Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Art Works Downtown in San Rafael, CA has installed a new piece of public art in downtown San Rafael to honor 9-11 victims.  The steel sculpture is called "On the Rise: a 9-11 Tribute" by sculptor, Matt Rapalyea.  Rapalyea is very active in the Santa Rosa Public Art community.  Rapalyea writes, "I find deep pleasure in creating and sharing a response with my art."  Rapalyea has been featured in several 2nd Fridays Art Walks at the MFA Art Space at Marin Fencing Academy located at the east end, at 827 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA.  The installation was coordinated by AWD Program Director, Stan Gibbs.  Stan works with the City of San Rafael and the BID to coordinate programs for the betterment of the community.  The AWD Public Art program began with founder, Phyllis Thelen, and was passed on to  Gibbs to carry on the co-ordination of this program that provides art for public discourse and enjoyment.  To learn more about the AWD Public Art program, visit here >  To send a letter of inquiry, become involved with our Public Sculpture program, donate funds, or send a thank you for Public Art efforts, contact us >              If you go... San Rafael's Town Center Plaza 1010 Court Street, off of Fourth Street view map >

WHEN?

FRIDAY, September 7, 2012 from 9am until 5pm

WHERE?

Downtown San Rafael (plus San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and LA)

WHAT?

Take 5: Art Break Day takes place each year on the FIRST FRIDAY in September. Cities from around California gather together as a community in order to provide an ART BREAK for everyone! Everyone is invited to sit down, take a break, and make art for FREE!

Admission: FREE!

Help spread the word, participate by taking an Art Break in Town Center Plaza, volunteer to help, or donate to this great event: www.artbreakday.com

A very large work, more than 5 feet in diameter is a ceramic world of mountainous peaks, valleys and nooks filled with live succulents and water that trickles throughout the piece.  Andino-Stevenson has included her new ceramic whistles, which are characters who could certainly live in this earthy, clayscape, but they stand alone as impressive and highly detailed ceramic collectibles.

A must see!  The Library staff shared this week that many have been snapping photos daily with their iPhones and small cameras.  They noted that this is really a unique type of exhibit for the Library and that it should be seen to be enjoyed.  San Rafael photographer, Margot Duane, of Margot Duane Images, had the opportunity to visit the exhibit this week and has provided photos. 

All photos © Margot Duane Images and should not be reproduced or used outside of this document with out permission

There's still space in two of our Summer Art Camps during July and August.
Please see the flyer below and contact instructors directly, or come into Art Walk Downtown,
Tuesday-Saturday, 10 - 5pm for more information.  Have a creative and relaxing Summer!

Art Works Downtown's gallery has been voted BEST GALLERY in Pacific Sun's Best of Marin Readers Poll for the last 2 years. We've won in previous years but it's nice to be appreciated again in 2011 and 2012. We owe our gallery's fine reputation to our stellar Show Committee, a group of art professionals who donate their time to plan, decide and schedule our exhibits throughout the year. 

This year's Best of Marin theme is The Beatles.
Check out AWD's managing director and program manager doing their best John & Yoko impersonation!

Movement is afoot at Art Works Downtown!

As we plan ahead to wrap up our longstanding building projects mandated by the City, a flurry of changes prompted us to make a number of opportune moves this and last weekend to jumpstart what we hope is the end of the construction.  Some moves are temporary,  some are permanent.

Behind Marin Jewelers Guild, four artists were asked to temporarily vacate while we fireproofed the ceiling in 1331. The work is wrapping up this week and the artists will enjoy a new ceiling and updated lighting when it is finished.

In the meantime . . .  after years of planning, designing, and fundraising, a major project at the east end of the building finally received approval and we expedited a few moves in the building in order to accommodate some of the valued services in our building.

Some of the moves included: CB Follett, our own Poet Laureate, downscaling to one studio, which opened up an opportunity for a downstairs studio artist, Susan McCormick, to expand upstairs into the newly numbered studio 7.  As well, at the same time her studio-mate vacated, Susan Searway decided to go solo and move into Susan McCormick's former studio 18. 

In the east end of the building, fire and safety codes mandated that we reposition the stairway to allow people in the basement to exit to street-level Fourth St. This project, however, would affect the two anchor businesses on that side of the building: Framing Interiors and Sweet Spirit Ceramics Center. In order to keep the impact to their businesses to a minimum, we helped Steve Mack move his frame shop into the downstairs classroom for the interim so he could continue to operate. We also moved all our classes into Susan and Shari's former studio 24 in order for regular art classes to continue. And Barbara Stevenson's ceramic classes will share time between studio 24 and the Founders Lounge for next few months.

Two artists had also left at the beginning of the year which prompted some other moves. Phyllis Thelen was able to expand studio 12 into an adjoining space, to share with Wendy Lilienthal. And our board secretary, Marilyn Greenblat, moved into studio 8 upstairs.

This final stairway and entry project is expected to take a few months as we also wrap up all the other construction throughout the building. The AWD staff, artists, residents, business owners and the board of directors look forward to when the construction will finally be finished, and when the 2 levels of the art center in our 135-year old building become current with all the City's fire, safety, and ADA requirements.

For a current list of AWD studio artists, CLICK HERE >

For an interactive MAP of all the studios, CLICK HERE >

Art Works Downtown will be open Christmas Eve Dec 24th from 10am- 4pm

CLOSED from December 25 - January 2

Jan 2 - Jan 6 - last week of Small Works exhibit

Happy Holidays!

California Arts Council Announces the Baulines Craft Guild as a 2010-2011 Creating Public Value Recipient

Grant will benefit the local community through relationships and relevance

SACRAMENTO – The California Arts Council announces that the Baulines Craft Guild will receive a 2010-11 Creating Public Value grant of $8,000. The Baulines Craft Guild, located in San Rafael was one of 87 organizations that submitted the strongest proposals to enrich their local communities through the arts.

The grant was given to develop a collaborative project with Art Works Downtown of San Rafael to provide after-school classes to middle school students as well as workshops and Master classes for adults in a wide range of art and craft mediums.

“These organizations provide outstanding opportunities in the arts for diverse groups of Californians,” said Marilyn Nielsen, Interim Director of the California Arts Council, of all the Creating Public Value grant recipients. “We’re pleased to have them represent the Creating Public Value program by bringing a wide variety of arts experiences to communities across California.”

The Creating Public Value program seeks to promote the positive impact of the arts in the lives of all Californians by supporting small arts organizations in rural and underserved communities in which geography, economic conditions, ethnic background, or disability hinder access to the arts. The Baulines Craft Guild demonstrated how they plan to use funding to support new and expanded programs that will benefit the communities it serves through criteria known as “The Three R’s:” Relationships (by building partnerships); Relevance (to the community by increasing public participation); and Return on Investment (by promoting the organization’s social and economic impact).

Funding for this program comes in part from the sale of Arts License Plates, a specialty plate designed by renowned California artist Wayne Thiebaud with a sunset and palm tree motif. If there were a million Arts License Plates on California roadways, California would have $40 million for the arts. (More information is available at www.artsplate.org.)

For more information about the Creating Public Value program, contact the California Arts Council's Information Officer Mary Beth Barber at (916) 322-6588, (916) 835-5580 (cell) or mbarber@cac.ca.gov. Additional information may be found on the California Arts Council’s website at www.arts.ca.gov

AWD and EMW present:

new! Wine Tasting Experience during 2nd Fridays Art Walk 

Next Art Walk: FRIDAY August 12 • 5-8pm

Art Walk is a FREE monthly event that connects 30+ venues up and down Fourth St every 2nd Friday of the month. Enjoy art exhibits, art studios and featured entertainment as you stroll up and down Fourth St.

To support this community event and to enjoy award-winning wines, purchase Wine Tasting Tickets. $10 for 5 tastings, $20 for 12 tastings.
ADVANCE tickets  are available online HERE (credit cards) or at the following locations (cash/checks):

• Art Works Downtown • 1337 Fourth St
• Aurora Art Studios • 1350 Fourth St
• Donna Seager Gallery • 851 Fourth St
• FolkArt Galler y • 1321 Fourth St
• Marin Jewelers Guild • 1331 Fourth St
• Pleasures of the Heart • 1310 Fourth St
• Rileystreet Art Supply • 1128 Fourth St
• Room Gallery • 1320 Fourth St • Rebound Bookstore • 1611 Fourth St
• Sabor of Spain • 1310 Fourth St
• Terra Firma Gallery • 1130 Fourth St

Tickets will also be available at all Wine Tasting venues and Rafael Town Center Plaza during the event.

For a map, event listings and more info: www.2ndFridaysArtWalk.com

You must be 21+ to consume wine

WHEN?

FRIDAY, September 2, 2011 from 9am until 5pm

WHERE?

Downtown San Rafael (plus San Francisco, Richmond, Berkeley, and Oakland)

Admission: FREE!

Help spread the word, participate by taking an Art Break in Town Center Plaza, volunteer to help or donate to this great event: www.artbreakday.com