Campbell Artists Offer Up Art for All

From May 21-23, Campbell residents will have the opportunity to treat themselves to a selection of 20 local artists's work. Ranging from painting to wood work and everything in between, Silicon Valley Open Studios connects art with art lovers at no cost to either party. 

The 2011 open studio events, which are non-juried shows, are held the first three weekends in May-Campbell's is falls in the last of the three weekends, tomorrow. Along with Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, San Jose and Saratoga will also be showcasing artwork this weekend. This year's directory features about 400 artists. Of these 125 of them are first-time artists, a new record.

SVOS provides an unique opportunity for artists and art lovers to interact on a very personal level. 

"You can talk to them about their techniques and sometimes watch them at work," says Mel Thomsen CEO of SVOS. "You really get a chance to find out what's going and what's special about that piece. You just can't do that anywhere else." 

Open studios weekends are completely free to the public, and no tickets or reservations are required.

Artists will be showing at 160 locations up and down the peninsula from San Mateo to Gilroy and are asked to post bright yellow signs with the SVOS logo on them at their locations to make them easy to identify.

The sheer number of participants can make open studios weekends a little overwhelming, but Thomsen says getting a copy of the catalog is the key to having a successful experience.

"I go out and I can probably manage seven or eight [locations] per day," Thomsen says. "That get's me to 50 by the end of the three weekends. You need to be selective." 

SVOS has 40,000 full-color copies of the artist directory printed and distributed at 400 locations across the valley. They can be found at most libraries, civic centers, colleges, coffee shops and shopping centers, Thomsen says.

Catalogs include an artist directory complete with a small biography and pictures of their work and maps of the locations. 

Directory information can also be accessed on the SVOS website. 

Although open studios weekends is the biggest event for the artists involved, SVOS also offers other resources for budding artists.

"One of our functions is to be an incubator for emerging artists" says Thomsen.

One such program is a series of seminars called SVOS University in which veteran artists lead lectures on a variety of topics including: how to market yourself, write press releases,  prepare the studio, place the signs, and even the best way to serve refreshments, according to Thomsen. 

"It's nice because people can come and learn how to set up their space and what to expect," local Campbell artist Sonya Paz, owner of and SVOS member said.

"It provides publicity and exposure for artists who are new at it or not new at it," Paz says. "Here's your art show; you only have to show up with your art. It’s really, really nice." 

SVOS also partners with local high schools and junior colleges. Student art is featured during open studios weekends, and this year there is a mentoring program for students to spend time at local studios to shadow and connect with professional artists says Thomsen. 

Paz's gallery will be sporting the bight yellow SVOS signs during the third weekend in May, and will also be housing six other Campbell artists. 

Paz got her start selling her art on eBay in 2000, taking advantage of the online venue to connect to different audiences. She was also showing at local coffee houses when a friend told her about SVOS she said.

"I think it was the last hour of the last day to sign up and I was in a panic, " Paz recalled. "I called, and the lady I spoke with was very kind and interested to see what I had…It helped me a lot get my work out there in the early years."  

Paz's contemporary pop art has been featured all over the world and earned her numerous awards the most recent was for the California Senate, 11th District "Artist of the Year" for 2009-10, according to her website. 

Paz hasn't participated since 2004, but when organizers approached her for the 25 anniversary, she was happy to get involved even serving as a panel member at this year's SVOS University. 

"I was born and raised here. I don’t discount it," she says." "This is where I grew up and where I began showing my work. I think its nice that people still come and appreciate the work that I do."

Kyoko Fischer, Elena Mosko, Kirstin Nosé and Bill Holloway will also have their artwork on display in Paz' gallery.

Gourd artist Cyndee Newick will be among nine artists who will show their work together at the Dry Creek Art Studio, a fellow artists home on Dry Creek Road in Campbell. Other artists showing this weekend here include Marika Anderson, Madeleine Bodisco Alexander, Maryann Peper, Blanche Prior and Zoya C. Scholis.

This is the third year this group will be showing together- a collection of painters, potters, gourd artists and even a jewelry maker. 

Newick says that the public should expect the see artist's best work on display. 

"Art doesn't show much in pictures, you don't get that depth," she says. 

Pictures certainly don't go Newick's gourd art justice. The beautiful pieces, fashioned with the gourd's natural shape and texture in mind, are best seen in person and accompanied by Newick's fascinating explanations. 

"People buy the artist as much as they buy the art, " says Thomsen. "There are amazingly creative people in this valley, and that creativity translates itself into art." 

Campbell artists will be showing at the following five locations:

• Sonya Paz Fine Art Gallery
• Dry Creek Art Studio, 876 Dry Creek Road
• 1420 Hoffman Lane
• The Mosaic Gardens, 872 Harrison Avenue
• Organic Light Photography, 3969 Via Cristobal.  

For more information check out the directory or the website at http://www.svos.org/.