VISION: AN ARTIST'S PERSPECTIVE
Presented by UniteWomen.org and Gutfreund Cornett Art
Kaleid Gallery, San Jose, California, July 5 - 29, 2016
Artist Reception: 4:30-7:00 p.m. Artists Talks: 5:00 p.m. July 16, 2016
WORKS SELECTED FOR SPECIAL RECOGNITION
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Katherine Collins
"Alabaster" Special Recognition Selection by Suzanne Gray 
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SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS JURORS
Suzanne Gray/Seager Gray Gallery Statement:
This exhibition was an interesting one to juror. Because of the variety and depth of some of the issues artist choose to address some of the artworks provoked a very emotional response from me. I appreciated all of the artist’s efforts in expressing their feelings about some of the very challenging issues facing women today. After reviewing all the works several times the same three kept coming back to me. I always appreciate some mystery in artwork, a metaphor or abstract representation of a particular subject. Alabaster stood out to me right away. In addition to being beautifully painted I was inspired to make all kind of associations about the meaning behind the presumably female face hidden or maybe even purposely hiding behind a sheet. Phoenix #2 stood out to me. The artist’s statement “In these works a decaying leaf becomes a metaphor for the fragility of the victim. Text forms a metaphor for the soul of the victim, which is set free, often only through death.”, confirmed for me my initial response to the work. The delicacy of the image is also appealing. Lastly, Speak the Truth is a very interesting concept and one which I felt was executed thoughtfully with careful attention to detail. I appreciate the text, the paper and the additional layering of the powerful projected images.
Suzanne Gray is a partner in Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, CA where she also resides. She has nearly a decade of experience in contemporary fine art, representing early and mid career artists. Along with her partner Donna Seager, she is recognized for her focus in materials based work including paintings, sculptures and artist books. She represents Seager Gray Gallery at international art fairs and is a member of the Marin Art Dealers Association and ArtTable. Suzanne has juried numerous art exhibitions in the Bay Area.
This exhibition was an interesting one to juror. Because of the variety and depth of some of the issues artist choose to address some of the artworks provoked a very emotional response from me. I appreciated all of the artist’s efforts in expressing their feelings about some of the very challenging issues facing women today. After reviewing all the works several times the same three kept coming back to me. I always appreciate some mystery in artwork, a metaphor or abstract representation of a particular subject. Alabaster stood out to me right away. In addition to being beautifully painted I was inspired to make all kind of associations about the meaning behind the presumably female face hidden or maybe even purposely hiding behind a sheet. Phoenix #2 stood out to me. The artist’s statement “In these works a decaying leaf becomes a metaphor for the fragility of the victim. Text forms a metaphor for the soul of the victim, which is set free, often only through death.”, confirmed for me my initial response to the work. The delicacy of the image is also appealing. Lastly, Speak the Truth is a very interesting concept and one which I felt was executed thoughtfully with careful attention to detail. I appreciate the text, the paper and the additional layering of the powerful projected images.
Suzanne Gray is a partner in Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, CA where she also resides. She has nearly a decade of experience in contemporary fine art, representing early and mid career artists. Along with her partner Donna Seager, she is recognized for her focus in materials based work including paintings, sculptures and artist books. She represents Seager Gray Gallery at international art fairs and is a member of the Marin Art Dealers Association and ArtTable. Suzanne has juried numerous art exhibitions in the Bay Area.
Michelle Nye/SFMoMA Artists Gallery Statement:
It was a distinct pleasure to review the artworks submitted for Vision: An Artist’s Perspective, as there were many compelling entries. The three artworks chosen were well executed and thought provoking, capturing the imagination with humor, beauty and depth. Each work spoke on many levels and could inspire pages of reflection and inquiry. Below are just a few reasons why these three pieces strongly resonated with me.
For “Cleanse and Exfoliate” the quirky vessel's organic and biological form contrasts with its woven artificial materials, deftly speaking to a range of issues surrounding women's bodies, beauty ideals, environmental pollution, consumerism and the history of women's craft and art.
In "Disorder" everyday kitchen objects dramatically explode. The result is captivating, eliciting a powerful mix of associates including the rejection of traditional roles of women, the trauma of domestic violence, and the terrorizing impact of war and suicide bombers when they strike so close to home.
With “You Stupid Cunt” we are seduced and affronted in equal measure. The alluring Victorian styled wall paper evokes traditional female roles of home-maker and sex object, especially when looking closely at the vulva shaped pattern. Juxtaposed is the incessantly repeated and ornately scripted word 'cunt,' inviting contemplation on issues such as the insidious aggression towards women and the pervasive objectification and domination of women's bodies.
Many thanks to Karen Gutfreund and Sherri Cornett of Gutfreund Cornett Art for the opportunity to review this exhibition and heartfelt thanks to each artist for contributing vital perspectives on such an interesting range of women's issues.
Michelle Nye manages programming at the SFMoMA Artists Gallery, an arm of SFMOMA dedicated to the support of a thriving local arts community. Michelle steers Gallery operations, manages the art sales and rentals program, organizes events, and sources artwork from the vast network of contemporary Bay Area artists. During her 16 years at SFMOMA Artists Gallery she has developed relationships with hundreds of artists and collectors by placing the best of local art in homes and offices throughout the region. A Bay Area native,she resides in Oakland and studied fine art and art history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, California College of the Arts, the Università di Bologna, Italia, and L’Academia degli Belli Arti di Bologna, Italia.
It was a distinct pleasure to review the artworks submitted for Vision: An Artist’s Perspective, as there were many compelling entries. The three artworks chosen were well executed and thought provoking, capturing the imagination with humor, beauty and depth. Each work spoke on many levels and could inspire pages of reflection and inquiry. Below are just a few reasons why these three pieces strongly resonated with me.
For “Cleanse and Exfoliate” the quirky vessel's organic and biological form contrasts with its woven artificial materials, deftly speaking to a range of issues surrounding women's bodies, beauty ideals, environmental pollution, consumerism and the history of women's craft and art.
In "Disorder" everyday kitchen objects dramatically explode. The result is captivating, eliciting a powerful mix of associates including the rejection of traditional roles of women, the trauma of domestic violence, and the terrorizing impact of war and suicide bombers when they strike so close to home.
With “You Stupid Cunt” we are seduced and affronted in equal measure. The alluring Victorian styled wall paper evokes traditional female roles of home-maker and sex object, especially when looking closely at the vulva shaped pattern. Juxtaposed is the incessantly repeated and ornately scripted word 'cunt,' inviting contemplation on issues such as the insidious aggression towards women and the pervasive objectification and domination of women's bodies.
Many thanks to Karen Gutfreund and Sherri Cornett of Gutfreund Cornett Art for the opportunity to review this exhibition and heartfelt thanks to each artist for contributing vital perspectives on such an interesting range of women's issues.
Michelle Nye manages programming at the SFMoMA Artists Gallery, an arm of SFMOMA dedicated to the support of a thriving local arts community. Michelle steers Gallery operations, manages the art sales and rentals program, organizes events, and sources artwork from the vast network of contemporary Bay Area artists. During her 16 years at SFMOMA Artists Gallery she has developed relationships with hundreds of artists and collectors by placing the best of local art in homes and offices throughout the region. A Bay Area native,she resides in Oakland and studied fine art and art history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, California College of the Arts, the Università di Bologna, Italia, and L’Academia degli Belli Arti di Bologna, Italia.
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PRESS and PROMOTIONS
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RECEPTION
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The Authentic Woman
Shannon Fisher, host of the radio show "The Authentic Woman" and women's rights leader, talked with Karen Teegarden, Executive Director of UniteWomen.org and Sherri and Karen from Gutfreund Cornett Art about the motivations for this show, how we are collaborating to present this opportunity to self-identified women, our hopes and other details. Originally aired April 3, 2016. 
"San Jose art exhibition showcases female perspective"
by Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, July 23, 2016 Press Release
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Thank you to Katie Cooney and Priscilla Otani for photographing our reception!
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Social Media
Gutfreund Cornett Art highlighted the artists, installation and reception photography on its social media platforms:
Facebook: Gutfreund Cornett Art
Twitter: @GCA_Art
Instagram: GutfreundCornettArt
Gutfreund Cornett Art highlighted the artists, installation and reception photography on its social media platforms:
Facebook: Gutfreund Cornett Art
Twitter: @GCA_Art
Instagram: GutfreundCornettArt
EXHIBITION CATALOG
The printed catalog for "Vision: An Artist's Perspective" is available for purchase through Amazon (free shipping with Amazon Prime accounts)
8.5" x 8.5" (21.59 x 21.59 cm) , Full Color on White paper, 134 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1533670960 (CreateSpace-Assigned) , ISBN-10: 153367096X , BISAC: Art / General
An online version is viewable on Issuu via https://issuu.com/gutfreundcornettart/docs/vision_catalog_final_for_issuu/1
8.5" x 8.5" (21.59 x 21.59 cm) , Full Color on White paper, 134 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1533670960 (CreateSpace-Assigned) , ISBN-10: 153367096X , BISAC: Art / General
An online version is viewable on Issuu via https://issuu.com/gutfreundcornettart/docs/vision_catalog_final_for_issuu/1
INTRODUCTION TO CATALOG
| introduction_to_the_catalog_vision.docx |
ARTISTS WITH WORKS INSTALLED IN GALLERY
Diyar Al Jazzi, Tara Booth, Nellien Brewer, Sara Cole, Spooky Boobs Collective, Katherine Collins, Lynn Dau, Emily Dvorin, Beth Fein, Lindsay Garcia, Yolanda Guerra, J Howard, Blond Jenny, Jennifer Jones, Joanna L. Kao, Marky Kauffmann, Eileen Kressel, Beth Lakamp, Mido Lee, Rebecca Levine, Kathryn McDonnell, Victoria Helena Mihatovic, Beverly Mills, Sarah Nguyen, Min Kim Park, Amy Pleasant, Michele Poindexter, Remedios Rapoport, Cherie Redlinger, Caren Helene Rudman, Sondra Schwetman, SPOOKY BOOBS COLLECTIVE, Nastassja Swift, Cynthia Tom, Natalie Waldburger, Ruth Waters, Corinne Whitaker, Janice Whiting, Tina Ybarra
ARTISTS WHOSE WORKS WILL BE SHOWN ON A MONITOR IN GALLERY
In order to accommodate as many viewpoints as possible and expand the conversation beyond the physical limitations of the gallery, additional works were selected to be shown in a looped slideshow in the gallery:
Salma Arastu, Lynn Arnold, Joanne Beaule Ruggles, Andrea Borsuk, Andrea Broyles, Carolyn Cohen, Linda King Ferguson, Anitra Frazier, Sara Friedlander, Sara Gallo, Caryl Gaubatz, Linda Gleitz, Tricia Grame, Georgie Humphries, Uma Rani Iyli, Shabnam Mottaghi, Olivia Jane, Kathryn Jill Johnson, Thuy Linh Kang, KK, Sameh Khalatbari, J. L. King, Epiphany Knedler, Susan Kraft, Biljana Kroll, Krista Machovina, Stela Mandel, Juliet Mevi, Jennifer Mondfrans, Jelisa Peterson, Sara Petitt, Lorena Pugh, Trix Rosen, Gerri Russell, Pallavi Sharma, Marlene Siff, Sean Sterzer, Elka Stevens, Kim Tepe, Diana Tremaine, Jennifer Weigel with Laurel Luckey
Salma Arastu, Lynn Arnold, Joanne Beaule Ruggles, Andrea Borsuk, Andrea Broyles, Carolyn Cohen, Linda King Ferguson, Anitra Frazier, Sara Friedlander, Sara Gallo, Caryl Gaubatz, Linda Gleitz, Tricia Grame, Georgie Humphries, Uma Rani Iyli, Shabnam Mottaghi, Olivia Jane, Kathryn Jill Johnson, Thuy Linh Kang, KK, Sameh Khalatbari, J. L. King, Epiphany Knedler, Susan Kraft, Biljana Kroll, Krista Machovina, Stela Mandel, Juliet Mevi, Jennifer Mondfrans, Jelisa Peterson, Sara Petitt, Lorena Pugh, Trix Rosen, Gerri Russell, Pallavi Sharma, Marlene Siff, Sean Sterzer, Elka Stevens, Kim Tepe, Diana Tremaine, Jennifer Weigel with Laurel Luckey
EXHIBITION THEME
Envision, conceive of, imagine . . . In this turbulent time of political changes, women's rights, social, racial, gender and economic inequality, global conflicts, cultural instability, reproductive choice/health care issues, and environmental challenges of overconsumption and resource scarcity - how do we effect positive change through art? How do we listen, speak our minds, include, and act in collaboration or alone across generational differences, races, identities and cultures, to build our future, locally and globally?
VISION seeks to bring self-identified women artists into dialogue, retracing an account of the past manifesting in the present, to address major social themes, to define and bring forth what is important to themselves, their families, their communities, our nation and the world at large with art that either reflects on past injustices or focuses on a vision for a more positive, empowering future.
UniteWomen.org and Gutfreund Cornett Art ask self-identified women artists to respond to and take an active role in this conversation, to create an exhibition in all mediums and genres, art that ranges from literal to poetic, abstract to representational, and psychological, to social and political commentary, art that represents the prismatic, collective vision for our future, that inspires communities and provides a framework for true innovation in our time.
VISION seeks to bring self-identified women artists into dialogue, retracing an account of the past manifesting in the present, to address major social themes, to define and bring forth what is important to themselves, their families, their communities, our nation and the world at large with art that either reflects on past injustices or focuses on a vision for a more positive, empowering future.
UniteWomen.org and Gutfreund Cornett Art ask self-identified women artists to respond to and take an active role in this conversation, to create an exhibition in all mediums and genres, art that ranges from literal to poetic, abstract to representational, and psychological, to social and political commentary, art that represents the prismatic, collective vision for our future, that inspires communities and provides a framework for true innovation in our time.
ABOUT OUR CO-PRESENTER/ UNITEWOMEN.ORG
UniteWomen.org seeks to equip and empower women to use their strengths, talents, and skills to further their participation as equal, valued voices in their communities, speaking out about the inequity of women’s experiences as citizens in their communities, their nations, and the world. Our mission is to change the social and cultural conversation to bring about awareness of the benefits and the necessity of inclusion, providing a collective voice for women in all processes that affect their lives. Our objective is to cultivate the edification of society on these issues in order to make effective change that will improve the lives of women. Achieving these goals will allow us effectively to empower women and girls to be equal, active participants in society, as well as in the political realm of our countries. A country cannot reach its highest potential until the voices of all citizens are acknowledged and manifested in a way that will positively impact the evolution of humanity.
UniteWomen.org is the national non-partisan 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that works to end inequality for women that stems from prejudice and discrimination and works to advance the human and civil rights of women and girls.
UniteWomen.org Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy and lobbying organization for the cause.
UniteWomen.org is the national non-partisan 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that works to end inequality for women that stems from prejudice and discrimination and works to advance the human and civil rights of women and girls.
UniteWomen.org Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy and lobbying organization for the cause.
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ABOUT OUR VENUE/KALEID GALLERY
KALEID (Greek for beauty and form) was borne out of San Jose’s Phantom Galleries (art in vacant storefronts & alternative spaces project) in December 2006. Over 90 fine artists and designers from the San Jose area make use of a 6,000 square foot retail space with individual exhibits that include painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, glass, jewelry and textile art. Located next to San Jose State University in downtown San Jose, the third largest city in California.
- Website: http://www.kaleidgallery.com
- Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday Noon-7pm and until 11pm on First Fridays as part of the South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk.
- 88 S 4th St, San Jose, California