Art after Dark Was Quite a Party Saturday Night

Art after Dark Is a Progressive Party in Paso Robles

Art after Dark happens on the first Saturday night of every month. Most of the partying takes place at Studios on the Park, so that's where I went tonight.

Although all the studios and galleries were open, I spent most of my time in four places:

• The Paso Robles Art Association Showroom Gallery
• The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Gallery
• The Studio currently shared by Dean Crawford Jr., Sharon Sobraske, and Deb Hofstetter. 
• The Atrium Gallery

I did peek into the other studios and galleries. I enjoyed the music provided by the Julie Beaver Trio. I always enjoy their toe-tapping western music. It fit right into the theme for the Atrium Gallery Exhibit: In Love with the West.

Partying with the Paso Robles Art Association in their Showroom Gallery

Art, Food, and Conversations Are What Makes the Artist Receptions Special, © B. Radisavljevic

After stopping by to trade gossip and jokes with Robert Simola where the printmakers hang out just to the right as you enter the Atrium, I headed back to the PRAA Gallery for their exhibit, Artist's Choice. The artists chose their favorites from among their works to enter in this juried exhibit. 

Here is some of the art I saw there. The photos can only give you an idea of what's to be seen. It's worth a trip to Studios on the Park to see the art up close before this exhibit closes February 28. 

Art on Display for Artist's Choice Exhibit in PSAA Showroom Gallery, © B. Radisavljevic

Two of my favorites in this photo are the "Chapel on the Hill" in the upper left corner, and the man painting with his feet on the railroad tracks (left in very bottom row). I somehow got away without getting the titles and artist names on all the art pieces this time. It was crowded, and I was just photographing walls, not individual works. I hope to get back later and vote for my favorite for the People's Choice award. It will be really hard to decide. 

Art in PRAA Showroom February 3, 2018, Photo © B. Radisavljevic

My favorite piece in the collection above is the photo of the gate into the San Miguel Mission Cemetery. You have to see it up close to fully appreciate it. That could also be said of the other works in these photos. 

More Work from the Artist's Choice Exhibit in the PSAA Gallery, © B. Radisavljevic

I'm quite sure there was no one at the exhibit that was not captivated by the lion on the rock you see above. The photographer was at the reception to explain how he got that photo. It took patience. 

I had just gotten in an interesting conversation with someone about photography when we were called to attention as the juror, Julie Dunn, announced the awards. She approached each work of art and explained why she chose it for an award. In this photo you can also see some of the delicious food that was offered to us. 

Julie Dunn Explaining Why She Made Each Award, © B. Radisavljevic

The photos of the photographers with their works came later. I apologize for not getting all the names of those in the photos. I hope to correct that later when I get back to Studios on the Park again. I hope the award winners will forgive me until then. Deprise Brescia, who won the best of show award, seemed to be taking the photos of the other winners beside their winning art pieces. See some of Deprise's work in my October PRAA costume party post. 

One Award Winner Photographs Another, © B. Radisavljevic

Award for Art Just Above the Artist's Head, © B. Radisavljevic

After seeing the over seventy art pieces that were on the wall, I'm very glad I wasn't the judge. I would have wanted to give at least twenty of the entries awards. 

I didn't have much time after the awards to look around before it got too crowded to take more photos. So I grabbed some cookies and moved to the next gallery. 

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Gallery: Salute to the Military

Work of Elementary School Students from Paso Robles Schools, © B. Radisavljevic

Although I spent some time here, there were no artists and the room was almost empty. This is where students and faculty of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District display their work. My last visit to this gallery was in October of last year, and all the displays were different. This time almost everything was on the walls and the tables were gone. 

The theme here was students saluting the military. The photo above shows how the elementary students addressed this topic. Below I show a portion of what the Paso Robles High School student artists did. 

Pictures by Paso Robles High School Students, Photo, © B. Radisavljevic

My eye was immediately drawn to the colorful picture in the center of the bottom row. It is titled "Brotherhood" and was done by Clay Wilshusen. As I looked at the contributions of the other high school students, I was struck by another picture on the same theme by Andrea Lopez: "Man's Best Soldier." The quote at the bottom of the label reads: "The bond between man and his dog is so strong that not even a bullet could tear through it." 

"Man's Best Soldier" by Andrea Lopez, Paso Robles High School, Photo © B. Radisavljevic

On to "Color Me Red" in the Studio 4 Gallery

Meet Photographers Dean Crawford Jr and Deb Hofstetter in their Studio, © B. Radisavljevic

When I arrived at Studio 4 Gallery, resident photographers Dean Crawford Jr and Deb Hofstetter were ready to meet and greet guests at their weekly "Meet the Photographers" event. There was a lot of interaction in this room. Definitely a party of its own. Below, Dean is standing with his back to the red wall talking to visitors. 

Dean Crawford Conversing with Studio Guests, © B. Radisavljevic

Although I spent some time talking to Deb, she vanished when I was ready to take her photo. I'll catch her one of my next visits.

It Was a Continual Party in the Atrium Gallery

Music from the Julie Beaver Trio fit right in with the theme In Love with the West. The audience, as you will see, was having a grand time moving with the music and sometimes singing along. 

Wine was $8 a glass, poured by RN Estate Winery

There were many types of art styles displayed in the Atrium Gallery, but it was so crowded it was really difficult to do justice to the wonderful sculptures. There was no way they could be isolated from the crowd. Unfortunately they are not on the website along with the paintings from this exhibit.

If you are able, I encourage you to come to Studios on the Park to properly appreciate the excellence of these pieces. Here are some visitors looking at the art on the wall. Most of the sculptures are on the pedestals in the center. 

Visitors Appreciate the Art in the Atrium Gallery, © B. Radisavljevic

I have many more photos, but I would encourage you to come in and look. I think I'll call it a night and go ahead and publish.

***

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.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The image below is just right for Pinterest.

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?