FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
EMERYVILLE CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS PRESENTS
2IST ANNUAL EMERYVILLE ART EXHIBITION
OCTOBER 6 - 28, 2007
Opening Reception, 6-9pm, Friday, October 5, 2007

The 21st Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition, sponsored by Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, Inc., featuring works of artists and craftspeople, both established and emerging who live or work in Emeryville, will take place October 6 through October 28, 2007, at EmeryStation East (2nd Floor), 5885 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA. (The exhibit is located at a different donated space each year.) The show is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm. Public Transportation: MacArthur BART station, Emery-Go-Round Hollis Amtrak Route (weekdays) and PM City Loop Route (weekends); AC Transit Bus #19. For directions, log on to: www.emeryarts.org/directions.html or call 510/652-6122.

There will be a gala public reception with the artists in attendance on Friday, October 5 from 6 pm to 9 pm. A no-host bar will raise funds for the Emeryville Youth Art Program. Music will be provided by the David Berson Bay Moods Quartet.

The work in the 21st Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, prints, textiles, ceramics, and glass works. Jurors Paul Tomidy, independent curator and visual artist; and Beth Goldberg, Curator, Falkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, have selected the collection of work from 91 Emeryville artists. Tomidy also serves as curator. (Works on exhibition are for sale.)

The mission of the non-profit Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, Inc. is to foster an appreciation for the arts and artists of Emeryville, and to promote the city as a culturally vital and progressive center for living and working. For more than twenty years the Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition has continued to support this mission by providing a free public venue, open to all, to experience the rich diversity of artistic expression of those who live and work within the city of Emeryville.

Artists this year include painters Yvette M. Buigues, Jerry Carniglia, Joseph DiStefano, Pat Klein, Louise Stanley, and Canan Tolon; ceramic artist Sara Paloma Barrios; sculptors Mari Andrews and Robert Ortbal, textile artist Anastasia Schipani, and award-winning photographer Kevin Twomey

Curator & juror Paul Tomidy said of this exhibit:

“Many first time visitors or newcomers to Emeryville would be surprised by the many artists who live or work here. The new face of Emeryville with its bustling shopping centers, new condominiums and new modern business buildings seemingly contrasts the long-standing tradition of artists living and working here. Along with artists who have been here 35 years or more, the new businesses and condominiums also bring new artists to the mix. The ingenuity that artists employ in their creations also applies to the creative spaces where they make their art. This large show covers a broad spectrum with many differing approaches and mediums at hand. Hopefully viewers will find art that they appreciate but also discover new unexpected forms.”

First-time Emeryville Art Exhibition juror Beth Goldberg’s response to her experience was:

“Seeing the variety and depth of art in Emeryville was a rich experience. As a juror, the ability to view art in the context of the artist’s studio and home, and speak to the artist directly, provides deeper insights into the process and reality of the work. I am also struck by the way most of these artists integrate their artmaking so fully into their lives. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this process is being able to peek into people’s studios and homes and see the creative ways they have set up their workspaces!”

Sharon Wilchar, who was on the original Emeryville Celebration of the Arts Board of Directors and has been Project Coordinator of the Exhibition for the past 19 years, remarked:

“The art show was originally created as a collaborative effort by the city’s artisans, civic officials and business leaders to highlight accomplishments by members of the well-known 45th Street Artist’ Cooperative and now after more than twenty years we’re still here and going strong. The annual exhibit quickly grew to include the entire artist population of Emeryville. That includes a portion of the thousands of people that come to Emeryville everyday to work. Emeryville has a population of only about 9,000 people, but the daytime population is just over 20,000 because of all the companies located here. We have a really strong and large resident artist population, but we are greatly enriched by all of the talented people who work in our city too. This year 30% of the exhibiting artists are from our business community. The exhibit is a wonderful way to bring the community together in celebration of all the artists who either live or work in Emeryville.”

For the second year, the Emeryville City Council has approved a Purchase Award Program in connection with the Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition. A selection panel will review the works in the exhibition and make a recommendation for the Purchase Award. With the approval of the City Council, the artwork selected will be purchased from the contributing artists and installed in City Hall in November.

Sponsors for the 21st Annual Emeryville Art Exhibit include The City of Emeryville, Wareham Property Group, and Oakland Magazine.

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