Villa Montalvo
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Four Montalvo Artists Reflect on Organic Forms
The Gallery at Villa Montalvo presents an exhibition featuring work that represents a new direction or clarifies an established direction of four former Artist Residents. Working essentially unencumbered in a setting known for it's natural beauty has for some artists created a turn around moment, for others solidified a direction. "Four Montalvo Artists Reflect on Organic Forms" offers the public a glimpse into the essence of what it means to come to Montalvo for a residency.
The exhibition features Claire Beaulieu of Canada, Nicole Lenzi of Baltimore, Glen Rogers and Kerry Vander Meer of Oakland. All four reference organic forms. Ever since Kerry Vander Meer's stay at Montalvo her work has revolved around the beauty as well as the fragile ecological position of her topic of obsession--frogs. Glen Rogers, while at Montalvo, collected leaves and seed pods on her daily strolls; they show up in her luminous canvases as she explores the larger issues of nature, spirit and the interconnectedness of all things. Claire Beaulieu, also concerning herself with issues larger than our mere selves, devised a symbolic visual language where the leaf, the embryo and other references to gestation and fertility appear. And finally the rose, long a symbol of eternal love, is freshly explored in large scale charcoal and pastel drawings by Nicole Lenzi.
All four artists have won awards, honors and grants; they present a solid
exhibition record. Claire Beaulieu has shown in Montreal, Canada, Basel,
Switzerland and very recently in Mexico City. Glen Rogers too has shown
internationally, particularly her works on paper (prints). In 1997 she was
a SECA award nominee (SF MOMA). She has won Public Art Commissions in the
South Bay and is currently working on projects for the City of Richmond
and the City of Stockton. Nicole Lenzi too has worked extensively as a printmaker
and was included in "Small Impressions" the 1999 National Competition
and Traveling Exhibition. Kerry Vander Meer, among other group and solo
exhibitions was included in "Natural Selections" at The San Francisco
Arts Commission Gallery (1999).
Villa Montalvo's Artist Residency Program provides artists
with the gift of time and of solitude, essential elements to creativity.
Writers, visual artists, musicians and composers, filmmakers and playwrights,
architects, and artists working in new media are invited to submit applications
for free residencies at Villa Montalvo. Artists reside from one to three
months in fully-equipped apartments on the 175 acre estate of redwoods and
formal gardens. Visual artists receive studio space and composers are provided
grand pianos. Montalvo seeks an ethnically diverse and international community
of artists to broaden artistic perspectives and catalyze dialogue across
boundaries.
Read more about the Villa Montalvo in Resource Library Magazine.
rev. 1/15/11
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