"The Black Bowl" George H. Seeley

This month, we're proud to display a selection of vintage photogravures and etchings. These are the real deal, created by modern masters from the 17th century through the 20th. Featured artists include: Eduard J. Steichen, Roelant Savery, JMW Turner, Clarence White and more. 

Renowned local artist Robert Beckmann has pulled these from his own personal collection and offered them up to the public for viewing and purchase.

etching by Allart Van Everdingen

Photogravure is an intaglio printmaking or photo-mechanical process whereby a copper plate is coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue which had been exposed to a film positive, and then etched, resulting in a high quality intaglio print that can reproduce the detail and continuous tones of a photograph. - wikipedia

There will be an opening reception during the First Friday Art Walk from 5-8 pm on February 3rd.

Contentment Being Oneself by Alok Hsu Kwang-hanA smorgasbord of visual delights by some of the artists featured throughout the year here at Bohemia, including:

• Zen calligraphy paintings by Alok Hsu Kwang-han.
• Intimate photographs of the stages of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival by Bill Saltzstein and Paul Butzi, framed and unframedPorcelain vessels by Jack Coelho
• Assemblage and hand-retouched prints by Joe Romano
• Amazing animal masks by Hilarey Walker
• Large oil paintings by Clifford Wilton
• Ceramic sculpture by Jack M. Coelho inspired by 19th century Mexican folk art
• Local landscape photography by Zach Ehlert

Select prints on sale for 30% off!
Small framed landscape photos for $50
(regularly $75).

Mr. Coelho has received state, regional and national recognition as an outstanding Fine Arts Educator. He has served as Fine Arts Curriculum Chair in two school districts in Oregon and has taught on the middle school, high school, community college, art institute, and university levels.  In addition, Mr. Coelho has led accredited ceramics and art history workshops in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Jack describes his current work as three-dimensional paintings which combine deeply personal, revelatory content with images rendered in an almost whimsical, cartoon like fashion. 

"All of the sculptural work presented in this show resulted from my experiences traveling, studying, and teaching in Mexico. I became intrigued by the creativity, resourcefulness and celebratory nature of the Mexican people and especially enchanted with the 19th century, spiritually inspired, folk art forms called “retablo” and “ex-voto”. So taken by the charm and simple honesty of this genre I have appropriated the word “retablo” and incorporated it in the title of this series of wall relief sculptures- “Nuevo Retablos”.

"If the field of artistic ceramics can be thought of as a continuum, with functional pottery at one extreme and the free exploration of clay as a means for creative self-expression on the other, then I would have to say that I work the extremes. Being the potter, one has no choice but to be a ceramic “purist”. Things simply won’t function as they should if the media are mixed; acrylic paint won’t do for the inside of bowls. However, things are different way out on the other end of the ceramic continuum. And that is the territory I have been exploring with my ceramic sculpture."

Lily Flores also creates images in an almost whimsical, cartoon like fashion, only in two dimensions on canvas.

"My creations are an extension of a deep sense of melancholy of the games and stories I played out as a child. What happened to those dreams? Those feelings that were developed for make belief friends, those play full scenarios that took a full days time. My art keeps this part in me alive, and my hope and motivation is to try and keep this part alive in everyone. There is not one explanation for my paintings, there are many, I have learned more about my art work through other people's interpretations than my own. It is the viewers self expression, their imagination, their vitality and inspiration I wish to stimulate. I am only a channel who's voice speaks the universal language of endless wonder."

Opening reception will be on Friday, October 7th from 5-8 pm with wine, snacks and LIVE MUSIC by Matthew Kriemelman and friends.

The Glade

“For several years my paintings were concerned with figurative and representational images. Over time, they became less about the subject and more about the process and the painting itself. My greatest challenge was in resolving what was in my mind with the images I created on canvas. Today my paintings almost seamlessly express my feelings (which change from painting to painting) which makes my days in the studio very rich and rewarding.”

A Londoner by birth, Clifford Wilton has been a painter since the mid-sixties. His career as an art director, graphic designer and teacher of design at the San Francisco Art Institute took precedence over painting for many years. Now living in Ashland, Oregon, Cliff is a full-time painter whose body of work is an exploration of the human figure and the limitless expanse of abstract forms.

Cliff’s paintings have been exhibited in the Aspen Art Museum and in one man shows in Aspen and Denver, in Southern Oregon University, The Rogue Gallery and the University of Oregon in Eugene. In Seattle, Cliff has had shows in the Friesen Gallery and in Hanson Howard Gallery in Ashland. His work is included in many private collections.    

 
CipherThere will be an opening reception with the artist, September, 2nd, during the First Friday Artwalk. Wine and light hors d'oeuvres will be served.

See the theatres of the OSF in a whole new light: Photography by Paul Butzi and Bill Saltzstein

It begins with a script and the bare stage.  Patrons of the theater are seldom privileged to the endless possibilities that are the empty stage, nor do they have the opportunity to view the wonder of the empty house.  Each theater silently lends its own character to the production, and Richard Hay’s creations provide the fantastic canvas for work at OSF in Ashland.

Photographers, and avid theater supporters, Paul Butzi and Bill Saltzstein have captured this magic in a stunning series of images and created a beautiful book featuring of 100 of them. The book and a selection of prints will be on display, and available for purchase, through August. 

"I was drawn to OSF as an artist and an artistic leader in part because of the power of our spaces, and I am moved by how the remarkable photographs in this book attempt to unlock the heart of their mysteries."

-Bill Rauch, Artistic Director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

for more information about this project visit www.emptyspaceimages.com

"Living Life as a Koan"

ZEN AS ART: A New Manifestation | An exhibition by Alok Hsu Kwang-han
A synthesis of the beauty of Chinese calligraphy, the spontaneity of Zen and the evolution of western psychotherapy.

Alok Hsu Kwang-han, a highly original and internationally "Just Sitting, Not Doing. . .acclaimed Zen calligraphic painter from China returns to the Rogue Valley for a month-long artist residency. He is best known for the “Satori art” (an authentic savoring of Enlightenment) that comes through him; his Zen Calligraphic Portraiture and his painting/being workshops on “The Creativity of Non-doing.” 

With a few spontaneous brush strokes, Alok paints in the moment whatever subject is presented before him including: heartfelt music, Chinese Chan (Zen) koans, Japanese Haikus, three jokes on the innocence of children, sayings of enlightened masters, a prayer for the healing of the world or his beloved saying, “The heart always breaks!”

Alok’s work has been internationally celebrated at the Swedish National Museum of Ethnography, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, the Great Hall of Exhibition in Shanghai, and other venues. He has painted over 1,500 Zen Calligraphic Portraits around the world, taught sociology of religion and psychology of transcendence, and translated and published 20 books on meditation in China.  He currently resides in Sedona, AZ.

ZEN CALLIGRAPHIC PORTRAITURE: PORTAL TO HEALING & AWAKENING

Santa Fe couple who teach yoga

Many years ago Alok discovered that he could see images over people’s heads. He paints these psychic or energy images with brushes and ink onto paper, bringing together Chinese qigong and calligraphy. He then explores with you the lines of the painting, its ink shadings and the painting as a whole on the eternal whiteness of the paper. These reveal the essence of your being, the clarification of your issues and the flowering of contentment.

Personal calligraphic portraits are available on commission. Please contact the gallery to schedule an appointment.

MEET THE ARTIST

There will be a reception with authentic Chinese tea during the First Friday Artwalk, June 3rd, along with an artist lecture & demo on “Zen As Art,” at 7:00 P.M.

Free demonstartion and introduction to the workshop "Painting From the Source" June 16, 6:30 to 7:30pm.

For a thumbnail gallery of works currently on display click here

Joe Romano and Cary Weigand

Transparency Above the Underworld

"Let me touch the earth and paint it with color and I will show you who I am." -Cary Weigand

Cary Weigand, born and raised in Hawaii, earned both her BFA and MFA from the University of Hawaii in 2003. In 2006 she received a grant award from The George Sugarman Foundation for sculpture. Cary has been featured on Oregon Art Beat, had her work published in Ceramics Technical, and was just awarded as one of Ceramic Monthly's Emerging Artists for 2011. She now lives and works in Southern Oregon. 

Joe Romano paints unique, wrenching figures and fantastical abstracts with bright, vibrant colors against backgrounds where you can almost see music. First discovered in 1974 while living in Los Angeles, he was invited to show some of his work at a local exhibition. In 1989, an art dealer he met wanted to do a one man show of his work for her private clients, many of whom were in the entertainment business. Of the 30 pieces assembled for the show, 19 sold on the first day, and his recognition among serious collectors began to take off. Some collectors include: Forest Whitaker, Roseanna Arquette, Jennifer Tilly and OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch.

Joe Romano - Featured Artist

We are thrilled to feature the work of Joe Romano for April and May. Joe paints unique, wrenching figures and fantastical abstracts with bright, vibrant colors against backgrounds where you can almost see music. There's a depth and true emotional heart to his work steeped in the rich ether of jazz and brass of his musical career. 

Joe began painting in the mid sixties while attending the Combs Conservatory Of Music in Philadelphia, PA.  At that time he befriended the renowned artist and teacher, Benjamin Britt, whose studio was across the street from the Conservatory.  Joe would spend several hours a week at Ben's studio watching him paint while working on his music studies.  One day Ben handed Joe some paint and said that he should make a picture.  Although he had no training, and felt intimidated because of Ben's mastery of art, at Ben's insistence he, "made a painting."  From that moment, although music was his main creative outlet, painting became his other passion.   

In 1974, while living in Los Angeles, he was invited to show some of his work at an exhibition of local artists, and was, "discovered" by a local gallery that wanted to exhibit his work.  He continued to work in the music industry, as a composer for film, records, and theater.  All of his spare time was devoted to painting.  In 1989, an art dealer he met wanted to do a one-man show of his work for her private clients, many of who were in the entertainment business.  Of the 30 pieces assembled for the show, 19 sold on the first day, and his recognition among serious collectors began to take off.

Since then he has shown in many galleries and exhibitions, mostly in the Los Angeles area.  In the mid 90's he met Dan Prince, one of the leading authorities on Outsider Art (art by self-taught artists).  Dan's gallery in Santa Monica, CA was the premier gallery in the country for this kind of art and Joe sold many works through that gallery.  Dan also composed a book called "Passing In The Outsider Lane", where Joe was a featured artist.  It was released in the late 90's and furthered Joe's reputation as a painter.  Joe currently lives in Ashland, OR with his wife, playwright Lisa Loomer, and their son, Marcello.

Library of Dust

In association with the Ashland Independent Film Festival

Throughout April Bohemia will be exhibiting photographs by David Maisel as seen in the AIFF documentary Library of Dust. These unique images depict copper canisters containing the cremains of Oregon State Hospital patients. As the copper in these century-old unclaimed vessels undergoes chemical transformations, the sublime result is captured in beautiful, enigmatic photographs that are meditations on issues of matter and spirit.

An Evening of Elegant Music with Shirley Hunt

April 20th 7PM  $5 - $15
http://shirleyhunt.net/

A master musician and Bay Area Renaissance woman, Shirley is currently on tour raising money to purchase a rare, circa 1725 bass viola da gamba made in Leipzig by Johann Christian Hoffmann, a friend and luthier to J.S. Bach. The instrument features an ornately carved scroll and is an exquisite work of art in itself.

Come experience this beautiful instrument (currently on loan) and hear Shirley play works by Abel, Bach, Forqueray, Hume, Simpson, and Young.

The chair is our true featured artist this month, March 2011. Depicted in photographs throughout the gallery, caught in different angles, depths and candids, roaming within the white walls of Bohemia. Inspired poetry will speckle those walls, paying homage, to the chair. And you can have your photograph taken with (and in) the star.

A Live Photography Experience With Mark Arinsberg

Mark will be conducting a live photo shoot throughout the night. We’ll then feature some of the most interesting, stunning and original shots in the gallery for the remainder of the month. So dress up, come out and experience the chair... no, not that one. Let's see what kind of surprises we can muster in a space dedicated to raw creative expression.

Enter your name for a chance to win a custom frame package for your photo (max value $200), among other delectable, simple and beautiful prizes raffled off at the end of the night. The drawing will occur at 7:53 pm and you must be present to win.

Yesterday and Today

works by Mark Arinsberg

This collection of work reflects how I creatively expressed myself as a teen through illustration and how I now creatively express myself as an adult via photography.

On a beautiful, late afternoon in October of last year, I stepped out of my apartment on foot and was on my way to attend a traditional, Hasidic Bris ceremony at Pioneer Hall across the street from Lithia  Park. The ceremony was a fascinating experience. The visually stimulating walk to and from this event were magical moments of light and color.

The illustrations in this show are a select few of my favorite images associated with memories of when I would sit in the living room at my parents house and draw every day. These illustrations are from when I was 16 - 19 years old. Some of them have been digitally re-purposed and incorporated into new designs.
______________________________

“My photography reflects the true nature of how I see my environment and how it affects me. Each image represents an instantaneous connection between myself and the experience I'm witnessing, without judgment. Capturing small pieces of what I scan is a way for me to respond to the stimuli I receive. This is my authentic response based on the extreme love that I have for life and the continuous inspiration of visual gifts I receive on a regular and consistent basis.

If you're going to be alive, you might as well be awake.”

-Mark Arinsberg

Framed Poetry & Word Crafting

"Creativity is the answer. No matter the question. When we create, we're not fighting, analyzing, calculating, preparing, projecting, justifying, processing, managing, working, restoring... We're  contributing something from the open realms of the heart to the world that wasn't there before.  Pure creative flow doesn't chip away with small tools to crack spaces in the prisons we oblige. With great focus, strength and discipline, it ignores them completely.

"Words are my medium this evening. Lines on a page: straight, curved, connected, pause. These lines and curves are unique in their ability to hold meaning for the collective agreement of recognizable shapes, curdled together in incestful cults, playing the mind itself, to art."

-Reanna Feinberg

Reanna is a contributing writer for Relix Magazine and Jambase.com and has published creative works and music reviews as a freelance writer for the past 10 years. She currently weaves her creative verve into yoga instruction as well as over paper.