Nature Sketcher

For weeks, my classmate Simone had wanted me to attend to her club’s movie production. She was part of the movie playing for the Philipino Cultural. The movie is called “Mystery! At the Kasa” They have one on April 24 at 6:30, and another at April 35th at 2:00. The last time I checked, I can still go to the Saturday one.

Today, her group was passing out fliers. I walked by and got distracted by her dog (the one I talked about during the summer studio post? Boy, had he grow! Completely different now!). Then I find out the CM rep, Andre (I think that how you spell it…) for Emerging Green Builder is also part of the group. As always, people for some reason just remember me even if I just sit in the room (Why???). He past me the flyer.

I was just about to pencil the time into my planner, then I freeze.

On April 26, was the large black words of “6-9 Art Center!”.

For a moment my brain went blank, because I clearly remember checking my schedule last time for the movie. I was supposed to be free that day!

Then I realize – the Art Center movie got moved back a week.

*Notice confused look* Oh! Right! I don’t think I wrote about this. This week, the SLO Art Center was supposed to host a movie called “Who Gets to Call it Art?” by Peter Rosen. I volunteered to help out. When it got push back, I told them I can volunteer next week as well.

I sign up weeks ahead to help out, and I really love art and cultural events, so I am not missing the SLOMA movie. I am also working in the library on Sunday, which I generally don’t mind – I like the library. But it is kind of sad, since I told my friend I will come and I am very curious about it… >-<

I am going to miss the Earth Day Festival too because of work. I am beginning to understand why people don’t work in the weekend… But I am not giving up! I have been looking for volunteering oppurtunies for Earth Day outside of Satueday – Volunteering for Earth Day is almost a tradition for me, and I am not planning to miss it this year!

*Fire of determination in the background*

*Pause*

*Look back at the fire*

*Screams and run for the fire extinguisher before the building gets burn down*

So, I have just started volunteering at the Art Center. It’s my first time assisting a real art curator.

Very exciting!

It was rainy, so I can’t bike. With my housing location, it actually takes longer to take the bus downtown (the bus goes around downtown). I took an umbrella and walked to the center. The walk, as always, was nice. I have always like the rain (as long as I am not running or carry anything heavy.

Right now, the Art Center has three exhibtion: “Legends: A juried exhibition of contemporary printmaking in California”, “Nick Spohrer: Stories”, and “Enthusiastic Encaustic”. Since I am helping as a curator assistant, I get to see all the art work up front. It was beautiful!

The printmaking exhibition has a good variation of work. Some of them so dimensional you can’t help but wonder if it is just printmaking. Of course, if you look closer, they are prints – but the effect’s just amazing. I particularly like one of the work that depicts the Greek Goddess, Persephone. It is dark in background, gray in figure. But a little reddish-pink of the pomegranate brings it to life – both in term of overall coloring and the Greek story content itself (Persephone was forced to stay with Hades during winter because of the pomegranate she ate). Besides, Persephone is one of my favorite in the Greek mythology. The exhibtion is also in March – Spring.

Persephone is the Goddess that represents the transition between Fall, Winter, and Spring. During the Greek’s time, festivals are hold in the Spring for Persephone – for her return from underworld to Earth. In Greek, there is the initiation ceremony Eleusinian Mysteries, then in Sicily is the  flower festival called Anthesphoria. Even in modern days, those who follows Hellenistic religion or Polytheistic reconstructionism may comes together at Spring to celebrate her return.

I love mythology, so excuse me for my complete turn of topic. I can’t help it! But umm… back to topic!

Nick Spohrer’s work are very interesting – they are simple, but narrative. His style gives a light-hearted atmosphere. True to his style, some of the works are humorous and sometimes even sarcastic. It can make you laugh thinking what the people in the arts are thinking. At the same time, some can be more sorrow. Since the work is narrative in nature, they are sometimes related to each other. One work can be a directly “next scenery” of each other, making reading the work more interesting.

The Enthusiastic Encaustic is by the Oil, Pastel & Acrylic Group members. It’s amazing to think all those are artist are in the same town and close. I was assigned to help out two of their members, which make the experience even more amazing for me. I had never studied about encaustic, and I was completely at awe at how they were to identify the medias in the work.

For the first two exhibition, I mostly help with unwrapping while watching how the curator and his other assistant works (the other assistant worked in actual galleries before). I help clean the floor a bit before I left for class. From both the curator, the assistants, and the artist volunteers, I got to see how much thought is put into an exhibition. There are a lot of small details that most people wouldn’t think about at first glance – the height of the work (there is an actual calculation – simple math – but an actual calculation. No random putting up work!), order of the work put up, the color contrast of work from sideways and opposite side, the themes, and even if the floor have paint on it!

In the end, it was a wonderful experience. It was great to see all those work and look at them up close. I got to see them go from random piece of work lined up the ground to them hanging up in a carefully designed exhibition! I can’t wait for the next exhibition already!

*Lies on the table in a happy bliss*