Letters from the Curator
Robert Capa (Hungarian, 1913–1954), Pablo Picasso & Francoise Gilot, Golfe-Juan, France (detail), August 1948, Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 inches Courtesy of the Julie Riegel and Suzette Clerou Collection
Interview With Julie Riegel
Bakersfield is home to many impressive private art collections. The origin story and motivation of each vary greatly, yet the passion behind each collector unifies. Recently I interviewed collector and Bakersfield native Julie Riegel whose collection is on display in our currently installed exhibition Black & White: Photographs from the Julie Riegel and Suzette Clerou Collection.
Mitchell Johnson, North Truro (Blue Shadow), 2019-2020, 24 x 36 inches, oil on linen, image courtesy of the artist.
COLOR AS CONTENT
“A work of art can stay with a person for a variety of reasons. It could be a visceral connection to the work's surface, intention, or viewing it in a remarkable environment. Once a piece of art solidifies in the memory, it becomes a reference point for understanding the world around us. Palo Alto, California-based artist, Mitchell Johnson's paintings are at the forefront of my understanding of the visual world.”
Sandra Mendelsohn Rubin, Studio Window – Study, 2008, oil on polyester, 8 x 17 inches, Courtesy of Winfield Gallery
Interview with the artist: Sandra mendelsohn Rubin
Rachel Magnus interviewed Sandra Mendelsohn Rubin, an artist featured in BMoA’s current exhibition One Night in California: Contemporary Nocturnes. Mendelsohn Rubin studied painting at UCLA during the 1970s. She resisted the trends of conceptual art with her decision to paint representational content early in her career.
Marion Osborn Cunningham, San Joaquin Valley (detail), Serigraph, 9 5⁄8 x 12 5⁄8 inches, BMoA Permanent Collection 1987.01.14
AN APPRECIATION (GRACE AND MARION)
In March of 1956, the Bakersfield Museum of Art opened its doors as the Cunningham Gallery after a donation from the Osborn family who wanted to establish an art gallery in memory of their daughter, artist Marion Osborn Cunningham.
Yvonne Cavanagh, Floating Oranges (detail), 2018, charcoal, pencil, pastel and ink on paper, 30 x 44 inches, BMoA Permanent Collection 2019.01.28, Gift of the Artist, 2019.
TRANSFORMED
An artist's fundamental process is rooted in the metamorphosis of materials. Whether a blank canvas, a multitude of pigments, an empty roll of film, or a raw piece of metal, after many hours, each will, in theory, become a work of art. The intention of this transformation typically begins with a subject rooted in psychological, philosophical, or physical interests and the resulting work, potentially infinite in its outcomes.
David Hines, Lights of California City Correctional Institution, California City, CA, 2018, Oil on canvas, 22 x 38 inches, Courtesy of Winfield Gallery.
A CELEBRATION OF HOME
Art, for so many, is a place of solace, of understanding, and of delight. Historically, viewer and creator come together often centuries apart in this exchange, and the dialogue continues and repeats. Each work is the physical manifestation of a moment, a feeling, or a philosophy that took a lifetime to create.
Video Insights
MELISSA BAÑUELOS ON PAMELA CARROLL
Melissa Bañuelos examines the Permanent Collection painting M is for Museum by Pamela Carroll.
JOHN OLIVO ON AMERICAN POSADA
John Olivo discusses the work of Permanent Collection artist Dirk Hagner, and examines his piece, "American Posada."
RACHEL MAGNUS ON MITCHELL JOHNSON
BMoA Curator Rachel Magnus discusses Mitchell Johnson's "Serravalle (Trento)," part of our Permanent Collection. Johnson's color- and shape-driven paintings explore the complexity of our visual sense while reminding us how context impacts our senses.
MELISSA BAÑUELOS ON EYVIND EARLE
Curatorial Assistant Melissa Bañuelos explores Western Barns by Eyvind Earle. This work painted in 1973 is currently part of our exhibition, Texture: Selections from the BMoA Permanent Collection
Curatorial assistant John Olivo on Sandra Mendelsohn Rubin
Bakersfield Museum of Art Curatorial Assistant John Olivo shared his perspective on Sandra Mendelsohn Rubin's Night Pool - Study, part of the exhibition One Night in California: Contemporary Nocturnes at BMoA.
MELISSA BAÑUELOS ON Scott Mutter’s Church Aisle
BMoA Curatorial Assistant, Melissa Bañuelos provides some insight into photomontage and photographer Scott Mutter's process of photomontage, currently part of Black & White: Photographs from the Julie Riegel and Suzette Clerou Collection.
Curator, Rachel Magnus, on Dorothy Churchill-Johnson’s Evidence of Change
BMoA Curator Rachel Magnus discusses Evidence of Change by Dorothy Churchill Johnson. A California-based artist, Churchill-Johnson has continuously striven to integrate her skill into expanding the understanding of hard-edge realism in painting – a style that realistically renders its subjects but is also characterized by an application of solid or flat color.
CURATORIAL ASSISTANT, MELISSA BAÑUELOS
ON ANDREA JOHNSON’S NIGHTFALL, SALINAS
Melissa gives a brief review of why she loves One Night in California painting, Nightfall, Salinas by Andrea Johnson.
Andrea Johnson, Nightfall, Salinas, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 36 inches, Courtesy of Winfield Gallery.
Public Projects
Chalk your walk
BMoA Curator, Rachel Magnus, calls on the community to get out there and chalk your walk! (while maintaining safe social distancing, of course)
In keeping with our mission to inspire and engage audiences with visual arts experiences, we have been creating content that you can view from home. From small snapshots of Curator, Rachel Magnus' thought process when she selects pieces for exhibition, to fun art projects for every age group. Join us in keeping each other safe and healthy in solidarity for our collective health. Enjoy BMoA's contribution to #museumathome.
Banner Image: Jo Ann Callis, Black Sun Photograph (detail), (c. 1980s), Black and white photograph,16 x 20 inches, BMoA Permanent Collection 2008.11.02, Gift of AT&T Inc., 2008.