A Visit to the Paso Robles School District's Gallery During Art After Dark

Studios on the Park Is Very Active in Art Education in Paso Robles

Studios on the Park invites community members of all ages to enroll in workshops taught by local artists. The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District also maintains its own gallery there where art students and faculty create and display art on weekends. Currently, until the end of October, the PRJUSD Gallery is displaying the work of school staff and alumni. That is what I saw Saturday night.

I have seen some elaborate displays here. One special display I remember was a wall of Alice in Wonderland costumes that had been used in a student production. Another exhibit I really enjoyed was for Presidents Day:  Paso Robles Public School Students Show Off Their Art at Studios on the Park. It featured elementary school drawings of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Others drew what the USA meant to them.

An Amazing Chess Set

My husband loves to play chess. So when I saw this chess set sitting at the back of the studio surrounded by ceramic dishes, I headed straight for it. It had no label or price. It would not surprise me if it were not for sale or had already been sold. I could not find out who created it. It was the first time I'd been in the studio when no one was supervising the gallery. No one else I asked seemed to know.

Here's a closer look at the set and its pieces.

Below you see closer views of the chess pieces from the opposing sides.

Mechanical Birds

Above this table housing the chess set and the ceramics hung some mechanical  birds created by Joshua Gwiazda, a ceramics teacher at Paso Robles High School. I couldn't help but wonder if he also had something to do with making that chess set, especially since he seems to be involved with the Chess Club. If so, his talents are diverse.

Here's a close-up of one of the mechanical birds. Each was unique.

The PRJUSD Gallery Has New Exhibits Every Month

Keep track of the changing exhibits on the PRJUSD Gallery page on the Studios on the Park website. If you visit Studios on the Park, be sure to stop in at the gallery at the back on the left side. You will always see rising talent on display there.

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Do you play chess? Do you know anyone who would like this chess set? If you were going to create a unique chess set, what would your chess pieces look like?

Do the K-12 students in your town have a place to display their work in a public gallery in the same building with professional artists? What advantages can you see for that?

Studios on the Park Brings Art to All Ages

How Much is that Guitar in the Window?

On my visit to Studios on the Park, our Paso Robles local art hub, I noticed this guitar in the window. There was a sign: "Win this guitar," but with no details as to how to win it.

 Electric Guitar for Some Lucky Winner  Photo © B. Radisavljevic

If you've never been to Studios on the Park, a peak past the reflection in this window will give you a glimpse. The art on the walls ranges from paintings to mixed media.  The doorways you see lead to individual artist studios and galleries. You will often have an opportunity to meet the artists in their studios.

After I took this picture, I went back inside to find out how one might win this guitar and how long the opportunity would last. I discovered that the guitar is a custom-made Gary Kramer electric guitar. Find out more about its construction and history here.  Proceeds from ticket sales went to support art programs for both children and adults. Find out more about these art education programs. 

Reflections on Studios on the Park

I have enjoyed visiting Studios on the Park for many years now. I've met many talented artists, seen their work, and watched their demonstrations. If you're interested in art and you're in Paso Robles on a weekend, you simply need to see what's happening there. A wonderful time to visit is the first Saturday night of each month. That's when you can experience the magic of Art After Dark. Don't miss it. 

I have increased my understanding and appreciation of art through my many visits with artists at Studios on the Park. As I reflect on those visits I see that the   artists I've met are very much like me in wanting to express their talent in a unique way. They use all kinds of media to carry their message. I use words and a camera.  I'm not very good at drawing or painting. 

It's not the particular talent we have that's important, but how we develop and use it. I don't have to create paintings or mosaics or sculptures to appreciate the skill that goes into making them.  It is enough to watch the artists in action and listen to them explain what goes into creating. What a wonderful opportunity those at Studios on the Park offer to anyone who wants to create or learn more about art. We are fortunate to have it in our town. 

Harold Spencer at Work in His Studio in April 2015, © B. Radisavljevic

Go and meet the artists while you can. Resident artists come and go. Some have left this world for the next. I'm so glad I met Harold Spencer before he died last year. Read his obituary to see the caliber of artist you can meet just by walking into Studios on the Park. His work is still on display in his old studio. I used to visit him there often to watch him work and talk to him. I miss seeing him now when I visit, but even living artists you can meet today may have moved by next month or year. 

As a regular visitor to Studios on the Park I've watched as artists develop and grow. Some have changed styles many times. I walked in one day and it seemed almost all the painters were creating abstract art. I'm not sure why.   Others experiment with new media, styles, or themes independent of what the other artists are doing. I'm getting to the place now where I almost don't need to see the artist's name to know whose work it is among the past and present resident artists.  Past residents often place their work in the monthly exhibits. 

Become a regular visitor. Then you will notice who's coming and going and catch up on studio gossip, as I did last night. Most of all, you'll keep up with the Paso Robles art scene and have a good time. So don't miss Art after Dark on October 7. There will be lively music, fine wine, and refreshments -- if you look around. It's a great introduction to Studios on the Park.  See you there. 

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Paso Robles Public School Students Show Off Their Art at Studios on the Park

Drawings of Abraham Lincoln by Second Graders
 © B. Radisavljevic

During my most recent visits to Studios on the Park I've noticed a new gallery. I discovered it shortly after it opened and I first shared it with you here in December when the Alice In Wonderland Costume display was on exhibit there. Currently the theme is Leadership, in honor of Presidents' Day. Since today is Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, I'm featuring some of the pictures  drawn by second grade students of Abraham Lincoln that were hanging on the wall during my last visit.

There were actually two walls of student-drawn pictures of both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Here is one of those displays.

Drawings of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington by Second Graders, © B. Radisavljevic

Fourth grade students, with a bit of assistance from art teachers Louann McKinley and Leslie Moss, prepared this exhibit of their drawings of what the USA means to them.

What the USA Means to Me Drawings by Fourth Graders, © B. Radisavljevic

Studios on the Park and the Paso Robles Unified School District have worked together to provide this studio for the students to use in not only displaying, but also for selling their work. Not shown from the gallery in this post is a display of stoneware created by Joshua Potter,  a Paso Robles High School student. His pieces are currently for sale in the student gallery.

Another advantage of having this student gallery at Studios on the Park is that it facilitates communication between the resident artists and the student artists. Students can watch the artists in their studios, and they can ask the artists for feedback on the work they themselves are doing.

The Leadership Exhibit will last until February 27, so there's still time to get in and see it. If you happen to have any art books around the house you aren't planning to use anymore, bring them along and leave them on the table in the student gallery for student use.

If you'd like to know more about Presidents Lincoln and Washington, these books might be a good place to start. The books by Genevieve Foster, Abraham Lincoln's World and George Washington's World, are some of the best books for giving upper elementary age children and above a worldwide view of history during the times these two presidents lived. I find them a delight to read because they read like fiction.

I personally find it easier to understand a period of history when I can see on two facing pages Foster's illustrated charts of what's happening world-wide before each new historical period in the books. You see who the political leaders are all over the world, new inventions and discoveries in science and technology, prominent artists and musicians, and more for each historical period. These visual aids are very helpful, and one can keep referring back to them if one forgets who is king of where.

 If that isn't enough to convince you of the value of these books, consider that each reads like a novel, except it's true. Reading these books aloud together as a family is a great way for you to refresh your own memory and fill in the gaps of your history education as you make sure your children learn about two very important periods of America's history -- its founding, and the Civil War and what that led up to it. Why not pick up one of these books today?

 The Annotated Lincoln Abraham Lincoln's World, Expanded Edition George Washington's World The Spiritual Journey of George Washington The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: A Book of Quotations (Dover Thrift Editions) George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation (Little Books of Wisdom) 1776