Online Art Exhibit Delves into ‘Time, Memory’
Westmont’s popular annual juried art exhibition, forced to go virtual during the pandemic, features 48 works by Tri-County artists May 14 - June 20 at westmont.edu/time-memory. Christopher Miles, professor at the School of Art at CSU Long Beach, juried the show, “Time and Memory,” which received 221 entries from 95 artists in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
“Obviously, it’s different this year, because we don’t get to come together and celebrate these artists, but it has been so encouraging to see the support and interest in the exhibition,” says Judy Larson, R. Anthony Askew professor of art history and museum director. “I think this platform will allow more people to view the exhibition since they don’t have to physically be in Santa Barbara. It’s exciting to offer that to all the artists.”
This year’s featured artists include last year’s first-place winner, Brendan Murdock, as well as Westmont Professor Emeritus Tony Askew, Joan Rosenberg-Dent, alumna Sharon Schock ’06 and Westmont Art Council members Rosemarie Gebhart, Kimberly Hahn, Holli Harmon, Ruth Ellen Hoag, Marcia Rickard, Kerrie Smith, Nancy Rossi and Don Zimmerman.
“I’m excited and impressed with the diversity of medium and style of the chosen artists,” Larson says. “Though we’re saddened the museum is temporarily closed, we’re pleased to find a way to continue the event and bring our community together.”
Miles, who began teaching art at CSU Long Beach in 1998, is a Los Angeles-based artist who grew up in Southern California surrounded by a family ceramics business. He graduated from UC Santa Barbara and earned an MFA at USC’s School of Fine Arts (now the Roski School), where he worked in ceramics, drawing, painting and sculpture. His work has been exhibited at ACME gallery, Actual Size gallery, Cuesta College, the Pasadena Museum of California Art, L.A. Louver Gallery, Mount St. Mary’s College, the Pacific Design Center, and the Torrance Art Museum. His work has been reviewed in ARTLURKER, Artillery, Artweek, Art in America, the L.A. Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, Notes on Looking and Sculpture Magazine.
Nearly all of the pieces in the show are for sale, with 30 percent benefiting the museum.
The show is sponsored by Alan Griffin of Raymond James, the Upham Hotel, Marcia Rickard, Don Logan, Peter Morris, and Pete and Becky Adams.
The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art remains temporarily closed due to COVID-19. The annual senior show, which celebrates the work of Westmont’s graduating art majors, was postponed last month due to the coronavirus.