The awards were announced for the Redwood Art Association’s first in-person show in 18 months. The Fall Jury Exhibition runs through September 24 in the newly renovated RAA Gallery, 603 F St. in Eureka.
“Our COVID situation is troubling, and now is not the best time to reopen, but we are committed to having art on the walls once our floors are finished,” said RAA President Erica Brooks. . “There is no ‘right’ time to do anything these days. Our members are happy to have a gallery exhibition. … Our 63rd “Fall Exhibition” is quite impressive with many different mediums: paintings, sculptures, textile arts, pottery and more. “
The winners of the “Fall Exhibition” 2021 are Doug Freie, “The Four Horsemen and the Three Musketeers”, Best of Show; Kjerstine Jennings, “Drifting Through”, first place; Pat Durbin, “Crescent View”, second place; Alvan Dunlap, “Is Isn’t / Isn’t Is”, third place; Mike Stengl, “Untitled Two”, fourth place; and Tamara Hubbard, “Burano,” the Haynes Prize.
Hans Speck was awarded merit prizes for “Eel River Valley From Single Hill”; Eric Mueller, “Family History”; Richard Stockwell, “Mad River Slough”; Jan Hollender, “Spring on the Cliff”; Darla Myers, “Seasonal Change”; Sheala Dunlap, “Leafy Sea Dragon”; and James Marks, “Freshwater Park”.
Honorable mentions went to Victoria Ziskin for “Santa Cruz Sunset”; Jonah Simmons, “Populated”; Doug Freie, “Hi-Tech in El Paso”; Kenzie Mullen, “Three”; and Erica Brooks, “Crazy River”.
The judge for this year’s fall exhibit was Meriel Stern, a sculptor and educational artist from Pasadena.
Of the pieces she judged, Stern said, “The work shows a wide range of perspectives, approaches and media that make assessment challenging. In essence, what I was looking for were these qualities: knowledge and mastery of materials, a unique or unexpected point of view and that little something special, a little mysterious perhaps, that keeps us coming back for more. look for more.
The ‘fall exhibition’ – also available online at https://www.redwoodart.net – marks the reopening of the RAA gallery, closed since March 2020 amid the current COVID-19 health crisis.
During the pandemic, the board of directors remained busy, continuing to meet via video conference and working on gallery renovations and a new website.
“Our gallery has a new first level look with the removal of a personal gallery, new floors and a new reception desk that will provide more security to our docents through a donation from a generous benefactor,” said Brooks. “We also updated our website. Our efforts to better serve our members had created a situation where we had several types of technology. The new website consolidated these capabilities into a single technical platform. Currently, the new website contains all the functionality of our old website as well as many new features. Over time, we will roll out even more new features. “
Brooks added, “Being dark at the gallery wasn’t ideal, but we were trying to protect everyone. We have found creative ways to make money, one being virtual exhibitions. We are extremely happy with the success of our virtual gallery.
“Our neighbors at the Humboldt Arts Council have given grants to 15 artists to help them find safety,” Brooks said. “I received the Shelter in Place grant. I donated my grant money to the Redwood Art Association. I appreciate the enrichment he has brought to my life and I want to do all I can to make this continue. The year 2020 has been filled with uncertainties, but we were pleased to announce that the second edition of the “Humboldt Open Paint Out” was a success. This event was also held virtually, but we are planning in person for 2021. ”(This year’s“ Humboldt Open Paint Out ”jury exhibit will be on display at the RAA Gallery from October 20 to November 12.)
For more information on the Redwood Art Association, visit https://www.redwoodart.net or stop by the gallery during opening hours, Wednesday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
