Curator's Note - October 2010

The Blue Line Gallery is abuzz these days with visitors excitedly making their lists and checking them twice for this year’s LOTTERY FOR THE ARTS. As good as Christmas--better odds than your typical lottery!  You’ve got to stop in to see the amazing variety and depth of artwork donated by our generous and supporting artists for this year’s event. Larry and I will be here with our lucky ticket on October 8^th. We hope to see you here, too! (or we can be your proxy). Remember, EVERYBODY WINS!

And if you need additional  motivation to buy your Lottery ticket--something more than how amazingly fortunate you will be to take home a great piece of art:  Think about the fabulous educational programs you will be supporting.

·         Our exhibitions serve all ages - I can’t tell you how many high school students visited this past week to fulfill classroom assignments  .  .  .   Recently, a young mother visited our Children’s Open Show with her two young sons, ages 6 and 7. Both boys had entered work that was recognized by our juror, Linda Green, as outstandingly imaginative and finely rendered. I chatted with the mom and her young artists about their work and the awards (one brother won something, the other did not), and then I observed with delight as the mother walked the boys around Vern Peasenell’s show, engaging them in conversation about what they were observing and what they thought the artist might be trying to communicate .  .  .  And I thought, what a gift we are helping this mother give her sons. They will appreciate and enjoy visual art, yes. Even more importantly, they are learning to learn from art: how to observe, how to evaluate, how to develop their own thoughts about what they’re seeing, how to imagine and how to understand humanity .  .  . Sigh.

·         Our school tours are teaching students eager to learn about the art, the artists and the process of creating. 

·         Our Saturday afternoon children’s art activities, with projects aligned with California’s Visual Arts Content Standards, are drawing in children and families eager for the creative experience.

·         Our new after school children’s art studio has potential to serve even more children.

All these wonderful programs need enthusiastic leaders!  If you are interested in volunteering, give us a call. Check out member artist Ursula Johnson’s note on volunteering on our blog (find it in left column on our website home page).

Speaking of serving, if you tuned in to KVIE’s Art Auction last Saturday you may have seen how our generous member artists are contributing to the broader Sacramento arts community. Thank you again to Imi Lembrock-Hirschinger, Jim Hirschinger, Joe Strickland, Myron Stephens, Judi Stickney and Mya Louw for offering their fabulous artwork as the face of Blue Line Gallery.  I was extremely proud to be on air with their work representing our gallery and supporting the great programs we all love on KVIE.

I am always jazzed when I get out of the office, but especially when I make time to visit artist studios. Last week I had the pleasure to join Chris Daubert in his studio in Dixon. The energy in that shed was truly electrifying in more ways than one, as Chris and his assistants were putting finishing touches on the massive and meticulously designed wiring project that will come together as an electronic audio and visual installation at the Blue Line beginning October 16^th.  We are all in for a huge treat! Blue Line fans can see my photos of that visit on our Facebook page.

In closing, October is the month to be at the Blue Line Gallery! Between the Lottery for the Arts, all the amazing kids’ stuff going on and the fabulous exhibits opening--WOW! Be sure to mark you calendars!

See you at the Blue Line!

Beth Rohlfes