THE WILD SIDE
California Women Celebrate the Untamed
June 18 - August 13, 2022
Arc Gallery
1246 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you. ~Isadora Duncan
We all have a wild side, whether we stride boldly there or keep it under the radar. Women, traditionally, have been taught to keep their “wildness” under wraps – raucous, adventurous, risk-taking, bold & brave, sometimes licentious, or living outside traditional moral codes. For THE WILD SIDE, California women artists evoke drama, awe and strong emotions with works that excite visually… and celebrate the untamed!
Arc Gallery & Studios hosts THE WILD SIDE: California Women Celebrate the Untamed, a NCWCA sponsored exhibition. THE WILD SIDE, a juried exhibition featuring California Women artists, includes an invitational portion featuring six artists–each anchoring an interpretation of the theme.
We all have a wild side, whether we stride boldly there or keep it under the radar. Women, traditionally, have been taught to keep their “wildness” under wraps – raucous, adventurous, risk-taking, bold & brave, sometimes licentious, or living outside traditional moral codes. For THE WILD SIDE, California women artists evoke drama, awe and strong emotions with works that excite visually… and celebrate the untamed!
Arc Gallery & Studios hosts THE WILD SIDE: California Women Celebrate the Untamed, a NCWCA sponsored exhibition. THE WILD SIDE, a juried exhibition featuring California Women artists, includes an invitational portion featuring six artists–each anchoring an interpretation of the theme.
Featured Artists, Invitational Portion
Afatasi the Artist, Marguerite Elliot, Gillian Garro, Kate Jordahl, M. Louise Stanley, Debra Wright.
Featured Artists, Juried Portion
Mimi Abers, Salma Arastu, Karen BenioffFriedman, Susan Bercu, Jean Cacicedo, Mague Calanche, Kim Cardoso, Belinda Chlouber, Abigail Lee Goldberger, VestaMaria Gonzalez, Stacey Gregory, Vicki Gunter, Jennifer Huber, Juliet Mevi, Linda Joy Kattwinkel, Emily Keyishian, Kayla Kirsch, Anna Kirsch, Susan Kitazawa, Mido Lee, Janet Lipkin, Yunan Ma, Linda R MacDonald, Anna Mathai, Priscilla Otani, Laura Paladini, Francesca Pera, Jude Pittman, Barbara Pollak-Lewis, Wo Schiffman, Sondra Schwetman, Durba Sen, Dobee Snowber, Christina Spiegel, Nancy Tabeling, Judy Threadgill, Rachel Tirosh, Victoria Veedell, Lorraine Woodruff-Long, Jane Yuen Corich
Exhibition Director, Curator
Elizabeth Addison, MFA, NCWCA Exhibitions Chair, Visual Artist, Educator
Juror
Cynthia Brannvall, Professor of Art History, Foothill College, Visual Artist, 2022 MOAD Emerging Artist Award Recipient
Events
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 18, 2022, 7-9 PM, in person. Watch video: https://vimeo.com/725405907
Online Artist Talk 1: Thursday, June 23, 7-8 PM. Watch video: https://vimeo.com/725417322
In-person Curatorial Tour with Cynthia Brannvall, Juror: Saturday, July 9, 1:30-3:30 PM.
In-person Curatorial Tour 2 with Elizabeth Addison: Sunday, July 17, 1:30-3:30 PM.
Online Artist Talk 2: Thursday, July 28, 7-8 PM. Watch video: https://vimeo.com/744837948
TWS Catalog
TWS Photographs
TWS Press Release
Afatasi the Artist, Marguerite Elliot, Gillian Garro, Kate Jordahl, M. Louise Stanley, Debra Wright.
Featured Artists, Juried Portion
Mimi Abers, Salma Arastu, Karen BenioffFriedman, Susan Bercu, Jean Cacicedo, Mague Calanche, Kim Cardoso, Belinda Chlouber, Abigail Lee Goldberger, VestaMaria Gonzalez, Stacey Gregory, Vicki Gunter, Jennifer Huber, Juliet Mevi, Linda Joy Kattwinkel, Emily Keyishian, Kayla Kirsch, Anna Kirsch, Susan Kitazawa, Mido Lee, Janet Lipkin, Yunan Ma, Linda R MacDonald, Anna Mathai, Priscilla Otani, Laura Paladini, Francesca Pera, Jude Pittman, Barbara Pollak-Lewis, Wo Schiffman, Sondra Schwetman, Durba Sen, Dobee Snowber, Christina Spiegel, Nancy Tabeling, Judy Threadgill, Rachel Tirosh, Victoria Veedell, Lorraine Woodruff-Long, Jane Yuen Corich
Exhibition Director, Curator
Elizabeth Addison, MFA, NCWCA Exhibitions Chair, Visual Artist, Educator
Juror
Cynthia Brannvall, Professor of Art History, Foothill College, Visual Artist, 2022 MOAD Emerging Artist Award Recipient
Events
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 18, 2022, 7-9 PM, in person. Watch video: https://vimeo.com/725405907
Online Artist Talk 1: Thursday, June 23, 7-8 PM. Watch video: https://vimeo.com/725417322
In-person Curatorial Tour with Cynthia Brannvall, Juror: Saturday, July 9, 1:30-3:30 PM.
In-person Curatorial Tour 2 with Elizabeth Addison: Sunday, July 17, 1:30-3:30 PM.
Online Artist Talk 2: Thursday, July 28, 7-8 PM. Watch video: https://vimeo.com/744837948
TWS Catalog
TWS Photographs
TWS Press Release
THE WILD SIDE CYNTHIA BRANNVALL JUROR'S STATEMENT
The Wild Side: California Women Celebrate the Untamed, NCWCA juried exhibition called for art that celebrates the untamed.
The exhibition call yielded a vast array of materially and conceptually dynamic visual responses broaching topics that hold deep relevance to the individual artists. Several thematic constellations emerged. Some works offered a glimpse of The Wild Side as unrestrained gestures of pure expression, visions of nature, and the body in nature. Other works fearlessly embraced the unhinged as an aspect of The Wild Side and alluded to psychological and political matters that resonate with the challenges of these unprecedented times. Artworks that centered on transformation and shamanic evocations offered compelling interpretations of the theme, as well.
Without question, the entries demonstrated high levels of skill from technical, aesthetic, and conceptual perspectives, which made it challenging to whittle the 200 submissions to 46 accepted works. It was exciting to view the exceptional array of entries varying from traditional to experimental, technically challenging to intellectually stimulating. The number of admirable pieces that I would have liked to include was more than the space would allow. It is heartening to know that despite this time of uncertainty, vulnerability, and polarization, creative expression continues to flourish. It takes inspiration, grit, dedication, and courage to create beautiful, emotive, and sophisticated works of art. I am inspired and grateful to all the artists who responded to the call – who persevere and continue to create art.
It has been an honor and an enriching experience to serve as juror for The Wild Side: California Women Celebrate the Untamed. In my role, I carefully reviewed every entry multiple times. I considered how the art responded to and aligned with the theme of The Wild Side as an expression of the untamed. I observed how the material, aesthetic, and conceptual layers expressed the untamed. In subsequent viewings, I read the artist's statement to consider intentionality in the artwork and how those layers of meaning could add nuance to notions of the untamed. While it is always more pleasurable to see art in person, I enjoyed looking closely at the submitted photographs of the art and carefully considered mark making and compositional choices. Consideration of the exhibition space was also a component. I thought about how selected works were in conversation with each other and could be installed in a manner where thematic constellations could offer a visual narrative. It was important to create an exhibition with a balance of messaging, innovation, process, presentation, media, and materials.
The pieces in The Wild Side, demonstrate the powerful and transformative possibilities of unbridled creative expression. In this show women are at the helm, riding the waves of uncertainty, the specter of war, social isolation, and fear of contagion. Despite a history of societal constructs and pressure to remain tame, ordered, compartmentalized, and meek, they are unafraid, unapologetic, unhinged. They create art in provocative ways that offer a space for public reckoning, processing, grief, and empowerment. I am deeply inspired and grateful to the artists of The Wild Side for their creativity, perseverance, and commitment to the power of art.
The exhibition call yielded a vast array of materially and conceptually dynamic visual responses broaching topics that hold deep relevance to the individual artists. Several thematic constellations emerged. Some works offered a glimpse of The Wild Side as unrestrained gestures of pure expression, visions of nature, and the body in nature. Other works fearlessly embraced the unhinged as an aspect of The Wild Side and alluded to psychological and political matters that resonate with the challenges of these unprecedented times. Artworks that centered on transformation and shamanic evocations offered compelling interpretations of the theme, as well.
Without question, the entries demonstrated high levels of skill from technical, aesthetic, and conceptual perspectives, which made it challenging to whittle the 200 submissions to 46 accepted works. It was exciting to view the exceptional array of entries varying from traditional to experimental, technically challenging to intellectually stimulating. The number of admirable pieces that I would have liked to include was more than the space would allow. It is heartening to know that despite this time of uncertainty, vulnerability, and polarization, creative expression continues to flourish. It takes inspiration, grit, dedication, and courage to create beautiful, emotive, and sophisticated works of art. I am inspired and grateful to all the artists who responded to the call – who persevere and continue to create art.
It has been an honor and an enriching experience to serve as juror for The Wild Side: California Women Celebrate the Untamed. In my role, I carefully reviewed every entry multiple times. I considered how the art responded to and aligned with the theme of The Wild Side as an expression of the untamed. I observed how the material, aesthetic, and conceptual layers expressed the untamed. In subsequent viewings, I read the artist's statement to consider intentionality in the artwork and how those layers of meaning could add nuance to notions of the untamed. While it is always more pleasurable to see art in person, I enjoyed looking closely at the submitted photographs of the art and carefully considered mark making and compositional choices. Consideration of the exhibition space was also a component. I thought about how selected works were in conversation with each other and could be installed in a manner where thematic constellations could offer a visual narrative. It was important to create an exhibition with a balance of messaging, innovation, process, presentation, media, and materials.
The pieces in The Wild Side, demonstrate the powerful and transformative possibilities of unbridled creative expression. In this show women are at the helm, riding the waves of uncertainty, the specter of war, social isolation, and fear of contagion. Despite a history of societal constructs and pressure to remain tame, ordered, compartmentalized, and meek, they are unafraid, unapologetic, unhinged. They create art in provocative ways that offer a space for public reckoning, processing, grief, and empowerment. I am deeply inspired and grateful to the artists of The Wild Side for their creativity, perseverance, and commitment to the power of art.
