Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio News

The new group show at Soft Times Gallery features bright, colorful and fun ceramics, fiber art, and paintings by ten artists, including alum Kyle Dunn (M.F.A., ‘12).​

Helia Pouyanfar (M.F.A., ‘22) has published a limited edition art photography book titled Once, in passing. Images, taken between the ages of 16 to 19 when the artist lived as a refugee in Turkey,

Alum Tavarus Blackmon (M.F.A., ‘18) and Manuel Fernando Rios (M.F.A., ‘11) are partipating in the group show “Vibrant Explorations” at Yolo Arts gallery The Barn.

The work of alumna Hedwig Brouckaert (M.F.A., art studio, ‘05) is featured in “Speekkamer,” a two-person exhibition, at Poort 8 in Ghent, Belgium. Also featuring work by Alexandra Leyre Mein, the show opens on June 30 and runs July 1-3 and 8-10 and by appointment.  

Congratulations to Whitney Vangrin — this year’s Headlands Graduate Fellow from UC Davis. 

Every spring, CSU Sacramento presents a Festival of the Arts, highlighting artist workshops, public lectures and an art history symposium. This year’s guest artist will be alumna Hong Zhang (M.F.A., ‘04). Hong will give a public lecture on April 20 at 4:30 pm in Kadema Hal, Room 145.

In a recent San Francisco Chronicle Dateline feature, Tony Bravo highlights the numerous contributions San Francisco artist and professor emerita Lynn Hershman Leeson has made to the contemporary art scene.

“Quilt Bloc” is an exhibition of historical quilts from the Springfield History Museum displayed alongside the works of seven contemporary artists. The contemporary artists bridge recent art making and exhibition practices with historic quilts and the collecting and exhibition of artifacts from the Springfield Museum. Among the artist participating in “Quilt Bloc” is Noah Greene (M.F.A., ‘18).

“The sky is higher here”, a group exhibition at Transmitter and curated by Leila Seyedzadeh, features the work of alum Hedwig Brouckaert (M.F.A., ‘05). This exhibition displays works of a variety of mediums such as painting, textile, photography, textile weaving, mixed media, through which each artist examines the vastness of the sky and finds refuge in this great space without borders. 

William Wiley was a longtime UC Davis art professor, renowned artist, punster and champion of the Slant Step, a touchstone of Funk art. His work from the mid-1960s, some made with his student Bruce Nauman, gets a close look in “William T. Wiley and the Slant Step: All on the Line” at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The exhibition gathers for the first time many slant step objects made by both artists and others.

Congratulations to Jason Engelund (M.F.A., ‘13), recipient of an Artist in Residence at L’Expressoir in Marnay Sur Seine, France. Engelund will be a resident this spring. 

The Holland Project’s Billboard Gallery showcases the work of emerging and established regional artists on billboards throughout Reno’s surface streets. Three new artists are installed every four weeks in 2022, including alum Kristin Hough (M.F.A., ‘16). Hough’s “HOT! l o o s e $tinkin’ WICKED wild P O W E R” is on view at Wells Avenue and Pueblo Street.

Kelley O’Leary (M.F.A., ‘22) is among twelve artists included in the group show ”Th’ Endless Internal Expanse” at Gospel Flat Farmstand in Bolinas.

The satirical and irreverant ceramic work of Tony Natsoulas (M.F.A., ‘85) is featured in the new show “Out of Our Minds: Clayton Bailey & Tony Natsoulas” at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.

On Friday, December 10, alum Hong Chun Zhang (M.F.A, ‘04) gave a zoom artist talk with Jessica Li (The Wave Magazine, Harvard University) and Sarah Laursen (Curator of Chinese Art at Harvard Art Museums). 

Mercy Hawkins (M.F.A., ‘21) is particpating in a three person show at Marrow Gallery in San Francisco. ”Two Moons in Sagittarius,” which also features Tahiti Pehrson and Lindsay Stripling, will run from November 29 to January 5, 2022

Alum Julia Haft-Candell (B.A., ‘05) has been included in an upcoming show at LA Louver curated by Alison Saar.  In “SeenUNseen,” Saar gathers ten artists that display energy around the idea of Spirit Portraiture — spirits captured in visual form. Included in “SeenUNseen” are JOJO ABOT, Rina Banerjee, Vanessa German, Kathy Grove, Julia Haft-Candell, Kenyatta A.C. Hinckle, Ricardo Vicente Jose Ruiz, Alison Saar, Keisha Scarville and Arthur Simms.

Alum Hedwig Brouckaert (M.F.A., ‘05) is participating in the group show “Rhapsody in Blue” at the Villa Les Zephyrs in Belgium. The title refers to the extreme mood swings from the twenties of this and the past century. Curated by Isolde De Buck, the exhibition includes artists Sadie Murdoch , Hadassah Emmerich, Hans Op de Beeck, Johan Creten, Thomas Lerooy, 
Hans Demeulenaere en Samyra Moumouh, Maaike Leyn, Sarah Yu Zeebroek, Deogracias Kihalu and Sharon Van Overmeiren, as well as Brouckaert.

Save the date for “Dad Life,” an upcoming show at Axis Gallery, featuring new paintings by Tavarus Blackmon (M.F.A., ‘18). “Dad Life” will run from November 6 – November 28, 2021.

Axis Gallery
625 S Street
Sacramento, California

Alum Sandra Ono’s (B.A., ‘03) solo show “Flowers” opens at P.Bibeau in New York, featuring sculptures referencing the 1979 Greensboro Massacre and death of Ono’s namesake, Sandra (Sandi) Neely Smith. At the age of 29, Smith was killed during a ‘Death to the Klan’ protest against the continued racial injustice in Greensboro.

“Flowers” will be on view from October 28-December 18, 2021.

Amy Lincoln’s (B.A., ‘03) solo show at Sperone Westwater focuses on ten new paintings of imaginary seascapes.

Professor Robin Hill has co-curated a new show with Ulla Warchol at the ArtYard in Frenchtown, New Jersey called “Going to the Meadow.”

The work and creative spaces of numerous UC Davis alumni will be featured in the 16th annual Sac Open Studios tour.

Noah Rosenberg’s (B.A., ‘18) film a moment west will be featured in Crossroads 2021, San Francisco Cinematheque’s 12th annual film festival.

Mercy Hawkins (M.F.A., ‘21) was recently featured in an article in Sacramento News & Review. 

Genevra Daley (M.F.A., ‘21) is featured in the latest issue of Maake, an independent, artist-run print limited-edition publication

The Verge Center for the Art’s original documentary series About the Artist: Making Art in the Golden State premiers Thursday, July 22 with an episode featuring alum and Sacramento-based artist Manuel Fernando Rios (M.F.A., ‘11).

A new exhibition featuring work by art alumni that recasts a unique chapter of Northern California’s unconventional art history will open July 1 at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art.

Kristin Hough (M.F.A., ‘16) has curated a group show at Test Site Projects which will be opening Saturday, June 26. “SEEDED” includes alum Arielle Rebek (M.F.A., ‘17), as well as Devra Fox, Charlotte Lethbridge and Katharine Spinella. 

Genevra Daley is the winner of the 2021 Keister and Allen Art Purchase Prize for a Master of Fine Arts student in studio art. One of her works will be purchased for the UC Davis Fine Arts Collection.

Indy Film Library has posted a review of “Poem Reply to Sofia,” an experimental film by first-year M.F.A. candidate Sofia Del Pedregal, in their recent newsletter. .

“Everday Inspiration: A Still Life Invitation Show,” a group exhibition featuring artists working working in the still life genre, includes four paintings by alum Gabriella Soraci (MFA ‘07). The show will be on display from May 14 to June 4 on site as well as online at the Maude Kerns Art Center. For the exhibit, Kate Bollons, Sarah Ciampa, Carolyn Gates, Jordan K.

“Shifting Sands,” an exhibition co-curated by alum Hedwig Brouckaert (MFA ‘05), Ghislaine Sabiti and Yvette Molina, celebrates the many different cultures and backgrounds found in NYC. 

Organized by curator PJ Gubatina Policarpio, and featuring work by Headlands’ 2020-21 Graduate Fellows, “Tarsal by Metatarsal”

Join Justina Martino (MA, Art History, ‘15) for a Verge Art Center Lunchtime Art Chat with Muzi Li Rowe (MFA, Art Studio, ‘17) on April 30 at 12:00 PM (PST). Muzi, a Verge Center Ali Youssefi Project alum, will share a slideshow about her art, inspirations and processes and attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions. 

Professor Gina Werfel, along with artists Carol Boram-Hays, Leslie Ford, Augustus Goertz, Arlene Santana and Gerald Wolfe, are showing in the exhibition “Expanding Space” at Lichtundfire.

Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects (SHFAP) presents “Conduit,” a two person exhibition featuring alum Daniel Herr (BA, ‘04). “Conduit” will be on view from March 24 – April 24, 2021.

Lomex in New York is featuring a solo exhibit by alum Andrea Fourchy (BA ‘12), her second show at Lomex. “Girlfriends” will be on be on view until April 25, 2021.

Artsy recently launched First Look, a timed sale of new-to-market works by women artists that its Curatorial team considers “ones to watch.” Artsy’s curators include alum Anna Valdez (BA ‘09) in this group of exceptional talent with rising critical appreciation, and growing collector interest –  artists breaking new ground and poised to reach new audiences in 2021.

View Valdez’s work in Artsy.

A solo presentation of works by Professor Annabeth Rosen will be on view for Art Basel’s OVR: Pioneers: Annabeth Rosen. The Online Viewing Room will be available from March 24 to March 27, 2021 courtesy of P.P.O.W.

The Verge Center for the Arts is re-opening and presenting its first exhibition in a year on site. “Class of 2020″ showcases the work of the 2020 Ali Youssefi Project (AYP) artists in residence, including alum Brooklynn Johnson (MFA ‘19), Vincent Pacheco (MFA ‘17), and Muzi Li Rowe (MFA ‘17). 

Professor Shiva Ahmadi, along with 20 other US-based artists of Arab and Iranian heritage, is particpating in the exhibition ”A Boundless Drop to a Boudless Ocean,” a collaboration between the Orlando Museum of Art and the American University in Cairo.

First year MFA candidate Emily Gordon is participating in the virtual exhibition “Speculative Futures, Present Imaginations” through St. Catherine University.

The work of alum Maryann Steinert-Foley (BA ‘11) will be featured in the exhibition “Equine Therapy II” at b. sakata garo in Sacramento. The show runs from January 5 to January 30, 2021. There will be an artist reception on January 9 from 6-8 pm.

Visitors are required to wear a mask or face covering for the duration of their stay.

b. sakata garo
923 Twentieth Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
916-447-4276

Alum Julian Tan’s  (MFA ‘16) first virtual solo show ”Catastrophic but not serious,” sponsored by Nomind Gallery, is now online. Tan premiered a new video — “No Way Around” — and works from 2018-2020. 

Visit juliantan.com to view the show (desktop version recommended).

Alum Yuan Chen (MFA ‘17) is featured in “Marin 6 Exhibition” at the Marin Society of Artists (MSA) in San Raphael. This group show is on site December 2 through December 31, 2020. Open Wednesday through Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m.

Congratulations to alum Robert Machoian (MFA ’10) whose film “The Killing of Two Lovers” has been included in MoMA’s New Directors / New Films 2020 festival.

“Believe Only the Caravan’s Trace,” the 2020 Graduate Fellowship Exhibition At Headlands Center for the Arts, features seven recent MFA graduates from around the Bay Area, including UCD’s Bailey Anderson (MFA ‘20).

Professor emerita Lucy Puls’ solo show “1989″ at the P.Bibeau gallery features five sculptures from 1989. 

Telematic Media Arts has produced “The Archive to Come,” an exhibition (online and in the gallery) of short time-based works that address questions of loss, memorialization, crisis, and re-invention, through the lens of contemporary networked culture and digital media. Professor Darrin Martin, along with curators Clark Buckner and Carla Gannis and numerous other artists, address fundamental questions about what we value and want to preserve as we work to recover from their ravages and build for the future. 

Axis Gallery in Sacramento is exhibiting “Vessel / Fountain,” a solo show with recent works by alum Aida Lizalde (BA ‘18).

Professor Shiva Ahmadi’s recent paintings are on view online in “The Body Politic” at the Haines Gallery in San Francisco.

Professor Gina Werfel is participating in the group show “Parabole of Unity” at LichtundFire in New York.

Alum Noah Greene’s (MFA, ‘18) solo show “The House is Shallow” opens October 5 and runs to October 30 at window mine in Reno, Nevada. This show is not remote so appointments are required.

An installation of hand-carved wooden sculptures by alumnus Chris Daubert (MFA, ’88) will be on exhibition at the Pence Gallery Oct. 6 through Nov. 29. 

Alum Manuel Fernando Rios’ (MFA 2011) solo show “The Weight” is currently on view at Axis Gallery in Sacramento. “The Weight” aims to visually explore the feeling of carrying mental baggage. Through mixed media paintings that often include silkscreen and image transfers, Rios weaves intricate compositions full of colorful abstracted and figurative forms capturing the complicated feelings of emotional weight.

Alum Chris Lanier (MFA 2007) is featured in Drawing the Times, a platform for graphic journalists and cartoonists, with his adaptation of the Ferguson DOJ report “An Anatomy of Institutional Racism.”

Rachel Dean (M.F.A, ‘19), Stephen Kaltenbach (B.A., ’66, M.A., ‘67),  Douglas Kleinsmith (B.A., ‘18) and Muzi Li Rowe (M.F.A., ‘17) are currently featured in “Shelter in Studio,” an online exhibition that is California Artists’ Response to Covid-19.

Professor Gina Werfel was honored with a Mercedes Matter Award for her work “Intersection,” which is currently included in the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting & Sculpture’s Virtual 2020 Alumni Exhibition. Werfel’s award was presented by Christine Berry of Berry Campbell Gallery in New York. The show is available online through August 31.

Alum Kevin Frances (BA 2010) is participating in the group show “Documents” at the George Adams Gallery. “Documents” features paintings, photographs and woodcuts by Frances as well as artists Jack Beal, Manny Farber, Kija Lucas and Tony May.  

The exhibition will be available both online, in a digital format and installed at the gallery for viewings by appointment through July 16 to September 26, 2020.

Alum Anna Valdez (BA 2009 and MFA, Boston University) is having a solo show at Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco now though June 27. 

“Objects of Affection” is her third solo presentation at the gallery and showcases Valdez’s maximalist still life paintings which offer a glimpse through the artist’s lens into art history and the familiar.

Alum Daniel Alejandro Trejo (BA, Art History and Art Studio, 2013) has been interviewed by Hyperallergic in their series Queer Art Workers Reflect.