new website and new blog

This is the last post to this blog site.

Art Works Downtown now has a NEW BLOG on their NEW WEBSITE!

Thank you for contributing and thank you for checking in!

~art works downtown

REDception!

Celebrate Valentine's Day during
2nd Fridays Art Walk:

REDception! Friday Feb 11 • 5-8pm

downtown Fourth St | San Rafael

RED food, RED drinks and RED art

COME DRESSED IN RED!

for full event listings + map, click HERE

Google Art Project

If you haven't heard about this yet, it is so cool! As artists, you might be particularly interested: Google has applied the same technology pioneered in Google Earth to virtually visit 17 of the world's most renowned museums and explore close up over 1,000 fine artworks.

http://www.googleartproject.com

Lisa Long
Studio 4

December events at AWD

Join Art Works Downtown this event-filled weekend!

2nd Fridays Art Walk
Friday December 10 • 5-8pm

featuring:
a reception for AWD Small Works show in the 1337 Gallery + Marin Jewelers Guild and a reception for Spare Time, works by our own program manager Stas Gibbs, in the Underground Gallery

 and...

Saturday and Sunday
December 11-12 • 11am-5pm
HOLIDAY OPEN STUDIOS

Visit 40+ artists in their studios!

Gifts for the holidays!
Refreshments!
Live Music!
validated parking at C St garage

in memoriam

Barbara Stewart, one of AWD's longtime supporters and original founders, passed away last week at age 88. 

Art Works Downtown gratefully acknowledges Barbara's generous contributions, her years of service as a Board of Directors and Advisory Board member, and her dedication to the arts in general.

Her obituary can be found HERE

Creativity is your Birthright!

This tuesday, Nov 2nd, is the 3rd session in a 4week class on creativity and painting called, "Creativity is your Birthright!" The class currently being held in the Art Work Out Room from 6 - 8pm and ends tuesday November 9th. All materials are provided and no experience in art is required. So far several intrepid painters from the community at large have stepped forward to let that brush touch the paper in uniquely personal expression of the intuitive side of the self.

To be continued. Back by popular demand probably after the holidays.

guerilla theater in the gallery!

alterTheater presents:

Intimate Apparel
by Lynn Nottage
directed by Ann Brebner
Sept 30 - Oct 24

starring: Rebecca Frank, Jeanette Harrison, Matt Jones, Dawn Scott, Nick Sholley, Erica Smith

production: Mia Baxter, Christine Crook, Will McCandless, Joel Eis, Richard Mosqueda,

quilt design: Leslie Martinson

Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's beautiful play about last chances at lifelong dreams is presented in the Art Works Downtown gallery at 1337 Fourth St on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October.

Don't miss it! Info, showtimes, and tickets available  HERE

ART TALK: Photographing in the Fields

AWD Art Talk
Saturday September 18 • 11am

Photographing in the Fields

Richard Steven Street on his exhibit
"American Peasantry: Life and Labor in the Fields of California"

Creating the most substantial and extended visual account of any single group of workers in America, photographers of California farm workers today have become, in effect, organizing tools as important to the farm worker struggle as politicians, picket captains, labor leaders, reporters, boycotts, and strikes.

As an award-winning photographer, historian and journalist specializing in California agriculture and agricultural labor, Richard Steven Street will discuss the adventures, techniques, lessons and circumstance of social documentary photography. He will focus on several specific images by relaying the circumstances behind them and how they relate to his overall body of work.

The author of a multi-volume history of California farmworkers, Richard Steven Street, PhD has photographed California farmworkers since 1975 and teaches "Liberation Photography" at the James Weldon Johnson Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Emory University.

Click HERE to read the Marin IJ article!

Please RSVP at 415.451.8119 or info@artworksdowntown.org

Science Tarot Launch Party Tickets Now On Sale

Hi folks -

For the last year and a half it has been my honor and pleasure to have been part of a collaborative project with several friends to create the SCIENCE TAROT - a complete tarot deck with images from the world of science. The project brings together compelling science, intriguing symbolism and beautiful artwork from talented artists.

It also brings together friends to help celebrate the launch of this huge, fascinating project!





On Thursday September 23 from 6:00 - 10:00 pm, the California Academy of Sciences will present a Night Life event around the theme of Science Tarot! Tickets are now ON SALE!

Science Tarot Night Life celebration
California Academy of Sciences
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
6:00 - 10:00 pm
Thursday, September 23

TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT: https://www.calacademy.org/event_tickets/index.php
Be sure to buy tickets for the correct date: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.
(The page defaults to today's date instead of this event date.)
Only $12! ($10 for members)

Please note: this is an adults-only event. (It's a friendly night-out vibe, but alcohol is served.) Also, it is VERY LIKELY TO SELL OUT.

You'll find artwork on display, tarot readers, drinks available for purchase, DJ music, circus performer entertainment, artists and Science Tarot creators in person, and all the attractions of the California Academy of Science.

You'll also find, for the first time, the Science Tarot available for purchase!

More info about Science Tarot: http://www.sciencetarot.com/

Please let me know if you have any questions.

We hope to see you there!



(in other news - new studio work in progress)

Pavlinac Solo Exhibit

Cindy Pavlinac has a solo exhibit of her fine art photography at the Numina Center for Spirituality and the Arts in Santa Rosa, CA through August 16. Sacred Places, Nature's Symmetry Celebrated, features French abbeys, Iona crosses, Scottish standing stones, international labyrinths, and Marin County waterfalls. This special invitational exhibit is part of the Numina Center’s Artful Afternoon Summer Chamber Music with the Locals series. There will be a gala reception for the artist on August 15 following the 4pm concert. Drop by and enjoy art photography and music together celebrating summer joie de vivre.

2nd Fridays Art Walk

This past 2nd Fridays Art Walk was certainly lively!

Aside from featured events at numerous downtown venues, there were 2 receptions at Art Works Downtown: "Realm of Dreams" featuring Phyllis Thelen and Barbara Andino-Stevenson and "SPIRITZ" featuring sculptures by Zwanda plus the Art Walk also featured a djembe drum circle led by Terry Garthwaite and beautiful "flour" art on the sidewalk, courtesy of artist Tim Armstrong.

Click HERE for images of Tim Armstrong's sidewalk art on our Facebook page.

AWD also led a tour from Way to Go! San Rafael to visit all the Art Walk destinations. Here's a blog post from one of the participants: CLICK HERE

And here's another article from San Rafael Patch, the new local online portal: CLICK HERE

Don't miss 2nd Fridays Art Walks, you never know what you will discover!

Check the webpage the week before 2nd Friday to see what's in store!

Merlin’s Art Walkies

AWD studio dog Merlin had his Summer Art Festival Walkies road trip report featured as the Marin Art Council’s blog of the week!
Go see!

Marin County Fair

I will have some jewelry on exhibit at the county fair, however I will be out of town on Tuesday July 6th - the day we are supposed to pick stuff up. Is anybody else going up there who could also retrieve some bracelets pour moi?

Marin's new POET LAUREATE

Congratulations to our own studio artist: CB ('Lyn) Follett
for being selected as Marin County's new Poet Laureate!

Poet, mixed-media artist, publisher, and winner of the 2001 National Poetry Book Award, CB Follett of Sausalito, has been named Marin County's new poet laureate. The Marin Poet Laureate serves as an ambassador for poetry for a two year term with the goals of raising awareness of poetry and heightening an appreciation of the art form.


Visit 'Lyn in Studio 5 at Art Works Downtown or at arctospress.com

for more info: Marin IJ article
and Marin Arts Council program page

Marin Art Festival Master Artist

Art Works Downtown is proud that this year's Master Artist at Marin Art Festival 2010 is preeminent artist and AWD founder Phyllis Thelen! Congratulations, Phyllis! Please visit Marin Art Festival on June 19-20 to view her body of work and celebrate this honor! Click HERE for more info.

Art Car at AWD

In case anyone missed our fabulous Art Car we had in front of AWD during May Madness/Open Studios/Art of the Automobile...

created by Scottie Collinson entirely out of recycled automotive parts:

May is AUTOMOBILE month!

In conjunction with several automotive events in
San Rafael this May,

Art Works Downtown presents:

Art of the Automobile
April 29 - June 4

Join us for the

Racing Reception • Saturday May 8 • 6-9pm

featuring spectacular auto art, amazing automobiles,
festive crowds, a raffle, refreshments and more!

also during May:

check out MARIN ARTS OPEN with

over 37 AWD artists opening their studios

first 2 weekends in May!

May 1+2 and May 8+9 • 11am-6pm

May Madness Classic Car Parade

Saturday May 8 • 12-6pm • Parade 5pm

downtown Fourth St

Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Saturday May 16 • 9am-4pm

Marin County Fairgrounds

Enter our RAFFLE!

Win a pass for a high-performance driving experience at Infineon Racetrack from: 

"Art Day" at San Pedro School

Over 100 students from Kindergarten through third grade will be on the San Pedro Elementary School campus Saturday, April 3rd from 10:00 to 1:00 participating in Art Day. Students and families will be dancing, working with pastels, making mosaic picture frames, and designing their own canvas bags.  Students will rotate through all of the different art stations.

"Art Day" is a free activity provided by Art from the Heart in partnership with Art Works Downtown, San Rafael-based nonprofits dedicated to enriching the lives of our community through art.

Art From the Heart comes to San Pedro’s after-school program twice a month to provide free art activities, but because kindergarten and most third grade students don't participate in the after-school program, "Art Day" brings an opportunity for these students to experience the arts.

Art from the Heart is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization reaching out to children of low-income families by providing after-school enrichment programs. The program gives children the opportunity to be actively involved in the arts – they become the artist, the performer, and the audience member.

Art from the Heart is focused on children in need, who might otherwise not have the opportunity to take music, voice, art, dance classes or to see a live performance. Its goal is to empower these children, build their self-confidence, and give them the opportunity to develop an appreciation and love of the arts.

Art from the Heart was founded 2007; however the partners, Kathy Eggert and Sheila Jones, possess years of experience working with children and the arts.  

 

A little help from my friends -

The spring fundraising season is upon us and it seems like there are events popping up everywhere. An annual event I support is the Blue Jean Ball. Proceeds go to support Integrated Community Services, a Marin agency that serves people with developmental disabilities. ICS has made a hugh difference in my son Ben's life. The movie club they sponsor has been instrumental in getting Ben out of the house and into the mall, independently navigating the social networking skills we so often take for granted. Last year several artists donated gift cards and we created a beautiful gift basket with one of a kind stationery and calligraphy pens. We also received several beautiful prints. I hope you'll consider making a donation this year. The Blue Jean ball is May 1st.

ArtReachOut reaches out!

Today I taught the first class, "Painting with the Right Brain", to focus on the awesome combination of painting and creativity. The class is a result of a collaboration between AWDT, the College of Marin and the Marin County Office of Education. Several students from the special day class at COM came to AWDT for their first of 8 painting classes to be held this spring in the Art Work Out Room monday mornings. In these lean and mean times somehow we have found a spark to ignite that awesome combination of enthusiasm and art education. Where there is a need and a will to serve magic happens!