by Allison Fairfield

The show, which opens Feb. 4th, has over 200 entries, one of the largest in recent history of InFocus. This is one of the Council’s most successful shows and draws entries from across the State. The InFocus 2012 Exhibition will be held at the Arts Council Gallery at 193 South Washington Street in downtown Sonora.

Opening reception is Feb. 11th, from 5:00 until 7:30. Gianelli Vineyards and Chuck Hovey will be pouring wonderful Italian wines. Local restaurants have donated appetizers for the event.

Best of Show by Allison Fairfield entitled: Dust to Dust.

Judges Holding Winning Entries

February 4th through 29th, 2012

Awards Reception Saturday, February 11, 5pm

Prizes of $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place will be awarded in three categories: Monochrome, Color, and Alternative Process, including Black and White, and Color manipulations. Specfic definitions are on the entry form. A best of Show Award of $100 will also be awarded. Additional ribbons for Honorable Mention and Judge’s Choice.

InFocus  judges for this year are:
Kim Komenich, former San Francisco Chronicle photographer and professor at San Jose State University. www.kimkom.com.
Mark Citret, teaches photography at UC Santa Cruz and Berkeley Extensions and is represented by several photography galleries. www.mcitret.com.
Janet Delaney, a photography educator and three-time NEA award winner. www.janetdelaney.com.

This year will again feature the Charles Moore Excellence in Photography Award honoring nationally renown photographer Charles Moore for the image that is most inspirational in the spirit of Charles’ work. The award is sponsored by local Clarke Broadcasting. Charles lived in Tuolumne County in the 1980s and 90s and helped make InFocus a better exhibition. Charles won international awards for his photojournalism during the civil rights protests of the 1960s. He also published a pictorial book, “The Mother Lode,” in 1983 which has gone through several editions.

The exhibition opens on February 4, and the Awards Reception is planned for Saturday, February 11. The show will remain up through February 29th.

New for this year is a larger gallery space to display more entries. All of the gallery space will be devoted exclusively to the IN FOCUS Exhibition.

The first second Saturday of the Year!–January 14th–

This is going to be FUN!–Put on your dancin’ shoes, save that alligator wrestlin’ for another time, and join us for one of Tuolumne County’s favorite dance bands! Right here at the Art Council Gallery’s “between the shows” large and inviting space….

Blues Box Bayou–To find out more about the band, where they are playing and hear some of their special brand of Cajun and Louisiana Roots Music at http://thebluesbox.net/

The annual InFocus Photography Show opening February 4th

Entries Accepted: January 26, 27, 28, 2012 • Exhibition: February 4 to 28, 2012. See the article: “Arts Council Announces InFocus 25 Photography Exhibition” on this page for more information. For important deadlines and guidelines, please download the pdf. by clicking on the InFocus Logo on the left hand side of this page. This, the 25th annual show will be bigger and better than ever. The “mini Mora Show” will close to free up more walls for this continually growing and popular Photography Show.

Writing Workshops with Alexander Chow-Stuart:

The Pixar Workshop with Alexander Chow-Stuart was just the first–the SECOND workshop, “Real World Writing Workshop” will be held Saturday, January 7th from 2:00 to 4:00– for the most current information on the workshop’s meeting times.

http://www.alexanderstuart.com/2011/12/real-world-writing-workshop-saturday.html

The third workshop, his second January workshop at the Arts Council is scheduled for January 21st, called “Noir Writing Workshop.”–For more information regarding this workshop, please visit his blog at:

http://www.alexanderstuart.com/2011/12/please-sign-up-for-email-updates-on.html

Guided Art Instruction with Irene Taylor:

Irene Taylor will be guiding an intimate class (maximum eight students), in painting and drawing for ages 8 and over will be offered on the second and fourth Fridays from 4 to 6 pm.  at the Arts Council Gallery on S. Washinton St. in Downtown Sonora–Please call (2o9) 588-0959 for more information, or to register please call: (209) 532-2787. Dates for these classes are as follows;

January 13th &27th, February 10th and 24th, March 9th and 23rd, April 13th and 27th and May 11th and 25th.

NOTE: CSAC will not be participating in January’s 2nd Saturday, as the first three weeks of January we will be in transition in the gallery space–packing up the Christmas Tree Art,  Mini Jo Mora Exhibition and patching holes and painting walls, etc….Getting ready for InFocus. Stay tuned!

A Very Artful New Year to All!

The classes will be held on these dates:

Jan. 13 & 27
Feb. 10 & 24
March 9 & 23
April 13 & 27
May 11 & 25

For more information, to make arrangements for supplies and to register, please call:

209 588-0959 (Irene), or CSAC (209) 588-0959

Cost: $75.00 for 4 weeks, or $20.00 a week.

Downloadable flyer for the class HERE.

Sonora Art Trails (SAT) is an organization that helps support and promote the visual arts in Tuolumne County.  SAT showcases the quality and diversity of art produced in the Mother Lode. These artists have come together to educate the public about the importance of the visual arts by meeting them in their private studios. This event is not only a unique opportunity to discuss with the artists their creative processes; it’s also a feast for collectors and art aficionados alike.

We recognize and embrace the importance of the Arts to enrich our lives, enhance our economic development and add value to our community.

Visiting the studios is free to the public. Hope to see you along the Trail.

The 2012 SAT Open Studio Tour marks the seventh anniversary of this exciting weekend. Some of 2011′s participating artists were:

• Mark Bergstrom–Photography
• Dave Bonnot & Dianne Shannon–Photography
• Leslie & Robert Carabas–Fiber Arts & Abstract Painting
• Patricia Cherry, Co-Founder of SAT–Painting
• Alexis Halstead–Ceramics
• Sherman & Stacy Hay–Sculpture & Painting
• Don Hukari–Serigraphy
• Kathleen, Co-Founder of SAT, & Richard Imlach–Metal Sculpture
• Dave Iserman–Painting
• Georgia Jones–Sculpture, Painting & Photography
• Susan A. Kelleher–Sculpture & Jewelry
• Tracy Knopf–Painting, Mosaic & Fiber Arts
• Joan Muggleton–Painting
• Harry Nakamoto–Ceramics
• Diane Sanguinetti–Painting
• Irene Taylor–Painting
• Vlatka Varga–Encaustic, Metal & Enamel
• Bill & June Vaughn–Ceramics
• Charles Waldman–Painting
• Corey West–Painting
• Robert White–Photography
• Joy Willow–Painting

To sign up for this event, please call Central Sierra Arts Council:

209 532-2787

Winning artist Marc Davis of Dublin, California submitted “Granite Ablaze”, photo on canvas of El Capitan in winter

Entries from California artists will  be on display at the Central Sierra Arts Council Gallery in Sonora, CA.–November 12th through December 31st.

Greeting cards will be created using these art pieces and those will be sold in honor of this year’s event. The cards will be available on-line and at each California Tour stop. Click here to visit the web page where you can find all the details.

Dust to Granite--Hardcover

The book, “Dust to Granite; The Yosemite Art & Writing of Jo Mora,” published by the Arts Council in collaboration with the Jo Mora Trust, is an account of a two-and-a-half-week journey from San Jose to Yosemite in 1904 by mule-drawn wagon. The artwork in the book has been reproduced from Mora’s hand-written journal and includes nine pen and ink sketches and watercolor paintings and some cyanotype photographs. The publication is an exclusive printing of 500 First Edition copies, in three different versions. The Collector’s Edition of 30 books that are accompanied by corresponding numbered Yosemite prints are sold out, but the first edition in hard cover and soft cover editions are still available for sale.

Soft Cover

Through an agreement with the Jo Mora Trust, the Arts Council will receive 100%  of sales of the journal which will go to the Arts Council for future programming. So don’t miss your chance to purchase a numbered and signed, limited-edition journal!  Also for sale are two very popular children’s books that Mora wrote and illustrated: Budgee Budgee Cottontail and  Chippie de Munk.

You can call the Arts Council at 209-532-2787 or go to ARTS COUNCIL EVENTS (at the left of this article at the top of the column) to purchase online.

The Jo Mora exhibit was a huge success. Many people came to Sonora to see works by Mora that had not been seen before. The exhibit spanned the different media that Jo Mora worked in.  Mora Cartes (maps), bronzes, and ephemera filled the CSAC gallery. A comprehensive show such as this, has not been assembled since the Monterey show in 1998. Peter Hiller, Mora’s archivist said this about Mora”s work: Jo’s artistically restless soul pushed him to work in almost every media imaginable; watercolor, intaglio, sculpture, oil, pencil, pen and ink, to a mural he painted for the Canterbury Hotel in San Francisco.