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artandcakela
Feb 18, 20194 min read

Things are brewing in the Inland Empire

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David Einstein, lo•co•mo•tion, 1968-2018, Claremont Graduate University; Photo credit Jacqueline Bell Johnson


In case you haven’t heard, things are brewing in the Inland Empire

Written by Jacqueline Bell Johnson

San Bernardino San Bernardino is taking the first steps to revitalize downtown by creating an art colony. It started with some passionate locals setting up shop (including The Little Gallery of San Bernardino and Viva La Boba), which led to a community meeting run by the Arts Connection (The arts council of San Bernardino County) to generate ideas and build support.

The meeting started with a walking tour of the downtown area. Participants learned the history behind the many century-old structures. These buildings, though beautiful, currently sit empty and have been empty for quite some time. The meeting itself was a special thing to behold; an honest community building exercise. Special guests former gallery owner George Cutress and developer Ed Tessier recounted the story of Pomona’s Art Colony. Hope filled the room as both shared what worked and what didn’t, providing a step by step breakdown of how they accomplished what they have, including policies implemented to prevent gentrification. The following week the Arts Connection’s Jennifer Kane went before the city council to request funding for programming which was approved unanimously.

Monthly events are now being held in a space dubbed “The Breezeway,” which runs in front of several of the downtown businesses. The next event, Art and Sounds, happens in February and they are seeking local artists, poets, singers, songwriters, and musicians to participate.

Riverside UCR Artsblock is hosting two stunning (and complimentary) exhibitions in neighboring galleries in downtown Riverside.

California Photography Museum and Riverside Art Museum are together showing an exhibition of inland empire photographers, the title of which is: In the Sunshine of Neglect: Defining Photographs and Radical Experiments in Inland Southern California, 1950 to the Present. On opening night, the show felt massive with a crowd just as big. However, thoughtful is the better description, as the show meanders in and out of groups of work by each artist. For those not in the know, the exhibition serves as an ambitious introduction to 54 photographers and to their versions of this often contemplated California landscape. The show also features plenty of artist talks, panels, and other programming occurring through the exhibit’s duration.

Next door, art-goers found the exhibition Paintings from the Interior, curated by Andi Campognone. This survey names geographic boundaries of Kellogg Hill (east LA county) to the high and low deserts of the IE. Yet, it is not just a selection of artists based on locale. Campognone’s eye is sharp and focused, considering what painting could be and what painting always is. At its core, painting is color, painting is texture, moving in and out of image and substance on surface. The range of possibilities is fully represented, harnessing the vibrant energy of a desert super bloom.

Claremont David Einstein’s retrospective: lo•co•mo•tion, 1968-2018 kicked off the spring semester at Claremont Graduate University’s East and Peggy Phelps Galleries. Works included painting, drawing and ceramic tiles covering several decades of movements and styles. Heavily influenced by Japanese calligraphy, Einstein’s work transcends mark making into a dialog of artist and gesture.

CGU’s next exhibition will feature MFA Alumni curated by distinguished faculty Rachel Lachowicz in a show that spans both galleries and several other building locations. The Exhibition: Physical Presence; A Dialogue With Residual and Surrounding Space promises to be a provocative exploration. This will be the first installment in a series of exhibitions that will continue this discourse on space and the genre of installation.

Physical Presence; A Dialogue With Residual and Surrounding Space On view February 11-26, 2019 Curated by Rachel Lachowicz, Artist and CGU faculty, Claremont Graduate University Art Building | East & Peggy Phelps Galleries: 251 E. 10th Street, Claremont, CA 91711 Exhibiting Artists: Alice Marie Perreault, Chelsea Boxwell, Christina Mesiti, Cole Jupiter James, Dixie Boswell, Fang Li, Girl Puke: Damaris Rivera Annie Nieman and Katie Szymanski, Hazzar Samman, Kristi Lippire, Megan Kinney

In the Sunshine of Neglect On View January 19–April 28, 2019 Curated by UCR ARTS: California Museum of Photography Senior Curator Douglas McCulloh. California Museum of Photography: 3824 Main St, Riverside, California 92501 Riverside Art Museum: 3424 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501 Exhibiting Artists: Kim Abeles, Ansel Adams, Robert Adams, Yolanda Andrade, Lewis Baltz, Noah Berger, Laurie Brown, Rachel Bujalski, Bystedt & Egan, Judy Chicago, Will Connell, Joe Deal, Lewis deSoto, John Divola, Christina Fernandez, Judy Fiskin, J. Bennett Fitts, Robbert Flick, Corina Gamma, Anthony Hernandez, Ellen Jantzen, Ron Jude, Hannah Karsen, Sant Khalsa, Meg Madison, Tony Maher, Alia Malley, Ken Marchionno, M. Robert Markovich, Douglas McCulloh, Thomas McGovern, Mark McKnight, Kurt Miller, Richard Misrach, Chelsea Mosher, Kenda North, Naida Osline, Stuart Palley, Leopoldo Peña, Ryan Perez, Herb Quick, Catherine Ruane, Mark Ruwedel, Allan Sekula, Julie Shafer, John S. Shelton, Julius Shulman, Joel Sternfeld, Kim Stringfellow, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Larry Sultan, Andrew K. Thompson, Brett Van Ort, and Aashanique Wilson.

Paintings from the Interior On view January 19 through March 20 Curated by Andy Campognone, Museum curator/manager of Lancaster Museum of Art and History UCR ARTSblock 3824 Main St, Riverside, California 92501 (951) 827-4787 Exhibiting Artists: Dawn Arrowsmith, Quinton Bemiller, Diane Best, Jorin Bossen, Justin Bower, Gary Brewer, Kimberly Brooks, Terry Chacon, Gerald Clarke, Hollis Cooper, Cosme Cordova, Alex Couwenberg, Chick Curtis, Joshua Dildine, Steven Hampton, Salomon Huerta, Brian Johnson, Stevie Love, Aline Mare, Kevin Stewart Magee, Donna Morin, Ruth Pastine, Thomas Pathe, Andrea Patrie, Roland Reiss, David C. Rosales, Bradford J. Salamon, Jeff Soto, Sharon Suhovy, Juan Thorp, Chris Trueman, and Mark Dean Veca.

Art & Sounds One-night event Saturday, February 23rd at 4:00pm Seeking local artists, poets, singers, songwriters, and musicians to participate. Contact Patty on Instagram: @patea.tere The Little Gallery of San Bernardino, Andrew K. Thompson, curator 459 W. 4th Street, #12, San Bernardino, CA 92401

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