Every so often the Fresno Art Museum likes to look back at some of their great exhibitions. Do you remember the Council of 100’s “Distinguished Woman Artist for 2016” exhibition titled “Hung Liu: Scales of History?” For over 30 years, the Fresno Art Museum’s Council of 100 has remained a unique organization devoted to recognizing outstanding women in the arts. ...

By Sal Maccarone The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was the idea of Louis B. Mayer (1884-1957), head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM.) Mr. Mayer felt that the organization would lend respectability and status to the movie industry, the reputation of which had been tarnished during the Roaring Twenties. So on May 4, 1927, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts ...

Charles Gaines is a pivotal figure in the field of Conceptual Art. Gaines’ works are often on paper and acrylic glass. His photographs, drawings, musical compositions, and video installations investigate how rule-based procedures influence representation and construct meaning. Visitors to the Fresno Art Museum will find the image below on permanent display near the entrance to the Bonner Auditorium. Charles ...

MADERA – Madera County Arts Council Board is proud to announce their new Executive Director, Jim Kocher, who has been the Interim Executive Director since January 2020. Kocher was unanimously selected by the Madera County Arts Council Board, as it is apparent that he shares the same level of commitment to the values and vision of the Council. Kocher, who ...

FRESNO — The Roots mural (see above) was created by students aged 10-17 in the Fresno Art Museum’s Summer 2017 ArtAcademy class. It was completed under the direction and guidance of muralist, graffiti artist, and educator Erik Gonzalez, assisted by FAM Art instructor Cat Dellavalle and former ArtAcademy student (now current art instructor) Ariana Hernandez. Students explored FAM’s Pre-Columbian collection ...

OAKHURST – Previously known as Yosemite Gateway Gallery Row, this summer, a group of artists and visionaries have rechristened the collection of galleries as Yosemite Gateway Art Center. The galleries, located along the Southern Yosemite Highway in the mountain town of Oakhurst, have been a prominent destination for decades. Now, Yosemite National Park visitors, Bass Lake revilers and residents alike, have a new cultural ...

By Sal Maccarone Parks are wonderful places! They provide recreation, they are aesthetically pleasing, and they are helpful to our environment in many ways. There are many types of parks, from urban to national, but they all share the same basic goal: setting aside space which will contribute to our physical and psychological well-being. Many urban parks are green spaces, ...

MARIPOSA – The Mariposa County Arts Council invites the community of Mariposa to participate in a snapshot project for the Creative Placemaking Master Plan, a partnership project with the Mariposa County Planning Department that captures Mariposa’s community members in their favorite local places or at their most-loved events. The project asks community members to submit one photo of themselves in ...

FRESNO — Ruth Asawa’s first tied-wire sculpture was inspired by the skeleton of a desert plant with a hexagonal form that was given to Asawa by Paul and Virginia Hassel in 1962. She first tried to draw the plant but was unable to do so to her satisfaction. Instead, she constructed it first with wire which then enabled her to ...

By Sal Maccarone Optical art, fractal art, abstract art, and many other forms of art rely heavily upon the placement of geometric shapes within a given space. Geometry is a language! The math that is used to create shapes — comprised of points, lines and curves — is thought to be universal. Geometric art forms can run anywhere from a ...