Please note I am in the process of moving this site to michaelhallstudio.net

For more recent work and activity please click the link above.

Dear friends,


Spring is here. Change and growth is on its way. I feel eager for what is to come this year and am excited to share with you a few upcoming events that I am participating in.

My work, “Through Failure Comes Possibility”, will be included in Vacancy/No Vacancy at Waterloo Arts in Cleveland, Ohio this April. Curated by Jon Seydl and Lisa Kurzner. If you are in Cleveland please come by. For more on my project clickHERE

Vacancy/No Vacancy
April 4 -May 17

I am also honored to be included in the exhibition Soft Muscle curated by Adrienne Heloise. This will sadly be the final exhibition at Root Division in their location in San Francisco’s Mission District. So I feel especially fervent at getting the word out about this show. I feel particularly thrilled to be included in Soft Muscle along with the amazing artists: Craig Calderwood, Torreya Cummings, Terry Furry, Adrienne Heloise, Ellen Lake, Monica Lundy, Kara Maria, Victoria May, Stephanie Metz, Masako Miki, Julie Sutherland and Melissa Wyman.

Soft Muscle

June 4 - 20, 2014
Artist Reception:
Saturday, 6/14
7 - 10PM

I have some new prints available through the good people at Mammoth & Co from my Reclamation series. If you have been to Boot & Shoe in Oakland you may have seen my painting, BES, FB-SG, BC B1, there. It is available as a print along with one other from the series. There are also a few more prints available of my watercolor, Wrestling the Unfailable. Go to Mammoth & Co to see!

mammoth.co/collections/michael-hall


This year I will be be participating in Open Studios along with my studiomate, Susanna Corcoran, as well as a host of artists in our building. More details to come.

EAST BAY OPEN STUDIOS 2014
Saturday and Sunday, June 7 - 8
11am - 6pm
2200 Adeline Street
Oakland, CA

With the seasonal change also comes the season of the art auctions. I strongly believe in supporting causes one believes in. Showing support of and participating with organizations that build community, serve diverse populations and engage the public in new experiences are important not only for the well being of those organizations but also for the greater population. Three such Arts organizations, Southern Exposure, Intersection for the Arts and Creative Growth do all these things. For that reason I am proud to be donating a piece to both SoEx and Intersection and urge everyone to come out and support their auctions and all of the programming that Creative Growth has developed for its 40th anniversary.

Southern Exposure’s Annual Fundraiser and Art Auction
SMOKE & MIRRORS

Saturday, March 22
7:30 – 11:00 PM
Intersection for the Arts
Changemakers Social 2014

Friday, April 25
6pm
Creative Growth

See all the events and opportunities to support Creative Growth during their 40th anniversary!

And finally I have to plug the forthcoming BFA and MFA exhibitions at Mills College. I am incredibly proud of my students and Grads and know you will find their work incredibly engaging.

Close at Hand
Senior Thesis Exhibition
April 1-25
&
Mixed Messages
MFA Exhibition
MAY 4–25

I hope Spring is bringing positive change for you all. Thank you again for your continued support!

All the best,

Michael

Dear friends,

I hope your summer has started well. I have a few upcoming events I would like to share with you. If you are in the SF Bay Area it would be great to see you! I've also posted some new work on the website in the new "Recent" tab. I'll be adding more to that soon.

I will have a couple paintings in OUTLANDISH at the Bedford Gallery, jured by Alison Gass from SFMOMA. See info below and attached. Opening reception is next Thursday July 7, from 6-8pm.

In August I will have my video, Reclamation, and sculpture, Surrogate, in the exhibiton, Discrepency: living between war and peace at the Napa Valley Museum, Yountville. Curated by Nancy Willis.See info below.

I will also have a painting, BES_FB-SG, BC B1, up at Boot and Shoe in Oakland.

Starting in September I will be teaching at Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art in France. Looking forward to that!

I hope your summer has some heat and relaxation!


Best wishes,
Bien des choses à tous,

Michael



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OUTLANDISH: CONTEMPORARY DEPICTIONS OF NATURE

AT THE BEDFORD GALLERY, WALNUT CREEK,

JULY 7 – SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

Reception: July 7th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

The gallery will host a one-night terrarium building workshop at the July 7th opening, led by Wonderarium (artists Yvette Molina and Sarah Filley). The team created the Mobile Plant Ambassador, a push cart packed with plants, dirt, tiny shovels and spray bottles. During the workshop, visitors will work with the team to create their own mini-terrarium to take home. Patrons will also get a chance to make their own terrariums with the assistance of gallery staff and volunteers during the remainder of the exhibit.

The Bedford Gallery wraps up a memorable 2010-11 season with Outlandish, an intriguing exhibition that looks at landscape from a variety of vantage points in all media. From the micro to the macro, artists in Outlandish explore themes ranging from a tiny speck of a garden to a global view. The show is part national juried exhibition and part invitational, combing two distinct curatorial visions. Alison Gass, Assistant Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, selected 63 artists from around the country for the Outlandish juried segment. The Outlandish Invitational includes and additional 29 artists and was curated by Bedford Gallery Curator Carrie Lederer.

Outlandish artists include: James Allison, Ted Andersen, Jonathan Andrews, Janis Anton, Tim Armstrong, Johnna Arnold, Will Arnold, Jenny E. Balisle, Nicki Bernacchi, Lu Beury, Edna Bingham, Jan Blythe, Melissa Bolger, Mariet Braakman, Jessica Cadkin, Mike Callaghan, Peter Carey, Jennifer L. Carney, Wrenay Gomez Charlton, Vicky Mei Chen, Tyrell Collins, Briana Crepinsek, Teresa Cunniff, Rebecca Degenhardt, Gene Erickson, Lisa Espenmiller, William Farley, Susan Field, Joel Frudden, Shelley Gardner, David Gillanders, Sheryl Glass, Alisha Green Michael Hall, Pamela Hamill, Kent Hasel, Daniel Healey, Sarah Hirneisen, Amy M. Ho, Lee Hunter, Joe Johnson, Henrik Kam, Andrzej Michael Karwacki, Erica Kempler, Jenifer Kent, Sarah Lapp, Magnolia Laurie, Joan Margolies-Kiernan, Jon McNeal, Benjamin Meyer, Jennifer Nelson, Julia Nelson-Gal, Michelle Ott, Ryan Reynolds, Lance Rivers, Aaron Rosenstreich, Allison Rowe, Martha Schlitt, Kim Snyder, Michelle Tobia, Kim Turos, Michael Verbenec and Marcos Weiss.

Invitational artists include: Mari Andrews, Vaughn Bell, Arthur Bell, Tony Bellaver, Tyler Bewley, Tiffany Bozic, Gary Brewer, John Casey, Noah Doely, Charlene Doiron Reinhart, Sarah Filley, Jessalyn Haggenjos, Misako Inaoka, Michael Kerbow, Josh Keyes, Amanda Klimek, Mary Anne Kluth, Therese Lahaie, Dan Lydersen, Yvette Molina, Crystal Morey, Areca Roe, Noah Sakamoto, Phyllis Shafer, Nicole Shaffer, Jenn Shifflet, Jake Watling and Derek Weisberg.

Bedford Gallery is located in the LesherCenter for the Arts at
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek94596

, four blocks south of the Walnut Creek BART station.

Telephone: 925/295-1417

Website: www.bedfordgallery.org

Admission: General $5; Youth (17 and under) $3; Children 12 and under, free; First Tuesdays are Free; Free for Friends of the Bedford, members of Diablo Regional Arts Association and ticket holders to events in the Lesher Center for the Arts (LCA) on ticketed date.

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, Noon to 5:00 p.m.; and 6:00–8:00 p.m. on evenings when there are theater productions in the LCA. The Gallery is closed on Mondays

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DISCREPANCY: living between war and peace opening reception
Friday, Aug 5 7:30p to 9:30p
at Napa Valley Museum, Yountville, CA

More than 20 artists, working in a variety of media, created a visual survey about daily life and its connection to three major events: The World Trade Center attack on 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, masks from veterans of Pathway Home, a residential recovery program for vets of current wars.


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May 5, 2011

Dear Friends,

I have a few upcoming events I'd like to share with you.

As some of you may know I have been working at Creative Growth Art Center for the past 8 years. This month Creative Growth will be presenting, Outside In, an exhibition of staff artwork alongside the work of artists from the Center. I am proud to be a part of this organization and thrilled to present a new video work, Mimic (and a couple older works) alongside the amazing artists on staff and the regular artists of Creative Growth. Details below.

I have two pieces on view at Locanda Restaurant, 557 Valencia Street, San Francisco. If you are in town you can go see them and have some amazing Roman inspired cuisine! It's now open and getting amazing reviews!



It is also auction season! I will have pieces in both the Southern Exposure, Mega Mega Mega, auction and the Headlands Center for the Arts. See below for work and details.

MEGA MEGA MEGA
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE’S
ANNUAL FUNDRAISER & ART AUCTION
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011

3030 20th Street (@ Alabama)
San Francisco, CA 94110

VIP RECEPTION
6 – 7:30 pm

MAIN EVENT
7:30 – 10:30 pm

LIVE AUCTION
8:30 – 9:30 pm

SILENT AUCTION
Lots begin to close at 9:45 pm.



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Headlands Center for the Arts
2011 Benefit Art Auction
Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Herbst International
Exhibition Hall in the Presidio
385 Moraga Avenue San Francisco, CA 94129

5:30 PM Preview Reception for Host level tickets and above

6:30 PM General Admission

For more information visit headlands.org/auction


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Creative Growth Art Center

OUTSIDE IN
May 12 to June 30, 2011

Thursday, May 12
Member's Preview: 11am to 2pm
Public Event: 5pm to 8pm
Music by Alex Kelly

Also open Saturday, May 14
11am to 4pm

Creative Growth is turning things around with an invitation to become aquainted with the personal work of Creative Growth Staff artists. Working together daily in our Studio, but seldom seen together in our Gallery, OUTSIDE IN presents a stunning array of artwork by:

Julie Alvarado, Dyan Ashby, JoAnn Biagini, Ariel Clute, Madelyn Covey, Jordan DeStaebler, Tom di Maria, Matt Dostal, Annamarta Dostourian, Brük Dunbar, Michael Hall, Rie Hirai, Peggy Huff, Joe Kowalczyk, Sara Maynard, Kim Mizuhara, Mali Mrozinski, Stan Peterson, Meadow Presley, Olivia Rogers, Veronica Rojas, Classie Rozier, Tara Tucker and Gina Tuzzi.

Also including work by Creative Growth artists: David Albertsen, Terri Bowden, Susan Janow, John Martin, Aurie Ramirez and William Tyler.

Don't miss an evolving hands on daily workshop where Staff artists and Creative Growth artists work collaboratively. See what unfolds in the Creative Growth Studio during this exhibition, check our website, creativegrowth.org for details on this ongoing collaboration.

Exhibition Opening:

Thursday, May 12
Member's Preview: 11am to 2pm
Public Event: 5pm to 8pm
Music by Alex Kelly

Also open Saturday, May 14
11am to 4pm

Creative Growth is pleased to be part of Create an exhibtion at the Berkeley Art Museum, presenting work from three of the leading centers for artists with disabilities in the United States: Creative Growth, Oakland; Creativity Explored, San Francisco; and the National Institute of Art and Disabilites, Richmond. Curated by Berkeley Art Museum director Lawrence Rinder and Matthew Higgs, Director of the New York, non-profit arts space, White Columns. Create @ Berkeley Art Museum, May 11 to September 25, 2011.

More information at creativegrowth.org

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I was featured in a great article in the East Bay Express by Jessica Kraft about the toxicity of art practices and how different artists are changing their ways. You can find it here:

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/gyrobase/toxic-art/Content?oid=2533379&storyPage=1

I have been awarded the Joan Mitchell Foundation 2010 Painters & Sculptors Grant.

New York, NY - The Joan Mitchell Foundation is pleased to announce the twenty-five recipients of the 2010 Painters & Sculptors Grant Program in the amount of $25,000 each.

Samira Abbassy, New York, NY

M. Firelei Báez, New York, NY

Tom Burckhardt, New York, NY

Kaili Chun, Honolulu, HI

Bruce A. Davenport, Jr., New Orleans, LA

Chitra Ganesh, Brooklyn, NY

Michael Hall, San Francisco, CA

Corin Hewitt, Richmond, VA

Vandana Jain, Brooklyn, NY

Noah Landfield, Brooklyn, NY

Darryl Lauster, Arlington, TX

James Luna, Pauma Valley, CA

Walter McConnell, Belmont, NY

Michael C. McMillen, Santa Monica, CA

Jason Middlebrook, Craryville, NY

Postcommodity*, Tempe, AZ

Arlene Shechet, New York, NY

Jeanne Silverthorne, New York, NY

Travis Somerville, Berkeley, CA

Tavares Strachan, Mt. Vernon, NY

Whiting Tennis, Seattle, WA

Sam Van Aken, Syracuse, NY

Manuel Vega, Jr., New York, NY

Stacy Lynn Waddell, Chapel Hill, NC

Lynne Yamamoto, Northampton, MA

* Postcommodity is comprised of artists, Raven Chacon, Kade L. Twist, Steven J. Yazzie, and Nathan Young.


The Painters & Sculptors Grant Program was established in 1993 to assist individual artists. The grants are given to acknowledge painters and sculptors creating work of exceptional quality.

The Foundation selected nominators nationwide dedicated to supporting artists who are under-recognized for their artistic achievements and whose career would benefit from the grant. The candidates' images were viewed for consideration through an anonymous process by a jury panel, which convened in November at the office of the Joan Mitchell Foundation. Nominators and jurors include prominent visual artists, curators, and arts educators.

Additional programs undertaken by the Foundation include free art classes for New York City youth, grants to MFA graduates to aid in their transition from academic to professional studio work, and grants to artists and arts communities in need of emergency support after a disaster.

The Joan Mitchell Foundation was established in April 1993 as a not-for-profit corporation following the death of Joan Mitchell in October 1992. The Foundation strives to fulfill the ambitions of Joan Mitchell to assist the needs of contemporary artists and to demonstrate that painting and sculpture are significant cultural necessities.

For more information on the Joan Mitchell Foundation and its recipients, please visit our website at www.joanmitchellfoundation.org.



Contact:

Allison Hawkins

Grants Director

212-524-0100

Out on newstands now, New American Paintings #91. You can get a peek inside at: newamericanpaintings.wordpress.com/2010…

Here are some reviews of my show, Reclamation

DeWitt Cheng's review:
http://www.visualartsource.com/index.php?page=editorial&pcID=26&aID=616

Beautiful Decay online:
http://beautifuldecay.com/2010/10/27/michael-hall/

Also a few blogs who were kind enough to post about my work:
Empty Kingdom
booooooom
Engineer's Daughter

I will be showing a new series of paintings based on the coastal defense bunkers found in the Marin Headlands and around the SF Bay Area. This is my first show at Patricia Sweetow Gallery. Please stop in to see the new work.

Reclamation | new paintings by Michael Hall

September 9 through October 17, 2010

Reception: Saturday, September 11, 3-6pm

PATRICIA SWEETOW GALLERY
77 Geary Street, Mezzanine
San Francisco, CA 94108

415.788.5126
415.788.5207 F

HOURS: T-F 10:30-5:30, SAT 10:30-5

E-MAIL: contact@patriciasweetowgallery.com


Also:

This series of paintings will be included in the upcoming Pacific Coast edition of New American Paintings, curated by Lawrence Rinder.


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new work by Michael Hall and Daniel Healey

October 17 - November 15, 2009
Opening Reception: October 24th 6-9pm

First Friday Reception:
November 6th, 7-10pm

Sunday Tea:
November 15th 3-6pm(tea generously provided by NUMI tea of Oakland)

For this exhibition we are pairing two painters with radically different approaches to painting, but whom are both dealing with subjects of history, domesticity and narrative.

Michael Hall's work begins with an observation of history. He is particularly interested in historical narratives found in discarded photographs. Whether public or private these artifacts retain the ability to generate a dialogue not only about the time they originated but give perspective on current events as well. The resulting paintings are meticulous, photo realistic renderings.

Daniel Healey also begins with discarded photographs, but from magazines and reproductions. He creates colorful landscapes by layering paint, images transfers and mixed media. At first glance, the canvases appear to display a scene of chaos and disembodied domestic objects, further inspection reveals delicate lines, subtle color variances and a well thought out landscaping.

GALLERY HOURS:
THURS-SUN 12-6pm, FIRST FRIDAYS 7-10pm

I will be speaking about my work and experience at the Headlands as part of the Graduate Fellow Artist Talk (Part 1)

In Project Space East, in Building 944, I will be presenting a new work as well.

Date: 5/14/2009 (Thursday)
Time: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Eastwing, Building 944

Ticket Info: FREE Admission

The Graduate Fellowship Awards provide outstanding recent MFA graduates with sponsored studio space for one year and a chance to segue from art school into the professional artist's life during their time at Headlands. Each artist will be in the Project Space for two weeks this Spring.

Join us for the first of two artist talks with current Headlands Graduate Fellows Taha Belal, Michael Hall, Manuel Rios & Anthony Ryan.

We ask that you kindly RSVP to public programs by emailing info@headlands.org.




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I will be participating in Southern Exposure's 9th annual Monster Drawing Rally. It's a terrific and frantic event that I've been taking part of for years. All proceeds go to benefit Southern Exposure - a SF non-profit that is without question incredible. Details below. I draw at 7pm.

Southern Exposure’s
9th Annual
Monster Drawing Rally

Friday, February 27, 2009
6:00 – 11:00 PM
Donation: $5 & UP
Event Location: Verdi Club
2424 Mariposa Street (between Hampshire and Potrero Streets)

Southern Exposure announces the 9th Annual Monster Drawing Rally at the Verdi Club, a live drawing and fundraising event featuring over 130 artists.

Providing the basic necessities of the drawing practice--pencils, charcoal, pens, markers, ink, and paper--Southern Exposure creates the context while the artists create the content of the drawings. The evening will consist of four one-hour shifts with approximately 30 artists drawing simultaneously each hour. As the drawings are completed they will be hung on the walls and available for purchase for $60 each. The Monster Drawing Rally promises to be an action-packed spectacle you won't want to miss!

The Monster Drawing Rally provides a unique opportunity to watch a drawing come to life, and to purchase a work of art minutes after it's completion. Proceeds from the event provide direct support for Southern Exposure's Exhibitions and Artists in Education Programs.

The evening will also provide a sneak peek of Southern Exposure's new home! Southern Exposure is moving to a new 4,000 square foot space on 20th Street in the Mission District in late spring of 2009. Plans, drawings, information and ways to get involved will all be available at the event.

Music will be delivered all night long by Bo Derelict.
Curbside tacos sold by El Tonayense.

Generous in-kind donations for the 9th Annual Monster Drawing Rally are provided by Trumer Brauerei Berkeley, Bridgeport Brewery, and Nectar Ales.


PARTICIPATING ARTISTS (as of February 20, 2009)
Brett Amory, Lauren Anderson, Kathy Aoki, Chris Applegren, Seth Armstrong, Johnna Arnold, Mara Baldwin, David Becker, Pete Belkin, Bert Bergen, Elisheva Biernoff, Evan Bissel, Michelle Blade, James Bradley, Val Britton, Charlie Callahan, Michele Carlson, Deric Carner, John Casey, Constance Castillo, Alexander Cheves, Youmna Chlala, Serena Cole, Randy Colosky, Lisa Congdon, Jaime Cortez, Lauren Davies, Christian Davies, Veronica De Jesus, Tina Dillman, Nina Elder, Marcela Florez, Amy Franceschini, Adam Friedman, Matt Furie, Narangkar Glover, Pete Glover, Ariel Goldberg, Michael Hall, Liz Harvey, Chelsea Heikes, Eric Heiman, Queena Hernandez, Terry Hoff, Misa Inaoka, Ian Johnson, Kelly Lynn Jones, Kara Joslyn, Josh Keyes, David King, Tashana Kjelland, Sarah Klein, Chris Leib, Justin Limoges, Ken Lo, Ivan Lopez, Marina Luz, Nathan Lynch, Paul Madonna, Minette Mangahas, Michelle Mansour, Kari Marboe, Vanessa Marsh, Corinne Matesich, Christina Mazza, Mike McConnell, Gaelan McKeown, Jeff Meadows, Jody Medich, David Muller, Carson Murdach, Claire Nereim, Jessica Niello, Andy Nizinskyj, Sandra Ono, Jennie Ottinger, Matthew Palladino, Lana Parcello, Erik Parra, Kamau Patton, Hilary Pecis, Stephanie Peek, Chris Pew, George Pfau, Ferris Plock, Mel Prest, Kyle Ranson, Lisa Ricci, Ricardo Richie, Favianna Rodriguez, Lordy Rodriguez, John Rogers, Veronica Rojas, Thorina Rose, Nat Russell, Zachary Rossman, Sham Saenz, Colleen Sanders, Zachary Royer Scholz, Andrew Schoultz, Emily Sevier, Ryan Shaffer, Deth P. Sun, Jiharri Terry, Tracy Timmins, Trevor Tubelle, Jessica Tully, Kelly Tunstall, Gina Tuzzi, Aiyana Udesen, Paul Urich, Adrian Van Allen, Jamie Vasta, Ben Venom, Marci Washington, Virginia White, Amanda Williams, Jenifer Wofford, Michael Louis Young

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Bete Comme un Peintre

January 2009: SF MOMA Artist Gallery - Solo exhibiton

Through January I will have a solo show at the SFMOMA Artist Gallery - Maria Medua's inaugural show as Director of the gallery. Also showing at the same time will be Michelle Monsour and Jessica Dacher and, in the loft gallery, the exhibition, "A New World Order: Ecology".

Opening reception: Thursday, January 08, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m
January 07 - 30, 2009


For more information go to:
SF MOMA Artist Gallery

Or read the preview by Debra Koppman in this month's Artweek.
http://www.artweek.com/previews.shtml

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My video "Five Constant Factors" will be screened at Altenative Requirements on October 21 @ the Pacific Film Archive. Starting at 7:30. Details

Lisa and I will have a collaborative video installation on the outer faces of the Headlands buildings for the Mystery Ball. Details
We will also have a piece in the auction for the Ball.

Visual Aid's Big Deal Auction - Lisa and I will both have work in the non-fixed price auction. Bid things up to benefit artists whose careers are challenged because of a life-threatening illness. Details

January 2009: SF MOMA Rental Gallery - Solo exhibiton - Bete Comme un Peintre - A series of new paintings being uploaded to the site as they are completed.

November 2009: Solo exhibition @ Blankspace Gallery. Details: TBA

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I'm excited to be exhibiting a site-specific collaborative video installation at this year's Headlands Mystery Ball. Lisa Ricci and I worked together on this project. We're in very good company, alongside three fantastic artists: Whitney Lynn, Joshua Churchill, and Christine Wong Yap.

Mystery Ball 2008
Saturday, October 25, 7:30 pm–midnight
Headlands Center for the Arts
944 Simmonds Road, Sausalito, CA (directions)

Includes cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dessert, music, performances, dancing and art installations. All proceeds benefit Headlands' Programs for Artists and the Public.

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Dewitt Cheng wrote a review of JUNCTION for the East Bay Express. You can find it here:
www.eastbayexpress.com/artsculture/cros…


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Hello all,

July 13th will be the Summer Open House at the Headlands Center for the Arts. I will be there in studio #4 on the third floor of Building 945. For more info go to Headlands Center for the Arts

Also, Juncture opened on Friday, 6/27 at Swarm Gallery in Oakland. The opening was great (many thanks to Svea and Andrea!). See previous postings for more info or go to www.swarmstudios.net/gallery/gallery.htm

Thank you to all of you who came to Bestiaries at the Oakland Art Gallery. The show was a hit. It was such a pleasure to be in a show with such amazing artists! Sadly, the show came down yesterday, but the shows curator, Anna Vaughan, is interested in touring the show. If anyone has any leads or wants to pick it up please contact her at anna-vaughan@sbcglobal.net.

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Bestiaries Artist Talk:

June 19, 5-6pm cocktail hour, 6-8pm artist talk

Jo Ann Biagini, Michael Hall, David Hevel, Peter Honig, Misako Inaoka, Tarra Lyons, Daniel Ross, Tara Tucker and Anna Vaughan.



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JUNCTION: Recent works by Mills College MFA Grads
MICHAEL HALL + ETHAN WORDEN
Project Space | TRISHA GROVER

June 27 - July 27, 2008

Artist Reception | Friday, June 27, 2008, 6-8PM


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I just learned that I received the Headlands MFA Fellowship! For the next year I will have a studio at the Headlands Art Center (www.headlands.org). I very excited about this opportunity and have a lot planned already. I believe the first open studios will be in July. More later...

East Bay Express Critics Choice

Bestiaries
May. 14, 2008 - Jun. 28, 2008
The Oakland Art Gallery is pleased to present Bestiaries, an exhibition curated by Anna Vaughan focusing on the relationship between humans and nature.
May 14 - June 28, 2008

Reception: May 15, 5-8pm
Artist Talk: June 19, 6-8pm

The exhibition features work by Jo Ann Biagini, Michael Hall, David Hevel, Peter Honig, Misako Inaoka, Tarra Lyons, Daniel Ross, Tara Tucker and Anna Vaughan.

David Hevel’s works provide a humorous but poignant critique of American consumerism and fascination with celebrity culture. Working in mixed media, he creates installations combining items familiar in everyday American life, such as arrangements of fake flowers, with statues of wild animals. These ridiculous conglomerations emphasize the absurdity of human attempts to domesticate nature and use it to perpetuate a consumer culture. Hevel sites television and pop culture, which he was exposed to from a young age growing up in rural mid-America, as a central influence on his work. Hevel received an MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts in 2002 and his works have been displayed in numerous solo and group exhibitions all over the country.

The work of Misako Inaoka explores the boundary between the natural and the artificial and the distortion of the familiar. Her miniature sculptures of hybrid animals offer a commentary on the issues of vanishing species and the mutation of nature. The works often include animation and sound elements which further blur the line between what is alive and created by nature and what is created by the artist’s hand. Inaoka was born in Japan but moved to the United States and received a BFA from RISD and an MFA from Mills college. Her works have been shown in exhibitions both in the United States and abroad.

Michael Hall is an Oakland based artist and a current MFA candidate at Millis College in Oakland. He received his BFA from California College of the Arts and has shown in museums and galleries in California and Arizona. His delicate drawings of human hands holding small birds suggest the complexity of the relationship between man and nature. The title of his drawing, I Hold You Tight To Keep You Safe, refers to man’s need to protect nature without stifling it.

My MFA exhibition is currently up at the Mills College Art Museum.

May 4 - June 1
Mills College Art Museum
5000 Macarthur Blvd
Oakland, CA