Berkeley
California
Kala Art Institute Newsletter - November 8, 2023
Arts and Entertainment
November 10, 2023
From: Kala Art InstituteEmbodied Press: queer abstraction and the artists? book - Curator Tour and Teen Zine Workshop
Curator Tour with Anthea Black
Date & Time: Thursday, Nov 9, 4-6pm
Location: Kala Gallery
Curator and critic Anthea Black will present new research on artist’s books and publications focusing on queer and transgender artists in the exhibition The Embodied Press: queer abstraction and the artists? book. Together we will look at artist’s books, zines and graphic novels that feature experiments with letterpress, screenprinting, and risograph as aspects of craft practice.
In particular, Anthea will present works that revel in the potentially defiant possibilities of abstraction and the handmade – conveying experience that is deeply felt, but difficult to publicly express through language or imagery alone.
The talk will be followed by an informal Q+A and cocktails.
Saturday, Nov 11, 1-3pm;
Friday, Dec 8, 4-6pm;
Saturday, Jan 13, 1-3pm
Join us for 1 or all 3 sessions!
Instructor: Elaine Ponce
Location: Kala Gallery & Classroom
In this workshop, we will look through the gallery of queer expression that has come together in The Embodied Press: queer abstraction and the artists’ book for inspiration.
Participants will see the boundaries of what we call a book to be tested and then participate in creating zines and pushing those boundaries in new directions. Working with a variety of materials we will cover different formats, layouts, and subject matter students can use in their process as well as how zines are a vehicle for independent publishing. Participants are encouraged, as in the exhibition, to “revel in visual abstraction as an antidote to the daily pressure of navigating our identities.”
Comings and Goings
A warm welcome to Kala's new Arts Sales & Collections Manager, Sonya Castillo. Sonya will be responsible for Kala art sales program and for overseeing Kala's extensive collection of works on paper. With the gallery team, she'll be working on special events including Kala's spring art auction benefit & 50th anniversary party, CODEX 2024 - 9th International Biennial Book Art Fair & Symposium, outside curatorial projects, and special collection initiatives. A Bay Area native, Sonya earned her BFA from SFAI in Interdisciplinary art with a focus on photography and printmaking. She comes to Kala with over a decade of arts administration expertise from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and SFMOMA.
At the end of November, we are sad to say goodbye to visiting curator Jun Igarashi who is wrapping up Kala projects this month before he and his family head back to Japan. Jun has been researching parent artist opportunities and working at Kala for a year now on exhibitions and public programs. A new exhibition curated by Jun will be opening at Milvia Windows in mid-Nov featuring work by Kala Fellowship Alumni Emma Spertus alongside work by an amazing artist from NIAD, Carlota Rodriguez. Stay tuned for more info. It's been such an honor to work with Jun and we're excited to welcome Sonya to Kala's team!
Adult Classes Highlights
Monday, Nov 20, 6-9pm
Instructor: Kala Staff
Location: Kala Gallery
Practice your figure drawing! We will have a model for the full 3 hours with both short and long poses. Kala will provide drawing boards and standing easels, but recommend participants bring tools and surfaces of their choice. Open to ages 18 and above. RSVP required.
Saturday, Dec 2, 10am-1pm
Instructor: Liz Schiff
Location: Kala Community Classroom
With simple tools and simple shapes you can make your own holiday cards. You will "carve" a foam plate, apply block ink and transfer to a card. Results are immediate and you will be able to create several cards in class. All levels welcome!
Saturdays, Dec 10-17, 10am-3pm
Instructor: Beth Davila Waldman
Location: Kala Printmaking Studio
Work with your own photographic images and mixed media to create layered works. Participants will be introduced to various adhesives and sealants to work with, as well as papers and as the gel photo transfer methods as a method for your work. All levels welcome!
Teen Studio Classes
Drawing Exploration: Observation, Imagination and Memory
Tuesdays, Nov 28 - Dec 12, 4-6pm
Instructor: Ali Vaughan
Location: Kala Gallery & Classroom
Join us for a three-week drawing intensive before the New Year that will cover the basics of drawing in contemporary art. Classes will cover three themes: drawing from observation, imagination, and memory. All levels welcome!
Tuesdays, Dec 7-14, 4-5:30pm
Instructor: Yael Levy
Location: Kala Community Classroom
Create your own personalized greeting cards! Students will carve their own printing blocks, try printing with a traditional press, and experiment with some low-prep screen printing. All levels welcome!
10% multi-session / sibling discount and tuition assistance are available
More News... In Brief
- We Are Home: Visions & Voices of the Tenderloin Community Quilt opens at Root Division Nov 9th with a community reception 3-5pm. On view thru Nov 29th.
- Kala Media Arts Fellow, Charles Lee?s opening reception for sweat + dirt at SF Camerawork, Nov 10th, 6-8pm. Work on view thru Feb 3rd, 2024.
- Lucid Art Residency program deadline Nov 13th, 10pm PST.
- Become a part of the dynamic and creative Kala community by joining Friends of Kala Membership program today. Support Kala and receive all sorts of benefits!