This is a video taken at the Artists' Reception for the Deborah Threlkel & Sara Costello Jewelry Exhibit featured in Nov. 2020 at the Coast Highway Artists Collective, (CHAC), in Point Arena CA. Debra's Abalone Queen jewelry line features an exquisite beauty of the pearl-like luster found in ocean sculpted abalone shell fragments collected along the northern California coast. Combined with either semi-precious stones or surf-polished glass beads, and fine silver-link necklaces, the jewelry is exciting. Sara's Costello Rose Designs feature southwestern ambiance, using semi-precious stones sourced from select mines, including turquoise, and volcanic rock powders molded, carved, and fitted to silver bracelets, in silverwork styles of her own unique, and intuitive designs.

November Art Exhibit

Reception Nov. 6,  11 AM - 5 PM, with Safe Shopping

Deborah Threlkel- Abalone Queen

Sara Costello- Costello Rose Designs

Deborah Threlkel

Deborah is a beach comber, a rock hound and a collector of interesting things,  She has been inspired to create through her jewelry a connection to the delicate balance of our natural world. Nine years ago, she moved to Gualala from San Francisco and started incorporating shells and beach glass into her necklaces, and as a result Abalone Queen was conceptualized.

In Deborah's words: "I love collecting, probably my favorite part of the process, and then I sort and drill. Tom, my husband, has become an expert at drilling sometimes as many as 100 pieces of beach glass for one necklace. Using a combination of gemstones, shells and beach glass I wire wrap each necklace creating a chain out of a single piece of precious metal wire. As a result the finished product is delicate in appearance but also very strong and durable. I love every part of the process that brings me to a completed necklace or earrings, knowing that Abalone Queen jewelry will feel as if you are wearing the ocean.

I was invited to become a part of the Coast Highway Artists Collective by Ling-Yen Jones when I first started showing my pieces and it is wonderful to be welcomed back to show my work again November 5-28th. I will be joined by my long time friend and jeweler Sara Costello/Costello Rose Designs from Humboldt County for our first show together. Sara and I grew up in Berkeley and met in Jr. High School in the tumultuous 60's. We have had many amazing adventures throughout the years and many more still to come. We are excited to present our latest works and welcome you to our artists reception Nov 6 12-5pm."

Sara Costello

Sara started Costello Rose Designs in !994, but has been creating jewelry since 1974. Her inspiration goes back to her roots as a  New Mexico native taking trips to old town in her hometown Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In Sara's words: "There, the Native Americans displayed their jewelry and wares on the ground spread out on beautiful woven blankets and rugs.The one-on-one transactions, being grounded with real people, the colors of turquoise, jet, coral, jaspers, shell, and SILVER - this is what I see in my mind's eye as I create my pieces. My fondest 2nd grade memory is when a father came to share the art of Tufa casting. I was mesmerized by the torch and the molten silver pouring into the mold.These memories and the act of creating art are what keeps my heart beating evenly - that is why I continue to create. I also enjoy the social aspect of being a vendor, which can be a challenge online, but I am going with the flow with determination to make connections online. I am more than excited to be here in Mendocino with my friend of 50 years Deborah Threlkel. The Abalone Queen and Costello Rose has a good ring to it, don't you think? Thanks to Coast Highway Artist Collective for this wonderful opportunity."

OCTOBER RECEPTION

ARTISTS  Geraldine LiaBraaten, Photography, and Colette Coad, Glass

The video at the top of this page features the Reception interviews with the visiting artists working in Glass & Photography -  The Reception for the artists was held on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Following are the artists' exhibit statements and selected examples of their work.

*************

Colette Coad

Colette loves glass.  It is not only her medium, it is a source of great joy and sometimes great frustration.  She started eight years ago with a class on glass fusing and fell in love with the medium.  She bought a kiln and some glass (enough to fill a stand holding eight pieces).  She now has two kilns, five stands and two crates of glass.  Yes, she does love glass.

Glass has always intrigued and fascinated her.  She thinks the dichotomy of it being both dangerous and fragile while being so beautiful is captivating.  She loves the way it looks in different light and the almost endless combinations of colors and even textures that can be created.  However, she now wishes she had bought stock in a band-aid company given how easy it is to cut oneself while doing glass.

In the words of Colette: “I had a very busy and fulfilling career in management consulting.  I traveled extensively in North America and Europe while raising my family with my husband.  I loved what I did and it offered many creative opportunities.  None of those opportunities were artistic.  After I moved to the coast and was retired for a while, I rediscovered glass.

I had never thought of myself as an artist.  I have never taken an “art” class.  Over the last eight years I have taken many glass classes that focus primarily on technique.  I think I have found my “inner artist”.  I have come to believe that this inner artist exists in many, if not all, of us.  I was lucky to find glass with the first series of classes I took in Sebastopol.  The Mendonoma area offers so many opportunities to explore and discover what will unleash your inner artist.

Last March when Covid19 started impacting everything we do I wondered if anyone would ever see any of the pieces I planned for the show in October.  I wondered if the show would even take place.  I decided that I would create pieces for myself and that is what I did.  It was very freeing."

Geraldine LiaBraaten 

It’s all about Color.

Color is my life. If I lived on the island of the colorblind I would just fade away to nothing. My house is a riot of color: turquoise kitchen, red couch, fuchsia duvet, yellow pillows.  And don’t get me started on my wardrobe:  there’s a reason my nickname is “Flamboya”.

This year marks my golden anniversary as a photographer.  I’ve done it all: media assignments of newsworthy events, stock photography, outdoor art fairs, gallery exhibits and nonprofit fundraisers. Through it all my style has remained consistent: I like color, diagonals, pattern and oddness. Over time I’ve gotten closer and closer to my subjects, evolving from large panoramas to small semi-abstracts. The element of surprise, plus recognition and discovery are part of what I give the viewer: from “What the heck IS that?” to “Aha!”  I want you to have as much fun with the images as I have.

I don’t do darkroom work or image manipulation, not out of any purist mindset but because I have no patience with technology, nor interest in changing my images. What I saw through the viewfinder is what you get in the image.

It’s very exciting for me to have an exhibit with Colette Coad, whose work I admire tremendously. Though our media are not the same, we have a similar feel for color and pattern that makes our work show well together. I studied her work and chose images that I felt would complement her pieces; some are from existing work and many were photographed especially for this showing.

I hope you will be as pleased with the collection as I am.

Colette Collete Coad

 Collete Coad 

Collete Coad

Colette Coad

Geraldine LiaBraaten

Geraldine LiaBraaten

Geraldine LiaBraaten

Audio Slide Show of September Exhibit

Commemorating 150-year Anniversary

of Point Arena Lighthouse

View our voice-over slideshow of the art exhibit hosted by the coast highway artists collective (CHAC) honoring the 150th year anniversary of the Point Arena Lighthouse on the Mendocino Coast of northern California. More than twenty-five artists exhibit paintings, ceramics, textiles art, photography, and wood carvings in this virtual tour of the exhibit.  See complete coverage of more than thirty works of art. 

AUGUST EXHIBIT featuring assemblage, jewelry and painting

The members of the Coast Highway Art Collective are excited to invite the community to a live opening reception for an exhibit by Wesley Luster, painting, and Deborah Caperton, assemblage and jewelry. The reception will be on Saturday, Aug.1 from noon to 6 p.m. By extending the hours of the opening, guests, the artists and the staff can better adhere to social distancing guidelines. Under the current guidelines, 2 guests at a time will be allowed inside to view the exhibit. Guests will be encouraged to social distance on the open-air patio until space opens inside the building. Please note, facemasks are required.

If you miss going inside the gallery, or just to refresh your experience of viewing the exhibit, please take a VIRTUAL TOUR of the exhibit by clicking on this link, or the one in the heading of this page.

Deborah Caperton grew up in the Northeast and studied at The Rhode Island School of Design, majoring in jewelry and light metals with a minor in sculpture. In 1989 she moved to San Francisco, then Point Arena, then back to the Bay Area, finally settling in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco in 1994. She now lives with her husband, 2 daughters and 2 dogs.

Deb works with metal, glass, ceramics and wood as a designer and artisan. The mixed media series has been one of her most enjoyable and challenging endeavors. She exhibits her jewelry in stores, galleries and online.  She especially enjoys collaborating on custom projects. Please visit her website at deborahcapertonjewelry.com

“My Mixed Media narratives combine original elements that I create along with objects from my collection. I truly enjoy the process of creating metaphors and sharing ideas with a vocabulary of objects,” Caperton says. She had accumulated a diverse assortment of objects, resulting from trolling flea markets, yard sales, discovering flora and fauna as well as receiving oddities from family and friends. Caperton says she likes to image the past lives and histories of these treasures and giving new life to something overlooked and forgotten. She fabricates by hand many of the components in her pieces and designs them to fill in blanks when needed to drive a concept. She also uses text in her pieces. “The signage provides the observer with instructive hints and directions making the viewer a collaborator, she notes. My hope is that this active participation beckons the viewer to be affected by what they see and feel, thus making these stories their own.

Born in Oklahoma City, Ok, Wesley Luster is a multi-ethnic artist whose creative work - much like his ethnic background - is extremely varied in shape, scope, nature, taste, form and function. Luster says his work “is created out of that which also fuels his inspiration...the potential for limitless creation and possibility.” When in his creative process, there are no bounds or limits, though he tends to focus on portraits in a variety of styles. 

His materials may include pencil, charcoal, paint (acrylics; oils), mosaic tiling, decoupage, objects and/or any number of mediums that inspire working concepts. Luster says “his mind has more in common with a hot wire, sparking to establish a fresh connection with new ideas.” Wesley’s art is also a service, under @RazeYourVibes.  He can schedule initial consults for commissions, murals, signs for store; restaurant, etc.; graphic design such as logos; and wall art.

The Coast Highway Art Collective is now open two shopping days a week, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 2 p.m. Selected artwork by Collective members and guest artists are on display in the gallery's front courtyard.  In July, whimsical and practical face masks by Lauren Sinnott are often available, as well as clothing from the collection of July 5, including short sleeve and long sleeve shirts, sundresses and scarves.

Safe Shopping Days During COVID-19

In July, Fridays and Saturdays

11 am to 2 pm

CHAC gallery has now added safe shopping days on Friday and Saturday of each week.  We will have selected pieces of artwork on display from inside the gallery moved out to the courtyard.  On request, small groups can also be escorted inside the gallery during these hours for a more expansive viewing and shopping opportunity.  All the rules for safe distancing and hygiene measures will be observed.  Come out and join us to receive a lift to your morale during these trying days.  We will be happy to see you.

SUMMER IN THE GARDEN

During Safe Shopping Days in July, the Collective is featuring functional fabric art by Teresa Granath, aka The Green Bag Lady. Make-up bags, coin purses and cell phone holders are available from $8 to $16. A special line of face masks is priced at $12 each, many with lighthouse themes. Visit Teresamade.com for more products.

Point Arena artist Lauren Sinnott has created a line of “3-D” face masks that are generously sized and, while forming a barrier, provide breathing room, making them very comfortable. In classic Sinnott style, these masks are bright, colorful and very fun. Prices range from $25 to $45.

Handmade cotton shirts from the summer collection of July 5/Sky Dancer are on sale this month . The gallery also carries her line of warm "neck gators," cashmere hats and scarves, cashmere ponchos and silk scarves.

CHAC is also excited to promote the art work of East Bay artist Chris Johnson, who creates amazing gourds and wrapped rocks. The rocks are available now at the gallery. The gourds are available online only, but gallery manager Ling-Yen Jones says there are plans to have her work on site soon.

Johnson’s began working with baskets and gourds in the early 1990’s when she attended several classes at the Caning Shop in Berkeley. Later, she joined the Bay Area Basket Makers and the East Bay Gourd Patch.

Johnson says “Each gourd is like a blank canvas with an inherently unique shape so there is a challenge to see what will work the best for each one.  My penchant for using Asian motifs can be traced to living in Japan in the early 60’s.  I also enjoy using U.S. Southwestern designs as well as those found in nature or contemporary expression. Her works have been shown in several galleries in the east bay, at the Dolphin Gallery in Gualala and as part of the Bay Area Basket Makers on display at the Gualala Art Center in the past.  If interested, Johnson can be reached at chrisgourds@netzero.net

Sea Ranch fabric artist Barbara Dunsmoor is exhibiting several of her exquisite, quilted pieces that are framed as pieces of fine art. Dunsmoor, who recently joined the Collective, is known for her modern interpretation of fabric as art and her mastery of color and composition.

The Coast Highway Art Collective gallery is located at 284 Main St., Point Arena, the little red building next door to the Redwood Credit Union. 

Some articles on offer in the courtyard:

COVID DAYS SAFE SHOPPING - CHAC COURTYARD - MASKS BY LAUREN SINNOTT

FUNCTIONAL FABRIC PIECES BY TERESA GRANATH

Gourds by Chris Johnson

Textile Arts, by Barbara Dunsmoor

METAL SCULPTURES by KRISTEN HOARD

 Energizing space with captivating metal art design

Kristen Hoard of CHAC is one of our metals sculpture artists.  Kristen has exhibited at shows throughout the state and has won many awards.

Using various recycled metals, a plasma cutter and welding designs Kristen molds these pieces into beautiful works of art. Through grinding techniques, colored dyes and patinas, and powder-coated finishes Kristen brings a new and beautiful life to a discarded piece of recycled metal. Every piece of art — whether eclectic metal wall art, color changing LED art, a majestic metal sculpture, or alluring fire pit — tells a story. And when you combine all of Kristen's treasured pieces of art, they tell her story.

Blue Green Dragonfly

Spiral Heart 

Yin Yang

 

Mermaid in blue sea, by Kristen Hoard

 Octopus by Kristen Hoard

 Paris, in steampunk, by Kristen Hoard

GERALDINE LIABRAATEN 

Visual Poetry in Photographs

We are pleased to announce a new member of our Collective, Geraldine Liabraaten.  Geraldine has a unique approach to selecting and framing her subject to give a uniquely poetic composition that will resonate with the viewer.  Here are a few words from her to describe her art:

There are many inspirations for the images I capture: poetry, architecture, automobiles, parking garages...pretty much anything can make me grab my camera and start shooting.

I love color, diagonal lines, and rich patterns. The final work may look quite different from the original object, as I like to move in close, grab a corner or change the angle of view, though I do not alter the photographs once taken.

I want to make you wonder, to ponder, and then to have that “aha!” moment when recognition strikes. 

We invite you to stop by our gallery and view some of Geraldine's work, and perhaps visualize the dramatic effect they may lend to an area in your own home.

ANDREA POLK - EXPRESSIONIST PHOTOGRAPHER

Coast Highway Artists Collective welcomes a new member, Andrea Polk, a superb expressionistic portrayer of urban, architectural, industrial, rural, and environmental themes, that are both exciting and meditative, at once.

 Andrea’s introduction to photography began at Georgetown University, where she acquired extensive training in color darkrooms along with photography classes. That experience inspired her particular interest in vivid, manipulated color, and “painterly”, abstract photography images. Drawing from a minimum of five photo editing applications, she produces each image as a time-consuming labor of love.  Attracted to such disparate subjects as old cars and motorcycles, atmospheric city streets, and scenes from nature, her travels, through the United States, Canada, Central America, Northern Africa, England, Ireland, Japan, Western and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, and her desire to craft representative images has been guided by the essential principle that “in photography, light is the magician”.

The advent of digital technology has vastly expanded the art, bringing new creativity to the medium and making it accessible to an astonishing number of people around the world. One of Andrea’s favorite images, taken in Sharm El Sheikh, depicts a fully veiled Saudi Arabian woman, with holding an iPhone in one hand and a “state of the art” Nikon in the other.

We invite you to observe and enjoy some of Andrea's work now on exhibit in our gallery.

Art Gallery Grandeur

Feathered Collaborators

Kiosk Sentries

Audio Slideshow of September Exhibit

Lighthouse 150 Yr. Commemoration

Audio Slideshow of September Exhibit

Audio Slideshow of September Exhibit

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the coast highway artists collective recognizes the urgent need to take the preventive measures set by national and state authorities, and we have temporarily suspended normal operating hours in the gallery.  Effective beginning April, 2020, days and hours open will be curtailed to conform with Safe Distancing and other preventive measures. See this page for the appropriate Safe Shopping Days conforming to these regulations, and other related announcements. If you need a gift outside the open days or hours, or to pick up a special order, please contact lingyen1969@gmail.com and Ling-Yen will open the gallery for you.

CHAC 2020 GALLERY SCHEDULE
 
Jan:  Regular Hours/Days, except closed for Renovations Jan. 6 to approx. Jan. 17

Feb 1-23  John Stickney, Sculpture and Wood Carvings
Reception  Feb 1 Sat.,New 2020 Receptions time 4-6 pm

March 5-29  Charles Ross, wood, 3-D constructions & carvings
Reception  March 6 , 4-6  pm   

THE FOLLOWING GALLERY ACTIVITES ARE TENTATIVE AND WILL BE SUBSTITUTED WITH ONLINE VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS IF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS REQUIRE IT.  CHECK THIS SCHEDULE AGAIN LATER FOR ANY NEEDED RESCHEDULING OR MODIFICATION OF THE PLANNED EXHIBITIONS.

May 1-31 Virtual Tour, click on Virtual Tours Tab above: Mike Conner, painting;  Brian Donahue, Sculpture

June 4-28,  Virtual Tour, click on Virtual Tours Tab above: Bobbie Jeanne Quercia, Painting and Scupture

July 2-26 Social-Distance shopping in gallery courtyard, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 am-2 pm.  Accompanied small groups inside gallery.

Aug 1-30  Wesley Luster, painting, oil & acrylics; Deborah Caperton, Assemblage and Jewelry; Reception  Aug 1, 4-6 pm

Sept. Special Lighthouse Exhibition, including CHAC artists, 150yrs. anniversary.  Sep. 4, Reception, 4 - 6 pm.  

Sept 3-27  Rozann and Deb Billings photos/quilts
Reception: Sept 5. 4-6 pm

Oct.1-25  Geraldine LiaBraaten, visual poetry, photography, and Colette Coad, glass art; Reception: Sat. Oct. 3, 12-6 pm

Nov. 5-29,Deborah Threlkel-Abalone Queen, Sara Costello-Costello Rose jewelry, Reception Nov.6, 4-6 pm

Dec.3-27  Holiday Gift Group Offerings

Dec. 5  Gala Showing 5-7 pm 

Dec. Holidays Gifts Show

December 5 - 29, Special Gallery Social Distance Shopping Days and Hours will be posted later

Watch this page for selected gift items in the approaching shopping days, plus information on days and hours for responsible, safe shopping guided by county regulations.  We're looking forward to happier, cheerful holidays that will lighten our anxieties over the pandemic and fire disaster calamities.  

Alter Piece, Dirt and Stars, by Blake Moore

SEP. LIGHTHOUSE EXHIBIT

Celebrating the Lighthouse in Art

In recognition of the importance of the Point Arena Lighthouse in its 150th year of lighting the way on the coast, the Coast Highway Art Collective (CHAC) will sponsor an art exhibit celebrating the lighthouse and its surroundings throughout the month of September.  The opening reception is on Friday, Sept. 4 from noon to 6 p.m.

The Light Station had several events planned to celebrate this landmark anniversary, but they had to be postponed due to the corona virus.  Therefore, this celebration in art is even more timely and special, and an opportunity for the community to show their support. “For 150 years the Point Arena Lighthouse has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for the community and visitors alike,” said exhibit curator Barbara Fast.  “It was originally commissioned in 1869 by the United States Lighthouse Service to protect shipping sailing up and down the rugged coast of California. The rotating light could be seen for 21.5 miles out to sea and the fog whistle, and later a fog horn, alerted sailors when the fog was too dense for the light to penetrate.  Since the advent of new location technology, the light has been less important, although local fisherman and recreational sailors still rely on it as an aid to navigation and warning of possible dangers such as Arena Rock. Today the Lighthouse and its Museum are major tourist attractions, welcoming up to 50K visitors a year.”

For this exhibit twenty-seven local artists will be showing work at the CHAC gallery, located at 284 Main St. in Point Arena: Andrea Allen (Chinese calligraphy), Ron Bolander (photography), Deborah Caperton (mixed media), CC Case (watercolor), Scott Chieffo (photography), Richard Custer (photography), Art Dryer (wood working), Barbara Fast (fabric art), Chris Grassano (oil painting), Joyce George (oil painting), Stuart Greenberg (giclee on canvas), Rozann Grunig (photography), Doric Jemison-Ball (collage), Bruce Jones (watercolor),  Ling-Yen Jones (jewelry), Paul Kozal (photography), Geraldine LiaBraaten (photography), Cynthia Myers (etched glass), PT Nunn (acrylic painting), Jack O’Rourke (watercolor), Brenda Phillips (ceramics), Pam Powell (photography), Charles Ross (wood carving), Scott Sewell (photography), Peter Sidell (photography), Siobhan (silk scarves), and Deborah Threlkel (abalone jewelry).

In other news, seven members of the Coast Highway Art Collective won awards at the Art in the Redwoods Virtual AIR for 2020. Congratulations to Beatrice Acosta, Andrea Allen, Scott Sewell, Colette Coad, Geraldine LiaBraaten, Kathryn Weiss and Chris Grassano. You can view their winning submissions at https://gualala.art/59th-annual-art-in-the-redwoods or stop by the gallery and see additional work by these very talented artists.

The Coast Highway Art Collective is now open two shopping days a week, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 2 p.m. Selected artwork by Collective members and guest artists are on display in the gallery's front courtyard. The gallery is located at 284 Main St., Point Arena, the little red building next door to the Redwood Credit Union. More information is available at www.coast-highway-artists.com

Low Tide Moonset, by Scott Sewell

 Lighthouse Station, by Jack O'Rourke

The White Tower, by Scott Sewell

 June Exhibit - Ron & Bobbie Jeanne Quercia

PAINTING AND SCULPTURE

Safe Distancing Requirements still in effect in Mendocino County have precluded our ability to mount Ron & Bobbie Jeanne's artwork in the gallery as well as hindered their traveling up the coast to our gallery for the exhibit.  We are disappointed, but you can also take a relaxing VIRTUAL TOUR of the artists' work by clicking on the link in this paragraph, or click on the triangle beside the above tab heading, Virtual Tours, to get a drop-down menu listing all the currently developed virtual tours.  Click on any that interest you and you will be taken directly to that page.

As government officials gradually relax the lockdown provisions of self-isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us may be getting a bit edgy with the growing length of days of self-isolation. So what could be more relaxing now than a slide-show of our featured artists collection in our June 2020 Exhibit.  The gallery may indeed be open if regulations permit by the beginning of June.  Begin your virtual tour by clicking on this link: 

  VIRTUAL TOURS   

 For as long as the COVID lockdown continues, we will be featuring the scheduled artist for each months exhibit on the virtual tour page.

 SOCIAL DISTANCE SHOPPING

FRIDAY, MAY 22

 Join us, if you are able, in another of our one day limited trials of outdoor, Social Distance Shopping at our gallery in Point Arena.  We will be observing the public guidelines and protocols for protecting shoppers and artists as our California business venues cautiously reopen in this warmer, late spring weather.  If you are out strolling through downtown Point Arena on Friday, consider stopping by at our table if distancing precautions look okay for you.

  ALMOST FRINGE KITE DISPLAY

Part of the annual ALMOST FRINGE events includes the kite flying at the Point Arena Lighthouse grounds.  Here are a couple of photos by Chris Grassano.  The kites are truly works of art!

ALMOST FRINGE FESTIVAL

The Coast Highway Art Collective is exhibiting the Almost Fringe artwork of our collective members, plus we will feature local guest artists, Doric Jemison Ball, Sue Friedland, Margaret Lindgren, Paula Haymond, and Michael Grab of Gravety Glue.  Michael will be, showing his new, avant garde works: balancing rocks.  Have a look at his Facebook page to preview these remarkable rock sculptures. . The exhibition is up April 1-27,2018 with the grand opening on April 13, 2019 from 12 noon to 6 pm.  We will have music at 1 pm with Brut and Blush, Leslie and Eric Dahlhoff.

The Almost Fringe Festival is always interesting!

by Rozann Grunig

 The unusual, the bizarre, just a bit whacky, maybe even shocking – that’s what the Almost Fringe Festival is all about. Join the members of the Coast Highway Art Collective for a celebratory weekend of this fun and free-form event on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 in Point Arena. The Collective is hosting two nights of music, food, special guest artists and new works by its members.

Loosely based on the International fringe art movement, Mendocino County celebrates this as a month-long festival at several venues to celebrate all of the creative happenings countywide, from traditional to cutting edge and artsy to agrarian.

The original Fringe Festival is held annually in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the largest art festival in the world.   This festival spans 25 days and includes events in 294 venues in the following categories theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions and events.

Locally, this idea was created by the Mendocino Council for the Arts and is being promoted county wide by Visit Mendocino. The goal of the festival’s planning group is to have a culturally diverse festival that reflects the complexity of our amazing community. In addition to encouraging all local merchants and restaurants to participate, plans include creating a fun and engaging festival street scene, with street performers, musicians, food vendors, vendors, dancers and performance art.

The Coast Highway Art Collective is joining into the festivities with guest artists Karen Shapiro, ceramics, Laurie MacAdams, jewelry, Jane Reichhold, ceramics; Carol Frechette, leather and Doric Jemison Ball, ceramics. Collective members will also have new and interesting pieces on exhibit in the spirit of the festival theme.

On Friday, April 27, entertainment by the Highwaymen with guest flute, Leslie Dahlhoff will be at the gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. The following evening, Saturday, April 28, Barbara Johannes will be playing the accordion in the afternoon and Amy MacFarland from Renegade Botanicals will be available tao demonstrate her natural beauty products. That evening, from 5 to 7 pm, Black Sugar Rose, featuring Todd Orenick and Charlene Rowland, will entertain guests. Wine, drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be available on both evenings…

You don’t have to wait until the closing weekend to see the artwork on exhibit. The show actually opens on April 6 and runs through April 29 during regular gallery hours, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 5 p.m. The gallery is located at 284 Main St., Point Arena, the little red building next door to the Redwood Credit Union. 

7th Anniversary Celebration

BEA ACOSTA - MASKS, CERAMICS, BASKETS

BRENDA PHILLIPS - CERAMICS

The Coast Highway Art Collective celebrates its 7^th anniversary on Friday, March 1, from 5 to 7 pm. with a new exhibit, food and drinks. The exhibit will focus on the range and diversity of the collective member’s work and a celebration of community involvement, a founding ideal of the group. The members invite the entire Mendomona community to celebrate with them.

Located in a small, historical building built in the early 1900’s, the gallery is in the heart of Point Arena.  The collective was founded in 2012 by a group of local artists who wanted the help reinvigorate Point Arena, which was undergoing a kind of renewal after years of boom and bust. 

The building has a very interesting history. Local book publisher, the late Warren Jones, purchased the building in a state of disrepair, having no idea how to use it other than improving his beloved City of Point Arena.  A group of artists suggested an art gallery and he embraced the idea. Volunteers rebuilt the building and called the gallery CityArt. The interior was completed in 1997, and was active as the creative and vibrant CityArt Gallery for ten years. The gallery closed in 2007 and the building sat empty, waiting patiently for a new life. 

Then, in 2012, the idea of the gallery was resurrected and Barbara Fast, a renaissance woman in her own right (former pediatric surgeon, artist and musician) became the founder and first manager of the newly minted Coast Highway Art Collective. The artists who work to make this collective succeed are just as eclectic and quirky as the building they inhabit. 

Currently there are15 artists whose work ranges from oils and watercolors, photography, jewelry, textiles, woodworking including birdhouses and ceramics.  With so many creative outlooks among this diverse group, one thing all agree on is the importance of the gallery as a place to display and sell their work, and the amazing sense of community and nurturing each member experiences. 

Founding member Ling-Yen Jones says “It means bringing together artists, new and old, and creating a place to exhibit and promote the creativity of these local artisans. The gallery is a place to learn and get a feel for what it’s like to exhibit and sell work. I enjoy this gallery’s idea and feel of community.” 

Recent member John Stickney explains it this way “The collective is a place where the pressures are low and the friendliness is high.    The CHAC is a place where they can show their art and where you can find interesting art in an engaging environment. Everyone pitches in, so the overhead is low, and the prices are very reasonable.” 

Original member Bea Acosta says “The gallery has provided me with a venue to show my work and a camaraderie of local artists who support each other.” Another original member, Brenda Phillips, noted “I love having the gallery as a place I can show my latest inspirations. For years now, the gallery has been a wonderful showroom for my art. 

The gallery often has guest artists in addition to the collective members. Monthly opening receptions for featured artists often include tasty food, drinks and live music in the garden when the weather cooperates. 

The gallery participates in American Craft Week and the annual Almost Fringe Festival, a fun event where artists are encouraged to let their imagination run wild and create from the heart, not from the wallet. The gallery opens its doors for the Point Arena’s annual Hometown Holidays, a special night when Main Streets fills up with holiday shoppers and revelers. The gallery lights up with a holiday tree decorated with handmade ornaments made by collective members. 

The Coast Highway Art Collective is located at 284 Main Street in Point Arena. The winter hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment.  Summer hours are typically from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

 POTTERY, CERAMICS, AND BASKET WEAVING

by Beatrice Acosta

Bea is one of our foremost artists featuring southwestern contemporary and traditional motifs in her work.  We are presenting some of her art in this column to give our viewers a few ideas for their gift shopping.  Visit our gallery to see these and more!

"My Native American/ Mexican roots have emerged in my pottery and ceramics. The joy I feel as my hands create with the clay must have connections to my ancestors. I am enamored with the piece as it unfolds and I rarely know beforehand what I want it to look like. It evolves as the clay and I create together."









FINE ART WOOD CARVER

John Stickney

John Stickney has recently joined the Coast Highway Artists Collective, making avaliable to our Point Arena art gallery visitors a unique line of art work.

His art is focused on carving and furniture design.   All pieces are handmade and one of a kind.  He has a love for wood:  the grain, texture, and appearance, and is attracted to color, and has worked with toy dyes, and paint on wood.  He has worked on relief carvings of paintings by artists he admires, including Michelangelo, as his paintings read as sculpture. Recently, he has worked on album covers of bands from his youth.  In other woodworking, he has designed tables, beds, desks, lamps, a rocking horse, and many other architectural and interior furnishings.

Stickney works extensively in some of the more exotic hardwoods, for their color, grain, hardness, ability to take a high finish and their capacity to be carved with fine detail.   For larger pieces, he has used Basswood, Jelutong, Maple, Mahogany, and Redwood, as they are excellent for carving. Basswood, Maple and Jelutong show little grain are nearly white, allowing his exploration of color on their surfaces.  He enjoys working with Mahogany and Redwood, for their ease of carving and their inherent beauty.  

Stop in at our art gallery soon to view some of Stickney's latest pieces.

Carolyn's Table

Lady With a Blue Ribbon

Maskies



 Picasso's Reader