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New Art Exhibit at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center
August 3 – October 5, 2010, Reception Thursday, August 12, 2009 5:30-7pm
Main Gallery: Diego Rios
Skylight Gallery: Gary Cawood
White Box Gallery: Pam Brekas
 The Merced County Arts Council welcomes three artists, each exhibiting their own show August 3 – October 5, 2010. A reception will be held Thursday, August 12, 5:30-7pm at The Merced Multicultural Arts Center. Regular gallery hours are Monday – Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-2pm. Entrance to the galleries and the reception are free and all are welcome to attend.
Diego Rios, a Fresno native, studied law and received his C. P. L. at the University of San Francisco. It’s not surprise, then, that he considers himself a political artist. A refection of both the positive and negative forces he sees in society, Rios says his work, “is comprised of both ancient and modern symbolism. All of the art addresses strong social themes such as death, economic injustice, as well as birth and regeneration.” Rios believes that art can be a powerful catalyst for progressive thought and action.
Rios currently works for Catholic Charities in San Francisco. He will make art demonstrations at the ArtsMerced! Festival on Saturday, October 2.
 Gary Cawood’s exhibit, Excavation, began in 2006. A gentle commentary on the mark we leave on our natural landscapes, Cawood began working with landscapes that were excavated long ago. He says, “Like the land, much of the stuff we buy is considered disposable and makes it way to sites like these. The photographs utilize the scarred landscape as a context for the stuff we abandon.” Cawood continues, “As the work proceeds, there seems to be a growing awareness of the havoc our lifestyles impose on the environment. I’m hopeful that a more sustainable lifestyle will emerge from our depleted economy, and that future generations will have the wisdom to capitalize on the possibilities of less. Such a transformation would require a creative mindset, a vision based on real needs and higher aspirations.”
Cawood is currently Professor and Director of Photography at University of Arkansas, Little Rock. He is a member of Society for Photographic Education, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Sierra Club, and the Nature Conservancy.
 Pam Brekas believes that beauty can be found anywhere. And she proves it, photographing Just Rust, as her show is titled. For Brekas, rust is the ultimate palette. No one knows that better than her husband, who is asked to pull over when driving with his wife, so she can capture, “the beautiful color combinations and abstract images that delight the senses.” Hoping people might consider what the “lowly” rust might have once been, Brekas wonders how that machinery, “worked and who could have though to have invented it.” The texture and details are incredible.
Brekas is a credentialed teacher in both Nevada and California, and among other things, has been a photography lecturer on cruise ships.
Diego Rios, Gary Cawood and Pam Brekas are on display through October 5 at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 W. Main Street in downtown Merced. A reception for the artists will be held Thursday, August 12 from 5:30-7pm at the Center. Galleries are free and open to the public Mon-Fri. 10-4pm and Sat. 10-2pm. For more information contact the Merced County Arts Council at 209-388-1090.
Merced Multicultural Arts Center 2010 Gallery Calendar
Exhibits and dates may change without notice.
The images and opinions expressed in artists’ websites and in their exhibits at the Arts Center are not necessarily those of the City of Merced, Merced County Arts Council, their staff, Board, members or volunteers. Some content may contain mature themes or subject matter.
February - March
Main Gallery: Contemporary Humanitarian Artists Association
Skylight, White Box and Mezzanine Galleries: MUHSD AP Art Students
April - May
Reception Thursday, April 8 5:30-7pm
Main Gallery: 4th Annual California Centered: Printmaking Exhibition
Mezzanine, Skylight and White Box Galleries: 3rd Annual California Centered: Printmaking Exhibition Winners; David Avery, Kevin Bowman and Andrew Kosten
June - July
Reception Thursday, June 10, 5:30-7pm
Main Gallery: Chung Chak, The Boxes, ChakArt.com
Mezzanine Gallery: Neil Jussila, Meditation: Fields of the Plain and Trout Fishing in Montana
Skylight Gallery: M. Helsenrott Hochhauser, Japanese Paper Making, artHochhauser.com
White Box Gallery: Chung Fanky Chak, Superman, ChakArt.com
August - September
Reception Thursday, August 12, 5:30-7pm
Main Gallery: Diego Rios, Painting, Masks and Woodcuts, ArtCalendar.com
Mezzanine Gallery: TBD
Skylight Gallery: Gary Cawood, Excavations
White Box Gallery: Pam Brekas, Just Rust, PamBrekas.com
October - November
Reception Thursday, October 14, 5:30-7pm
Main Gallery: Joy Johnson, et al, Eleven Ways of Working, a Journal Project
Mezzanine Gallery: TBD
Skylight Gallery: Arts Alive! Competition Winners
White Box Gallery: Arts Alive! Competition Winners
Gallery Hours
Monday thru Fridays, 10AM - 4PM, Saturdays, 10:00AM - 2:00PM
Available by appointment for special occasions.
Showing work at the Merced Multicultural Art Center
Submissions will be accepted September 1-October 31, 2010.
See below for general information and guidelines.
The Merced Multicultural Arts Center Galleries are a contemporary visual arts space located in downtown Merced, California. This 28,000 sq.’ interdisciplinary fine arts and education facility also houses the offices of the Merced County Arts Council, a non profit 501c3 organization established in 1978 and relocated into its brand new facility in 1996 through a private/public partnership with the City of Merced. The Exhibitions Program provides professional exhibition opportunities in the heart of the Central Valley.
The Merced Multicultural Arts Center Galleries seek exhibition and diverse programming proposals from artists, curators, and collection lenders.
The Merced County Arts Council seeks artists primarily from California and will give priority to work that reflects the issues and lifestyle of the myriad cultures represented in Merced County. We encourage exhibits that lend to opportunities for community engagement or educational components for K12 schools. The Arts Council may design activities such as discussion groups about the issue or a lecture about the technique and strongly encourage the artists to participate.
Extraordinarily talented artists with a history of credible exhibits as well as varied artistic experience are high priority for the Main Gallery. For the second floor galleries, the Arts Council seeks up-and-coming local and regional artists (San Joaquin Valley) who may not have exhibited in the past, but can produce a well-rounded portfolio. The exhibit must have some level of artistic value and promise, as aesthetics are prioritized above content matter.
Proposals are open to all media including installation, new media, and performance art. Work must have been completed in the past three years unless part of a thematic grouping or retrospectives. Artists may also submit proposals for new works, providing samples of work representative for review.
For consideration please provide the following materials:
1) 10-15 images in the form of color photographs, reproductions, or PC compatible cd-rom/dvd. Do not send slides or original works. Provide a corresponding image list (hard copy) that includes title, media, date of creation and size of each work. Artists working in non-traditional formats may opt to submit a PC compatible cd-rom/dvd or website link. All other submission options contact MCAC for additional details.
2) Professional Resume including Exhibition Record
3) Exhibition Concept/Statement of Intent
4) Date Restrictions—Please remember exhibitions may be scheduled up to 18 months in advance.
5) S.A.S.E. for return of materials. Failure to provide will result in the disposal of materials at the Gallery’s discretion post-review.
6) $15 Entry fee.
Please send exhibition/programming proposals to:
MCAC Curatorial Committee
Merced Multicultural Arts Center
645 W. Main Street
Merced, CA 95340
Please Submit between September 1st and October 31st, 2010.
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