ARTS GUILD OF SONOMA GALLERY SHOWCASES “SMALL BUT GRAND” ART

Student artwork exhibit and sale
March 29 to May 1, 2023; Public reception Saturday, April 8, 5pm to 7pm 

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA – March  1, 2023 –The Arts Guild of Sonoma will showcase 100  original works of art by Sonoma students in its “Small But Grand” student art show March 29 to May 1, 2023 with a public reception Saturday April 8, 5pm to 7pm. Works by budding artists from Adele Harrison and Altimira middle schools taught by Cheryl Coldiron and from Sonoma Valley High School taught by Renate Kuprian will take center stage during the exhibition of works created especially for this show. Students’ works will be visible in the front window exhibit area of the Arts Guild of Sonoma gallery at 140 East Napa Street, Sonoma, one half block from the historic Sonoma Plaza. Selected works will be available for purchase and all proceeds will go directly to the individual students.

The high school students will feature themes of their own choosing, while the middle school students will base their works on their study of three different eras of 20th century art movements. (See note at the end for this release for more details.)  All canvases will be 8 x 10 inches.

IT TAKES A TEAM
The annual “Small but Grand” student art show has been hosted by the Arts Guild of Sonoma for many years, funded by a grant from the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, a Sonoma nonprofit organization dedicated to funding creativity development and arts in education for Sonoma Valley children and youth.  The canvases for the students’ works are donated by Sonoma Valley’s Fine Line Art Supply & Custom Framing. 

“We are pleased to provide this annual opportunity to young artists at our local schools,” said AGS president, Margery Mayer. “The ‘Small But Grand’ exhibit in the Arts Guild of Sonoma Gallery lets us contribute to what can become a student’s lifelong love of art. It also gives gallery visitors the chance to see and purchase a piece of student art to enhance their own home or office.”

“We are delighted to once again support the “Small But Grand” exhibit of student artwork, the result of instruction, materials, and art experiences that are vital for a well-rounded education,” Cheryl Shimek, Co President of the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation board. “Many adult artists can point to the encouragement they received and the skills they learned as a child that enabled them to integrate art into their lives later on, whether personally or professionally.”

“We see students and teachers all the time at our store,” said Bob Leigh, owner of Fine Line Art and Frame in Sonoma. “We see the excitement in their eyes as they experience new materials and methods and see the opportunities to create their own art. It’s important to give kids a venue where they showcase what they created and share that excitement with the community. And we’re happy to have been able to support the project with a donation of 100 canvasses.”

SHARING STUDENT ART WITH THE PUBLIC

“This exhibit allows students to share their art with the general public,” said Cheryl Coldiron, teacher from both Middle Schools, Altimira and Adele Harrison. “Art education provides opportunities for students to express themselves, and it has been proven that creating art helps kids understand other STEM subjects.”

 Renate Kuprian, art teacher at Sonoma Valley High School said, “I believe that art needs to be shared and talked about. It is communication that connects us humans be it through images or words.”

ABOUT THE ARTS GUILD OF SONOMA: This year the Arts Guild of Sonoma celebrates 46 years as a prestigious art gallery in Sonoma and one of the longest-running artists’ cooperatives in California.

The Arts Guild of Sonoma was founded to exhibit and advance the creative efforts of local and Bay Area artists and to promote in its members the highest standards of artistic expression and professionalism. The Guild features original paintings, sculpture, woodworking, ceramics, jewelry, gift items, art reproductions, and greeting cards. The Guild supports initiatives to build awareness of art as a key part of the identity of Sonoma Valley.

The Guild provides ongoing support of local and regional artists and arts education. The Guild sponsors and participates in a range of community outreach programs such as Small But Grand to encourage art appreciation and inspire direct participation in the arts. The Arts Guild of Sonoma is a 501(c)(3) California Public Benefit Corporation.

ABOUT THE SONOMA PLEIN AIR FOUNDATION: The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, is dedicated to art in education in Sonoma Valley schools and organizations. Programs have funded art classes in schools, and outreach by the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art A.R.T.S. Art Rewards the Student programs for fourth and fifth graders, art supplies for ArtEscape and Flowery school and art projects and equipment at the Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma middle schools and Sonoma Valley High School.

ABOUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ART STUDY FOR THIS SHOW: Middle School students learn about many different techniques of perspective and how to incorporate them into a painting.  In preparation for the Arts Guild show, they will learn about the American landscape style known as Precisionism (popular after WW I) which romanticized equipment, gears, bridges and factories, and used 1-point perspective and overlapping techniques to convey depth and distance.  Then they will study Art Deco (popular during the Roaring Twenties) with its arcs, fans, and geometric shapes, incorporated into skyscrapers, furniture, and jewelry.  These will be followed by the contemporary style SteamPunk (with its origins in both Victorian steam-powered gears and science-fiction fantasies).  The students will choose their design from these three styles for the 8 x 10 paintings.

ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL ART STUDY FOR THIS SHOW: Students are encouraged to create original and interesting work of their own choosing incorporating the elements and principles of art and design. In the classroom the discussion is what makes interesting works of art and how do artists get their ideas.

ABOUT FINE LINE ART & FRAME:  Located in the Sonoma Shopping Center next to Whole Foods, Fine Line Art & Frame offers abundant art supplies, custom framing excellence and thoughtful gifts to Sonoma Valley art enthusiasts, collectors, and professional artists, amateurs, and students.

For further information:

Arts Guild of Sonoma Gallery
140 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476
Phone: 707-996-3115
admin@artsguildofsonoma.org

Or 

Pat Meier-Johnson
Publicity
Arts Guild of Sonoma Gallery
patmeierjohnson@gmail.com
415-717-9677