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Toyetic
Exhibition Dates: January 12, 2018 through April 1, 2018
Opening Reception: January 12, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Late Night at the Library: February 9, 2018 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Manhattan Beach Library, 1320 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach
Chuck Hohng: Live in Studio: Saturday, March 10th and March 24th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Witness artist, Chuck Hohng as he brings his famed bears to life in his studio at MBAC.

Toyetic is an exhibition focusing on artworks inspired and informed by the toy industry. The exhibition will include the work of emerging artist Chuck Hohng, who explores the issues of life, home and gender roles through the medium of traditional children’s toys, and industry giant John T. Quinn, the Director of Character Art for Disney Consumer Products, whose art drives the look, direction and essence of today’s largest toy and character producer: the Walt Disney Company.

Meet Chuck Hohng
Hohng's life has revolved around art and has pursued a higher education in the arts, earning a B.A. in Fine Arts and Studio Arts from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2010 and a Master of Fine Arts from Art Center College of Design in 2014. He has exhibited in several exhibitions throughout the Los Angeles area and South Korea. Chuck Hohng's art consists of various mediums including printmaking, soft-sculpture, and video. In this exhibition specifically, Hohng showcases a series of bears that resemble children's teddy bears. Evidently, Hohng's work is highly influenced by the toy industry. The message Hohng conveys in his work includes the themes of life, familial issues, and gender roles.

Meet John Quinn
From an early age John Quinn dreamed of working as an artist for The Walt Disney Company and, after graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, that dream came true. John began as an intern in the Character Art department of Disney Consumer Products and very quickly established himself as a creative force within the organization. Quinn's talent led him to progression within his career leading him to his current position as the Director and Artist of Character for Disney Consumer Products. He is an experienced Art Director with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods industry. Quinn's vital role with Disney includes driving the look, direction, and essence of Disney's products. From sketch to retail shelf, Quinn bridges gaps between Disney character and global trends.

Meet Ross Bonfanti
Ross Bonfanti, a graduate of Ontario College of Art and Design, was born in 1969, Toronto, Canada. His work is held in many private collections across Canada, USA, Europe, Australia and Asia, notably Hirshhorn Museum Smithsonian Institute (Washington DC, USA) The Drake Hotel (Toronto, Canada) 21 C Museum Hotels (Louisville, Kentucky, USA), Boca Raton Museum of Art (Boca Raton, Florida, USA), Canada Council for the Arts (ArtBank, Ottawa, Canada). His work is represented by galleries in London (England), New York City, Miami, Philadelphia (USA) and Toronto (Canada).

Using discarded stuffed toys and local thrift shops finds, artist Ross Bonfanti manipulates childhood objects to produce unique sculptures and mixed media works with concrete as a central medium. Each piece becomes an original, produced from a mass-produced object. Bonfanti links his own lifelong emotional experiences to his work while exploring themes commenting on commodity fetishism in our capitalist economy and the disposableness of consumer pop culture. By juxtaposing these materials he creates an arresting tension between the expectation of softness and the reality of hardness, between the fleeting and the permanent, between the memories of childhood and the stresses of adulthood. They are touched with both humour and pathos.

Late Night at the Library: Art, Drinks, and Discussion
February 9, 2018 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the
Manhattan Beach Library, 1320 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach

Chuck Hohng speaks about the meaning behind his signature bears featured in his exhibition, “Toyetic” on display at the Manhattan Beach Art Center and Manhattan Beach Library. Light refreshments and wine provided by Critic's Choice Catering.

This event is free to the public.

Music Entertainment provided by Nick Shattuck
Born and raised in the blue collar Mississippi River communities of Western Wisconsin, Nick Shattuck adapted a bare bones, blues influenced honesty in his singing and songwriting from the start. Relocating to Southern California with a bag full of indie folk songs that liken him to a pleasant combination of Ray LaMontagne and John Mayer, Nick has quickly made a name for himself in the cut throat singer/songwriter community of L.A. With his latest releases garnering over 250,000 Spotify plays, Nick continues to share his indie folk songs while supporting talented acts as Justin Nozuka, Howie Day, Matt Costa, Sea Wolf, Meiko, and more!

Photo by Lea Beiley

StART Projects 2018 Exhibition
An exhibition of the graduates of StART Projects 2018, a program designed for independent high school art students. StART Projects is a collaborative program between Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) and the City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department’s Cultural Arts Division.

Exhibition Dates: May 25, 2018 through June 10, 2018
Opening reception: May 25, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Artists: Emerald Padgett, Summer Higley, Jack Decker, Sadie Beaumont, Seia Watanabe

HOT STUFF, Contemporary Sculptural Jewelry
Exhibition Date: April 13, 2018 through June 17, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, April 13, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Late Night at the Library: May 18, 2018 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Featuring the artwork of Rachel Shimpock, Jill Baker Gower, Jessica Calderwood.

This exhibition explores sculptural jewelry that pushes the boundary of beauty, materials, technique and fashion. From electroformed potato chips to colorful enamel and resin resembling human flesh, the women in this exhibition represent the new age of art, craft, and ornamentation.

This exhibition features more than forty works by three of the most unique, young female jewelry designers of the decade: Jill Baker Gower, Jessica Calderwood, and Rachel Shimpock.

MEET JILL BAKER GOWER
Originally from the Chicago area, Jill Baker Gower earned her B.S. in Art Education at the University of Wisconsin and her M.F.A. from Arizona State University. Her educational career led her to a successful career in the arts. Jill's work has been in many juried and curated exhibitions nationwide. A few of the publications her work has been included in are Metalsmith magazine, 500 Enameled Objects and the forthcoming book CAST. Jill was also a recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship (2015).

Jill's jewelry is informed by the female experience. This includes everyday interactions and observations of gender-based expectations or generalizations.

The shapes and forms of her pieces come from disparate inspirations including the female form; faceted gems; historic jewelry and metalwork; and tools or implements for beautification or medical procedures. The surfaces of her work are often ornate, etched with lace patterns, and at times are paired with actual crocheted elements. Jill chooses to incorporate skin, red, and pink toned colors in her work primarily to reference human flesh, cosmetics, the body, and blood.

The use of materials such as skin-toned rubber and mirrors reference bodily transformation, examination, and vanity. Meanwhile, the purpose of other materials are selected for their aesthetic qualities, emotional resonance, and preciousness. With these materials, formal considerations, and influences, Jill creates work that she considers both playful and beautiful and at times even absurd or humorous.

MEET JESSICA CALDERWOOD
Image-maker and sculptor, Jessica Calderwood is an artist who works primarily with the media of metal and enamel. Through a combination of traditional and industrial metalworking processes her work makes a statement about contemporary life. Jessica's work is imbued with personal stories and vibrant color.

Jessica received her B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art and her MFA from Arizona State University, with an emphasis on Metalworking. Her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and internationally in curated and juried exhibitions. She has participated in artist residencies with the John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Program and the Mesa Arts Center. Her work has also been published in Metalsmith Magazine, American Craft, NICHE, Ornament, the Lark 500 series, and the Art of Enameling. She has been an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh since 2008. Calderwood is a recipient of a Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship.

MEET RACHEL SHIMPOCK
Rachel's work is an exploration of formal elements that address the essence of the sensual encounter with comfort food. Transforming complex and separate elements into a new kind of whole. With the inclusion of the body as site, jewelry allows her to present the relationship between two influences, which have followed her continuously throughout her life: food and ornament. With this work she represents moments of guilty  pleasure by utilizing form, texture, color and surface treatment.

The conceptual direction of this work is initiated by personal nostalgia associated with the social relationships triggered by food and the interactions that result. The accumulations of her planned and accidental food sentiments are what she is interested in documenting. She had positioned these pieces to evoke the character of social foods that are consumed by or made for two or more people. She looks to metal to confirm her intent to honor and respect the legacy of her craft and present her sense of humor with integrity. Rachel defines herself both as a metalsmith and a proud foodie. She is part of the gastronomic population that knows carrots are better; but would rather wear
her cheeseburger and eat it too.

Celebrate national Parks and Rec Month and experience everyday life in Manhattan Beach! Revel in leisure and recreation through the eyes and lenses of local artists and enjoy original artwork by the community in a variety of media, depicting the hometown feel of the City. This exhibition is a portrait of Manhattan Beach and its progressive, laid back lifestyle familiar to all! Enjoy a Day in the Life of Manhattan Beach.

Exhibition Dates: June 29, 2018 through August 5, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, June 29, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

TERRA FIRMA: A Commentary on Land
Exhibition Dates: August 17, 2018 through October 14, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, August 17, 2018 from 6:00 PM 9:00 PM

To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the big picture, or the broader, more general situation. For more information, download the Terra Firma: A Commentary on Land Press Release (PDF).

Gallery Information:
Manhattan Beach Art Center (MBAC)
1560 Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Monday, Tuesday, and Holidays Closed

Robert Glenn Ketchum
“Robert Glenn Ketchum: Color, Nature, and Beyond,” begins with a small selection of his traditional landscape work. These images are part of the No Pebble Mine/Save Bristol Bay campaign he worked on with many NGO’s, especially the Natural Resources Defense Council. The rest of the exhibit explores non-traditional imagery. The first of those will be the textiles created in the UCLA-China Exchange Program since 1985, including a loom-woven, 4-panel standing screen, and a 36”x 72” double-sided embroidery, hanging panel. The experimentation then expands to photographs evolved in the digital darkroom such as the 6-panel, 6ft. x 14ft., “Choose Joy” and the meditative configurations of the MANDALAC GARDENS series. Lastly, there will be several examples of fine silk scarves printed with images abstracted from nature by his fabric design company.
Robert Glenn Ketchum: Born, Los Angeles, December 1, 1947 lives in Manhattan Beach
BFA cum laude – Design/Photography, UCLA, 1970
MFA – Art/Photography, California Institute of the Arts, 1974
Honorary MS – Brooks Institute of Photography, 1995

Lowell Nickel
By studying human discards archaeologists have reconstructed most of what we know about the past. It is through this kind of examination of flotsam that Nickel presents us with aspects of our present population's demographics and consumer habits. This artistic investigation into the phenomenon of beached rubbish can be subscribed by what has recently been defined as the “Anthropocene”. The term Anthropocene or Holocene Epoch begins when human activities started to have a significant global impact on earth's geology and ecosystems. The basic concept of Nickel’s art project can be strengthened by a perceptible model of a geological (human disposed) stratification. As a devoted beachcomber and lifelong roadside treasure hunter, Nickel sees these deposited materials as our own footprint to be weathered away into our own layered earth strata. The weathering forces of nature serve as the ultimate liberator of all man made materials... this does not come without alterations of risky consequence.“I have always enjoyed playing with the formal principals of art making. That said; it has also been my intention to venture beyond the specific problems of aesthetic resolution. I seek to invoke a lyrical rebirth of this subject matter, restated, cleansed and yet caustic. This strategy i.e. a renewal of this urban flotsam through recontextualization, whereas, rubbish with all its seasoned attributes somehow displays a breath and elegance. This artwork is designed and presented to slyly seduce the viewer, with or without an environmental narrative.”
* Marymount California University Arts and Media Press release, "Nothing New Again” 2016

Jacalyn Lopez Garcia and Nicholas Caesar Colon
Multimedia Artist, Jacalyn Lopez Garcia and Photographer, Nicholas Caesar Colon will be exhibiting works from their collaborative LAND-artproject that will offer a unique investigation of the feared San Andreas Fault which is believed could cause widespread damage to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Coachella Valley, and neighboring communities. Each project is conceived and designed to be experienced in both the physical and digital worlds of landscape photography. The LAND-artproject.com website will feature artwork from the TERRA FIRMA exhibition at MBAC and hosts traditional and non-traditional photographic images, poetry, videos and documented stories gathered from interviews with local community members and business owners living on or near the fault line, including other media sources. Visitor participation is highly encouraged to interact and explore the multimedia installations that will feature abstract and intimate landscape photography. 3D glasses and stereo viewers will be available and on display to view 3D photographs and stereographs at the exhibition. Interactive QR codes embedded in photographic works have also been designed to guide participants to explore additional photographic images, audio files and videos from the LAND-artproject.com website. Other LAND-artproject collaborators include poets Laura Salinas Araujo and Darren J. de Leon, storyteller and videographer Carlos Garcia, and digital composer djr3x. There will also be live demonstrations and performances by LAND-artproject artists at the artist reception on August 17, 2018 at MBAC.

Anita Bunn
Anita Bunn’s work is an investigation into the act of noticing, of turning away from spectacle and the obvious. Her photographs, digital videos, and prints explore an unfamiliarity with the familiar as well as how objects negotiate a shared space. Additionally, her work seeks out the subtle shifts in perception that occur over time and through repetition, allowing for different ways of looking at an object and crystallizing the complexity and nuance that exist within a seemingly simple construct.

The prints in the most recent body of work (“Index”) embody the unique relationship between the city of Los Angeles and its natural surroundings, especially during a time of drought, while referencing a personal love of botanical illustrations and traditional Chinese and Japanese representations of the landscape. Made with master printer Francesco Siqueiros of El Nopal Press, these portraits of plants native to Southern California, are original digital captures printed as continuous tone lithographs that address an ongoing interest in combining traditional analog techniques with contemporary digital photography.

Ms. Bunn grew up in Houston, Texas but has made Los Angeles her home for more than 25 years. Anita received a BA in Fine Art from Trinity University, a BFA in Photography from Art Center College of Design, and an MFA in Photography from Claremont Graduate University. She is currently Adjunct Faculty at several local colleges and universities, teaching black and white darkroom photography, digital photography, digital imaging, and studio lighting for photography. Anita exhibited locally with Offramp Gallery (recently closed) and regularly participates in group exhibitions and with local artist-run spaces. She shows her work both nationally and internationally, and is in many public and private collections, including the Wallace Annenberg Department of Photography at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Scripps College, and the Capital Group, Los Angeles.

Fatemeh Burnes
Fatemeh Burnes was born in Tehran. She first came to the United States in 1973, spent a five-year period between three continents, and settled in Southern California in 1977. Classically trained in Persian art and verse (she was mentored by her uncle, poet Salek Esfahani, and was featured on several radio programs devoted to poetry), Burnes also studied biology, modern Persian poetry, and western artistic practice – including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, art history, and exhibition design – in Iran, Europe, and ultimately in California, where she received her BFA and MFA in art and art history.

Burnes has taught fine arts, design, and art history at California State University Fullerton, the Art Institute of Southern California (now the Laguna College of Art and Design), Saddleback College, Fullerton College, and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise (FIDM). She also led special programs in public art, which resulted in the creation of murals dealing with environmental themes, and has taught plein-air painting internationally.

Since 1992 Burnes has served as gallery director and curator as well as full-time professor of drawing and design at Mt. San Antonio College, focusing in particular on art education and curriculum development in exhibition organization and design. At the gallery she has curated over 100 exhibitions, authored numerous publications, conducted art-education documentaries, and worked with an international array of artists and art professionals. She has exhibited her own work extensively since the 1980s.

The last several years have been the most eventful of Burnes’ career. Since re-emerging in 2009 with new bodies of work in painting and photography, Burnes has earned the attention of top critics and curators in Southern California and has gained national and international recognition. In January 2012 Zero+ Publishing released Drift, a book of Burnes’ photographs, edited by critic and writer Peter Frank; and in March 2013 she published a 220-page full-color catalogue, Imprints of Nature and Human Nature, to accompany a solo exhibition at Mt. San Antonio College celebrating her two decades with the school. She has also exhibited at the Municipal Arts Gallery in Los Angeles, the Sturt Haaga Gallery of the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada-Flintridge, and at Laguna Beach’s George Gallery, which focuses on museum-caliber contemporary women artists. Her exhibitions have been reviewed in publications such as art ltd, ArtScene, and the Huffington Post.

Time4ART presents Mimesis
Featuring celebrated Italian artist, Carla Viparelli
Exhibition Dates: October 26, 2018 through December 30, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, October 26, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00; Program begins at 7:00 PM.

Presented by Homeira Goldstein and TIME4ART, Mimesis is an exhibition featuring new works consisting of painting and videos by internationally celebrated Italian Artist, Carla Viparelli.

The exhibition explores images being brought to life in a magic-like essence creating a vision of epiphany. This exhibition features video animations and paintings as moving and standing images generating an element of surprise.

Thank you to the Time4Art Sponsors: