The Gallery at 48 Natoma is hosting the El Dorado Hills Arts Association annual studio through June 13, and presents a new exhibit, Playful Pieces. April 14 to June 15, with an opening reception for both shows 6-8 p.m. Friday, April 14.
What fun it is to re-live the playful times of childhood — climbing trees, running around in playgrounds, swimming and playing. These themes are brought together by two artists in the Playful Pieces exhibit where large, narrative paintings by Cherie Hacker and whimsical ceramic sculpture by Sandy Calhoun are featured.
Cherie Hacker is best known for her abstract paintings full of lively organic and geometric shapes composed in a colorful symphony. Her expressive practice of blended, layered, and drawn mark-making reflects the shapes, lines and movement seen in nature. Hacker’s work brings focus to the importance of the picture plane as part of the ongoing exploration in paint to tap into the unconscious mind and provoke an emotional response. She invites the viewer to create their own interpretation and enjoys hearing what others imagine.
Calhoun is a people watcher. “The essence of my work is not the subject or the medium, but the stories that are discovered that connect the piece to the viewer and to me. I don’t believe I actually create my work as much as discover it as I build,” said the artist.
Clay is the perfect material for this discovery as it allows her to experiment and explore as she constructs each piece, looking for a way to balance what she knows to be a true story with the story that she wants to create. She has been able to develop her skills as a ceramic artist, explore her quirks and discover that art can be weird and funny and personal.
The membership of the El Dorado Hills Arts Association has on display in the Community Gallery a variety of work promoting the 2023 Spring Art Studio Tour with 48 artists from 20 studios participating in this year’s event. This is a great way to see a preview of all the artists on the tour, get a free studio map and plan a route for the tour. The Gallery at 48 Natoma will be open for the tour weekend, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21; admission is free and all ages are welcome. For more information about the studio tour visit eldoradohillsarts.com/art-studio-tour-2023.html.
The Gallery at 48 Natoma is located at 48 Natoma St. in Folsom. It is managed by the Folsom Parks and Recreation Department and displays art by regional and national professional artists, area museum collections and traveling exhibitions, offering high quality, original art exhibits to the community that otherwise may not be experienced in this area. More information is available at folsom.ca.us , the Gallery at 48 Natoma.
The Gallery at 48 Natoma is open to the public 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and evening hours from 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call (916) 461-6601 to reserve a free tour appointment time. For more information contact Gallery Director Cindy Abraham at cabraham@folsom.ca.us.
