CARLSBAD–The City of Carlsbad’s William D. Cannon Art Gallery examines the studio work of a number of artists who have produced public art pieces for the city in its latest exhibition entitled, “Public Artists, Private Works.”
Since 1985, more than 30 regional artists have been commissioned to make works for the city’s Art in Public Places Program.
The exhibition offers the opportunity to see the personal work of some of these same artists, including TJ Dixon and James Nelson, Kim Emerson, Raul Guerrero, Paul Hobson, James Hubbell, Ron Juncal, Christopher Lee, DeLoss McGraw, Anna O’Cain and Richard Keely, Alber de Matteis, Philipp Scholz Rittermann, Michael Stutz, Phyllis Swanson, Sylvia Tidwell and Jim Wilsterman.
Artists who create artwork for public art commissions often create very different work in their studios.
From exquisite black-and-white photographs and whimsical large-scale paintings to sand-painted canvases and hand-made paper abstracts, “Public Artists, Private Works” includes an array of media quite different from those that represent each artist in the public collection. Karen McGuire, Cannon Art Gallery Curator explains, “What you see out in our community is often not everything they do. Most of the artists continue to make their homes in San Diego County, working in their studios from La Mesa to Fallbrook to Santa Isabelle to Encinitas. We want to let people see the full range of their creativity and skill.”
The exhibition opens just as the new Interactive Public Art Guide arrives on the city’s web site. Site visitors can view images of each work in Carlsbad’s public art collection and find information on each artist. The Interactive Guide also creates maps from any address to any of the artworks. “We were excited to team up with our Geographic Information Systems division to enhance residents’ access to the city’s public art collection,” says Cultural Arts Manager Peter Gordon. “Carlsbad has an exceptional collection of work by wonderful artists from our region, and the combined impact of the Interactive Public Art Guide and the Private Works exhibition is a great way to celebrate them.”
Operated by the Carlsbad Arts Office, the Cannon Art Gallery is a focal point for arts and culture in San Diego’s North County, offering a broad range of exhibitions, school and family programs, gallery tours, lectures and publications to the community.
“Public Artists, Private Works” will be on exhibition July 15 through September 16 at the William D. Cannon Art Gallery in the Carlsbad City Library Complex, 1775 Dove Lane at El Camino Real. It is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays.
For information on all Gallery programs, call (760) 602-2021, or visit www.carlsbadca.gov/arts.
