Michelle Ranee Johnson and her family are longtime friends of mine, and I am a longtime admirer of Michelle’s vision and work. As a photographer and a geologist, she climbs high mountains to see what others cannot see. She captures perspectives and hidden treasures that we all miss.
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.
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.
Local entertainment photographer and filmmaker Steven Sanchez, who has covered many shows for KRL, recently released his first book, Rock and Roll For Everybody: A Photographic Tour of Today's Bands. We took a moment to chat with him about it this week.
By definition, a mixtape is “a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium,” and acts as a fitting metaphor for the work of Visalia artist Zachary Bland, both literally and figuratively. His work often involves a marriage of multiple mediums, much like a mixtape, and traces its origins from the object itself. Kings River Life spoke with Bland about mixed media, the vibrant Visalia art scene, and how art is a love letter.
The Spectrum Art Gallery is located in the Tower District of Fresno and officially came into existence in 1980--then known as simply the Spectrum Gallery. Its mission is to advance photography as an art form, foster understanding and support for those who create, enjoy and collect photography, and offer an accessible community space for activities and programs to meet the community’s needs.
Classic holiday tunes like “Santa, Baby” and “White Christmas” wafted through the cold, bright air, mingling with the mouth-watering aromas of Gerardo’s Tacos, Top Dogs, and the Meltdown Bistro.
When you first meet local photographer, poet extraordinaire, and expert interpreter Joe Osejo, you are struck by the modesty of this soft-spoken creative gentleman.
A year ago, Craig Scharton opened a little spot on the Fulton Mall where other businesses have tried and failed. As the chief advocate of downtown at City Hall, he decided to put his money and his life where his words had been for some time and he opened Peeves Public House.
Even though it is more known for its fruit than the arts, Reedley definitely has its fair share of artistic talent. Last year a new art gallery opened in downtown Reedley to showcase the talent of two artists--long time painter Paul Buxman, and photographer Andrew Shinn. We took a moment recently to chat with Andrew about the gallery. They hope to have an official grand opening this summer.
