Inland Empires

August 7-September 5

Galerie Califia

This exhibit compares two extremely different forms of “empire”: one land-locked area south-east of the Los Angeles metropolis, and one in the center of the Czech Republic, each registering about the same population. Students at the Art Department at the University of California at Riverside, and students at V.S.U.P. in Prague, will show works they have created in their homelands.  The “Inland Empire” name for the Riverside area of California, stems from the richness of the area in the late 19th century due to the citrus, dairy, and wine-making boom. The young czech students are dealing with an historical Empire, the Holy Roman, which to this day could have traces of ‘attitude’ in the culture. Guest artists are professors from UC Riverside and VSUP: Jill Giegerich, and Kurt Gebauer. Giegerich has exhibited internationally for over 3 decades, and shown in prestigious museums and galleries around the world.

I have been so busy with packing and moving and all that goes along with that stuff, that I thought I should pop in and announce a show I will be in in the Czech Republic!  I just sent a big box of eight smallish paintings overseas for a show titled “Inland Empires” at Galerie Califia which is organized by Barbara Benish (who incidentally showed at the Huntington Beach Art Center when I worked the front desk).  My former UC Riverside professor Jill Giegerich will be the Artist-in-Residence there for the summer.

Besides that, I’ve been packing and packing, when I’m not teaching at Art Camp, which is the one thing keeping me sane right now!  Kids are funny!  And so is my cat…

For a good week, this paper was a HUGE hit.  Constant entertainment.  Seriously the best cat toys are the unexpected ones.

Gonna miss this place.

Packing is so hard.  And it’s so hard because I don’t know when I’m going to be able to open these boxes again…some are sadly going to storage until we can find the right place.

I am so behind with my sharing, I guess that is what packing and moving does to you, but I did want to share the latest wood relief I made for the HBAC’s annual art auction a few weeks ago.  It has gone to a good home, and now I am myself trying to find a good home.  I think I may have found it, but a few more days will tell.

I’m done with school!  For months, it has been late nights, early mornings, non-stop drama, insanely busy 12-hour school days, days where I had to balance TAing two classes, making my own art, assigned readings, writing my thesis, working 2 part-time jobs, showering and eating, the prospect of moving, job hunting and proposal writing, a cat and a boyfriend.  And then one day (last Friday) I turned in my thesis paper to the lady at Grad Division, and she said in all of 3 seconds, “Thanks!”, and I said, “That’s it?  I’m done?  She replied, “Yep!”  That’s it.  In a matter of one minute, my entire three years of school had become a memory.  I walked away with a skip in my step and the need to call someone to see if it’s real.  A few days of laying by the pool and consolidating my student loans, and yep, it’s real!  The rest of my life has finally begun!

Here are images from my Thesis Show.  Expect more from me in the future!

“Seeing and Saying”
Works from the Permanent Collection by Southern California Artists

Riverside Art Museum

Opens May 22, 2010
Reception May 22, 7-9 p.m.