Meet Tricia Grame

Curating a Beautiful and Creative Life

the advisory committee for the Village Theater Gallery, and has curated several exhibitions, “Open Studio” events as well as her favorite, student educational shows.

Tricia also has been teaching in the SRVUSD for many years beginning with San Ramon Valley High School, Monte Vista High School, and presently Pine Valley Middle School. She works for two exceptional administrators, Principal, Sandy Kontilis and Vice Principal, Steven Anderson, an “exceptional” experience. Tricia explains, “They both support and encourage my curriculum and understand how essential art and creativity is for self development. It is the classroom where students share ideas, sing, explore and experiment.” Her students paint the classroom doors, walls, garbage pails, chairs, tables, even projector screens (that don’t roll up anymore}... “their creativity is limitless.” Including art history and providing historical context of art in the world today is also an important part of Tricia’s teaching methodology. Her “desire is for each student to be able to have a conversation about art, history, release their own creativity and make personal decisions. Some students need a different approach to learning and this is where artistic experience works. The energy, production and diversity of art in my classroom is beyond exciting.” Having the experience of teaching in both public, private, youth and adult arenas, Tricia has a vast and unique ability to enlighten the lives of all ages.

By Anne Angstenberger, Resident since 2006

Originally from New York City, Tricia and her husband, Richard, moved across the country to Palo Alto, CA. Eventually they ended up settling across the bay in Danville. Tricia exclaims “How could we resist? A beautiful, intimate town…a view of Mt. Diablo, having land, a space for an art studio, a wonderful community, and a perfect place to raise our son.” Even today, their son and his wife (Michael and Ritu) along with their grandchildren, Serena and Sean, live only “two stoplights away.” What a blessing! Although her family plays the central role in her life, Tricia is also a well renowned artist, writer, and educator that has enriched our Danville community with her expertise, talents and gifts for many years. Over the course of her career, she studied at a variety of institutions, including California College of the Arts, UC Berkeley, CSU East Bay and Dominquez. Tricia is currently an adjunct professor for the California Institute of Integral Studies, Ph.D., Women’s Program and MFA in Writing, Consciousness and Creative Inquiry Department. She has also taught for New College in San Francisco. When teaching adults, Tricia’s approach is quite unique. “My focus is about self discovery, traveling back in one’s life with dreams and memories. My student’s write as much as they make art. We explore the meaning of symbols and images as a means of creating individual and collective artwork.” Having curated many exhibitions for the Women’s Spirituality Program at California Institute of Integral Studies and Stanford University, Tricia also had the opportunity to curate dozens of exhibitions and lectures globally…from NYC, to Malta, Italy and California, to name a few. Locally, Tricia has been an art commissioner and on

Combining her love for travel, art and teaching, has given Tricia the opportunity to lead education tours to Europe with Jet Vacations. For the past 8 years, Tricia has led art tours in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy. This June, Tricia is thrilled to be leading a trip to Greece where Cycladic ancient female symbols were discovered in 2500 BC. If you are looking to travel this November, Tricia will be leading a tour to Italy with a reception for her very own exhibition at the Nous Gallery in Tuscany. One of her more memorable endeavors was when she did her doctorate research and organized group exhibitions in Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean between Africa and Sicily. Tricia noted that “Malta consists of hundreds of female sculptures and megalithic limestone temples, etched by the sun for thousands of years.” The US Ambassador, Kathryn Profitt, the Parliamentary Secretary for Women’s Rights, Helen Dalli, and the Minister of Education, Louis Gali, attended the reception at the Westin Dragonara Resort. She was included in both a live TV and radio show in Malta, “What a Eureka moment!”

More recently Tricia has been delivering lectures on the “Evolving Image of the Female in Art History, Self-Identity and Culture.” Her favorite organization, American Association of University Women invited her to speak on this subject. She explains, “today I am most concerned about advertising, social media and the negative effects it has on young girls, in particular”. “How they define beauty, how they are supposed to look and who they are supposed to look like. The female face and body have become an instrument that has turned her into an artificial, living art object that is voice-less, which can diminish one’s self esteem. There is always a correlation between society’s values, directions, motives and the art it produces.” Tricia’s teaching mission is focused on “nurturing the creative process and that every human is born with a creative gene.” Her intent is to provide students with a voice, self confidence and passion through creating and discussing art, history and human connection.

The splendor of Tricia’s artistic curiosity and brilliance is not all that she brings to enrich our little town of Danville. Tricia and her husband have cultivated a vineyard with 300 cabernet plants on their property in the west side hills. Richard, a pharmacist, took a different direction in the flavor and fragrance industry. This explains his unique sense of smell and taste and is enjoying learning about the art of wine making. Monty Paulson, of the Paulson Winery in Livermore is currently making and bottling the Grame’s wine, Gramegna. As someone who also has an interest in the arts, he was thrilled to suggest to Tricia to design the wine label herself…featuring a variety of ancient female sculptures true to Tricia’s artistic signature style. What is even more thrilling for our community is that Filipo Silvestri, owner of Locanda Ravello, and a wine expert, has decided to showcase the wine at the iconic Danville Italian restaurant…be sure to ask for a bottle the next time you visit! Tricia has one final thought to share with her Danville Living neighbors “I am so fortunate to live in Danville with my family, in a town that has inspired my creative process and gives me the opportunity to share my passion and the arts with others.”