Top 10 Reasons the San Juan Islands are an Art Lover's Paradise

The natural beauty, fascinating history and cultural vibrancy of the San Juan Islands attracts and inspired visual artists and performers of all ages and genres, and each island has a wealth of galleries, museums, theaters and studios to explore. From playwrights’ festivals to a gorgeous park with 125 sculptures, avant garde dance, a stainless steel “Whale Tail” and the kinetic sculptures of Anthony Howe, this varied and accomplished community of artists is as eclectic as your tastes. Here are the ten top art activities we recommend for your summer travels. 1. The San Juan Islands Museum of Art (IMA) Friday Harbor has entered a new world of art opportunity with the premier of its new San Juan Islands Museum of Art (IMA), with a successful first exhibition by renown glass artist, William Morris. A new destination on the San Juan Islands’ art trail, it is also the first major visual arts museum in the Islands, with quarterly exhibits from artists from around the world. Housed in a sleek building of modern glass and steel design, IMA is now showing San Francisco wildlife photographer Susan Middleton’s show, Spineless: Portraits of Marine Invertebrates, the Backbone of Life. Running through August 21, the exhibit focus on fascinating and beautiful photographs of jellyfish, octopuses and other mysterious marine invertebrates. 2. Orcas Island Artworks Rising like a Phoenix from the ashes, Orcas Island Artworks re-opened this spring, marking a whole new beginning for the center, damaged by fire in 2013. This artists' co-op in the hamlet of Olga is celebrating its 35th season—now 45 artists strong—back in the 1938 strawberry barreling plant it calls home. The Catkin Café will take the place of Café Olga, which will stay in Eastsound. James Hardman Gallery will also open in its former home, upstairs in the loft. See a slideshow of the transformation after the fire at www.olgastrawberrycouncil.org. 3. Three Islands, Three Theaters All three islands have thriving performance cultures. On Lopez, the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts is the center of cultural life, hosting musicians, plays and other performances in their beautiful building in Lopez Village. The San Juan Community Theatre produces several plays a year with local actors, as well as traveling theatrical, dance and musical performances. The Orcas Center—a hub of Orcas Island’s theatre and cultural community—will unveil a new 12-piece sculpture garden in July. The 12 new pieces, 7 of which are by renowned Orcas Island kinetic sculptor Anthony Howe, will be dotted around the center’s grounds. The Orcas Center hosts dozens of productions each year, including plays, dance productions, live opera and theatre in HD, the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, TEDx Orcas Island, and more. There are even traveling troups that island hop. Island Stage Left performs Shakespeare Under the Stars each summer on all three islands – a great free (donations appreciated) way to relax, have a glass of wine and delight in the Bard of Avon. 4. San Juan Island Sculpture Park From dawn to dusk every day, this art park outside of Friday Harbor charms visitors with its 20 acres of outdoor art. With over 150 creations from world-renowned sculptors, five marked trails for wandering and a gorgeous natural pond, this is the perfect place for picnic among the stunning works of art. The art changes from month to month as it is rotated and new pieces become available, so be sure to visit often. 5. Island Studio Tours See artists in their natural habitats on San Juan (June 6 – 7), Orcas (August 14 – 16) and Lopez (September 5-6). These free, self-guided tours take art lovers through working art studios open to the public for an entire weekend each summer. Artists not only display their artwork, they also share insights into how their art is created and what inspires them—whether it be oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, pottery, fiber art, printmaking or jewelry. 6. Music, Music Everywhere The strains of all kinds of music can be heard almost every day on these three music-loving islands. The Salish Sea Early Music Festival performs on historic instruments, the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival brings performers from all over the world for this reknown experience that visits Lopez and San Juan as well. Doe Bay Fest at Doe Bay Resort & Retreat on Orcas Island sells out every year, and features some of the Northwest’s top alternative bands. Doe Bay Café also has a long-running open mic night every Thursday, and bands perform most Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer in the café, the yoga studio – and even in the woods. 7. Film Festival Fun In recent years, Friday Harbor and Orcas Island have started two very different film festivals, with something for everyone. The Orcas Island Film Festival “Off the Edge” (October 9 – 12, 2015) focuses on avant-garde, art house, trans-media and emerging edge film culture from around the world. There is also a film competition, where contestants are asked to “use the magic of the San Juan Archipelago as a canvas.” The Friday Harbor Film Festival (November 9 – 11, 2015) features documentary films with a connection to the Pacific Rim. This festival includes discussions with filmmakers and a youth film project. Each festival has its own flavor, and are a great way to visit the islands in the fall. 8. History and Pottery The history of ceramics in the Northwest owes part of its story to the San Juan Islands. In 1945, Joe and Marclay Sherman opened Orcas Island Pottery, establishing it as the oldest pottery in the Pacific Northwest. They traded a local farmer a set of 4 plates and 4 bowls for the now 150-year-old trapper's log cabin of old-growth fir, dismantled it and moved it to the property to become the showroom that it still is today. Three generations of potters have created a favorite destination for nature and art lovers visiting Orcas Island. Opened in 1959 in an 1866 log cabin, Crow Valley Pottery continues to focus on artists creating original works in a variety of media. Potters Jeffri Coleman and Michael Rivkin anchor an exciting gallery known for its breadth of artists, and an ever-changing collection of works in diverse media. Their shop in Eastsound features art by many island and regional artists. 9. Summer Arts Fair This 20-year Friday Harbor tradition is held on the historic San Juan County Courthouse lawn from July 11-12. With local live music all day, you’ll enjoy perusing the 50 local and regional artists selling their works. From jewelry and textile arts to natural beauty products and crafts, there is something for everyone here. Don’t miss the Creative Center for the little ones, and make sure to stop and see the sidewalk chalk art before you go. 10. Friday Harbor Art Market Now in it’s fourth season, the Friday Harbor Art Market is held in Brickworks Plaza each week from June to the beginning of September. Both kids and adults are encouraged to sneak in some hands-on activities at the interactive art station, Creation Station, and we suggest indulging in seasonal food from Cynthia’s Of Course between checking out the pottery, photography, baskets, clothing, woodwork, soaps, lotions, paintings and more.

If you go: San Juan Island During the weekend of June 6-7, 15 studios and over 40 participants will be participating in the San Juan Island Studio Tour. Stop by the Spirit Bear Studio to see bronze sculptures, furniture and home décor items, and make sure to visit Belle Terre Ceramics to see Lauren Jawer’s pottery using a surface design technique she calls “clay printmaking”. Visit www.sanjuanislandartists.com for more details on the studio tours and participating artists. Orcas Island Orcas Island is a great spot to visit for those interested in ceramics. Sharing and selling art is a way of life for many living on this charming island. From August 14-16, 32 premier Orcas Island artists will open their working studios for the public to meet the artists and purchase their latest works—from forging an encaustics to stone cutting and woodwork. Steve and Lynn Emmes make stunningly unique custom wood furniture, and Kim Middleton’s oil paintings of birds are something to see. Visit www.orcasartistsstudiotour.com for more information. Lopez Island Experience first hand the quality and craftsmanship of the many artists on Lopez Island during their 19th annual self-guided studio tours on September 5-6. Strike up conversations with artists at studios all over the island and choose the perfect painting to hang on your wall at home. 41 artists and 28 studios will be open to show the public where the art happens. Check out Nancy Bingham’s functional stoneware with images of Northwest wildlife, or try on one of Linda Ann Vorobik’s silk scarves hand-painted with botanical art illustrations. Mary Bywater Cross’ woolen quilts would make a great gift to take home to friends and family. Full color brochures are available at the Lopez Island Chamber of Commerce, local galleries and shops, or are available for download at www.lopezstudiotour.org. Whatever kind of art you are looking for, the San Juan Islands will have it and you’ll enjoy taking it all in as you explore the islands.

Silicon Valley Is the Best and Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Art

When tech workers are considered the true “creative class,” artists don’t appear to win. Susie Cagle 3 hours ago 7 Have We Fixed Political Polarization Yet? Politics & Law Have We Fixed Political Polarization Yet? A First Crack at the Rogue Wave Puzzle Nature & Technology A First Crack at the Rogue Wave Puzzle Mental Maps and the Neuroscience of Neighborhood Blight Business & Economics Mental Maps and the Neuroscience of Neighborhood Blight Business & Economics The New Geography of Jobs: Talent Production Versus Knowledge Production For Young Couples, Dependency Spawns Infidelity Health & Behavior For Young Couples, Dependency Spawns Infidelity Books & Culture Contributors: Meet Some of the People Behind Our Latest Print Issue Politics & Law How Our Political System Would Change If Black People Lived Longer View From Your Ivory Tower #4 Books & Culture View From Your Ivory Tower #4 Nature & Technology 'Kiss Everybody': Parents' Voicemails Preserve Their Memory in Death Nature & Technology There's a Name for Why We So Often Don't Notice Long-Term—and Worrisome—Trends Shelf Help: 'The Twilight of Human Rights Law' Books & Culture Shelf Help: 'The Twilight of Human Rights Law' Lie Detection Takes a Village Health & Behavior Lie Detection Takes a Village Getting Out of Sex Work Business & Economics Getting Out of Sex Work The High Cost of Cynicism Business & Economics The High Cost of Cynicism (Illustration: Susie Cagle) (Illustration: Susie Cagle) It was supposed to be Uber for art. Get Art Up was heralded as “brilliantly simple”: a platform for renting out art to corporations and individuals that did not have either the funds or the proclivity to make a commitment to just one painting. But, as with so many of the stars of the sharing economy, Get Art Up apparently made its products “more accessible” to the public by not properly compensating its workers. After artist Jenny Odell wrote about Get Art Up obtaining and renting out her work without permission or payment, other artists came forward with similar stories of deception and theft. Get Art Up did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In some ways the company is an outlier, but it’s also representative of Silicon Valley’s current confusion about art. “You look at all the great industrial revolution money that came to support the arts in New York—that’s what’s happening in the Valley in a very strong way. It’s a modern day industrial revolution and it’s global.” Traditionally, few artists are “full-stack”—most rely on galleries and agents to promote, display, and sell their work. These relationships can be symbiotic and fruitful, or terribly exploitative. Technology has provided some positive disruption to this arrangement, allowing artists to reach their audiences directly, if they’re so inclined and able. Online art marketplaces including 20 x 200, InPrnt, and Society 6 make it easy for artists to produce and sell prints and products to their fan bases. Crowdfunding platforms have expanded the age-old culture of patronage to include the middle class. But the rich are still the top target in the art market by default: They have tremendous disposable income to spend on culture. Last year saw the debut of Art Silicon Valley, an international art festival with sponsors including Maserati and the Four Seasons. “The global industry of technology has so many synergies with art and it’s such a creative community that it only made sense to bring a high quality fair to Silicon Valley,” says Nick Korniloff, the festival’s founder and director. “We believe they will be the next great caretakers of the art market. You could talk about just the wealth and you need a certain level of affluence to collect art, but we think it’s beyond that.” Korniloff points to growing corporate and individual collections across Silicon Valley, as well as more sustained investments in creative culture. “I’m not just speaking of buying art, but funding institutions and creating new platforms for the preservation of incredible works,” he says. Dozens of large tech companies—including Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and PayPal— have established artist-in-residence programs. “You look at all the great industrial revolution money that came to support the arts in New York—that’s what’s happening in the Valley in a very strong way. It’s a modern-day industrial revolution and it’s global,” Korniloff says. “So what footprint are you going to leave as your legacy and how are you going to preserve your legacy? It always turns back to the arts.” Advertisement — Continue reading below

Indeed, patronage models and philanthropy tend to thrive in times of massive class disparities. The Medicis famously commissioned some of the greatest art of the 15th century, in no small part to polish their bad reputation as greedy bankers. Direct sponsorship of artistic work was generally how it was made until the rise of the middle class and public investment in arts institutions. The recent fall of the middle class suggests that kind of patronage could make something of a comeback—but only if the new rich value art. So far, this seems to be working well enough for the few artists in residence at large tech campuses and the international galleries that are represented at Art Silicon Valley. But local Silicon Valley philanthropy is more laptops and STEM education than paints and color theory. The local artists who bear the higher living costs of Bay Area living are not reaping the rewards of that growing local wealth, and neither are the less wealthy who love art too. In fact, galleries and museums are being displaced by pricier rents. And when they do find success with small-scale patronage on online platforms, artists give up big fees to platform managers—very few of whom are creative workers themselves. So long as the rich are rich, they’ll seek status; and so long as the less-rich are less-rich, they’ll seek survival through profits. Even if Get Art Up were the “accessible” fine art market it claimed to be, it would still not be a means of real income for creators. For that, artists might need to be less focused on their work, and more concerned about their business. Large institutions might always devote a bit of their profits to supporting art, but patronage doesn’t provide for unemployment insurance. Collective, artist-owned platforms could keep profits and control under the stewardship of the actual creators and protect them from exploitative tech forces. A co-op start-up might seem unusual, but collective art galleries like City Art in San Francisco already do this in brick and mortar, sharing costs and proceeds among members. It might not be as glamorous as refusing to set a price for your art, but neither is chasing down a scammy start-up to try to get your paintings back. The Crooked Valley is an illustrated series exploring the systems of privilege and inequality that perpetuate tech's culture of bad ideas.

Welcome to France’s online art market

How did French auction houses – so very traditional and rooted in history – complete a successful shift to digital, and who are their new customers?

nd out more about Barnebys Paris, despite a depressed economic climate, remains the capital of the art market in continental Europe. With 37,000 artworks sold at auction in 2014, for a total value of $425 million (£278 million), France stands as the world’s fourth largest art market, according to analysts Artprice and AMMA – just behind the US, China and the UK. Online bidding has undoubtedly contributed to this performance, and digital platforms such as Barnebys have helped to foster this growth. But how did French auction houses – so very traditional and rooted in history – complete a successful shift to digital? Who are their new customers? Tajan, as one of France’s leading auction houses, caters to multiple specialities, organising 60 auctions a year. According to Romain Monteaux-Sarmiento, head of communication and web marketing, the company’s online transition was carried out in two steps. “The internet was an obvious choice for us. The early-stage version of our website was launched in 1996 and still helps us today,” said Monteaux-Sarmiento. “Our SEO [search engine optimisation] is very efficient and our online presence has been increasingly reinforced since the appointment of our current director, Rodica Seward, in 2004. She immediately understood the importance of investing in this tool.” At Millon & Associés, online developments grew swiftly thanks to the innovative vision of Alexandre Millon, who was just 26 when he took over the company. Anne-Sophie Joncoux-Pilorget, its head of communication and marketing, says: “We firmly believe in online sales. We are currently present on the Barnebys platform but also on all the websites that support auctions.” Practical, fast and unobtrusive purchase is what clients want. Watches, wine, Asian art and design are among the most successful Millon & Associés went even further by setting up three online-only auction houses. Artprecium (diversified artworks), Asium (Asian art) and Appolium (musical instruments) enable the auction house to meet a real demand that has only recently surfaced and calls for diversification. “We have a hit on our online sales,” says Ms Joncoux-Pilorget. “We already sold a Chinese vase worth €300,000 (£214,000) on Asium. When reaching this price level, customers can of course ask to see the artwork before buying it online”. Osenat is another auction house that has embraced the importance of a solid online presence. All its sales are regularly advertised on their websites, and online catalogues are available. Jean-Pierre Osenat, who has been operating in the auction world for more than 40 years, has seen the impact of new technologies as they revolutionise the art market. As head of Symev, the national union for auction houses, he leads open discussion on the subject to efficiently participate in the development of the French art market. But who are the latest clients of these online sales? Where do they come from – are they initiated people, regular collectors or simply curious young art amateurs? Many businesses have adopted the online model to access new markets and international clients. Barnebys is available in six countries – Sweden, the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the US – with further international expansion planned this year. At Tajan, 60 per cent of buyers are international clients. “We have more and more buyers from emerging markets such as Russia, China, Brazil and Mexico,” says Monteaux-Sarmiento. “They tend to be younger thanks to our new online-only sales. Practical, fast and unobtrusive purchase is what clients want. Watches, wine, Asian art and design are among the most successful [lots].” To meet demand, new sales have emerged. At Millon & Associés, comics, video games and Aboriginal art are among the latest highlights. “We are always innovating with new sales,” says Joncoux-Pilorget. We have an online presence, but we meet our clients face-to-face to create customer loyalty “Our video games sale was a success and it attracted particularly young collectors. We are also the only auction house that organises an Aboriginal art sale twice a year.” Tajan executives have also noticed rising demand for comics and street art. Beyond these trends, online auction development does seem deeply rooted in collectors’ new habits. Tajan is happy to embrace this digital revolution and the new kind of service offered by a website such as Barnebys. “We are very happy with Barnebys. This content aggregator targets our customers and fosters traffic, brand awareness and visibility,” said Monteaux-Sarmiento. ”We have a balanced symbiosis between our online and offline presences. Being online is a qualitative service for our customers.” At Millon & Associés, Joncoux-Pilorget takes a similar view. “We have an online presence, but we meet our clients face-to-face to create customer loyalty,” she says. Rossini, another Parisian house with its own auction room, has also grasped the importance of implementing a bricks-and-clicks model, combining offline and online. Customers seek available content online before going to auction houses to meet specialists. Digital expansion has taken place through websites, social media and online sales – so what is the next step? “Probably mobile presence, ” says Joncoux-Pilorget. “Buying art is a hobby, and we often use our smartphones for leisure purposes. In the meantime we are looking at increasing our social media presence”. For Tajan, the priority until September will be to redesign its website. “The smartphone application will complement this digital project.” Barnebys praises these new investment trends and the focus on greater digital presence. The company makes the auction world transparent, easily accessible and understandable for everyone. No more excuses now… it’s hammer time!

Art Center Offers “Pop-up” Conceptual Art Experiences

Art May 27, 2015;PBS NewsHour Museums, like other types of cultural institutions, are actively working to grow their audiences and to engage arts-minded consumers in new ways. Consider the renovated Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, which aims to immerse visitors in the design process by providing a high-tech gadget with each admission that allows people to digitally collect and save objects from the galleries, as previously reported in NPQ. Or consider “Inside Out,” a new initiative of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which places high-quality replicas of museum masterpieces in communities in and around the city, then invites residents from those areas to visit the museum for free on a designated weekend. In both instances, these innovative approaches to audience development and engagement are likely to attract new visitors, many of whom will end their visits in the museum gift shop, where they’ll purchase a mug, a poster or a decorative object to remind them of a favorite museum piece. But at the Walker Art Center—a nonprofit, multidisciplinary operation in Minneapolis with eleven exhibition galleries, a cinema and a theater—what’s going on in the gift shop may well be the main attraction. This spring, the Walker introduced a pop-up digital shop that allows its visitors—in person or online—to purchase conceptual art and experiences, in the process challenging assumptions about what it means to “own” art and, as the Walker’s website explains, “exploring ideas of commerce, value and the new transactional logics.” The project is called “Intangibles,” and the items offered range in price from $1.99 to $12,000—proceeds of which are split between the Walker’s shop (which of course also sells “tangibles”) and the individual artists. In every instance, there is at least a passing connection made between the artist and the consumer who purchases the “intangible”—which might be “an impossible object or a dance in the woods, a high concept film experience to a humble PDF.”

PBS reporter Jeffrey Brown recently opted for “a performance intervention for two people” who are strangers (audience and performer)” by BodyCartography Project; you can see a video of his experience below. As noted on the Walker’s website, the organization “is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences.” The Intangibles project is clearly consistent with that mission. In a March article in The New York Times, Melena Ryzik said the experiment “upends the logic of a regular shop” and noted that, “The Walker sees ‘Intangibles’ as blurring the boundaries between art, shopping and media.” The article notes that “Intangibles” was created by Michele Tobin, retail director of the Walker’s gift shop, and Emmet Byrne, the museum’s design director, and that a lot of energy has been invested in how the art offerings are represented online. In some ways, what is happening at the Walker is not all that new. Nonprofit arts organizations have for years been selling “experiential art”—for example, at fundraising auctions, where bidders can win one-of-a-kind opportunities to interact with artists or perhaps even make a cameo appearance in a performance. Through crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, artists sometimes reward donors with thank-you gifts like house concerts. And sites like Etsy facilitate “peer-to-peer” e-commerce and allow consumers to order handmade items directly from artists, fostering the type of personal connection that appears to be at the heart of Intangibles. But here’s what’s different about the project, and notable: First, it comes with a stamp of approval from the Walker, a leading contemporary art institution; and second, it challenges both artists and consumers to develop and curate conceptual art experiences together through exchanges that are meant to leave a lasting impression, even if there’s nothing concrete to back up a sales receipt from that visit to the gift shop. “A shop that peddles evanescence” is how the Times headline described “Intangibles.” Based on the number of items that already have sold out, the experiment appears to be working.—Eileen Cunniffe

My 10 Favorite Art Works from Frieze New York 2015

I know, I know: this roundup of my favorite pieces seen at Frieze New York 2015 is profoundly late. But please, cut me some slack. It is hard enough gathering my thoughts about an artist’s solo show, let alone be inundated with thousands of pieces from the greatest artists in the world at one single event. Frieze New York 2015 was a spectacular event. There was an amazing mix of galleries, solo exhibitions. interactive art works, and, best of all, people. Frieze attracts a strong mix of collectors, artists, art lovers, and even people that are less attuned to the art world but are nevertheless interested in the event itself. That week on Randall’s Island felt like a huge gathering of interesting people and that should always be a sign of an excellent creative event.

Atmosphere Atmosphere at Frieze New York 2015 I laid one one guideline for this piece. One, I decided to leave out the larger interactive installations such as the Flux Labyrinth or the Frieze Sounds. The reason being that they will be getting enough press and also I am looking for singular pieces and exhibitions that had a personal impact on my thinking and emotions. So, here are my favorite pieces from New York 2015, and please give me feedback if you think my choices are great or short-sighted or ridiculous or whatever you think. Atmosphere at Frieze New York 2015 Atmosphere at Frieze New York 2015 1. Kara Walker “Cave for the Exhibitions of Men” 2014 at Victoria Miró Kara Walker "Cave for the Exhibitions of Men" 2014 at Victoria Miró Kara Walker “Cave for the Exhibitions of Men” 2014 at Victoria Miró Kara Walker’s strength lies in her avoidance of the label of “prolific.” It sometimes feels like every piece that she puts out is huge both in its literal size and scope and also in its emotional impact and intellectual sub-text. It’s hard to think about her these days without referring right to her monumental exhibition at the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg, “A Subtlety,” and with good reason: it was easily the most singularly powerful art work of last year with its massive sphinx woman covered in putrid smelling sugar surrounded by small workers. It brought to mind the themes Kara is best known for: slavery, racial identity, corporate exploitation, etc. But I digress, Walker first got famous for her mural created from cut out black shapes set alongside a white wall, such as “Gone: An Historical Romance of Civil War As it Occurred Between the Thighs of a Young Negress and Her Heart,” that powerfully addressed American racism through suggestively violent imagery. Most interestingly, her piece “Cave for the Exhibitions of Men” at Frieze inverted the black and white, with the figures seen as white alongside a black canvas. But perhaps the colors are not what stand out the most; what I thought of when looking at this stunning mural was childhood and how that childhood is slowly snuffed out and perverted by adults. Innocence is the one thing that will surely be lost during all lifetimes. Page 1 / 5 http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamlehrer/2015/05/31/my-10-favorite-art-works-from-frieze-new-york-2015/ Continue

3 from 4 campus galleries close

Art for Art’s Sake Students admire the University Art Gallery. Photo by Siddharth Atre Students admire the University Art Gallery during the Undergraduate Art Show. Photo by Siddharth Atre Between summer 2014 and summer 2015, four of UCSD’s venues for artistic expression have either closed or are facing closure: Graffiti Hall, the Che Cafe, Porter’s Pub and now the University Art Gallery. While the campus administration has given clear reasoning for the closing of the first three, the circumstances involving the UAG’s indefinite suspension still aren’t being publicly discussed. However, a former assistant director of the UAG, Merete Kjaer, was willing to discuss the university’s ambivalence toward the gallery and the reason for its suspension. Kjaer remarked that the gallery is unlikely to reopen soon unless enough public input changes faculty politics. “When I was part of some of those early [committee] meetings, it was just like we were talking to people who weren’t really on our side,” Kjaer said. “So I think a lot of it is just talk and going through the exercise of putting together a proposal with a committee that was probably predetermined from the beginning. Hearing from students could make a difference.” When asked specifically about the role of the proposed full-time staff member overseeing the gallery and the gallery’s closing, Dean of Arts and Humanities Cristina Della Coletta did not go into much detail. “The proposal never made it to the division because the department did not reach consensus when they voted on the proposal,” Della Coletta told the UCSD Guardian. “The department is the department of visual arts. The division is the division of arts and humanities, which I oversee.” During the last undergraduate exhibit, “Round But Square,” when Della Coletta was asked to comment on whether or not the UAG was closing, she responded by saying that the gallery was on hold, insisting that its suspension is due to the art department’s inability to come to a consensus regarding its plans for next year. Della Coletta then immediately left the exhibit following her answer. She stated that she did not want to discuss personnel issues regarding the gallery, which would include the gallery staff that has been laid off. Several members of the visual arts department declined to comment by press time. Kjaer noted the hesitancy for other department members to talk about the issue and encouraged them to speak out in order to keep the gallery open. “I know other people are too scared to talk, and I don’t get it. I know I’m losing my job, and that makes me a little more fearless, but you have to speak up when bad decisions come along,” Kjaer said. “And even if you’re faculty, or even if you’re staff, a graduate student or whatever you are, you just can’t be afraid. Della Coletta isn’t royalty or some kind of queen.” She’s a person who’s doing her job, but if you don’t agree, it’s important to speak up.” Julia Fernandez, a graduate student in the visual arts program, expressed her disappointment with the university’s priorities regarding art, along with its lack of transparency. “It’s just really sad because most schools do have galleries and museums. I’m coming from UCLA as an undergraduate and they [have] a gallery and they [have] two museums,” Fernandez said. “So for this going on here is very surprising and, in a way, kind of embarrassing for the school because it’s a reflection of the degree that we’re all getting here, as UCSD students, from a school that doesn’t really appreciate the arts.” Once the UAG closes, UCSD will be the only school in the UC system not to have an official university art gallery, aside from the Mandeville Annex Gallery and the Visual Art Graduate Gallery, which are located within different department buildings and are significantly smaller in size. Furthermore, the Visual Arts Gallery exemplifies this shift, starting with its location: the Structural and Materials Engineering building in Warren College as well as the Calit2, which is also a space emphasizing technology. Some individuals believe that pure art and its culture at UCSD is slowly losing priority to other art that incorporates scientific aspects. The UAG itself has had a strong emphasis on traditional art in the past, but as of late, it has been featuring exhibits with an emphasis on STEM fields. Della Coletta’s affinity for combining art and science was established before she officially started her position as dean. “The simplistic view is that arts and humanities create subjective experiences, and the sciences deliver facts. This opposition slights both the humanities and the sciences,” Della Coletta told the UCSD News Center in June 2014. “It is time to see these fields not as responding to dichotomous sets of disciplinary mandates but, rather, as sister arts or dispositions — different yet interconnected ways of approaching knowledge and of being in the world as partners and collaborators. We are contributors to the educational experience as a whole, and the path forward is one that imagines more capacious futures for the humanities, the arts and the sciences, together.” Still, Fernandez told the Guardian that the gallery’s closing affects students and sends a message to them that the university doesn’t have respect for the pure arts.

“The gallery’s closing will especially affect the graduate students who depend on department funding,” Fernandez said. “I know UCSD is mainly recognized for the sciences, but I think it’s important to have a well-rounded education for the undergraduate and graduate students. It shows even to my undergraduates how the arts are viewed at UCSD. It’s very disrespectful in a way. It’s an insult.” Nonetheless, Della Coletta is optimistic that the status of the UAG will be resolved through thorough cooperation and discussion. “I think a democratic process, and full faculty involvement of the kind we like to see in action at UC San Diego, is often time-consuming, always complex and often messy,” Della Coletta told the San Diego City Beat in an article published on May 19. “But this is the foundation of collaborative action and I am always optimistic and confident that eventually a solution will be reached.” Share Button About Latest Posts Kyle Somers Latest posts by Kyle Somers (see all) Art for Art’s Sake - May 31, 2015 Here They Go Again - May 7, 2015 UCSD Students Promote Inclusion in Greek Life Life - May 7, 2015 Features, News & Features Tagged art on campus, Arts and Humanities, UAG, University Art Gallery Post navigation ← Previous