Female artists focus of exhibit during Women’s History Month
Susan McDonnell
Susan McDonnell is especially celebrated for her detailed botanical paintings and wildlife in its natural surroundings, often infused with a bit of magical realism. She received her bachelor of fine arts and masters of fine arts degrees from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Her paintings have been featured in solo and group shows in galleries throughout the U.S., including Sullivan Goss, Gallery Bergelli in Larkspur, Klaudia Marr Gallery in Santa Fe and Artbanque Gallery in Minneapolis.
Coinciding with Women’s History Month in March, “Real Women: Realist Art by American Women” is on view through March 29 at Sullivan Goss-An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St.
The works, which cover the last 90 years, feature drawing, oil painting, print-making and photography by local and regional artists along with national historical figures.
Among the artists in the exhibition are Susan McDonnell, Patricia Chidlaw, Leslie Lewis Sigler, Sarah Lamb and Dorothy Churchill-Johnson. Their works are shown here along with background information by Susan Bush, curator of contemporary art at the gallery.
Other artists are Niki Byrne, Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976), Martha Mayer Erlebacher (1937-2013), DJ Hall, Adonna Khare, Mary-Austin Klein, Laura Krifka, Jordan Marshall, Susan Savage and Beth Van Hoesen (1926-2010).
Leslie Lewis Sigler
Leslie Lewis Sigler, who was born in San Marcos, Texas, earned her bachelor of fine arts at the University of Texas in Austin. From there, she moved to Los Angeles to work as a graphic designer for an agency, but she continues to paint realistic still lifes of vintage Americana at night. In 2008, she moved to Santa Barbara. Three years later, she began painting the silver still life works that have fueled her rise at galleries in Los Angeles and New York.
Patricia Chidlaw
Growing up the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer, Patricia Chidlaw traveled widely in her youth. It may have been those formative experiences that tuned her into the particulars of local culture and the outsider perspective. In 1969, Ms. Chidlaw came to Santa Barbara to study art at UCSB. After graduation, she stayed and built up a reputation for her paintings of the Santa Barbara scene — the architecture, the landscape and still lifes on site. At one point, she was one of the more colorful members of the Oak Group. Today, she includes figures, even if they are often presented as removed or solitary.
email: mmcmahon@atimmisnewspress-com
FYI
“Real Women: Realist Art by American Women” is open for socially distant viewing through March 29 at Sullivan Goss-An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St. Visits are limited to eight mask-wearing guests at a time. The exhibition can also be viewed online. For more information, visit www.sullivangoss.com/exhibitions/real-women.
