2020 has been a rough year for everyone and the arts community have definitely been struggling to find ways to still share their gifts with the community and to keep going financially. We recently chatted with Michelle Goans, the Gallery Director at Arts Visalia, to find out how they have been doing.
For the past seven months, we’ve been on a seemingly never-ending emotional roller coaster ride and for many, these feelings have become commonplace. We’ve been bombarded from all directions by social unrest, political upheaval, international health crises, natural disasters, and deep personal loss. Our schedules, diets and sleep cycles have been disrupted. In short, the world has been thrown for a loop.
As the pandemic-induced shutdown closed businesses across the nation last March, the Fresno Art Museum (FAM) shuttered itself to the public for the first time in 72 years. But behind those closed doors, the museum is alive and well, preparing for a show-stopping reopening later in the fall. Kings River Life spoke with FAM’s Executive Director, Michele Ellis Pracy, to discover what’s been happening behind the scenes at the Fresno Art Museum.
In the current state of our world everyone is having to be creative, and the entertainment industry has done an amazing job of that. Some theatre companies are managing to put on shows using Zoom or YouTube, musicians are doing online concerts, there are virtual tours through museums, conventions are having streaming panels, and art galleries are also having virtual exhibits. Spectrum Art Gallery in Fresno is currently having an online exhibit called Stay @ Home and we chatted with their current curator Jesse Merrell recently to learn more about it. Jesse is also on the Board of Directors and heads the Exhibition Committee.
This week we are interviewing Fresno artist Carren McDaniel. She also writes and illustrates children's books, and makes t-shirts and masks were a portion of the sales go to help support local animal rescues (100% of the mask sales go to local rescues). I got to know her through her masks, which are wonderful! If you are looking to purchase a mask that is not only cute, but helps make a difference, I highly recommend Carren's which can be found on her Creative Design by Carren website, along with other items.
Sometimes it feels as though we have overdosed on digital imagery. Good or bad, it’s everywhere. Animated billboards. Movies. Selfies. TV commercials. Magazines. It’s fast, easy, and fairly inexpensive.
Recently KRL checked in with several local theatre companies to see how shelter-in-place was affecting them and what people could do to help. This week we checked in with several local artists that KRL has featured in the past to see how they are doing. While this is only a small handful of the many artists in the area, I am sure if your favorite artist isn’t listed they would be happy to have you reach out to them on social media.
This past week this year's Rogue Festival Muse was revealed. It was created by local artist Kristina Stork. The Muse is chosen by the Rogue Festival's Executive director, who this year is Amber Strid.
Willow Bellamy is an artist. She’s also a witch with the ability to enter an artist’s soul via a painting or sculpture. With her friends, Astrid and Pepper, they form a small, informal coven. Willow hosts paint and sip parties—she sets up the still life, easels, and supplies the paints. There are snacks and drinks.
The Central Valley, known for its agricultural riches, is also home to a thriving art community, thanks in no small part to the Alliance of California Artists, an organization that has been dedicated to fostering education in the arts in the Valley for almost two decades.
