The Palm Springs Art Museum has an extraordinary auxiliary fundraising group called the Artists Council who are not collectors but artists themselves. Once a year the museum hosts a juried exhibition and all the pieces are for sale, with some of the money going to the museum and some to the individual artist. Most of the work isn't much more than mediocre, but there are always standouts such as Fragments #1 by La Quinta based Sylvia Torres above and Dream #14 by Philippe Chambon below.
The program feels like a healthy inclusion of the local artistic community, and I wish something similar existed at SFMOMA.
Though the first two paintings in this post won prizes, The Other Side of Paris did not but should have.
Happily, the artist Bret Philpot above was there manning an information table, and consented to pose with his painting. Congratulations to all the Artists Council exhibitors.
Hi Mike -- that "Dream" piece is really something else!
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, SF-MOMA probably could care less about anyone without a "name", regardless of the quality of their work, however, SF-MOMA does have an intake program that they run from their sales gallery at Fort Mason... Each year they call for submissions from "new artists" (((of all kinds))) and I've submitted stuff the last two years but they get hundreds of submissions and I doubt if I will ever make the cut... Mainly I think it is a money raising opportunity for SF-MOMA because of the rather substantial submission fee... You send your $40, or whatever it is, and then you never hear from them. When you check all they'll say is that if you haven't heard from us by now, you didn't make the cut... Snobby rich bastards, in my opinion (((please forgive me))).
Dear Donald: Don't ever submit work where they make you pay for the submission. It's a ripoff and I'm sorry SFMOMA engages in that kind of behavior. It's bad enough that they seem more interested in local collectors than local artists, but hey, it is what it is.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have a different take on the SFMOMA Artists Gallery.
ReplyDeleteI am an artist represented by them, and they do an outstanding job promoting and supporting local artists. Their rental program is a great way for collectors to sample an original piece of art for a few months in their home or office, before deciding to make a purchase.
Just my thoughts, but they are a great gallery space for local artists; they have no attitude and are very professional.