​You are invited to "Inherited Patterns and Watershed Moments"
Join exhibiting artist Doris Bittar, Nina Karavasiles and Ruth Wallen in an informative discussion about their work in the show by Public Art artists called DesEscondido at the
California Center for the Arts in Escondido.
​340 N. Escondido Blvd.
Sunday October 21st at 1:00

Luis’s participation will consist of 2 events, a series of sculptures called MY FAMILIA and an art event called Trans-National Cempazuchitl Express (A live art event-performa-video piece).


Gerda is producing a poetry book inspired in the work of all 16 participating artists.


More info about Luis’s sculptures
https://www.artworkarchive.com/artwork/luis-ituarte


The exhibit will open at 6 pm on September 28 and will run through November 18.

The "founding exhibition of our collective: Critical Ground launched last week at Pacific Grove Art Center (four local women artists doing very different work but with the same, nearly ridiculous, amount of dedication) and we all met the challenge... ”It is, in short, about technology, communication technology, changing technology, e-waste even.”

Look for it soon, opening September 28th!

The Klines have curated “Beyond the Age of Reason”, an exhibit at the San Diego Art Institute from September 1 thru October 31.

Featured Artists:
Eleanor Antin, Wayne Martin Belger, Adam Belt, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Einar de la Torre, Jamex de la Torre, Stephen Douglas, Steve Eilenberg, Scott Froschauer, Dave Ghilarducci, Cole Goodwin, Ichiro Irie, Beliz Iristay, Paula Levine, Maria Munroe, Cheryl Nickel, Sean Noyce, Ruben Ochoa, Erika Rothenberg, and Kristine Schomaker.

Beyond the Age of Reason brings together a diversity of artists who contemplate how faith meshes with contemporary life, the role of ritual and symbolism, and the metamorphosis of traditional symbols as they become immersed in popular culture. Using materials and principles of design that place them firmly in the world of contemporary art, this show incorporates both traditional media and modern technologies.

As SDAI guest curators, Debby and Larry Kline selected works and designed an exhibition that offers visitors the chance to explore the visual and cultural influence of religion on art. They discuss more details of the show and their process below:

Beyond the Age of Reason Reflects the Past, Present, and Future
Throughout history, artists and their images have played an integral part in shaping religion while religious leaders have found power in pictures; often commissioning artists to create works to validate or nullify beliefs. Beyond the Age of Reason acknowledges these historical underpinnings of faith-based iconography as the exhibition’s individual artists put this iconography through its full range of plastic possibilities.

The exhibition is all about faith, and how it meshes with popular culture. Most often, faith has to do with things beyond reason. All of the artists in the show are dealing with some issue of spirituality: whether making a statement, raising a question, evidencing a struggle. They’re often dealing with the difference between myth and truth, the romantic world verses the observable world. Some of the artists may not adhere to the faith they were raised in, but they continue to use the religious iconography that’s familiar to them. The iconography remains part of who they are, regardless of their current belief system.

Closeup of "Leela," with "Portrait of a Woman in a Green Dress" in the background.
​Photo by Lynn Susholtz.

Bhavna was artist-in-residence at the Timken Museum in Balboa Park during the month of June. During her residency she created "Leela – Portrait of A Woman in a Green Dress," a 3-dimensional artwork on display throughout the summer, echoing the Timken's "Portrait of a Lady" by Bartolomeo Veneto. The exhibit will be on display through September 16.

For photos and a video documenting her construction of this striking artwork, visit her website at http://www.bhavnamehta.com/leela.html.

Doris is in a collaborative exquisite corpse exhibit at the Institut de Monde Arabe in Paris. (See photo of her piece.) There is a video that describes and explains her contribution in the context of the other Arab artists who participated.

Doris also says that she and Melissa Smedley have a report from Denmark that they are working on. Melissa is making short videos that describe the Happenings called Storming the Wall that they created at the Roskilde Festival last week, with two moms, one dad, and lots of young people in tow. They rocked and swayed to St. Vincent and Eminem.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that still resonates.  The curator for Judy Chicago's show at the Pasadena Museum of California Art gave an excellent talk utilizing stories that were rich and real.  Afterwards, Judy spoke at the Pasadena Women’s City Club, sold her books with proceeds going to the Museum, and stayed for an elegant reception—mouth-watering brownies got me.    Judy is a trailblazer who said that she did what she felt she had to do.  And, initially did not focus in on the impact because she spent most of her time in her Pasadena studio.  She recalled that when she was teaching, for some reason, she did not have to go to faculty meetings.  We all laughed when she said, "Initially I did not get why they did not want me to attend." A young woman shared the challenges she was facing, for example, dealing with people who she believed did not like her and criticized her work.  Judy listened intently and responded, “I did not become an artist to be liked.”  My life applauds meeting her as my brain is still stuck in What just happened?  She has an upcoming exhibit in Santa Monica and at least three more exhibits within the next couple of years.  ​

Poetry will be walking, talking, singing and dancing in Pasadena this coming weekend, May 18-20. I hope that you are available to attend based on your schedule.
​
There are three events:
1. Luis Ituarte Open Studio and Exhibit (of his New sculptures) on Friday, May 18, 5-10 p.m. with poetry readings (Annette Wong, Beverly Lafontaine and I) and music from 8-10 p.m. at his Studio “La Linea Curva” and Galeria ANEXA at the Flintridge Center, 236 W. Mountain Street, Pasadena, 91103 and on Saturday, May 19, 10-6 p.m., (no poetry readings) Sunday, May 20, 10-6 p.m. with poetry readings between 3:00-5:00 p.m from Bonnie Kaplan, Carla Sameth and I). We will be premiering a video of the Pasadena Rose Poets' reading: (1) Huntington event, (2) City Council meetings, (3) Poetry Within Reach in Unexpected Places noon time series (January-April 2018) and (4) a clip from my reading at the Escondido City Council Meeting on April 18, 2018.

2. LitFest Pasadena in the Playhouse District, “Litfest Outer Limits: Poets: The Bright Light of Community @ Stand Restaurant Courtyard, Saturday, May 19, from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. I will be reading with 13 other local poets including Hazel Clayton Harrison (one of the Altadena Poets Laureate, member, Pasadena Rose Poets), Carla Sameth, Annette Wong, (both members of the Pasadena Rose Poets), Don Kingfisher Campbell, Mira Mataric, Seven Dhar, Ricardo Lira Acuna, Tim Callahan, Lois P. Jones, Elline LIpkin (former Altadena Poet Laureate), GT Foster, Radomir Vojtech Luza and Beverly M. Collins.

3. Reading at Vroman’s Bookstore with seven poets reading work of other poets and from their own poetry collection on Saturday, May 19, from 6:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m. Featured poets are Elizabeth Iannaci, Jacqueline Tchakalian, Terry Stevenson, Amy Davis, Anita McLaughlin, Bonnie Kaplan and Peggy Dobreer.
For more info about LitFest Pasadena go to: www.litfestpasadena.org​