ANN SAVAGEAU:

GUARDIANS: SPIRITS OF PROTECTION

MARCH 16 THROUGH APRIL 27

Ann Savageau is a mixed-media artist and teacher whose career spans over 45 years. Her work focuses on the intersection of the natural and manmade worlds. It is in this space that she finds the most interesting issues, processes, and statements. She focuses on the natural materials and manmade detritus that are routinely discarded as worthless, combining, and transforming them into new entities that bear the marks of their origins, history and alteration. The underlying theme in Savageau’s work is the inherent worthiness of all matter and rejection of a hierarchy of values, and the urgent need to take the necessary steps to preserve our ecosystem.

Ann began creating the guardian spirits of protection series in 2018 after the death of her sole surviving child, as a way of coping with the profound loss of her three children. The project took 2 ½ years to complete; as Ann worked, she expanded the content to include protection from climate change, species extinction, the COVID pandemic, social injustice, and war. The seventeen life-size figures of animals and humans are composite beings fashioned from castoff materials, including driftwood, and found objects. The Guardians messages of loss, grief and healing are intended to inspire the viewer and it is Ann’s hope the element of community involvement will enrich and deepen the Guardians installation at the Morris Graves Museum of Art.

Drops and Tints: Metal Pincushion (Sondra Schwetman & Patrick Williams) 

January 17 through March 3

Schwetman functions as the political action committee of Metal Pin Cushion being that as a woman she has to function in the ‘lightly’ mad world of the patriarchy that we all find ourselves living under. Direct shifts between two series: clothing-based work and allegorical figures, constructs wary protests and the jaded observations of a southeast Texan refugee.  Working in fibers, fiberglass, bronze and steel the pieces are created to start a dialog about the human condition, particularly women’s issues from reproductive rights to creativity. Works such as “S.O.S” and “Witness” use black and white to denote the rearisen classic American issue of class dominance through non abstract racism. The allegorical figures are created using body casts, the tasteful figures are life scale and tend to be installed works rather than discrete objects.

Williams’ work consumes found mass gathered between time spent in nature and the man made. Organization of silk and driftwood pulls new organic forms out and into home and gallery space. The works reference wings, sails, insects and some said movement many taking advantage of the corner as site. The colorful wood and fiber constructions are conceived with vague fun and a tidy menace as visual options. They are often named after passages in books such as example work “Tuxedo from a dead man’s closet”. Williams’ work ranges in scale from the very intimate to fairly large. The corner dependent pieces tend to be larger.

Together the works create an array of features and visually tensioned object and situations. The title “Drops and Tints” refers to the unused ends of materials as well as life sometimes viewed through a rose-colored glass. Other times the glass is not so rosy or just plain half full.

We splash carnage and roughed up social flags in as much of a space as possible.

“SPRING IN EUREKA”

AN EXHIBITION BY

MARY SPRING

In The Bettiga Gallery

December 2nd,2023 - February 11th, 2024

Mary Spring is a new artist to the Morris Graves Art Museum. For as long as she can remember, color has always been a very important part of her life. She was raised in New Hampshire, where the fall foliage was intoxicating with the bright reds and oranges, versus the contrasting gentle greens of springtime. Mary states “I graduated from the childhood use of crayons, to experimenting with oils and watercolors as a young adult.” Although, Mary never got serious about painting until she was in her 50’s.

Just recently, Mary saw an advertisement for a program on PBS-KEET, about a TV program titled, “What’s on your Bucket list?” Her list included having her own art exhibit. She applied, and was accepted, but scheduling difficulties prevented that segment from happening. Mary was thrilled when notified that Morris Graves Museum was still interested in helping her check an exhibit off her list.

So here she is, 70 years old, presenting to you a small collection of her works in oils and watercolors. Mary states, “I have no special style of painting, I just paint what I see.” Join us at Arts Alive on December 2nd from 6-9pm and catch a glimpse of these amazing pieces!

OFF THE WALL EXHIBITION

&

FIRST LOOK FUNDRAISER

Off the Wall will be a fundraiser for the HAC from the Natsoulas Collection, a collection of curated pieces from contemporary west-coast artists that embody the essence of California.  

This unique event is a great opportunity for new and seasoned collectors alike to purchase original art at affordable prices ($100-$1000) that is ready to hang at their home or office. The event opens with a ticketed reception called First Look on Friday, October 27th, 2023 at 5:30 PM where guests will have access to purchase art on opening night as they enjoy an array of food and sip on a glass of wine or beer. Art will be available to take Off the Wall, after purchasing, and taken home the night of the event and during the duration of the exhibition.

First Look tickets are available to all for just $50. All proceeds from the Off the Wall Exhibition & First Look Fundraiser will benefit the HAC and MGMA.

Featured artists will include (but are not limited to!!!), Kerry Rowland-Avrech, Floyd Bettiga, Julie Smiley, George Van Hook, Laura Hohlwein, and Philippe Gandiol.  

The sale and exhibition of work continues October 28th,2023 through February 24th, 2024 in the Anderson Gallery during regular museum hours Wednesday-Sunday, noon-5pm.

NOELLE COX:

UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE

JANUARY 20 THROUGH FEBRUARY 25

Through the motions of life, on the surface, shiny and clean, but just beneath, there is a storm, she rumbles and swirls. 

This is a showing of 20 years of expression and digestion.

Born in 1979, she lived a moderate childhood with 2 loving parents, and one younger sister. Youth for Noelle was steeped in the SoCal culture of entertainment, brimming with tanning beds, diet, pills, hair, bleach, and boob jobs. Luckily, she took her chance to escape here in Humboldt, where the “grass is greener,” but still, she was not left unscathed. This culture, or the lack thereof, had a huge impact on how she learned to see herself and the world. Noelle believes that it is important for a people to feed a healthy culture and knows that and essential part of that ingredient is honesty. Dealing with the emotional impact of an artificial culture, the unrealistic expectations and self-judgment will never be fully wiped clean. Instead, she says, “I’ve learned to manage ‘the storms’ with a paint brush.” Raw and intense, come witness the 20-year journey of a woman, mother, and lover, The artist named Noelle.