Read on for exciting arts events and stories that you may not have heard about – from The Art Lady!

Express yourself through color at the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center‘s Colors of Humanity open competition. Deadline for entries is August 13 – learn more at https://elkgrovefineartscenter.org/exhibitions/colors-of-humanity-september-2021/.

WATCH: Verge Center for the Arts virtual interview series talks with 8 Sacramento Open Studios artists who focus on painting or printmaking. Watch the Video here.

The Toyroom Gallery’s 20th Anniversary Celebration – Watch the Good Day Sacramento interview:

Do you have an Art Need? When you buy something new are you fulfilling a decorative desire? Emotional need? Or perhaps art is an investment? Learn about the ABC of Building an Art Collection.

Have you heard of the Incredible San Francisco Artists’ Soapbox Derby? Take a look at this video from 1975:

Showing through August 27 at the Fe Gallery in Sacramento – Three Artists “Distinction” with Marjorie Darrow, Nicole Woodbury, and Trent Woolley. Take a look at this video to explore the collection and learn more:

Do you have a Story Idea for the Art Lady? Send in your ideas for consideration – just click the box below!

Watch the Story on Good Day Sacramento

What’s the Story?

The gallery, located in The Russ Room (named after the late Russ Solomon), is just upstairs from the Solomon Deli on K Street.

Toyroom gallery celebrates their 20th anniversary this year. This gallery is focused on affordable low brow and street based artwork including hot-rods, trucks, motorcycles, punk rock, monsters, tattoo art, and more. The original garage-based location of the gallery now features a mural by Robert Bowen (recently featured on Good Day Sacramento). Toyroom Gallery has regularly shown work by artists such as Skinner, Chuck Sperry, and Shepard Fairey (known for his Obama HOPE piece among others).

Follow Toyroom Gallery Online

Website: https://www.toyroomgallery.com/

Facebook

Instagram

Here are some of the exciting arts activities going on this spring.

Verge Center for the Arts has reopened to the public. Visit Thursdays-Saturdays from 11AM-5PM for their latest shows and exhibitions, plus visit working artist studios.

News from Sacramento State’s The State Hornet: Sacramento artist offers art studio perfectly ‘Taylor’d’ to the community.
Artist Taylor Pannell stands next to a mannequin and in front of a self portrait inside her art studio Taylor’d Mind Studios in Sacramento on Feb. 3, 2021. The self-portrait is made from coffee watercolor and ink.
Image by Madelaine Church.

The Crocker Art Museum has reopened as of April 8, with brand new exhibitions and safe visitation policies so that you and your family can enjoy a local art experience.

Learn more about artist David Smith’s COVID Balls display.

Find a way to get creative at Blue Line Arts Mosaic Workshop for Veterans and Families – Register online for this April 24 workshop.

The new Russ Solomon Park has been opened at McKinley Village. Learn more about the park and the artwork featured.

Catch up with my latest story on Good Day Sacramento – Artistic Zoom Backgrounds and Adding Art To Your Space. Watch here…

Watch Live on Good Day Sacramento

Topic

Join me for a chat on some fun ways to spruce up the background of your Zoom calls. I’m not talking about using a virtual digital background, but by using real artwork that helps convey just the right mood. Whether you’re on a social visit or a professional meeting, adding real artwork to the background is a great choice for your side of the camera and theirs!

Featured Artwork

Still life by Leslie McCarron – a bright and colorful option that doesn’t distract but complements the room, if you don’t have the opportunity for fresh flowers use artwork

Superheroes by Mel Ramos – casual, playful, eye catching for students on a Zoom call or for a corporate office to convey personality; iconic animation artwork is versatile for all ages

Pastel landscape by Jadelle Andrews – professional, artistic, and with museum glass you avoid the glare from a front-facing light so the artwork is clearly visible; muted colors don’t distract from a casual or professional conversation

Learn More about Zoom at zoom.us.

Watch Live on Good Day Sacramento

Topics

Skip the box of chocolate this year and give your sweetie something handmade for Valentine’s Day. Art makes the perfect gift and can be a reasonable alternative to dinner out and boxes of candy that will only last a few days.

Choose a gift that your loved one will cherish for years to come, and make part of their collection! In this segment, the Art Lady will feature local galleries and businesses who have affordable and beautiful art pieces that are ready to go home with you.

Featured Businesses and Galleries

Watch Live on Good Day Sacramento

Tune in on Thursday morning December 10 during the 8AM hour – on your television or online at:

https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/5024543-the-toy-show-at-archival-gallery/

Topics

The Art Lady discusses 11 large light-up Santas and one snow man in the display.

From the Art Lady

The largest Santa is an artist-made Santa (with real eyeglasses) that stood in front of a Hardware store in Rancho Cordova (owned by the father of the late Eric Dahlin). The artist gifted it to the gallery from his father’s estate.

Vintage blow mold Santas (so named because the factories heated plastic then it was blown into a mold and then painted) are becoming rare and hard to find. Most of these factories have long closed (though reproductions from overseas are showing up) and storing and maintaining them is challenging (extreme cold cracks the plastic). This makes them pricey in antique stores.

The first two I puchased are “the twins” – the small identical Santas I bought while I was in high school. They were found at a yard sale and I put them in my bedroom window in Arkansas in 1978.

The most recent addition is the snowman and matching Santa which until last year lived at my friend Patty Langdon’s mother’s home. Many of these have come from loving homes and the children of the original owners enjoy seeing them once a year.

The largest Blown plastic Santa was from a house in the bay area next to my father-in-law’s home. It was in a side yard in February so my father-in-law wandered over and the neighbors gave it to him (about 10 years ago). Each year I send a box of candy to the address with a card from “Plastic Santa”.

After such a trying year I think this holiday season will reflect more family and less office, more home made and less store bought and certainly more hand crafted and less mass produced gifts under many Christmas trees this year!

Art has always been a tricky thing to purchase as a gift (unless of course your friend or loved one happens to collect a certain artist) – it’s such a personal choice and sometimes comes with big price tag. The good news is that many galleries have what I call “Small Treasures” exhibitions that feature small, lower priced works and art objects by favorite artists. Many galleries also feature artistic and functional items this time of year – bowls, lovely glassware and Christmas themed works.

Some of the Galleries participating in gift themed exhibitions this year are The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center, The Atrium in Old Sacramento (including the Sebridge’s gallery that features blown glass) and my gallery, the Archival Gallery.

Other places to pick up one of a kind gifts are at the Artist’s Collaborative in Old Sacramento (featuring fabric and wood pieces year round) and the Crocker Art Museum Gift Shop (though the Museum is currently closed the online store is open) and the Blue Line Arts Gallery in Roseville.

The galleries are all practicing safe shopping – masks and social distancing are required, and many Museum stores and artists have websites and are happy to ship. Be sure to visit their websites or call to make sure hours have not changed due to COVID-19 precautions. Online gallery stores are a great and safe place to explore as well.

This is the year to support your local artists and find a one of a kind, special gift that will celebrate the true art of gift giving!

Here are some of the exciting art happenings going on this month.

Coming soon to the Axis Gallery, the 15th National Juried Exhibition (juried by Marcela Pardo Ariza). Show runs August 8 – 29, 2020 and features over 25 contributing artists.

ARTHOUSE on R Gallery and Studios is accepting applications for their Artist Studio for Rent. Click Here for information on the submission process.

This month I was honored to be the judge for the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center’s “Figurative Expressions” show which opens August 1 and runs through August 28. Click here to view the virtual tour.

There’s a lot going on at Verge Center for the Arts including Online Classes, Kids Summer Camps, plus free art activities you can download for young people to enjoy.

Learn about Sacramento’s Creative Edge Initiative – a program to gather priorities, expectations, and needs regarding the arts, culture, and creative economy in our region.

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Frida Kahlo. Her work is truly inspiring and groundbreaking, and I just found a virtual gallery tour you can take to see some of her work.

This summer, and showing through November 15, the Crocker Art Museum has received an installation of Al Farrow’s “The White House” – a sculpture made from guns, gun parts, shell casings, and steel measuring 69 x 77 x 36.

For more Art News plus the latest stories and videos, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and here at artladysacramento.com

Here are some of the exciting art happenings going on this month.

Axis Gallery: 15th National Juried Exhibition

The team at Axis Gallery invites artists to submit work to their 15th National Juried Exhibition, featuring juror Marcela Pardo Ariza. The exhibition is open to artists in all media. Click through to learn more about the submission process – deadline is June 1.

The history of the Federal Art Project

An interesting read on the history of the Federal Art Project and the challenges that artists of today are now facing to have their work seen and funded.

Online Art Classes with the Verge

The team over at Verge Center for the Arts has put together some online art classes to keep you busy during shelter-in-place. You can access virtual Verge Education courses in your own home through Zoom. Click through to see a list of upcoming classes and registration information!

Call For Artists: EV Charger Station Wraps in Sacramento

The City of Sacramento is looking for artists to design vinyl wraps for EV charger stations in midtown Sacramento. If you are interested in the requirements and process for this invitation, please click through to visit the website and submit your entry!

Put Your Life in a Picture Frame

Here are some of the exciting art happenings going on this month.

WASH 2020 Member Show Walk Through

The Watercolor Artists of Sacramento Horizons present a juried show April 7 through May 17, presented virtually in this video.

The Art-Filled Home of Tony Natsoulas

If you’ve ever wanted to see inside the home of local sculptor Tony Natsoulas, now’s your chance. His mid-century modern home was featured in a September 2019 article from Apartment Therapy. Enjoy today’s virtual art tour of Tony Natsoulas’ home.

Artist Relief

Here’s a resource that visual artists may find useful. This is a national resource that is providing grant opportunities to artists who are impacted by the quarantine. www.artistrelief.org/crisis

Virtual Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings

When you think architecture, you think Frank Lloyd Wright. His designs were true works of art that integrated into their natural surroundings. Here’s a great virtual tour you can take right now. Click through for The Spaces.