Sacramento Art: Robert Else Gallery

Ken Potter, Les Soukes De Fez, oil, 1962

  Art can be experienced through oneself and through others so it is always great to see when artists have gotten together in a collaboration effort to teach each other and the audience what art is about. Sacramento has a very rich history in the fine arts which would not be possible without people coming together. Sacramento Art: A Community Art Exhibit, put on through the Sacramento Fine Arts Center(SFAC) is an exhibit that showcases the works of many well known community artists who have shared their ideas, skills, and experiences through various community activities.  Starting last week and running through the 24th of April, you can come and experience all of these things yourself here at Sac State in the Robert Else Gallery. 
  Some of these artists have been or continue to be art educators at local schools and universities.

Jan Miskulin, Mendocino Mist, watercolor, 1995

 Indeed my first exposure to the local community art happened at Sacramento City College where I restarted my education career over five years ago.  That is when I learned the names Thiebaud, Kondos, and Dalkey.  As it happened I missed out on taking a Fred Dalkey class when he retired the semester I signed up to take him.  I did however have the pleasure to take a class from one of the people exhibiting in this show.  I took an oil painting class from Chris Daubert in the fall of 2009 and learned a great deal about myself as an artist and art history as well.  He often would lecture at the beginning of class telling us stories about Theibaud and Dalkey which helped put into context what art in Sacramento has meant to the community.  My first painting I ever sold was one I did in Daubert's class that I sold to a German couple on vacation visiting my Second Saturday event.  It was the first time I had ever made a profit off of a homework assignment!  

Chris Daubert, Doug Rice Reflectionary, 2014

 If you enjoy a range of different art I would suggest this show to you.  The mediums represented range from oil and watercolor paintings, to sculpture and small installations.  The show is also presenting the work of Kenneth Potter as its featured artist.  Potter was both a very well trained and traveled artist who among his many accomplishments studied  with famed Cubist Jean Metzinger.  Chris Daubert collaborated with Doug Rice on a work titled Reflectionary.  The viewer looks into a mirror where phrases are projected onto the viewer's body.  The chosen words did in fact cause me to reflect on what the words were saying and how I was seeing myself in the mirror.    Some of the phrases were "Your eyes remain innocent", and "No mirror can preserve the past".  Upon reflecting upon this I remember thinking about this in the past about our features. Everything ages about us except our eyes, they remain quite recognizable throughout our lives.  In conclusion I recommend this show for anyone who enjoys fine art, history, and quiet reflection.

Greg Kondos, Morning, oil, 1961