What's Next

We last left off in San Francisco, California but all the buzz is about the public art project for Merced, California. When I last posted about the project I wrote that I would find out about the project on March 7th. Here is the official schedule of the process given in the RFP :

February 18th, deadline for submittals
March 7th Finalist chosen by committee
March 14th-April 4th Public display of submittals
May 11th Approval by Design Review Commission
May 31st Final selection by Committee
June 20th City Council contract approval
June 27th Artist starts work
November 18th Artist completes work

March 7th is when finalist were chosen from one of the review committees. The applicants (like myself) will go through another round of reviews. It will be in this process that the highlighted or 'finalist' artists will be recommended to the Design Review Committee as one of the top choices. After the committee reviews all of the submitted proposals that came in from all over the U.S.A. they have a few options on choosing an artist(s). The project was broken up in two parts. The artist or artist team could bid on either the two pedestrian walkways which scale to 45x4.5ft each or bid on the four roadway panels which have two 45x6.5ft and two 45x7ft panels/space to work with OR the artist or artist team could bid on all six panels, like I did. Depending on what the committee chooses to do they can break it up and have one artist complete one section and another artist complete the other section or they could have one artist create all the work for the G Street Underpass.

Below are two studies for the Merced project at 24x8inches I created to gain a better understanding of the pieces in terms of the color and rendering of the images.

So that is what is going on in that realm.  Dare I ask, what is next. I feel like a mother-to-be waiting for May 31st come, the only difference is that I may or may not have a public art baby to create. So I must move on. What IS next?! I have been working on self portraits and proposals. Here is the work.

  

I do not know why I feel so complied to paint self portraits right now, but I do. So, I am.

Nicholas Coley & Kristen van Diggelen :: The Cottage Industry Painting Salon

Wednesday night was the opening reception for Nicholas Coley's "Earthenworks" at the Cottage Industry Salon which is located at 2326 Fillmore Street (btw Clay and Washington) San Francisco, CA. This is a unique space which was quickly filled with San Franciscans of all kinds that fluttered into the CIP Salon. From art collectors and artists to astrologers and realtors people were discussing about Coley's color palette and the landscapes they call home.

 

The next four photographs are paintings that are created by Kristen van Diggelen.

Below is Nicholas Coley discussing his work.

While walking in the hallway I hear Nick's voice say, some of his best work is in the bathroom and that we should go check it out! So there we were. Kristen van Diggelen who runs the space came walking by as I was fitting so snugly into the art filled bathroom looking at the work.

 

The opening was a smash. Coley always brings in a crowd. If you are in the area I would advise to go check out his work, you will not be disappointed.  I met Coley about a year ago and I have been to several of his openings in various buildings in San Francisco. I enjoy the development of Coley as a painter. I will continue to watch him paint.