around town Art Scene
Open Studios June 11-12, 2022 n Jean Purnell A popular attraction returns to Benicia this summer with the Benicia Arsenal Artists Open Studios, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12. Visitors are invited to meet over 40 artists in their working studio spaces in the historic Benicia Arsenal, where artists will display, sell, and talk about their work. The Arsenal is a former US Army base with beautiful architecture dating from the Civil War which became home to many artists and small businesses after the Army vacated the base in the 1960s. A number of nationally acclaimed painters, glass blowers, and ceramicists put Benicia’s artist community on the map in the 1970s and it has continued to flourish for the past fifty years. Some artists have lived and worked in the Arsenal for more than 30 years. Open Studios has been a longtime feature of the Arsenal artists and Arts Benicia, the non-profit visual arts organization who has long anchored the Arsenal space and hosted a broad, city-wide open studios program each spring for over 25 years until COVID19 interrupted the continuous run. This 12 • Benicia Magazine
year, the artists themselves are hosting and producing the event, which is focused on the Arsenal area. Nationally known landscape and figurative painter Randall Sexton, who relocated his studio from Crockett to Benicia in late 2020, is heading this year’s event. “This place is so full of history, quirky stories, amazing light, and views for painting,” Sexton said. “It’s an inspiration for artists, and a fun and unusual place for visitors to explore as well.” As a relative newcomer in Benicia, Sexton is motivated to meet people from this area and introduce them to his artwork. His subjects range from everyday still life compositions, urban interiors and landscapes, to intimate portraits, and painterly depictions of natural settings, many painted “en plein air” (outdoors). Some works capture the subject in a highly realistic manner, while others are impressionistic or abstract. “Painting has enabled me to be more observant and appreciative of the beauty and richness in everyday life.” Sculptor Mike Wittels will display his tabletop sculptures, two-dimensional reliefs, and large ongoing installations which mainly incorporate post-use plastics. “I use industrial heat guns as
