BE ART INSPIRED.
HIGHLIGHTS
Page 30 Indian Wells Arts Festival
commissions Flor de Vide by Leslee Adam
The Drepung Gomang Sacred Arts Tour in Laguna
8 holy men share Tibetan culture, mandala making, music, history
Page 32 Birds Take Flight
at Sunnylands Center & Gardens
Page 34 “Essence of Laguna” Art Exhibit
Unveils at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
Page 35 CV REP Gets a New Home Page 36 La Quinta Arts Festival
The Ultimate Fine Art Experience
Page 38 Soul is our Style
Auric Road Debuts Laguna Beach Oceanfront Escape: Hotel Joaquin
Page 40 Meet the Giraffes!
PSUSD Unveils a New Arts Partnership with the Living Desert
Page 42 Artists Council’s “METAMORPHOSIS” Page 44 Off the Beaten Track & onto the Canvas
Art Colony: The Laguna Beach Art Association, 1918-1935
Page 46 Talking to the Locals
Desert X 2019 Parallel Exhibits
Page 50 Waring Piano Competition
The nonprofit Waring International Piano Competition has something for everyone
Page 52 DELOS VAN EARL Talent and Resiliency
DELOS VAN EARL Embraces Change
Page 56 TOM LAMB The World from the Air
Tom Lamb’s Global Perspective
Page 62 ANDREA ZITTEL Planar Pavilions Page 64 ARCHITECTURE The Marriage of Art and Space
A Bighorn Residence Reveals Its Essence
Page 70 VALOHNA WYNN Creative Passion
Page 76 THE STROTKAMP COLLECTION An Artistic Home Embodying an Important Legacy Tom Lamb, Autumn, Page 56
The Strotkamps’ Laguna Beach Residence Supports LPAPA’s Artistic Traditions
Come visit us in Newport Beach
ETHOS CONTEMPORARY ART 3405 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, CA 92663 949 791 8917
ETHOSCONTEMPORARYART.COM ______________________________ Call ahead for free VIP parking. Located in the first block of the Balboa Peninsula across from the new Lido House hotel.
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Christine Dodd Christine@ArtPatronMagazine.com DI R E CTOR OF P H OTOGR A P H Y
Tom Lamb
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For Advertising and Editorial Information: 333 E Amado #1904, Palm Springs, CA 92263 or email info@ArtPatronMagazine.com The opinions expressed by writers and contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Laguna Beach Art Patron Magazine and Palm Springs Art Patron Magazine are published six times a year by Laguna Beach Art Magazine, LLC
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Joe Goode, courtesy of Peter Blake Gallery
FEBRUARY 14-18, 2019 Palm Springs Convention Center
art-palmsprings.com
HIGHLIGHTS
Indian Wells Arts Festival commissions Flor de Vide by Leslee Adam
Celebrating the 17th annual event is Featured Artist Leslee Adams’ vibrant ode to beauty and life, “Flor de Vida,” an original watercolor painting commissioned to serve as the festival’s commemorative print. Inspired by colorful blooms and the unexpected sustainability found in the desert’s rugged terrain, the Coachella Valley-native paints a narrative of admiration and respect for the harmonious balance of life in the Sonoran Desert. “Flor de Vida” translates from Spanish to English as “Flower of Life” and is the name given to reflect the painting’s nod to the history of desert valley inhabitants. Known as The Watercolor Chef, Adams’ is lauded for her bold watercolors of food, stunning landscapes, and beautiful florals. As a Parisian-trained Ritz Escoffier pastry chef, Leslee mingles her love of texture and color from the plate to the easel, perhaps best demonstrated through her incorporation into “Flor de Vida” of edible plants native to the desert. Dainty pink flowers blossom atop a cluster of Prickly Pear cacti, which she also uses in her culinary enterprises for her famed Prickly Pear Sorbet and traditional Nopales. Centered is the flowering Agave, widely known for being the source of Tequila and its nectar used as a natural sweetener. Surrounded by whimsical stalks of Ocotillo, savory Purple Sage ground cover and succulents, tiny but essential bees buzz throughout collecting the pollen responsible for the renowned desert superblooms and everyday life that finds its way to spring up. I hope “Flor de Vida” entices people to see more color and texture in our desert. There’s so much more to see than palm trees and cacti if we just slow down and take a look around us,” says Adams’ who hopes the painting will spur conversations not only about the desert’s beauty but, also the wondrous ways in which life thrives in a relentless geography. www.indianwellsartsfestival.com
The Drepung Gomang Sacred Arts Tour in Laguna 8 holy men share Tibetan culture, mandala making, music, history
After a three-year hiatus, the Drepung Gomang monks of India returned to Laguna Beach for the seventh time as part of their Sacred Tibetan Arts Tour. The eight monks were based at Healy House on the grounds of the Sawdust Art Festival. The holy men, who are artists and scholars from Tibet’s oldest monastery, constructed a mandala, an intricate design made from fine, multicolored sand, sang their unique trichord chanting at the beginning and end of each day, performed blessings to conjure positive energy at homes and businesses, and presented pujas, stylized rituals that combine chanting, music, prayer and visualizations using Tibetan instruments and multi-tonal singing. Visitors observed morning and evening chanting rituals and watched the mandala creation. When the mandala was finished, the monks conduct edthe dissolution ceremony, sweeping their creation into a pile of sand to illustrate the ephemeral nature of all endeavors. Guests were offered a small bag of the sand to take home as a reminder of the fleeting quality of this life and the importance of good works and positive efforts while here. www.drepunggomang.org 30
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HIGHLIGHTS
Birds Take Flight
at Sunnylands Center & Gardens
You may know Sunnylands for the famous pink wall that surrounds the plush, 200-acre winter estate of the late ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg. After all, eight American presidents have slipped behind the wall’s confines in Rancho Mirage over the years to recreate, unwind and talk peace with world leaders. But you may not realize that the property, which is dotted with 11 man-made lakes, more than 600 olive trees, and a private nine-hole golf course, was also designed by Walter Annenberg—once the owner of TV Guide, Seventeen, and American Bandstand—to be a sanctuary for birds. That surprising fact is the inspiration behind Flight Plan: The Birds of Sunnylands, an astonishing exhibition of birdlife at Sunnylands that showcases 52 striking images by internationally recognized wildlife photographer Tim Laman. A regular contributor to National Geographic, 32
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LIFE’S TOO
SHORT
TO WEAR
BORING
GLASSES OVER 2000 FRAMES TO SATISFY EVERY PERSONALITY
the eye experts EuropeanOpticalInc.com Laman spent two years capturing the courtship dances, hunting habits and midair acrobatics of many of the 130 species of birds that have been sighted at Sunnylands since its inception. The exhibition is open to the public at Sunnylands Center & Gardens, 37977 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, through June 2. Parking and admission are free. And while you’re there, be sure to reserve time to enjoy the nine acres of desert gardens at Sunnylands. With 1.5 miles of walking paths, the gardens are an art lover’s dream. They were inspired by the Annenbergs’ world-class collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, which included masterpieces by Renoir, Monet and Van Gogh. The Annenbergs bequeathed their collection in 1991 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where the works remain on display. www.sunnylands.org
1276 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach 949.494.6106
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LANT
ERN DISTRICT
June 2nd, 2019 10am - 5pm A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF FINE ART, LIVE MUSIC, FOOD AND MORE, IN THE HEART OF THE CITY’S LANTERN DISTRICT
Call for Entries Apply Now at: www.dpartfest.com
@DPArtFest
On Del Prado between Ruby Lantern & Golden Lantern
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A FULL DAY OF FUN! LIVE MUSIC UP & DOWN THE STREET FINE WINE & CRAFT BEER GARDENS LOCAL RESTAURANTS FREE PARKING
Blown Glass Installation, “Serenity,” by Artist Michael Panetta
“ESSENCE OF LAGUNA” ART EXHIBIT Saturday February 16, March 16, April 6 • 10am - 4pm
UNVEILS AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, LAGUNA NIGUEL Artists of the iconic Sawdust Art Festival celebrate the beautiful destination of Laguna Beach with over 20 original pieces of artwork. The Laguna Beach-inspired exhibit on display now until spring 2019 in the lobby features 22 original pieces of artwork that reflect the beauty of Laguna, from sunsets over the ocean to tranquil canyon walls and underwater wonders. Each Sawdust artist participating in the “Essence of Laguna” exhibit has chosen and created work that best presents Laguna Beach through different mediums and perspectives, including colored pencil, water color, ceramic tile mosaic, oil, photography, and the showstopper stunning blown glass installations. In 1996, a small group of Laguna Beach artists created a local art show to embrace the community and what is now known as the Sawdust Art Festival. Considered a nationally-acclaimed art exhibit, the Sawdust Art Festival takes place for nine weeks during the summer, along with weekends in the winter. Artists include: Michael Panetta; Monica Prado; Karen Petty; Josh King; David Kizziar; Patsee Ober; Michelle S. Burt; Lydia Delgado. www. sawdustartfestival.org
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CV REP GETS A NEW HOME Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre (CVRep), affectionately referred to as “the little theatre that could,” is currently finishing the process of renovating the former Cathedral City IMAX theatre into a 209-seat beautifully updated permanent home. With a commitment to bringing high-quality, professional theatre of substance to the Coachella Valley and beyond, CVRep, under the leadership of founder and Artistic Director Ron Celona, has come a long way. During their 10-year history, CVRep has presented awardwinning plays and musicals - critically acclaimed, thought-provoking, entertaining productions. It boasts a Conservatory and presents a Youth Outreach Production every year, bussing in thousands of middle and high school students at no charge. The very first public performance in CVRep’s new home will be the unforgettable rock musical CHESS, which offers some of the most beautiful music ever written for the American Musical Theatre. CHESS opens in previews on Wednesday and Thursday, March 13 and 14, with an official Gala Opening on Friday, March 15. CVRep’s new location: 68510 East Palm Canyon (Hwy 111), Cathedral City, www.cvrep.org. A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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Trenz Gallery La Quinta Arts Festival The Ultimate Fine Art Experience
Escape to an arts oasis at the 37th La Quinta Arts Festival, March 7-10, 2019. The signature event yet again reigns supreme as #1 Fine Art Festival and #1 Fine Craft Festival in the Nation from Art Fair SourceBook, and #1 Fine Art and Design Festival from Sunshine Artist Magazine. The diversity, quality, and expertise of La Quinta Arts Festival artists consistently deliver an inspiring and impressive experience. Presented at La Quinta Civic Center Campus, the juried show features over 200 artists exhibiting unique creations in every medium. With art for every taste and price point, you will easily discover treasures to take home. Featured Artist Elaine Mathews Acclaimed artist Elaine Mathews strives to capture the beauty of our land and preserve it on canvas for future generations to enjoy. Influenced by California Impressionism, Elaine loves to paint en plein air – out in nature – and has taught this classical style for 30 years. She created the painting “Springtime in Coachella Valley” for the 2019 commemorative poster.
www.trenzgallery.com
68845 Perez Raod, Suite H-15, Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760)202-8769
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Enjoy Gourmet Food & Drink In between art shopping, gather with friends at Restaurant Row, Bristol Farms Café, or Island Bar to enjoy upscale delicious cuisine. Stella Artois is the official beer sponsor, served beside fine wines, beer, coffees, refreshing E & E Pels Italian Ices and Brandini Toffee sweet delights.
Channel Your Inner Picasso New in 2019, connect with your creative spirit by finger-painting a public participation mural. Conceived by artist Peter Tigler, the mural will come to life on Saturday and be unveiled on Sunday. Peter has created public participation murals for The Getty Museum, Providence College, and cities including Santa Monica and Marina del Rey. He brings a unique vision and variety of influences to his dramatic, recognizable pieces, which include traditional media and cutting-edge computer images. Don’t miss this special interactive art activity, made possible in part by an Arts Tank Greater Palm Springs grant from the California Desert Arts Council. Come for the Art – Stay for the Entertainment La Quinta Arts Festival features a fun lineup of live entertainment, from talented performers to the best local bands. Enjoy daily acoustic guitar performances by expert musicians Scott Carter and Michael Anthony Gagliardi. Headlining the amphitheater on Friday is Trio NV, who will entertain the crowds with their smooth renditions of pop and rock. It’s all about jazz on Saturday, with the debut performance of Art of Sax, featuring Will Donato on saxophone. The dynamic entertainers of Shaken Not Stirred, winners of the CV Weekly award for Best Cover Band, will close out the show on Sunday. www.LQAF.com.
k. lewis robert Fine Art Paintings
“Je Suis Jolie” 51” x 36” Oil on Canvas
3 10. 4 3 5. 97 3 1 s tudio@k- lew is - rober t.com A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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JOHN SZABO
Crystal Cove Waterfall, 36” x 48” x 3” Acrylic on Wood Panel
“Szabo’s most recent series of large abstract paintings are reminiscent of Gerhard Richter as he skillfully pulls paint across the canvas creating a rich waterfall of colors. Szabo returned to a familiar, lifetime artistic inspiration; the Southern California coast reflected in the energy and color palette of this new series.” — Saatchi Art
L GOC A La g una G a ll e r y o f C o n t e m p o ra r y A r t 611 S Coast Hwy Laguna Beach CA 92651 • lgoca.com • 949-677-8273
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Auric Road Debuts Laguna Beach Oceanfront Escape: Hotel Joaquin
Soul is our Style Auric Road, the lifestyle curators of petite resorts, is debuting its much-anticipated SoCal property, Hotel Joaquin. Nestled along the breathtaking Laguna Beach coastline, Hotel Joaquin welcome guests to a full sensory experience. This designer sanctuary seamlessly connects adventure and respite with the tranquility of the beach carried throughout the property. Chic, playful, and layered décor is the hallmark of this 22-room petite resort designed by Studio Robert McKinley. Hotel Joaquin follows the “Soul is our Style” ethos of Auric Road’s existing properties, Korakia Pensione and Lone Mountain Ranch. Derived from the original land grant of Rancho San Joaquin, which encompassed much of presentday Orange County, Hotel Joaquin speaks to the heritage of Laguna Beach, paying homage to the laid-back elegance of the California and Mediterranean coastlines. This private beach oasis features small batch in-room amenities, sweeping views, a serene pool and bespoke resort-style service. Sensory-focused details weave a soulful narrative throughout the property and elevate the mood of laid-back luxury. Guests are encouraged to get out and take advantage of what Laguna Beach has to offer with an all-access pass to the Adventure Garage that has surfboards, hiking and diving gear, bicycles, and playful outdoor accessories. Guests can enjoy a fully unplugged atmosphere with television-free suites outfitted with vinyl record players and a curated music collection to complement each guest’s intention for their stay. Hotel Joaquin’s unique hospitality ethos offers highly personalized service with a St. Barth’s vibe. Inspired by the magic of their salty backyard, Hotel Joaquin will take its guests on a sea-centric culinary journey, with a clean French-Mediterranean menu. To complement the coastal cuisine, the cocktail program offers a creative nod to the classics, while introducing exotic new flavors. The sustainability-focused property is on a mission to eliminate plastic waste and connect with local charitable organizations to deliver hands-on community experiences for guests. www.hoteljoaquin.com.
150+ARTISTS. 96+ STUDIOS. 30+ MEDIUMS.
THE 2019 HWY 62 OPEN STUDIO ART TOURS. DISCOVER THE WORK OF ARTISTS THROUGHOUT THE JOSHUA TREE REGION.
THREE WEEKENDS THIS OCTOBER: 5-6, 12-13 & 19-20.
HWY62ARTTOURS.ORG A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M HWY62-AD-ARTPTRN-QTRPG-FINAL.indd 1
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Meet the Giraffes! PSUSD Unveils a New Arts Partnership with the Living Desert by Louisa Castrodale One of the hallmarks of Palm Springs Unified School District’s arts programming is that we take a partnership approach to working with local arts, civic and cultural organizations. Another is that the PSUSD creates programming with a comprehensive lens, centering programs at each grade level. This ensures equity of access to the arts in all of our sixteen elementary schools. For instance, current programming includes 1st graders going to the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, 2nd graders attending Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, 3rd graders participating in the Art Within Reach program at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 3rd-5th graders dancing in the Red Hot Ballroom program, 5th graders participating in the 5th Grade Project at the McCallum Theatre, and so on. The district’s students enjoy these programs no matter which school they attend. What has been missing from our lineup, however, is a designated program for kindergartners. But that situation has changed this year with the forging of a new partnership with the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert. Working with Living Desert Director of Education Mike Chedester and his team, we have created a dynamic program suitable for the developmental stage, art standards and educational needs of kindergartners. The new program is called the Juma Project, named after the book Juma the Giraffe by Monica Bond and Kayla Harren. In fact, the students’ field trip to the zoo will focus on giraffes. The format for their visit includes a “meet and greet” featuring one of the smaller animals in the Living Desert menagerie. After that, the zoo’s educators will share the story book with students, and the children will create a giraffe-themed art project. The group will then tour the zoo, with an emphasis on the giraffe enclosure. This combined science-and-art experience is incredibly powerful for students, and there is a kind of special magic to the fact that some of the Living Desert’s smallest visitors will be coming face-to-face with some of its largest, grandest creatures. It is particularly thrilling to start children on a lifelong appreciation for the natural world and to show them the efforts involved in conservancy and ecology. For me as an arts educator, exposure to culturally rich experiences is a huge part of what we do. It is paramount, in a school district with an overall poverty rate of 84 percent, that we make offerings of this kind available free of charge to our students as a natural part of their educational upbringing. Without such programming in place, many of them would never have the opportunity to visit the zoo and other worthwhile venues. Experiencing the Living Desert makes for an incredibly enriching day! A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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Artists Council’s “METAMORPHOSIS”
COCO HALL
Bread and Jam, Papier-mache, velvet
The Artists Council celebrates a new beginning with its Inaugural Exhibition on the theme of “Metamorphosis”. This will be the Council’s first exhibition as an independent nonprofit arts organization dedicated to promoting art and artists.
2608 S. Cherokee Way, Palm Springs, CA 760-989-1467 Maxsonart.com info@MaxsonArt.com 42
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A juried show open to all Artists Council members, the exhibition will be held at the Artists Council’s new location at Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert from Thursday, March 28, through Friday, April 12, 2019. The public is invited to meet the artists and vote for the People’s Choice Award at the Opening Reception at The Galen on Thursday, March 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. Catering will be provided by Lulu’s. An Inaugural Catalog will be available for sale.
A N T H O N Y
The word “Metamorphosis” conveys a sense of emerging to a new form, of opening to new possibilities. In the words of Exhibition Chair Tony Radcliffe, “We chose this theme for our inaugural event because it mirrors the process by which our new Artists Council is developing. Our goal is to demonstrate the high quality of artistic achievement by AC members and to bring a new audience to see their work in the beautiful art museum known as The Galen. All of the artwork is for sale, with proceeds split between the artists and the new Artists Council.” Artworks for the exhibition and cash award recipients will be selected by jurors Alma Ruiz and Mary Ingebrand–Pohlad. Ms Ruiz is Senior Fellow at Sotheby’s Institute of Art-Los Angeles, Faculty Member at Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker School of Management, and former Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles. She is currently Curator for the 2020 Bienal de Arte Paiz in Guatemala City. Juror Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad is an artist known internationally for her Abstract:Landscape:Sculpture. She founded Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad Foundation, a privately-held foundation, and serves on the Palm Springs Art Museum Board of Directors and Minneapolis Institute of Art Board of Trustees. “In keeping with the Artists Council’s long-term commitment to the professional development of our members, we will continue to offer members a full schedule of events”, said David Hatcher, Board Chair. “We’re pleased to announce that these offerings include workshops and classes, salons, art book discussions, critique groups and studio tours.” Classes and meetings are held in the Fogelson Room at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert, 72-567 Highway 111, Palm Desert. The Artists Council will organize another member exhibition and sale at UCR in Palm Desert from April 25 through May 17, 2019. The public is invited to attend the Opening Reception Friday, May 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. and artist demonstrations Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at UCR, 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, CA. The Artists Council Board of Directors includes David Hatcher, Board Chair; Mary Ann Sutherland, Secretary; Stephen Baumbach, Treasurer; Barbara Gothard, Board Member Emeritus; Tony Radcliffe, Exhibitions Chair; Jim Riche, Development Chair; MarJon Hudson, Communication Chair; Wallace Colvard, Branding and Design Chair; Carole Hatcher, Special Events Chair. For membership or exhibition questions, contact Artists Council at info@artistscouncil.com or 760-423-5252. The Artists Council welcomes new members, volunteers and sponsors. www.artistscouncil.com
S A L V O
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Stacked S’mores 6” x 6”, Oil on Linen Panel, by Anthony Salvo
anthony@studio2817.com
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studio2817.com
Lagun Patron Arts, Jan Feb Ad prod.indd 1
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949.723.0790
1/10/19 8:57 PM
“Wish You Were Here” Laguna Niguel Regional Park
A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M LagArtMagWirth13.indd 1
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Off the Beaten Track & onto the Canvas Art Colony: The Laguna Beach Art Association, 1918-1935. Laguna Art Museum, 2018 written by Grove Koger It was a little more than a century ago that a group of artists and art enthusiasts formed the Laguna Beach Art Association—an anniversary that the Laguna Art Museum celebrated with an ambitious exhibition that you probably saw and undoubtedly read about. The museum labeled “Art Colony: The Laguna Beach Art Association, 1918-1935” a “tremendous milestone” in the history of the association, and indeed it was, with more than 100 works by 66 artists on display. The show closed earlier this year, but for those who want a permanent record of the event, the museum has published a sumptuously illustrated catalog as well. Art Colony runs to 264 oversize pages and includes 200 illustrations—paintings and period photographs—as well as two substantial essays. Janet Blake describes “The Evolution of an Arts Community” from its earliest days, while Deborah Epstein Solon examines the Laguna Beach Artists Association within the context of similar movements in “Of Art and Artists.” In another important feature, Lindy Narver provides an 11-page chronology tracing the relationship between Laguna and its myriad artists in “Social Threads: The Laguna Beach Art Colony’s Community Ties.” Taken together, the pieces blend social history, travelogue and criticism in a detailed but lively manner, recounting the story of the association itself while analyzing the community’s transformation into a mecca for painters, sculptors and other creative spirits. According to Blake, painters may have been at work in Laguna Beach as early as 1889, but we know that it was around 1900 that British architect and watercolorist Norman St. Clair first realized the location’s artistic possibilities. It seems that his discovery was the result of a serendipitous conversation between two women waiting in an optometrist’s office. One was St. Clair’s wife, who learned from a woman sitting near her about an “off the beaten track … place where the trees grow down to the shoreline and the scenery [is] beautiful.” We can’t be sure, but the watercolor Rippling Tide that the artist exhibited in the San Francisco Art Association’s 1904 exhibition may have been a result of the visit that he and his wife made after that exchange. Within a surprisingly short time, other artists followed, including William Wendt, Elmer Wachtel, Granville Redmond, Frank Cuprien, Anna Hills and the illustrious Edgar Payne. It was this last painter who spearheaded the establishment in 1918 of a community gallery in a pavilion next to the Laguna Beach Hotel. The effort led naturally enough to the creation of an association, one that welcomed both artists and their supporters. By the 1925-26 season, membership had skyrocketed to an astonishing 700 individuals. As Blake writes at the conclusion of her essay, those “early visionaries” who made Laguna their 44
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home “would have been pleased to see that the community has more than lived up to their expectations.” As the Laguna Art Museum’s Executive Director Malcolm Warner notes in his Foreword to Art Colony, the exhibition and its accompanying catalog put the lie to the widespread assumption that the association encouraged artists to work in “only one style—landscapes and seascapes in the tradition of the French Impressionist painters.” The later illustrations in the catalog certainly prove Warner’s point—particularly those from the 1930s by such painters as Anna Skeele, Paul Sample and Conrad Buff. The Laguna Art Museum calls Art Colony “the first large-scale, critical study to focus exclusively on the art association’s growth and development.” For anyone interested in Laguna or its artistic history, it’s a must-buy. But will it change that widespread assumption that Warner refers to? After all, its dust jacket reproduces a detail from Joseph Kleitsch’s beloved Drug Store, a painting from about 1925 that fits comfortably within the California Impressionist style then common. We’ll see … Art Colony: The Laguna Beach Art Association, 1918-1935 is available through the museum’s gift at for $49.95. Visit www.squareup.com/market/laguna-art-museum for details. A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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Talking to the Locals Desert X 2019 Parallel Exhibits written by Deanna Fainelli
Spend any significant time in the desert and you’ll learn that there’s more there than meets the eye, and that if you want the inside scoop, it’s best to talk to the locals. Spread across the Coachella Valley, the Desert X 2019 installations draw visitors from around the world and provide a mostly outsider’s view of desert life. But if you’re willing to travel a little farther, the official series of Desert X Parallel Exhibits will take you to the fringes of the valley and beyond, to local artist enclaves that offer more homespun perspectives.
Makerville Studio Exceptional art requires risk, and fourteen female collaborators are about to put their courage to the test. Each artist has contributed individual fiber-based sections that, when combined, cover a 45-foot-long, 14-foothigh outdoor structure on the grounds of Makerville Studio, located in the mountains south of Palm Desert. The materials used in fiber art are considered delicate, so in most cases the works are displayed indoors. The idea of subjecting them to harsh desert 46
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mountain conditions—wind, rain, sun, snow and more wind—is both risky and inspiring. But the Looming Shelter installation makes nature and its effects part of the experience and asks artists and viewers to embrace the concepts of change, deterioration and, as time will tell, perseverance. Also exhibited outside are a found metal sculpture by local artist Cathy Allen and a remarkable ceramic chainmail sculpture by Taylor Kibby. Inside, be sure to check the oversized origami sculptures by artist Jeff Morrical. About the venue: Makerville’s manifesto begins with the words, “Make something—a friend, a meal, a work of art, a better mousetrap.” And, true to their manifesto, the artisans working in this remote mountain venue, once the Indio Elks Lodge weekend retreat, made me want to grab a tool and start creating. The large main building, rustically warm with a modern industrial edge, is conducive to making everything from sandals (founder Debra Hoving is a shoemaker) to a dinner for ten in its gourmet kitchen, where members offer cooking classes and uber-cool workshops in such subjects as gin infusion. Makerville Studio is an easy 20-minute drive from Palm Desert via Highway 74. Please check http://www.makervillestudio.com for specific directions and schedules. A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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photo by Deja Kreutzberg
The Joshua Treenial 2019 Paradise::Parallax, BoxoHOUSE, Joshua Tree
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Ryan Campbell
In Joshua Tree, it’s hard to avoid the road less travelled. “Can you see my dust cloud?” I asked BoxoHOUSE creator Bernard Leibov on the phone as I tried to find my way to the venue. A series of dirt roads off the main drag eventually led me to ground zero for the 2019 Joshua Treenial, this year called Paradise::Parallax. Produced by BoxoPROJECTS, Paradise::Parallax invites artists to explore the ways in which animals, people and the environment have adapted to the challenging desert terrain and evolved to create their own versions of paradise. BoxoHOUSE and iconic local venues such as the Integratron and Art Queen will host a series of artist installations, exhibits and performances related to this year’s theme. An extensive mix of local and international artists—including Ryan Campbell from Palm Desert, Northern California-based Lewis DeSoto, and Norwegian sound artists Per Platou and Johan Urban Bergquist—will contribute to a weekend of exhibitions celebrating the desert environment. Community involvement and ecological awareness are important aspects of the event, and Treenial has partnered with the Mojave Desert Land Trust to educate visitors and artists, all of whom are expected to adhere to a “leave no trace” philosophy. The Joshua Treenial takes place the weekend of April 12-14 at BoxoHOUSE and several other area locations. About the venue: Despite my getting lost on my first visit, BoxoHOUSE is remarkably easy to find. Located just a few turns off of Highway 62, the property is a multi-program arts initiative that aims to bring curated art and performances to the local community and to make Joshua Tree a cultural destination. As a residency, artists, musicians, writers and independent thinkers are encouraged to engage with the environment and the community, building lasting relationships. Please check www.joshuatreenial.com for exhibition and performance locations and schedules.
Wed March 6, 2019 Sat March 9, 2019
149: Contemporary Thoughts Concerning Mexicans Lynched through Mob Violence in California 1844-1877, Coachella Valley Art Center Some artworks depict beauty in all its subjective forms, while others take you on a provocative, soul-singeing journey that lingers in the mind long after you’ve seen it. 149, a multimedia installation by William Schinsky and Marnie L. Navarro (aka MLN17), is intentionally heavy and disturbing. “My work is never about comfort,” says Schinsky; “I like to make people squirm emotionally.” The goal of this socially significant show is to inform viewers about the under-reported historical mistreatment of Mexicans and Mexican Americans. It also aims to connect those atrocities to the present political climate and, through art, engage the community in conversations about current events. This powerful exhibit in the gallery at the Coachella Valley Art Center combines a selection of objects, video works, projections and sound pieces by Navarro with a haunting sculptural installation by Schinsky that includes 149 hanging “bodies” made of chicken wire, wool and pigment. About the venue: Located in the former daily newspaper building in quaint downtown Indio, the Coachella Valley Art Center truly is a hidden treasure and resource for art lovers. An eclectic group of painters, jewelers, mixed-media artists, metal sculptors and glass artists work at the warehouselike venue, which includes a glassblowing studio. Coinciding with the Desert X Parallel exhibit are two opportunities to meet the resident artists at their first open studios events, February 17 and March 17, from 2 to 6pm. Please check www.coachellavalleyartcenter.org for the main gallery schedule.
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Waring Piano Competition The nonprofit Waring International Piano Competition has something for everyone. For starters, there’s the spectacular February 17 Chinese New Year-themed gala at the Weston Mission Hills Resort honoring veteran journalist Betty Francis, editor of The Desert Sun’s “Desert Scene” section. The event will be a feast for eye, ear and palate, with popular and classical entertainment following a hosted cocktail reception and gourmet dinner. Tickets are $300, with VIP seating priced at $500. Want to meet fun people and learn more about music at the same time? Then join the Waring Key Players, a membership “friend-raising” group. In association with the Palm Desert Campus of California State University, San Bernardino, the Players are presenting Mondays with the Waring in January at the Indian Wells Theater, 37-500 Cook Street, Palm Desert. On Monday, January 14, at 7pm, it’s History of Jazz: 1900-1945, an overview of America’s first original art form presented by Joe Giarrusso and Bob Poehling. The next two “edutaining” seminars feature concert pianist, author, and USC professor Stewart Gordon and concert pianist-composer John Bayless. Gordon presents Performance Challenges in Playing the Master Composers on Monday, January 21, at 7pm, while Bayless presents Variations on the Life and Style of Music on Monday, January 28, at 7pm. Tickets are $40 or $35 for Key Players; series price is $110 or $90 for Players. Tickets are available only online at https://www.vwipc.org/news-events or through the Waring office, 760-773-2575. For the classical music aficionado, there are intimate salons in private homes and the biennial eight-day International Competition March 24-April 1. See the future stars of the concert world at this celebration of music, bringing the best international pianists age 17 and under to the desert. Most music rounds have free admission and free parking, with only two performances requiring a paid ticket. Young musicians from around the world play solo rounds, concerto rounds with a 2nd piano, and participate in master classes. The Saturday, March 30, Solo Final features three finalists from each division, with tickets priced at an affordable $25 each. The Concerto Final with Full Orchestra takes place on Monday, April 1, at the McCallum Theatre, with prices ranging from $19 to $99. Tickets can be purchased only through the McCallum box office or at www.McCallumTheatre.com. www.vwipc.org/piano-competitions. Thanks to grants from the City of Palm Desert, the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, Big Horn Golf Charities, and Anderson Children’s Foundation, the Waring partners with Parker Music Academy to provide free hands-on music instruction to underserved students, free music outreach assemblies to local schools, and free busing for schools to the Spring Competition.
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Talent and Resiliency DELOS VAN EARL Embraces Change written by Judy Nemer Sklar
I have been told that the buzzword for 2019 is “resiliency.� That and longevity are the goals many artists seek in pursuit of a successful career, particularly since success in the field is often dependent upon world order, financial markets and the whims of collectors and agents. Only the most talented and resilient survive. Coachella Valley mixed media artist and sculptor Delos Van Earl fits that bill. He has successfully traversed the economic downturn of 2008 and continues to explore and evolve creatively.
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Van Earl was born in the state of Washington, grew up in Crescent City, California, and went on to earn his B.A. from Chico State University and his M.F.A. from Mills College in Oakland. But living in a logging family amidst the beautiful natural environment of the Northwest, with its ocean waters, rivers and forests, was a key early influence on his sculptures, which employ bronze, steel and wood and which range from pedestalsized pieces to large outdoor works. His resume lists numerous solo and group exhibitions, and his work is in both corporate and public collections. Comfortable in his own skin, he is happy to discuss both the business and creative sides of an artist’s life. Van Earl’s move from Sacramento to Desert Hot Springs in 1987 turned out to be a pivotal event in his artistic development. His career took off after he received a prestigious purchase award from the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and was invited to mount a solo show at the Riverside Museum. From fairs to galleries, from collectors to dealers, he was suddenly in demand. His steel sculptures, with their distinctive fractured corners, were selling out, and collectors were looking for more and more pieces. In fact, Van Earl’s work was in such high demand that it caused his health to suffer. He knew change was in order—and soon change was going to be necessary for many artists. The economic crisis of 2008 drove a number of artists to seek new directions in their careers as galleries and collectors stepped back. It seemed as if everything had changed overnight, and while the crash set most on their heels, Van Earl, who considers himself a survivor, chose to pull into rather than out of the artist’s life. He instinctively knew it was necessary to make both business and personal adjustments, so he proceeded to modify his business model and explore a new creative direction. While some have said that for Van Earl it’s all about business, he strongly objects. “For me,” he says, “it’s all about the work. My goal is to be as good as I can be, to create great art. I know I may fail, but for me it is about the journey.”
“Sheila Olsen is a Contemporary Abstract Artist. Her paintings exhibit vivid color and bold strokes painted with oil, acrylic and mixed media. “
Sea Through 36”x60” Acrylic on Plexiglass
SHEILA OLSEN
SheilaOlsen.com • 784 S Coast Hwy Laguna Beach CA 92651 • 949-423-9990 54
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When I met Van Earl for an interview at his Yucca Vally studio and gallery in late 2018, I found a happy, bright and colorful space and couldn’t help but notice the changes in the artist’s creative direction. His new work consists of large freestanding and wall-mounted sculptures in exciting colors and shapes. There are pieces large and small that he calls “creatures”—frogs, sea horses and rabbits—and colors in his palette—oranges, bright yellows and lime greens—that are starkly different from the deeper reds he has been known for. His new work takes Van Earl back to his childhood, back to the days he remembers fondly of Danish modern furniture, low sofas, the Seattle World’s Fair of 1962, girls in polka dot dresses and go-go boots, and miniature golf courses and trampoline parks. Despite the changes in his creative direction, his guiding principle remains the same: an insistence on quality, craftsmanship and integrity. Van Earl is not afraid of change; in fact, he embraces it. “I want to continue to do work that reflects my time and culture,” he insists. His commitment to his art and his life as an artist exemplify his resiliency and longevity. As a beginning artist, he was often singled out as the next great thing, “which is not always the best thing to hear when you’re young,” he points out, explaining that it’s important to have to fight for success if you want to make a living in the field. “For me, it was the wolf at the door that made me work hard to become a successful artist.” How does Van Earl see his future? “I hope to continue to work and be healthy. I want the eighty-year-old me to be doing new things. I want another run at it because things don’t get better than that.” I hope you have the opportunity to meet Delos Van Earl at his studio in Yucca Valley. Find out more at his website, delosvanearlstudios.com, and read my full interview with him at artistnarratives.com or judynemerklar.com.
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THE WORLD FROM THE AIR Tom Lamb’s Global Perspective
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written by Grove Koger photographs by Tom Lamb
Tom Lamb isn’t one to limit his interests or narrow his focus. He describes himself as an “aerial, architectural, landscape and ethnographic, panoramic and interpretive photographer,” creating works that, he says, “examine how we interact with the planet’s most valuable but increasingly threatened resources.” You’ve undoubtedly seen Lamb’s photographs, even if you don’t recognize his name. Besides maintaining a studio in Laguna Beach and exhibiting widely in both solo and group shows, he’s Art Patron’s director of photography. Early in his career, Lamb worked as an assistant to pioneer abstract photographer Aaron Siskind in Rhode Island. But because photography wasn’t yet considered a legitimate art form, he actually earned a B.F.A. in printmaking from
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the Hartford Art School in Connecticut. During those years, however, he recalls feeling drawn artistically to another part of the country—the “grand landscape of the American West.” Lamb went on to study photography at the Center of the Eye in Aspen, Colorado, in the 1970s and taught on the faculty of the Photography Department of Colorado Mountain College, but eventually gave up full-time teaching in order to concentrate on his own work. He moved to Laguna Beach with his family in 1984. It was in Laguna Beach that Lamb got what he calls his “best education” by working as an aerial photographer for the SWA Group, a landscape architecture firm. “If I was photographing a city,” he recalls, “I got to see why and how it was put together that way. I learned the backbone, particularly how man is building something, and why it happens.” Over the years, Lamb has widened his appreciation of the natural world and the ways in which we’re altering it—and how we might yet rescue it from some of our more shortsighted alterations. “Forever,” he says, “it seems I have had a passion and interest in conservation and natural space.” Among other projects, Lamb has developed a visual aerial record of efforts to restore ecological balance to the stretch of the Los Angeles River that runs near the city’s Arts District, and documented a program to clear the industrial salt flats of San Francisco’s South Bay with the use of algae. Lamb does his work from a helicopter, and the experience has allowed him to recognize the parallels between his aerial photographs and the paintings of the Abstract Expressionists who were Aaron Siskind’s friends. “Looking toward earth,” he muses, “directing the pilot to spin around, dip the nose, fly sideways or backwards, and even cut the engines to float downward—to capture the right image. With a helicopter and its pilot, it’s like doing a dance—creating the abstract work.” 58
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MAIDY MORHOUS Bronze Sculptor
Upcoming Exhibitions Gallery 825, LA, CA ART 1307, Naples Italy Gallery 825 - Solo show Lamb’s work has involved travel to some of the most remote corners of the world, but he doesn’t consider his work, or his travel, to be distinct categories. “There is no line in my life,” he points out. “It’s hard to call any of it work. I don’t go on vacation, but I travel more than most people.” Think of them as you will, Lamb’s travels have taken him to India, Tibet and China to photograph Tibetan religious ceremonies, and to Canada as well, where the Dalai Lama has been overseeing the resettlement of displaced Tibetans. These efforts have led to one of Lamb’s recent projects—the transformation of his large-format aerial photos into an entirely different and unexpected medium. After several years of coordination, Lamb has arranged with a Tibetan manufacturer in Kathmandu, Nepal, to create hand-knotted carpets based on his aerial photographs. “The weavers have incorporated a ‘visualization computer program’ that permits them to understand the color that is required,” he explains. Using organically obtained long-fiber wool and silk, the skilled artisans have woven an initial series of carpets based on nine of Lamb’s images. Now that he’s had a chance to see the exciting new dimension that the carpets bring to his photos, Lamb has begun generating a new series of images. “Each carpet is hand-produced and unique in its own essence. Both my images and the carpets are limited editions,” Lamb continues, adding that “many are in the rarified artist-proof state. As with my traditional photography, all the work is signed.” You can visit Lamb’s studio at 264 Fairview St., Laguna Beach 92651, or online at lambstudio.com. He’s currently represented by Forest & Ocean Gallery, 480 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach 926561.
“Hanging Out #3” 2018 bronze
Los Angeles - New York - Sweden - Japan
MAIDYMORHOUS.COM
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PLANAR PAVILIONS written by Bernard Leibov
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Andrea Zittel’s public artwork Planar Pavilions can be found on the 70-plus acres of A-Z West, her large and evolving project in Joshua Tree. Zittel’s practice is an investigation of a way of life and an uncovering of the subjective structures that we often assume to be fixed or concrete. She undertakes experiments and interrogates ways of being, and her works are the artifacts of these explorations. Originally from Escondido, Zittel studied at San Diego State University and received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design before establishing her practice in New York. She moved back to the West Coast in 1998 and founded A-Z West in 2000. Her grandparents had a ranch in the Imperial Valley, and she grew up feeling connected to the desert and its potential. A-Z West encompasses Zittel’s home and studio as well as the Wagon Station Encampment and the Institute of Investigative Living, evolving structures in which individuals can immerse themselves in Zittel’s approach to life and art. It also includes a parcel of land devoted to High Desert Test Sites, a project involving experiences designed to bring artists, critical thinkers and general audiences together. It was this effort, co-founded by Zittel, that drew me to the desert for the first time on an adventure discovering art installations strewn across the Basin from Pioneertown to Wonder Valley. Supported in part by the Guggenheim Foundation and the VIA Art Fund, Planar Pavilions are 10 large sculptures placed on 11 acres of land. The works appear as sets of planes, or walls, and explore the question of how much structure one needs for a sense of safety or enclosure. In form, they recall jackrabbit homesteads strewn across the landscape, but also suggest new structures under development. The grid on which they are placed is a reminder of the US Geological Survey that “tamed” the West, but points as well to possible future development at scale in the Joshua Tree area. In the present, they evoke the thin line between landscape and architecture, between the wild and the developed. Note that the Planar Pavilions are the only components of A-Z West open to the public at all times. Viewers are invited to experience the structures in any way that does not alter or damage the structures, land, or surrounding vegetation, but are urged not to enter other parts of the property. However, tours of the entirety of A-Z West are provided regularly to benefit High Desert Test Sites; see http://www.highdeserttestsites.com/hdts for details about this very worthwhile experience. You can also find out more about Zittel and A-Z West in the book Andrea Zittel: Lay of My Land (Prestel, 2011). Directions: Head east on Highway 62 (Twentynine Palms Highway) from downtown Joshua Tree. In about one mile, you will see a “Bail Bonds” sign on your right, at which point turn right onto Neptune Avenue. Take the first left, and at the next intersection you will see the Planar Pavilions on your right. Please park in the designated parking bay. The roads off Highway 62 are dirt roads in relatively good condition. Bernard Leibov is Founder/Director of BoxoPROJECTS, a residency and programming initiative in Joshua Tree, and co-founder of the Joshua Treenial, a weekend of installations, performance and community-building that celebrates the area. Bernard also gives guided tours of the local cultural highlights through Joshua Tree Cultural Expeditions (jtculturalexpeditions.com). Prior to coming to Joshua Tree in 2011, he was Deputy Director of the Judd Foundation and exhibited artists from Joshua Tree in New York City. A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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The Marriage of Art and Space A Bighorn Residence Reveals Its Essence written by Pamela Price
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The dramatic impact of this art-inspired estate at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert reveals a trusting relationship involving its architect, its owner and his art advisor, one that’s apparent the moment you enter. It’s only after a time that you grasp the essence of what you see around you. The spacious 10,000-square-foot residence was designed by John Vuksic of Palm Desert’s Prest Vuksic Architects, a firm with over 20 years of experience. Vuksic has merged the drama of desert sunsets and majestic views with a lavish ribbon of windows, doors, electronic glass walls and a state-of-the-art home theatre. Desert art collector Lynne Ring points out that the structure creates a “feeling of privacy at every contour, with sparks of happy, fun-loving colors in unexpected places, from a meandering fireplace to a portrait of an unidentified gentleman enhanced by a red background.” While the residence itself is a work of art, it isn’t a museum. The care with which sculptures and murals have been placed among purple pillows and quixotic light fixtures is comforting and relaxed without being cute. From burl wood art niches to a wet bar revealing backlit slump wood accents, the home’s textures present a dazzling welcome, a mood enhanced by the angles of an infinity water feature whose mosaic glass tiles glisten with the light of the setting sun. The owner’s art adviser, David Austin, explains that his philosophy “has always been to listen to a collector’s interests, analyze his esthetic, and then present him with the best possible examples of works that fall in line with both, as well as those with the best value.”
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Austin calls the Bighorn residence a “good example” of that philosophy in practice. The owner, he says, is “an inquisitive man who had just become interested in contemporary art when we met. He also had a lot of varied interests. He took the time to learn about the artists, and then we put together a collection of contemporary paintings and sculptures in all media—glass, ceramic, bronze and others. We acquired works by well-known artists as well as younger ones. There’s an energy to the collection that reflects the owner’s personality. He had already acquired numerous pieces on his own, including a significant collection of modern prints.” Presenting more curves than corners, the home is also a frame for stunning wraparound views. Seen in the late afternoon, as the desert sun fades over the mountains, those views are reminiscent of a painting by legendary Cathedral City artist Agnes Pelton. You sense that there’s a lesson to be learned from this uninterrupted art exhibit that you’ve found yourself in, one that gradually reveals itself as you stroll from room to room. As Austin notes, the residence reveals its owner’s personality, but it also demonstrates the importance of allowing artworks to play a role in the design of the home they’re destined to be an integral part of. Thanks to the care with which Vuksic and Austin have done their job, the owner’s eclectic collection frames the desert’s gifts dramatically.
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VA LO H N A W Y N N
written by Simeon Den photographed by Andrew Barber
If an artist is lucky, she will arrive at an epiphany in her life when she realizes that she is no longer affected by the external influences of bad or good critiques. She will find herself liberated from unsolicited (as well as solicited) advice, unburdened by others’ opinions, and free from the effects of the negative energies that her work may provoke in others. She will find herself elevated to the realm of artists who do not create art primarily for fame, recognition or fortune. Rather, she will join the tribe of artists who intuitively trust that they are compelled to make art simply for the pure act of creativity, to recognize the subjective beauty in the world, and to interpret and reveal it in a spiritual way. That they garner attention or riches from their art is a corollary benefit. A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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HUMAN • NATURE • SPIRIT
CAROLYN QUAN Award-Winning, Internationally-Collected Artist
Visions of Hope and Beauty
TM
Valohna Wynn is an artist who experienced such a life-altering event after establishing herself as an interdisciplinary artist, educator and entrepreneur. As a traditional artist, she is a painter, fashion designer (of leatherwear and jewelry), dancer, choreographer, teacher of theater arts skills, and art therapist. She recalls that as a child she painted traditional watercolors, and that as a pragmatic young adult she attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles to study visual merchandising. For many years, Wynn ran a successful freelance business designing window displays and special events while simultaneously operating her own boutique, where she designed and sold custom leather accessories and handcrafted jewelry designed to inspire the soul from the inside out. Bridging her conventional art practices to the nontraditional, she studied and performed tribal fusion belly dancing at regional festivals and also began integrating her traditional and nontraditional healing art practices by developing the Skills Lab art program for SafeHouse of the Desert, a shelter for teens in crisis in Thousand Palms. As their current Art Director and producer of successful and inventive fundraising events, she is dedicated to helping those in need. In many respects, Wynn is not unlike a work of art herself. She is a walking, talking, living, breathing performance art installation—a fashionably dressed woman who lives purposefully framed in an exquisite, meticulously decorated historic mid-century residence in Palm Desert known as the “Owl House.” Every piece of clothing and jewelry that she wears holds a spiritual meaning and suggests an energetic healing value. Every piece of furniture in her home has an energetically charged placement. Rather than contrived, her style is purposeful. Think feng shui, whereby objects are correctly positioned to create the optimum harmonious effect.
CarolynQuan.com
cquanartist@gmail.com • (415) 450-1307
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Marrakesh Country Club has 364 single family attached homes and only 8 for sale. It has a gorgeous 18 hole executive golf course, a beautiful, socially active clubhouse, a state of the art fitness center, pickleball, tennis and croquet. This very, unique club is located in South Palm Desert.
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Wynn can pinpoint her epiphany as an artist, her eureka moment, to the day in 2008 when she took part in the phenomenon that is Burning Man, the annual revelatory community arts festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The consummate interdisciplinary artist went with anticipation, prepared for the week-long festivities with a full array of theatrical costuming, custom-made leather ensembles and matching handcrafted crystal jewelry, ready to immerse herself in the activities of the famous desert celebration. And then it happened. “I knew from the moment that I stepped out of my car, from the very instant my foot touched the playa, it was as if a lightning bolt went through my body and I knew that I was home, that I had found my tribe!” she exclaims. Since that seminal moment, Wynn has integrated all aspects of her art and art practices, evolving beyond her traditional therapy to an esoteric, energetic healing protocol called The Emotion Code, a concept taken from the book of the same name by holistic physician and lecturer Dr. Bradley Nelson. In his book, Nelson examines the inner workings of the subconscious mind in order to reveal how emotionally charged events from our past can continue to overwhelm us in the form of trapped emotional energies that inhabit our bodies and keep us from stepping into power and clarity. Wynn explains that “The Emotion Code is a form of energetic healing that allows me to identify and literally release negative trapped emotions from the body’s energetic field.” Utilizing those techniques and drawing upon her unique life experiences, her gift as an empath and her past personal challenges, Wynn became a certified practitioner of The Emotion Code and now counsels clients at her home office in Palm Desert. “I’ve been healing people for over 25 years using the power of creativity and spirituality to be of service to those who suffer from past traumas,” she continues. “Ultimately, I’m a spiritual being with experiences that made me deeply aware that I can be of service to humanity by helping heal one soul at a time.”
Using The Emotion Code, Wynn provides her clients with the necessary tools to heal their souls and assist them “to rise like the supernovas” that they have always been. As she professes on her website, valohna.com, “You, too, can be of service to humanity by being exactly what you came here to be with a little help from your own tribe of angels here on Earth.” The force of Nature that is Valohna Wynn passionately continues in all of her traditional and nontraditional art practices that are expressed in unexpected ways. She is a woman and artist for the future—and the future has arrived. For more information visit www.tribegratitude.com, www.valohna.com and www.safehouseofthedesert.com Special thank you to Valohna’s tribe who stepped out into Indian Canyon with us!! Mark Holleinstein • Jacqeline Provost Patty Service • Donna Sturgeon Brenna Freeman A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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An Artistic Home Embodying an Important Legacy
The Strotkamps’ Laguna Beach Residence Supports LPAPA’s Artistic Traditions written by Liz Goldner photographed by Tom Lamb
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Mary Linda and Jay have hung nearly 200 paintings salon style in every room of their 100-year-old Laguna Beach bungalow and guest cottage.
Art lovers and collectors often remark that artworks express the energy of their creators. As testament to this theory, the treasure-filled bungalow of Mary Linda and Jay Strotkamp, with its numerous magnificent paintings and drawings, is captivating and infused with vitality. The home is adorned with landscapes featuring the broad brushstrokes and the pure, bright colors characteristic of Impressionist works, along with finely detailed portraits. “We take advantage of every free space and feel joy at the abundance of beauty,” Mary Linda remarks. “Looking around our rooms, it is impossible to feel sad or lonely because we are always surrounded by friends and family.” Those “friends and family” are their exquisite artworks. Jay responds by pointing out the importance of sharing their collection with artists, curators and other art lovers. Mary Linda and Jay have hung nearly 200 paintings salon style in every room of their 100-year-old Laguna Beach bungalow and guest cottage. Accompanying the pieces are dozens of bronze and glass sculptures—most depicting animals such as foxes, wolves, lions and pigs—on tables, countertops and pedestals. The Strotkamps’ collection includes several plein air works by twentieth-century California masters. George K. Brandriff’s Getting Ready (1933), for instance, depicts a fisherman in a dory on choppy waters, and his House in Chinon, France (1929) is a landscape with a large building in pinks and blues. Sam Hyde Harris’s Smoke Trees (1930s) is a desert landscape with trees and mountains in the background. Edgar Payne’s colorful Chioggia Boats (early 20h century) shows fishing boats in the harbor of Chioggia, Italy, while the luminous watercolor landscape Evening in the Valley (1930s) by Marion Wachtel is set in a valley with Eucalyptus trees and a winding trail. These classic works are complemented by contemporary Impressionist landscapes, seascapes and portraits, many of them by friends and acquaintances of the Strotkamps. Among the couple’s favorite artists is Richard Schmid, a figurative A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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NEW WORKS FEBRUARY 2, 2019 Ted Casablanca Gallery is now a working-studio gallery
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY bbibby@tedcasablanca.com
310-291-7679
1220 Roosevelt Lane Laguna Beach
$975,000
In Laguna Canyon near the Art Festivals, Canyon Views, Charming Laguna Cottage and magical gardens.
www.tracylineback.com 949-874-3961 DRE# 01998326
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painter from Chicago. His 30-year-old portrait of Mary Linda is proudly hung in their dining room, and his Gretchen and Jaime—one of the Strotkamps’ most prized works—portrays two young women in their nightgowns with one lovingly combing the other’s hair. Another favorite artist is Lori Putnam, whose landscape One Good Turn, painted in Laguna Canyon, adorns a kitchen wall. Their recently acquired Glenn Dean Painting in Utah by Scott Burdick includes a portrait of Dean alongside majestic cliffs, and Burdick’s Summer Wheat, a portrait of a demure young woman, evokes the work of early twentieth-century California painter Donna Schuster. Works by brothers Michael and Mian Situ grace the couple’s walls. Michael’s Heisler Park depicts the Laguna landmark with waves lapping about a rocky outcropping, and his Grandmother features a Chinese grandmother with a small child strapped to her back. Other favored pieces include Sue Lyon’s The Storybook, of a woman and young girl seated on a sofa reading a book, and her Mary Linda, a vivid charcoal created 25 years ago. The pièce de résistance of the Strotkamps’ collection is the dramatic oil Rock Pile by Saim Caglayan, who with his wife Heidi sold their Laguna Beach A R T PAT R O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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Stop by our showroom to see hand-crafted ceramics from over a dozen local artists. Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm • Wed 8 am-8 pm • Sat 8 am-2 pm Or call for an appointment: 760-325-7007 752 S. Williams Road, Palm Springs CA, 92264
bungalow to Jay and Mary Linda in 2000—and who then gave the cherished oil painting to them. The Strotkamps’ story goes that they met in elementary school in Laguna Beach, graduated the same year from the local high school, and went their separate ways for decades. When they met again in 1994 at a high school reunion, they were both divorced. They fell in love, got married and moved back to Laguna into what had been the Caglayans’ home. Adding further significance to the sale is the fact that in 1996 Caglayan founded the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) with fellow painters Ken Auster, Jacobus Baas, Cynthia Britain and John Cosby in that same residence. The group created the association in part to recognize the artistic and spiritual connections between the early California Impressionists and their own generation of artists. Soon after forming the LPAPA, the founding members began inviting plein air artists from around the country to join their Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational, an outdoor paint out, exhibition and gala held every autumn in Laguna Beach. Caglayan also began hosting yearly parties in his home in the late 1990s for members and friends of the new artistic ventures. Mary Linda and Jay explain that they were destined to move into Caglayan’s former home and to carry on his tradition of hosting a yearly party for artists and their friends. They’ve done so for two decades now, and through these and other LPAPA events, the couple have met some of their closest artist friends, purchased works from established and promising new painters, and welcomed all to their home to view their increasingly important collection. They were presented with the association’s Lifetime Member award in 2015. Those who visit the Strotkamps’ home are in turn enchanted by the couple’s collection and inspired to continue celebrating on canvas the bucolic landscapes of Laguna Beach—the land that so many of us are fortunate to live in and enjoy. Today, approximately 50 plein air artists from throughout the country attend LPAPA’s yearly Invitational, while the organization comprises about 600 artist and supporting members in the United States and abroad.
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