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Gualala Arts
Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.
Archive of past events: 2004 through 2014
The January 2014 exhibit at the Dolphin Gallery features embellished gourd artist JoAnne Abreu and photographer Rozann Grunig. The opening night reception is on Saturday, January 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and the show runs through Wednesday, January 29. JoAnne Abreu
Her lifelong fascination with shapes and textures in nature inspired her to apply the basketry techniques she knows so well to gourds. The process begins by building upon the gourd's inherent shape to transform it into a free-standing, three dimensional art piece. The finished product may range from vibrant red or yellow gourds to more muted earth tones, often wrapped in papers that impart a distinctive texture. Each has beautifully coiled rows, some draped to conform to the inherent shape, others growing out of the gourd. Many of them include bead work. This show is her fourth one at the Dolphin dating back to 2000, most recently in January, 2013. She has received ribbons at three different Art in the Redwoods annual shows. She has also been recognized for her technical skill by Bay Area Basket Makers Guild. Her work can be found at Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo.
Various examples of her decorated gourds are posted on the Three Rivers Studios website,
ThreeRiversStudios.com.
Three Rivers is a group of eight independent artists who have studios on the Mendocino coast near the Albion, Big and Little Rivers. Abreu works out of her home on Albion Ridge. More information on Abreu and example of her work can be found at the Three Rivers Studios website.
Rozann Grunig
In her first Dolphin show Grunig puts on public display the creative potential she discovered by her change of life style. No stranger to the local art scene, she has participated in both Art in the Redwoods and Studio Discovery Tours. She also belongs to the Arts Council of Mendocino, but this is her exhibit debut.
Her name may be familiar to many local readers of the Independent Coast Observer for which she works in numerous capacities including staff photographer. Before finding the visual arts, Grunig satisfied her desire to create by writing memoirs and short stories, some of which are posted on the web.
This show will offer examples of her photography, cards and fabric creations expressions. It is a record of the journey that has led her from the corporate world to the windswept rocky shores of the Northern California coastline. Grunig cannot predict what the future holds buy she definitely is enjoying the process.
The Dolphin Gallery is located at
39225 Highway One in downtown Gualala, CA |
JoAnne Abreu takes her inspiration from the natural shapes of the gourds she uses as a basis for her pieces. From that base she adds a variety of materials to produce her distinctive creations. A basket maker for over twenty years, Abreu enjoys building coils on the gourd foundation using waxed linen thread woven into a fiber core. She incorporates handmade papers in some pieces. Leather dyes and handmade papers provide color and a protective coating insures the final product lasts for many years.
One day while working at her corporate job as a product liability litigation paralegal, Rozann Grunig had an epiphany that changed her life and unlocked a creative genie. She came home and announced to her husband that she had quit her job. The two moved to The Sea Ranch and began a new life.
At first she worked with a camera to explore the inherent beauty of the Mendonoma coast, but looking for new creative expressions she has searched for ways to go beyond capturing a well-composed image. Her quest led her to using these images in cards, calendars and other functional items. More recently in collaboration with Margie Binker she has incorporated and interpreted her photographs in fabric art.