ART THE OUTSIDERS – PLEIN AIR PAINTINGS July 20 - August 7 Harrington Art Gallery at the Firehouse Arts Center Gallery Hours: Wed-Fri 12-5 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and 1 hour prior to performances and during intermission
GALLERY RECEPTION July 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Donations appreciated
ABOUT THE GROUP The Outsiders is a group of six accomplished Bay Area plein air painters. The name of this group, formed in the late 1990s, reflects both the type of painting they do — in the outdoors or plein air — and also their trend toward less traditional landscapes. The current members who will be participating in the exhibit are: Nikki Basch-Davis, Ray Jackson, Judy Molyneux, Bill Rushton, Randall Sexton, and Jerry Turner. Pam Glover, a beloved founding member, passed away last year, but some of her fine work will be included on loan from a private collection. During the 1970s, Pam painted with Louis Siegriest (18991989), who was one of California’s great painters. As a young man, he joined a painting group known as the “Society of Six,” active in the early part of the last century. The group as a whole rebelled against the somber tones prevalent in earlier California art, preferring the palette of the French Fauvists. Like the Six, the Outsiders often paint together for camaraderie and feedback while they rapidly capture in bright hues rural scenes, funky towns, rusted old cars, and industrial complexes. Then they return to the studio in many cases to put the final touches on their artwork. Their variety in style and technique, and their sometimes unorthodox approach, makes for a uniquely interesting exhibit.
FEATURED ARTISTS Nikki Basch-Davis Nikki began her art studies in Bezalel Art Institute in Jerusalem and continued in London at the Royal College of Art. During the ’70s she studied with Lundy Siegriest, son of Louis Siegriest from the Society of Six. Says Nikki: “Plein air painting can be intoxication. I am outdoors, alone with a fresh canvas “Bridge View” by Nikki Basch-Davis and a scene and the feeling that something magical is about to happen…” Ray Jackson Ray’s impasto paintings are colorful and energetic. He has exhibited at Hearst Art Gallery at St. Mary’s College, the Nancy Dodds Gallery in Carmel, and the Bolinas and Bakersfield Museums. 20 FIREHOUSE ARTS CENTER: July - August 2011