Santa Barbara exhibit to run Nov. 19 through Jan.8
Tom Peck’s “Oaks in the Vineyards,” oil on canvas.
All 28 juried members of 10 West Gallery are participating in the gallery’s seventh annual holiday show from Nov. 19 through Jan. 8.
The exhibit will feature an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1 during the 1st Thursday Art Walk.
The art will vary from abstracts to works of realism to urban landscapes. The creations also include sculptures, paintings and digital media.
For the past six years, part of the annual holiday show has been the Mata Ortiz pottery market, featuring hand-crafted ceramic vessels from the small artisan village of Mata Ortiz, in Northern Chihuahua, Mexico.
The artist community of fewer than 2,000 residents developed its skills based on ancient Paquime pottery sherds found in the nearby mountains. Since the 1960s, the residents have passed on these skills from generation to generation. Selling their pottery is currently the sole economy of the village, once a lumber town before the removal of the railroad.
As the techniques are passed down, many of the younger generation of potters have introduced their own contemporary designs while keeping to the traditional Paquime methods and materials of craftsmanship. But many of the artisans continue to produce the cultural designs of those who once lived on their lands.
10 West noted that most of the clays and pigments are still dug from the mountains surrounding the village.
Each fall, Rebecca Russell and her husband Frederick (longtime Mata Ortiz specialists), and/or Jan Ziegler and her husband Mark Walker (10 West Gallery principals) travel to the village to meet the artists, purchase their works and bring the pottery home by car to Santa Barbara.
“Art galleries are not just for art buyers and collectors,” said Ms. Ziegler, the 10 West Gallery director, in a news release. “We also serve as ambassadors, increasing awareness of the importance of the visual arts in society. Artwork is meant to be seen and enjoyed by all.
“I love working the gallery’s front desk, helping people discover the talent of our Santa Barbara area artists. So many viewers have commented about the quality and variety of the work.”
email: dmason@newspress.com
FYI
The annual holiday show will run Nov. 19 through Jan. 8 at 10 West Gallery, 10 W. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days. It opens at noon on Sundays and is closed on Tuesdays.
An opening reception for the holiday show will take place 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 1 during the 1st Thursday Arts Walk.
For more information, go to www.10westgallery.com.
