Taking its name from the Roman goddess of orchard fruit – who was also a wood nymph, watching over people, places and homes – Pomona’s Art Colony pays tribute this month to the great feminine worker-deity whose beauty is only rivaled by the quickness of her pruning knife.
Kicking things off, the dA Center for the Arts presents an array of Pomona interpretations from over two dozen artists in a multitude of mediums to create a roomful of goddess goodness. Likewise, EVE Gallery will be packed to the rafters with goddess love for “Pomona,” an art show and tribute to both the lady and the land. www.dacenter.org; www.facebook.com/pages/The-EVE-Gallery
The Main Street Gallery gets into the worshipping of the female form, as well, with “Live Drawing of the Nude,” featuring works in pencil, charcoal, pastel, oil, acrylic and bronze from Leslie Brown, Ron Brown, Walter Christensen, Charles Fogg, Yi Kai, Karen S. Kauffman, Joy McAllister, Shirley McWorter-Moss, Mene Ortega, Dan Petro, Bradford Smith, Thomas Stubbs, Leslie Thornton and others, with some specialized work on loan from private collections. At the Bunny Gunner Gallery, ceramist Gina Lawson Egan shows off her personal goddess powers in “365: One a Day,” which literally means she made one piece of pottery every day for a year – now that’s divine dedication! www.bunnygunner.com
Over at the Metro Art Gallery, the works of David Artavia are curated by Dennis Jordan into “Expression of the Soul,” for a likeminded other-worldly, spirit-driven exhibit spotlighting Costa Rican images and fantasies. And artist Rebecca Niederlander curates the AC Projects’ impressive “Nothing Comes Out of the Ground Straight” group show that gives a nod to Pomona’s cultivation skills with an exhibition about tilling, nurturing and the inevitable destruction before and after the abundance. Participating artists include Kristin Calabrese, Tibbie Dunbar, Olga Koumondouros, Carol Francis Lung, Siobhan McClure, Naida Osline, Amy Sarkasian, Anne-Elizabeth Sobieski, Kim Turner and Alexandra Wiesenfeld, with performances by Nancy Popp. www.downtownpomona.org; www.andicampognone.com
And last but not least, Erns Valdez of the Loft Beats Gallery is taking this whole growth and renewal thing very seriously by kicking off the grand opening of the Urban Coral Gallery, a new collective space featuring up-and-coming resident artists Alex Torrez, Vincent Landreth, Chelsea Burdick, Jessica Delker, WHO?DiNi 1692 and others who’ll learn all aspects of displaying, promoting and selling their work to ensure that “big break” is on its way. But that’s not all – Erns is on a hot roll right now, also curating the new show at the dba256 Wine Bar Lounge, “It’s Our Time Down Here,” with live music at the opening reception by V. Syd and Taelor Duran of Valora, and hosting a Loft Beats art and music showcase on the rooftop of the Fox Theater. It’s all about the gifts of life, love and people – so get your spirits on and come join the celebration! www.loftbeats.com
Continuing from last month:
American Museum of Ceramic Art’s “Patti Warashina : Wit and Wisdom,” www.amoca.org ;“Pomona Goddess Festival” at 57 Underground, www.57underground.com.
- Stacy Davies, art critic for OC and IE Weekly |
