Curator's Note - August 2010

In your summer wanderings, I hope you’ve had the chance to experience the exciting range of activity happening at the Blue Line Gallery--from fabulous exhibitions to lively kids’ art camps to crazy creative fun with our “Mile of Tape” adventure during Roseville’s Downtown Tuesday Nights.  You can still catch the tail end of all this through August 14. Then we’ll turn you right around into three great new shows opening on the 21st.

Our “Juried Membership Show” is one of those summer shows you must see!  This amazing exhibit of work by 50 member artists opened in June to a large and receptive crowd and has enjoyed continuous praise from visitors and collectors alike.  Thanks to all those who participated in the call to artists for this show and to our honored jurors, Pamela Skinner and Gwenna Howard, who took on the daunting task of narrowing down the entries for this first-ever, fully-juried membership exhibit. The results are stunning!  Congratulations to everyone who helped make this show a success.

Also through August 14 you can still enjoy work by Native American children and examples of kids’ work from our summer camps. Participating families have expressed a real hunger for more of the same, so watch for our introduction of after school children’s art classes this fall.

Did you know that an important element of our exhibition goals is to provide inviting options for our member artists to show and sell their work and to compete for exhibitions and awards? You will see this reflected in our new Artist Auxiliary. This enhancement to our membership options distinguishes fine artist members from our general membership through a list of unique benefits and opportunities. These include participation in our online artist directory, exclusive exhibits and savings on other exhibit entry fees, lower gallery commissions on sales, teaching opportunities and discounts on artist workshop fees.

Hope to see you at the Blue Line Gallery on Saturday, August 21, for the opening of three new exhibits. Explore with me the meanings and visual sensations of Vernon Peasenell’s large-scale sculpture and oil paintings, the “Mixed Media” show by seven of our member artists and children’s expressions of what scares them most in our 8^th annual Children’s Open Show.

One last thought . . . In July, Newsweek referred to the drop in creativity in our elementary school youngsters, based on a credible and proven testing process. You all know the priority the arts need to play in our lives or you wouldn’t be reading this. Let’s make sure we set an example by dedicating time to be creative and to experience the arts in its many formats!

See you at the Blue Line,

 

Beth Rohlfes, Curator

P.S. Be sure to mark your calendars for October’s “Transfiguration” installation by Chris Daubert. This will stretch your minds in ways you cannot imagine!  Opening October 16^th.