginia Jourdan
Medium: Oil on Canvas

Artist Statement:  My jazz series of paintings is an expression of music being a universal language of humanity. The stenciled flower, heart and sometimes a dove, is symbolic of happiness, love and peace.