By Connor Dziawura
Editor of Pasadena Weekly
Ohen the League of San Marino’s sixth biennial juried art exhibition and sale was canceled in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, its artists were put on hold.
Now, two years later, the organization behind the show – dubbed “Spring into Art” – is ready to pick up the pace, as are the artists who have been patiently waiting for this moment.
After a private, invitation-only opening night on Friday, March 25, the public can view and purchase artwork from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27 at the Huntington Library, Museum of art and Botanical Gardens museum.
“That was canceled in 2020, and these artists, for the most part, held their art for us for two years so they could be at The Huntington in 2022,” said Jeanne Adams, president of acquisition. art.
“It’s very disappointing for a lot of people who worked very hard to get it banned, so we’re glad we’re in it – and I don’t think anything’s going to stop it this time,” Susan Rosvall said. , president of advertising.
The event will feature over 150 juried paintings, which were selected from 700 applicants in a nationwide competition in January 2020, along with a shortlist of nine featured painters and a host of others who specialize in jewelry and 3D art, such as glass, ceramics, pottery and sculptures. Some of the artists will have several pieces in case of sale of their main work.
The non-profit League of San Marino – a charitable, educational and all-volunteer organization of women committed to philanthropic work in the community and knowledge of the fine arts of its members – will share the proceeds of each sale with the artists, then will donate his half to support The Huntington’s Japanese Garden Endowment and ArtCenter College of Design Fine Arts Scholarship. For buyers, 50% of the price of the art is tax deductible.
Entrance to the event will be included with admission to The Huntington all weekend, and reservations for general admission – available at tickets.huntington.org – are required. Masks will be mandatory indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status; more information on COVID-19 protocols can be found at huntington.org.
Adams said she wanted to have a sense of variety on the show, deviating from the juried contest to also feature well-known creators who specialize in other mediums to participate. She said the focus was initially on mediums like oil and watercolor, with 3D art and jewelry added later.
Featured painters this year will be Peter Adams, Sid Bingham, Karl Dempwolf, Wayne Hunt, Brent Jensen, Joan Kahn, Michael Obermeyer, Jason Situ and Thalia Stratton.
3D artists are expected to include Reggie Barns, Alexander Kristelis, Wrona Gall, Victor Picou, Muffy Hunt, Melinda Shea, Barry Kleinman, and Joan Takayana-Ogawa.
Jewelry will be provided by Jyotsna “Joey” Chawla of Manjusha Jewels, Winifred Cole Collection, Sandra Lopez of Eco-Jé, Conchita O’Kane of Designer Sterling, Yumi Ueno of Yumi Design, Georgina Whitford of Designs by Georgina and Wolfgang Vaatz. .
“It’s really focused on traditional art, but jewelry, ceramics, it’s more fun,” Rosvall explained. “And I think it’s important to have some kind of that other side. They’re craftsmen at work, and so that completes the whole thing.
“It just adds another dimension to it having the 3D as well as the jewelry,” Adams said.
The juried competition ultimately made a tough decision, which required Adams to scour hundreds of artist websites. Submissions were scored by a panel of jurors consisting of Seth Baker of The Huntington, Stephen Nowlin of ArtCenter, and Richard Rice of Galerie Michael.
SoCal artist and ArtCenter professor Robert Sherrill will serve as the awards judge, winners will be announced on opening night and individual cash prizes will be awarded for Best of Show, Second Place, Third place, best portrayal of an iconic Pasadena or LA landscape, and Best New Artist.
“It’s a really wonderful group of artists,” Adams said. “And believe me, I’ve gotten to know them very well – mostly via email – over the past two and a half years. I have thousands of emails. … But for the most part, they’re just a wonderfully creative, generous, easy-to-work-with group of people, and it was a pleasure to work with them.
“It really opened my eyes… giving me a special insight into the lives and issues of artists and how seriously they take their work and what they have gone through. It’s been a really tough two years for them to be able to try to rethink how they market their art and how to survive, how to pay the rent.
To make things more interesting, the League of San Marino invited the artists of the jury to a special three-day “Paint Out” at The Huntington in early February this year. A dozen or more works created during this time will be displayed at the entrance to the event, Adams said.
“We are excited to come out of the doldrums and get back to doing what we do. It’s just beautiful there,” Rosvall said. “I thought the ‘Paint Out’ was just spectacular. … It was just a beautiful, beautiful day to see these artists at work. And I felt like that was a good omen. »
“Dive into Art”
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26,
and Sunday March 27
OR: The Huntington Library, art museum,
and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino
COST: Prices vary; included in general admission
at The Huntington
INFORMATION: sanmarinoleague.org/events