June in the Art Galleries at the Orinda Library and Wilder
Orinda Art Association member Rosemary Therkelson’s 22” x 30” watercolor, On the Windowsill, breathes life and color into spring bulbs and flowers.
Art Gallery at the Orinda Library Oakland Art Association – A Few Good Artists
Maya Angelou said, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Members of the Oakland Art Association (OAA) fulfill this creative promise because they “keep using it.” The Lamorinda Arts Council presents artwork from many of the 50 creative OAA members during the month of June in the Art Gallery at the Orinda Library. Meet the artists from 3 – 5 p.m., Saturday, June 4, where light refreshments will be served.
The OAA is celebrating 65 years as a non-profit organization funded by its members and patrons. Its two-fold mission offers public venues for members to show and sell their art while also supporting art education in the East Bay.
The show’s curator, Jenifer Kolkhorst, is excited about the Orinda venue.
“This is our favorite place to exhibit, and everyone is excited to be here,” she said. “We really value our opportunity to show here; it’s a real gem in Orinda.”
The Board of Directors meet monthly, and pre-pandemic, they held a yearly member potluck at the Highland Country Club. At press time, the list of artists showing work was incomplete, but it will include Rohilah Cohen, Marie Cotter, Jenifer Kolkhorst, Julia Montrond, President Rick Nelson, S. Newman, Rosemary Therkelson and Nancy Vachani.
This juried show includes 2D and 3D artwork, encompassing genres such as ceramics, portraits and figurative and abstract paintings. Therkelson’s 22” x 30” “On the Windowsill” watercolor breathes spring bulbs and flowers into life.
Kolkhorst joined OAA in 2007 after seeing its show at the Orinda Gallery.
“I had a favorite artist in that show, saw how great the gallery was and the work from the Oakland group inspired me to join,” she said.
To learn more about OAA, visit www.oaklandart.org, call 925.989.0183 for art sales information, or email Kolkhorst with general questions at jkolkhorst@comcast.net.
To learn more about the Lamorinda Arts Council, visit http://www.lamorindaarts.org. This exhibit runs June 1 through 30 during library hours in the Art Gallery at the Orinda Library at 26 Orinda Way. Hours are Mon. – Thur., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri. – Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 925.254.2184 for more information about the library or visit www.ccclib.org. Email the curators with questions at gallery@lamorindaarts.org or call the Lamorinda Arts Council at 925.359.9940.
Carrie Vanhouten’s How are You Different?, a 12” x 15” framed collage, boasts an intriguing mixture of semi-precious gems, including lapis lazuli and amethysts. Vanhouten said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”
Art Gallery at Wilder: A Proclivity for Positivity and Community Collage
The Lamorinda Arts Council hosts Carrie Vanhouten as the featured artist at its solo Art Gallery in Wilder from Sunday, June 4 to Saturday, July 9. Meet the artist Sunday, June 19, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. where light refreshments will be served, and an interactive Community Collage demo will take place.
In the first two years of the pandemic, Vanhouten learned how to transform salvaged pieces from many sources into whimsical works of art. Her collages portray hidden positive messages combined with magical creatures. In the first few months of COVID-19, she began learning more about healing and decided to become a Reiki practitioner. Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative medicine featuring hands-on healing.
At the same time she was learning Reiki, she was learning how to create collages.
“My healing practice and my art are intertwined,” she said.
Flea markets and thrift stores, where she finds frames, mirrors, buttons and vintage books, inspire her.
“The joy is in the hunt!” she said, “I find it very satisfying to rescue a rusty-dusty old frame, bring it to my studio and give it a full glam-squad makeover! I only make ready-to-hang [framed] art.”
Vanhouten is showing 25 artworks within her theme, “Positivity.”
“I have come to believe that everyone has healing gifts of some kind,” she said. “Just as I believe everyone has an inner artist.”
She said her Interactive Community Collage demo will help people of all ages get in touch with their playful side.
This playfulness is reflected in some of her collage titles such as, “The Fluffy Gourmet,” a 20” x 20” vintage collage; “How Are You Different,” a 12” x 15” collage with semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, amethyst and citrine; and “Cozy Gnomes,” a 3’ x 5’ unframed painting on canvas depicting the underground habitats of gnomes.
To view more of Vanhouten’s artwork, visit tinyurl.com/yc5a4nvk.
The Wilder Art and Garden Center is located at 20 Orinda Fields Way. The exhibit runs June 4 through July 9 and is in-person on the reception date, but virtual the rest of the month because the building is not open due to COVID-19 restrictions. Viewings by appointment with Curator Aniston Breslin can be arranged by request at anistonbreslin@berkeley.edu. For more information, call Lamorinda Arts Council at 925.359.9940.
Elana O’Loskey can be reached at business.orinda@gmail.com.
