Curiousity will pique in Paia this weekend as Maui Hands gallery presents its latest exhibition, "A Curious Perspective," showcasing a collection of contemporary creations by Linda Whittemore, Cudra Clover, McKenna Hallett and Al Schwartz. Opening with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, the show continues to March 4 during gallery hours.
Whittemore works in an original printmaking style called viscosity monotype and has an international following, according to gallery owner Panna Speas. Although Whittemore has had extensive training in intaglio printmaking, painting, abstract theory and ceramics, she excels in the demanding rigors of monotype. Her new pieces embody the notion that every art expression has its own language within a flattening of the image.
Clover, an abstract painter recognized for her dynamic, sensual spin on the traditional art of painting on silk, will be showing new pieces from her Silk and Steel collection, originally debuted in Maui Hands, Lahaina. Drawing from influences including underwater creatures, microscopic life forms, and galactic spirals, Clover relates closely to the Biomorphic Art Movement of the 20th century. Often painting with music swelling in her studio, she creates pieces that seem to conjure a perfect marriage between the life sciences and the arts.
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“Six Moons Rising” by Mckenna Hallett
Hallett, a longtime Maui resident, is best known for her artistry with found objects. She began Currents - Low Impact Jewelry in 1992, and her pieces can be found in more than 40 galleries and shops across the nation and internationally. She presents her newest art form using fine art photography to create a collection she calls "Metal Stories." Finding "moments" in her scrap metal piles, she employs serendipity and her explorations of copper gutters, valleys and flashings she has relied on for years to create her wearable art.
As an award-winning clay artist, Schwartz has found subtle distinctions in the ever-unpredictable unveiling of a Raku firing. Each piece has a specific voice and each urges him to reflect, according to Speas. In more recent years, he has discovered a fresh source of creative impetus and has transferred those urges into two-dimensional presentation painting on canvas with rich and vibrant acrylics.
Maui Hands, Paia is located at 84 Hana Highway. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For details, visit maui hands.com.
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Art Maui 2011, one of the most prestigious juried art exhibitions on the island, has revised its schedule, particularly the date for artists to drop off submissions for consideration at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Receiving Day will now be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26.
Other schedule updates include:
* 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27: Selection notification (selected works will be posted online at www.ArtMaui.com)
* 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28:?Giveback Day (artists pick up works not selected for show)
The show, which draws hundreds of entries each year for a chance to be displayed in the Schaefer International Gallery, will highlight local artists and their works in sculpture, painting, video, jewelry, photography, ceramics, quilting, woodworking and more. An artist reception is set for March 5, and the exhibition officially opens March 6. For details, visit www.artmaui.com or e-mail artin fo@maui.net.
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Organizers for the annual Art of Trash exhibit have issued a call for entries for the upcoming show from April 22 to May 14. Presented by the Community Work Day Program, the exhibition will display original work made from recycled and/or reused materials.
"This exhibition has the potential to transform our community's behavior and bring balance to our sensibilities by redefining 'reuse' and 'recycle,'" according to juror Ira Ono. "The artists take everyday materials and recycle them into artwork. I will select work for its originality, creativity and workmanship."
All entries must be original work made from recycled and/or reused material (no driftwood or natural materials). Create art that gives new life to items that are no longer functional for their original purpose. No water feature pieces. The show is open to Maui, Lanai and Molokai artists only.
The submission date for artists is from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Maui Mall. Entry fee is $10 per piece. To pick up a prospectus, visit county public libraries. For more information, call 573-3911.
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Schaefer International Gallery's current exhibition, "The Legacy of the Land," offers a chance to explore the island around us through the eyes of 24 selected artists. In collaboration with the Maui Coastal Land Trust organization, the exhibit provides a space to discover unique ways artists approach their work, the importance of land conservation and the preservation of resources and culturally significant sites on Maui. Don't miss out on the free public events to celebrate the journey through the depths and the heights of the Valley Isle.
* "Imagination and the Natural World": 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, in the McCoy Studio Theater
This event will include special guests Scott Fisher (MCLT project manager) Art Medeiros (USGS research biologist and founder of Maui Restoration Group) and William S. Merwin (U.S. poet laureate) and some of the exhibiting artists.
* "Hike the Inspiration:?Family Tour of Waihe'e Refuge": 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 19, Schaefer International Gallery
Beginning in the gallery with an artist walk-through, this family event will then travel to the Waihe'e Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge for a two-mile guided hike to explore the landscape and inspiration behind the work. By reservation only, call 244-5263 for details.
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Village Galleries will present the Macario Pascual Annual Exhibition, opening with an artist's reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and continuing through Feb. 17 at the gallery, 120 Dickenson St., Lahaina.
The celebration is free and open to the public. For more information, call 661-4402 or visit vil lagegalleriesmaui.com.
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The work of local artist Claudia G. Coonen will be featured at Maui Crafts Guild in Paia starting Friday to Feb. 10. The exhibition will include her work in linoleum, wood block prints, lithographs, screen prints and textile prints on clothing and in collage. With an art education that dates back to childhood, Coonen's pieces show continual artistic exploration. She has participated in invitational, juried and solo exhibits since 1981, and the artist received a full scholarship at San Francisco, Academy of Art, as well as numerous awards, including a State Foundation on Culture Arts Purchase Award.
While living in Kona, she studied different fiber techniques, studying under kimono/dye masters, basket weavers, printmakers and mixed-media artists. Coonen also has a certificate in horticulture, increasing her knowledge of raw materials.
Maui Crafts Guild, which was established 28 years ago in Paia as a co-operative for Maui crafters, is located at 69 Hana Highway. For more information, visit www.mauicraftsguild.com.
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Get ready to for what promises to be one of the biggest art events on the island, in an environment that spans the entire Valley Isle but allows for intimate meetings with local artists in their own studios.
The inaugural Maui Open Studios, the first of its kind in the state, kicks off with a preview weekend starting Friday, Feb. 4, at the Maui Tropical Plantation and continues for three weeks in West/South, Central/Upcountry and Hana with a map to access more than 100 local artists displaying and creating works in their own spaces.
Organizer and artist Carolyn Quan is modeling the event after successful Mainland open studio exhibitions, some of which boast more than 700 artists. For details, dates and a colorful guidebook, visit www.mauiopenstudios.com.
