artMRKT San Francisco, the Bay Area’s premier contemporary and modern art fair will feature 70 highly reputable galleries from around the globe, bringing some of the world’s most intriguing artists and galleries to San Francisco. In showcasing historically important work alongside relevant contemporary pieces and projects, artMRKT will create an ideal context for the discovery, exploration and acquisition of art. The fair will take place at the Concourse Exhibition Center, May 17-20, 2012.

In addition, artMRKT will also feature a series of exhibits and discussions during the course of the weekend that celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. Leading museum curators and artists will explore the show’s overall theme of how public structures and art can be metaphors for the American immigration experience and integration of cultures.

NIAD is proud to be a cultural sponsor of the fair. We’ll be displaying a small selection of work by Marlon Mullen, Willie Harris and Jeremy Burleson in the sponsor’s area. Please join us for this event by downloading a complimentary one-day ticket.

See you there!

Left to right: Details of work by Mullen, Burleson and Harris

Join NIAD Next Month at artMRKT San Francisco, Get Free Tickets

Billy White and John Kendrick

NIAD is grateful for the love and support of our volunteers. They can play a big role throughout our organization and while we do privately recognize their service, it’s wonderful to see the community at large take notice. We’re very happy to announce that longtime volunteer John Kendrick has been recognized with a Richmond Cities of Service Volunteer Award.

John Kendrick came to NIAD in 2007 to volunteer as he was recovering from the stroke that ended his active work career, with the idea that giving and sharing are healing gestures.  After his stroke, the art he had made all his life came more into focus – he hoped that immersing himself in a lively environment where art-making was the primary work might spark his own return to creativity.  Within a couple weeks of coming to NIAD, he had formed a strong bond with Billy White.

John sits beside Billy, helps him find brushes, supplies, paper or paint.  If asked, John discusses creative options with him.  Billy’s art fascinates John and Billy’s garrulous, generous, story-telling personality matched John’s own.  Billy needs help focusing on his work, and he badly needed someone to listen.

John understands Billy’s drive to make pictures and stories and has the patience to sit with Billy while he works, listening to the stories, laughing at the jokes, while redirecting attention back to the art.  Billy (who does not have the use of his right hand) refers to John as “my right-hand man!”

Billy White had been accustomed to a great deal of mobility – most of his life he had wandered the streets, meeting people, panhandling, drawing what he saw and telling stories.  He had a hundred “cousins” and “sisters” and “brothers” all over the Bay Area.

He frequently and fearlessly got lost riding BART to other cities and walking into unfamiliar areas, and he counted on the police picking him up to get a ride home. It was extremely dangerous, and when he was moved into a group home one of the conditions was that he not go out alone.

The restrictions placed on Billy to keep him safe were seriously disturbing his sense of autonomy, dignity and competence.  John Kendrick stretched the boundaries of his volunteer assignment to go out with Billy, wherever Billy wanted to go, at least once a week for lunch.  With John there for him, Billy’s work took on a deeper quality, he produced more work, and was happier, more secure in himself.

John Kendrick has lived in Richmond for many years.  He has given NIAD approximately 400 hours a year for 5 years now, and shows no signs of flagging.  He comes to NIAD for Billy and the rest of us, quietly offering a steady kindness and a fierce belief in art as a calling of truth, accessible to anyone.

In the studio he participates in our NIAD community projects and celebrations, offering support and keeping an eye on everyone so no one gets lost, left behind, or forgotten.  During that time he has gone through personal loss, illness, and the deaths of his very close sister and his dog, but he has shown up faithfully, two days a week, through it all.

There are many outstanding volunteers contributing at various levels to the community life of NIAD, but truly it is those who contribute the basic glue of life, the person-to-person connections, who create  a sense of community in the first place.  If John Kendrick hadn’t shown up for Billy White, Billy’s depression would have deprived NIAD of one of its defining artists. Sometimes, being the right man in the right place at the right time, with an unending supply of patience and generosity of spirit is what it takes to make a community what it can be.

NIAD Volunteer Recognized by City of Richmond for Dedication

Curated by master printer and long time NIAD studio manager, Andres Cisneros-Galindo, Corresponding Views is an exhibition of prints that share a visual affinity with one another. Work by NIAD artists will be on display alongside prints created by Bay Area contemporaries. A range of different printmaking techniques will be on display, including woodcut, linocut, collagraph, serigraph, letterpress text, the application of chin colle and monotype. The exhibit will include the following artists:

Aisha Ivery, linocut

Dimeng Brehmer
Jeremy Burleson
Vicky Chen
Heather Edgar
Jon Fukui
Santiago Gervasi
Shana Harper
Peter Harris
Aisha Ivery
Lacee King
Monica Marini
Tomoko Murakami
Michelle Muennig
Tony Pedemonte
Jesus Perez-Valverde
Anthony Pinata
Luis Pinedo
Maria Radilla
Julio Del Rio
Juan Carlos Quintana
Barbara Rogers
Jonathan Velasquez
Vincent Villanueva
Billy White

Corresponding Views Now On Display

Animals are always a popular subject matter in our studio. Cats, dogs, fish and many other members of the animal kingdom simply inspire our artists. Beginning next week, a small body of this work will be appearing in the offices of Hopalong & Second Chance Animal Rescue in Oakland from March 21 to May 22. The exhibition is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9-5pm at 945 22nd Ave, #7, Oakland, 94606.

Hopalong Animal Rescue is a non-profit companion animal rescue and placement service founded in 1993. They rescue cats and dogs surrendered or abandoned at local shelters. Their mission is to eliminate the euthanasia of dogs and cats through rescue, spay/neuter, and education programs. They currently save over 1,000 animals a year, placing them in loving and permanent homes.

We’re proud to be partnering with Hopalong on this exhibit and we have a few paintings that will work quite nicely in their offices. If you’re in the neighborhood, head over to Hopalong and check out the artwork.

NIAD Art to Fill Offices of Hopalong & Second Chance Animal Rescue

The first New York City solo exhibition of paintings by Marlon Mullen opened on March 3rd at White Columns during a reception from 6-8pm. The event was very well attended and several of Mullen’s paintings have already found happy homes. The exhibit is on display until April 14th and you must see it if you’re in New York. If not, here’s a few more pictures of the installation.

Marlon Mullen White Columns Exhibition Photos

Mullen checking out his work in the Gang of Four+1 exhibit.

It’s a big week at NIAD. After a five-year hiatus Marlon Mullen will be painting again in our studio this Friday and the timing couldn’t be any better. The following day, his first solo show in New York City is opening at White Columns.

Mullen has long deserved greater attention for his work in the wider world of art. One of the first to take notice was the Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco, which gave him a successful solo show in 2007. Art critic Kenneth Baker featured the exhibit in the San Francisco Chronicle, observing that “Mullen’s work prompts us not to overestimate the value of intention or of any of the other facets of artistic meaning, not when something has the inherently persuasive visual force that his art does.”

Four years later Lawrence Rinder included his work in Create at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA). Mullen’s suite of work captivated museum goers, including the co-curator of the exhibit Matthew Higgs, who’s also the director of White Columns. He offered Mullen a solo show shortly after seeing the work at BAM/PFA.

The White Columns exhibit will be unveiled this Saturday during a opening reception from 6-8pm. If you live in the the greater New York area we strongly urge you to see it sometime between March 3 and April 14, 2012. The show will feature a group of Mullen’s paintings that were created at NIAD prior to 2006.

A new body of work will start taking shape later this week. After a few studio visits, Mullen recently decided it was time for him to paint again at NIAD. During his last trial visit in January Mullen’s creativity didn’t seem to skip a beat. He created the wonderful small painting you see below.

Stay tuned for some installation pics of the exhibition. In the meantime, here’s a few pieces that will be on display this weekend.

Marlon Mullen Returns to NIAD’s Studio as Solo Show Opens in NYC

Layer after layer of paint accumulates on canvas like geologic strata. The coats are countless and applied in every hue you can imagine. Globs of it get pushed over increasingly encrusted edges. When completed, the paintings are so thick they become sculpture. This is the current work of longtime NIAD artist Willie Harris.

Harris has been a mainstay in our studio since 1988, but in all honesty we know very little about him since he’s hearing impaired and cannot speak. Despite these disabilities we’ve gotten to know him through his habits, artwork and engaging personality.

For many of our artists the creative process is a daily ritual filled with procedures, utensils and materials that they rarely deviate from. Harris fits this description and each day begins like the one before it.

After stepping down from the bus in our parking lot he quickly deposits his lunch box, puts on his helmet, painting smock and starts uncapping paint jars. Unlike most of our artists Harris has his own workspace, a table that’s a piece of art in it’s own right.

Years of paint drips and splotches cover the six-foot folding table where he works. Even old plexiglass palates are buried underneath the mounds. It basically looks like a Jackson Pollock painting that’s two inches thick and probably weighs 100 pounds.

After sitting down to work Harris arranges his paint jars in a row and puts a brush inside each container. One to five paintings lay flat on the table with their edges butted up against one another in front of the paint. Once everything’s in place, Harris will then select a jar of paint, grab the brush and quickly apply the paint in short slashing strokes for several seconds. Then he’ll swap paint jars and repeat the same process throughout the day, while moving across the canvases.

This process can go on for days on one single piece or a group of paintings. The surface slowly builds and paint often binds the canvasses together. Occasionally Harris will rearrange the paintings by plopping one on top of another.

According to studio manager Andres Cisneros, the paintings are considered done when Harris starts to show disinterest in the work. He’ll typically slow down or stop working altogether and then appear distracted by everything around him. When that happens Cisneros swaps in a new canvas and he’ll start painting again.

The resulting work, created over the last three years, is far more minimal in comparison to the rest of his portfolio. It’s still highly expressive, but has more in common with color field painting then the wild abstract expressionism of his older work.

Prior to this current series, Harris mainly created works consisting of circles, houses and a solitary figure that would consistently pop up in his drawings. They were created just as feverishly as the new paintings, with many layers of watercolor paint and ink, but the new work contains far less overt symbolism. Even when he draws today, the figure, house or circles may emerge, but it’s far less detailed and usually contains a large amount of slashing marks, which is similar to his painting process.

We can only speculate why Harris has chosen this way of making art. He may simply enjoy the creative process, the physicality of covering a surface with paint. Many artists share this motivation or drive.

Regardless of why he’s chosen to make the current body of work, the response to it has been tremendous. Harris’ work has always been popular among NIAD fans and collectors, but the new pieces are garnering wider recognition.

Lawrence Rinder, director of the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, recently included Harris in his 2011 exhibit, Create. Several galleries have expressed an interest in displaying his work, including the Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco, who will be featuring Harris alongside fellow NIAD artist Marlon Mullen, in early 2013. We’ll also be displaying his paintings at the upcoming artMRKT fair in May.

The future is bright for Harris. He’s achieved a certain level of success through all his hard work to date, but he may reach another level in the coming years. We’re excited to see his paintings evolve and get the recognition they deserve for being so uniquely wonderful.

Willie Harris - Untitled (Green & Yellow)

Acrylic on canvas, 12x18 inches (2 panels)
Available Qty: 1

Price: $450.00

Willie Harris - Untitled (Beige & Pink)

Acrylic on canvas, 15x12 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $425.00

Willie Harris - Untitled (Pink & Yellow/Green)

Acrylic on canvas, 20x30 inches (2 panels)
Available Qty: 1

Price: $750.00

Willie Harris - Untitled (Red/Grey/Blue)

Acrylic on canvas, 24x12 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $625.00

Willie Harris - Untitled (Beige & Green)

Acrylic on canvas, 19x13 inches (2 panels)
Available Qty: 1

Price: $450.00

Willie Harris - Untitled (White/Pink/Black/Blue)

Acrylic on canvas, 40x13 inches (5 panels)
Available Qty: 1

Price: $1025.00

Artist Spotlight on Willie Harris

Heather Edgar

Heather Edgar sang My Only Hope with strong voice and good showmanship

“I’m 44 years old and I’m gonna sing Michael Jackson!” exclaimed Sara Malpass, who sang Beat It and Amazing Grace, on which the church-going members of her audience joined in.

Left to right: Kristi Dean and Sara Malpass

Kristi Dean followed by stating, “I’m 46 and I’m going to sing Dancing In the Streets and Cisco Kid.” The lyrics were somewhat altered through a NIAD filter: “…taste the pringle right back to the field, oot  oot”   Practiced in church choirs, she sings a capella with gusto and self assurance, singing the orchestration as well, to give it that richly layered quality that is so….Kristi.

Barbara Arbogast and Deatra Colbert sang a duet a capella appropriate to the holiday, Cupid by Sam Cooke, in true ‘60’s style, complete with microphone choreography.

Left to right: Deatra Colbert and Baraba Arbogast

NIAD teacher Ruben Guzman had his belly dance struck from the lineup, even though the audience demanded a performance, chanting, “Ruben, Ruben Ruben,” clapping and stomping their feet because “his costume was still at the cleaners.”  Suuu-uure, Ruben.

Michael Sutton, a veteran self-entertainer of many years experience, sang I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash and had his audience hushed and attentive, as did Jonathan Velasquez, whose alter-ego Espinoza Paz sang two Mexican cowboy ballads, Ponte En Mi Lugar and Olvidarte.

Jonathan Velasquez

Sylvia Fragoso’s karaoke Spanish rock song had a spontaneous crew of 4 backup dancers, including a lively and unplanned hip hop demo by Heather Edgar and her audience clapped time.

Sylvia Fragoso

At the end of the day, Valentine’s Day is about connecting with those we care about and appreciating them in our lives.  We certainly do that at NIAD.

Studio Talent Show Celebrates Valentine’s Day

Her hand moves with absolute precision as the ink slowly trickles out. The resulting line is crisp and eloquent. In concert with other lines they build lifelike forms that Heather Edgar is passionate about creating. She’s a keen illustrator, colorful painter and also happens to possess a gorgeous voice.

Edgar has been diligently working in NIAD’s studio since 2009, but according to her she’s been honing her skills since 1992 and it shows. She doesn’t need much guidance and typically comes in everyday with a plan. While she does work in clay from time to time, drawing and painting are her preferred mediums.

Untitled, pencil on paper

At first glance her typical subject matter seems unfocused, but it actually falls into a few categories: people, landscapes, flowers and Asian art. What strings them altogether is Edgar’s craftsmanship. Each piece is created with exacting precision. Details and color are carefully considered, while her process is highly controlled. So much so that from a distance her colored pencil drawings look like paintings.

While she’s not making art, Edgar has also been participating in our annual performances. Last year she took a key role in our studio’s musical adaptation of The Milky Way Railroad, a Japanese story by Kenji Miyazawa. She played the Ocean Queen. Prior to that production she showed off her vocal chords in our Live Arts talent show. In her free time she enjoys singing opera, pop and classical tunes.

In addition to her artistic skills, Edgar has been a leader in the studio. On several occasions she’s curated mini studio exhibits and is currently organizing a Valentine’s Day talent show. Let’s just say her enthusiasm is infectious and we’re proud to have her working in our studio.

Heather Edgar as a butterfly in The Milky Way Railroad

More of Heather Edgar’s artwork:

Heather Edgar - Untitled (Still Life)

Acrylic and ink on paper, 22x30 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $175.00

Heather Edgar - Untitled

Acrylic on paper, 17.5x23 inches.
Available Qty: 1

Price: $95.00

Heather Edgar - Untitled (Double Portrait)

Pencil on paper, 17x24 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $125.00

Price: $

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Heather Edgar - Untitled (Portrait #2)

Pencil on paper, 25.5x20 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $140.00

Heather Edgar - Untitled (Portrait)

Pencil on paper, 11x8.5 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $35.00

Artist Spotlight on Heather Edgar

Billy has been working at NIAD since 1994 and his personality lives large in the studio. He’s a charming storyteller and his sense of humor lifts the spirits of those around him on a daily basis. Some of his one-liners are legendary.

Over the last 17 years Billy’s artwork has garnered a long list of admirers who appreciate it’s direct simplicity, symbolism and raw expression. Painting and drawing are his preferred mediums, but he’s also brought his figures to life in clay. His typical subject matter falls into one of two categories, either narratives about his life or portraits of people he admires, which include movie stars, hip-hop artists and television actors just to name a few.

Like many of our artists, Billy’s life has been filled with adversity, but he’s managed to persevere and work hard at what he loves. Art is something he lives and does continuously. Every morning he arrives and pulls a fist-full of drawings out of his backpack that he completed the night before. He’ll then sort through them to determine his creative direction for the day, which can change like the wind.

If Billy’s working on a painting, it can easily morph into something altogether different. He might start off painting Bill Cosby, but quickly change is mind by lunch. When that happens, he simply works right on top and doesn’t erase what came before. The new work becomes an extension of the old. By the end of the day this could happen several times and what’s often left is a latticework of figures and stories with interchangeable meanings. It’s what makes his artwork so unique.

Untitled, mixed media, 38x20 inches

One of his favorite subjects and constant source of inspiration is the great artist Van Gogh. It’s not clear what he specifically draws upon in the Dutch artist’s work, but the legend’s life story seems to resonate with Billy. He’ll often paint portraits of admiration with Van Gogh wearing a yellow hat and sporting a goatee.

Billy’s portraits tend be his most powerful work. Simple brushstrokes around the eyes and mouth can carry great emotional weight. They’ve connected with viewers in NIAD’s exhibitions, throughout the Bay Area and beyond. His work is even included in the Achenbach Graphic Arts Collection, which is part of the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.

We look forward to seeing his work evolve and attract new audiences.

Billy White - Untitled

Acrylic on canvas, 40x26 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $250.00

Billy White - Untitled (Low Relief Wall Plaque)

Ceramic, 11 x 12 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $85.00

Billy White - Untitled

Acrylic on paper, 26x20 inches.
Available Qty: 1

Price: $175.00

Billy White - Untitled

Mixed media on paper, 38x25 inches.
Available Qty: 1

Price: $250.00

Billy White - Untitled

Linocut print, 18x12 inches.
Available Qty: 1

Price: $65.00

Billy White - Untitled

Acrylic on paper, 35x23 inches
Available Qty: 1

Price: $200.00

Billy White - Untitled

Mixed media on paper, 26x20 inches.
Available Qty: 1

Price: $175.00

Artist Spotlight on Arstanda “Billy” White