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Only the best gather for Palo Alto Festival of the Arts
 PALO ALTO - In its 31st year, the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts once again gathers 300 premiere artists from around the U.S. to show their artwork 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 25 and 26 in downtown Palo Alto. Sponsored by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, the festival takes place on University Avenue between High and Webster streets.
Known for its high quality, the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts keeps it fresh with such specialty components as the Sculpture Garden, Italian street painting, mobile food trucks and entertainment.
From large dramatic statements to small grace notes, the artists displaying their work are tops in the fields of sculpture, painting, photography, fabric, jewelry, ceramics, glass and more. Shimmering wall pieces, Impressionistic paintings, modern abstracts, stunning jewelry, functional yet artful ceramics, a vast array of artwork suitable for every taste will be featured.
“I enjoy the energy and the quality of the exhibitors,” says David MacKenzie, Interim President/CEO of the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce. “It is always an enjoyable day in downtown Palo Alto.”
Art takes many forms. At the Sculpture Garden, contemporary art is interpreted in free form fashion – tall, small, kinetic and abstract -- on the plaza at Cowper and University. Art also will take place down on the street, literally, with street painters.
More than 60 artists participate in the Italian street painting, an arts-in-action event presented by the Palo Alto Weekly. Set up in the street along Tasso, the asphalt becomes canvas and magnificent images come alive through chalk.
“The street art is very cool and unique,” says MacKenzie.
Two stages of entertainment, including one presented by the California Coast Music Camp, street musicians and accordionist the Great Morgani round out the day, and a Kids’ Art Studio on Kipling and University managed and benefiting the Palo Alto Parents and Professionals for Art with free art activities keep the little ones busy.
Two local gourmet food trucks – Oaxacan Kitchen and Kara’s Cupcakes – as well as gourmet food onsite, fine wines and microbrews keep participates fueled.
Admission is free and so is parking around event area. For public transit information view www.511.org.
For complete festival information visit www.mlaproductions.com or call (650) 324-3121.
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Palo Alto Chamber supports arts with annual festival
PALO ALTO - The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce works with local business members to help build the strong, innovative community that is Palo Alto. Since the chamber’s founding in 1910, it has been a connection between businesses and the broader community, supporting its economy, education and culture.
The Palo Alto Festival of the Arts is “a major contributor in making downtown Palo Alto a destination,” says Interim President/CEO David MacKenzie of the chamber. “It is a quality event that attracts thousands of people to Palo Alto.”
The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce represents the tremendous diversity that makes up the city, serving as the home base of Hewlett-Packard and hundreds of start-ups and home-based businesses, to the retail and visitor services, which all combine for a perfect festival setting on a summer’s day.
“The nature of the exhibitors, the food and beverages create a relaxing and enjoyable activity on a weekend day,” says MacKenzie. “What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday or Sunday in perfect weather in a beautiful city.”
Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Wild 'n' whimsical sculpture garden
PALO ALTO –The Contemporary Art Sculpture Garden on the Plaza at Cowper and University Avenue will feature the colorful and whimsical art of husband and wife sculptors Mindy Rodman and Paul White.
Their art pieces and furniture, made from wood, metal and other mixed media, have an abstract, kinetic look that’s always leavened with a healthy dose of humor.
“Paul and I both have a healthy sense of humor. We often tell people it is the only sense we have. And that humor translates into our work, even when we think we are making a more serious piece,” says Mindy, describing how childhood dreams of her and Paul of being a dancer and musician often show up in their work.
Invoking Miro, Matisse and Picasso and influenced by the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements, the pieces explode with a theatrical, rhythmic feel. The contemporary work speaks to the couple’s cinematic background and love of travel and culture.
“We love the dimensionality of sculpture. The ability to look at a piece from more than one viewpoint and how it changes when you move around it, as well as when it interacts with light and shadows,” says Mindy Rodman, who added that they are concentrating more on form rather than function and using metal.
“There is a more ethereal quality to steel than wood, and it allows us more latitude to illustrate both the fragility and strength of the human condition, which we consider to be the major theme of our work.”
Enjoying the energies of big cities such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the couple makes their home in a live/work studio warehouse in Oakland, and while many pieces of sculpture will be on display at the Sculpture Garden, you can get a preview by visiting, www.rodmanwhite.com.
Come out and enjoy the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts on August 25 & 26. Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Everyday life in bright, vivid color
PALO ALTO –Painter Diane Fujimoto captures scenes of everyday life and travel with vivid colors. The Los Altos artist uses a variety of media to create her dimensional feel including collage, watercolor and other water media. A still life of grapes, a collage of sunflowers, portraits of friends and family, and travel scenes all have the immediacy of a just-captured moment.
“Travel is a big part of my life. I take a lot of photographs and get my inspiration from these,” says the artist. “When I paint that image, I am sharing with the world, my view of that place, that person or those flowers. I love to heighten the sense of color so as to make the scene come alive for the viewer.”
Fujimoto has been fascinated with all forms of art since she was a child, sewing clothes, making crafts and loving art class. A degree in textile design created a 10-year career in the fashion industry in New York before her move to the West Coast, where she discovered her love of watercolor.
“Painting gives me a way to express myself, without having to say a word,” says Fujimoto. “Watercolor offers me the tools to bring those emotions to a blank, white paper and create something new with rich colors and textures. It truly is a magical medium.”
Fujimoto’s work can also be found as prints on notebooks and tote bags. You can view her full portfolio at www.dianefujimoto.com.
“There is magic in the mixing water and pigment and putting it on paper. Even when you think you know what color you're using, often watercolor, as a medium, surprises us,” she says. “The most glorious is when you drop two colors close to each other, and they mix on their own -- with the help of the water -- and something beautiful results. You can't predict these things. Lots happens on it's own in watercolor, or as we say ' happy accidents.’ ”
Come out and enjoy the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts on August 25 & 26. Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Throwing life and pots together
PALO ALTO - Ever since 1972, when Fox and Lois Garney met in the ceramics department of San Jose State University, they’ve been throwing pots together.
Their mutual love of clay has taken them to Fresno, where they produced a nationally famous line of ceramics, to Cambria, where their work has evolved from production pottery to individually hand-carved porcelain.
“Art is in the eye of the beholder. We’re trying to make art that satisfies us, that we think are aesthetic. Working together 42 years, we hope (art lovers) see that we are trying to go forward, to do new things,” says Lois Garney.
The two work closely together, with Fox turning the potter’s wheel and both carving using a variety of techniques. Their work has an organic, yet polished feel that reflects inspiration from nature and years of experience.
“Nature is predominate in our world. It’s all around. It naturally comes out in the type of pottery we do,” says Lois, who describes sea life themes, trees, even bicycles. “We throw and carve, and it unifies our collaborative ideas in form.”
The Garneys will display vases, cups, bowls, urns and sculpture, and their latest project -- carved totems – which began when they started stacking pots.
“It’s balancing things, making visual poetry. They contrast yet are things that complement one another. It’s kinda tricky, too,” says Lois.
Come out and enjoy the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts on August 25 & 26. Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Kaleidoscope visions
PALO ALTO - Kevin and Deborah Healy take the term wearable art to a new level with their kaleidoscope jewelry. The stunning necklaces and rings each carry swirling colors and patterns inside to offer a surprise once lifted to the eye.
“This interactive jewelry is like mixed media. They are truly top-notch functioning kaleidoscopes,” says Deborah Healy. “Once we a realized it was a unique item, a light went off.”
The Healys have been making jewelry since the early 1970s, but became fascinated with the mesmerizing toys from years gone by in the 1990s. Combining their fascination with the sparkling colors and facets of gems with the wonder of the childhood toy, the jewelry scopes were born.
“The swirling colors and patterns of kaleidoscopes have enabled us to add a new dimension to how our jewelry may be enjoyed. As artists, we feel fortunate to participate in the revelatory and peaceful world of kaleidoscopes,” say the couple.
Some pieces look like rockets, some like jellyfish, some says the designs are steam punk.
“You can’t really think if you’re looking at colors and shapes. It gives your mind a rest. The (jewelry scopes) are very calming, they relieve stress and make people happy,” says Deborah.
From their Lompoc studio, Kevin does metal, waxwork and stone setting, while Deborah works on mirrors, finishing lenses and optics for the kaleidoscopes. Each thinks the other has the harder job and note the pieces must be perfect in order to work properly. The jewelry scopes are made from gold, silver, glass and gemstones. View a variety of their work at www.healydesigns.com.
Come out and enjoy the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts on August 25 & 26. Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Every picture tells a story
PALO ALTO - Through a variety of photographic techniques, Nancy Laube invites the viewer to step into her world.
In her photographs, perhaps only a single item has color in an otherwise black and white image. Others create the California of our imagination, while still others invite a deeper reflection or capture moments in time.
“My very colorful images, mostly California scenes, are developed to be joyful in spirit. My goal is to depict the California which is in our minds, rather than the one which we see with our eyes,” she says.
Based in Menlo Park, Laube has been able to capture images of the nascent technology industry as well as the abundant cityscapes and nature of Yosemite.
“I like photographing every day urban scenes which reflect our culture,” she says. “There is often more complexity to the image than meets the eye. The more you look, the more you see.”
In addition to what she photographs with her Canon 1DS Mark III, she also composes in the darkroom adjusting exposure, enriching colors and cropping out unneeded elements.
“I compose my photographs with elements that capture the viewer’s mind so they can get lost in the space they are viewing,” she says. “I would like my viewers to use my photographs to see and appreciate common street scenes more deeply than they would by just looking in real life. There is always far more in a scene than is visible on first glance and my images try to convey that.”
In addition to her work on display at the festival, you can view her work at www.nancylaube.com.
Come out and enjoy the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts on August 25 & 26. Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Renshaws help celebrate Italian Street Painting anniversary
PALO ALTO - A 3-D version by Cheryl and Wayne Renshaw of Ghosts in the Machine will be the centerpiece of the Italian Street Painting component at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts on Aug. 25 and 26.
The husband and wife team from Santa Clara, along with more than 60 other artists, will render their drawing with chalk on a 15x15 square of pavement in the grand tradition of Italian street painters.
“For us, street painting is an artistic project that we can work on together and share that time with friends, family and the community,” says Wayne. The Renshaws were among the first artists to inaugurate street painting at the festival and are celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Palo Alto is special to us, because it is right here in our backyard where the two of us grew up,” says Wayne. “Because the festival takes place right at the center of Silicon Valley we decided that we wanted to do a high-tech image – something electronic, something classic, something new and have a little fun with the image too.”
Look for the street painters at the Tasso and University Avenue, where they will create in 4x6, 6x8, 9x12 and 12x12 foot pavement squares beginning Saturday morning. This popular attraction is presented by the Palo Alto Weekly. Youth Community Service will raise money for their many community projects by selling sponsorships to these squares. There’ll be room for kids under 12 to try their hand as well.
Don’t miss these fantastic street canvases before they're washed away Sunday night!
Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Art of music at Palo Alto Festival of the Arts
PALO ALTO - The sounds of music will add to the artistic atmosphere at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts Aug. 25 and 26 in downtown Palo Alto. Street corner concerts will serenade art lovers, and two stages will present a variety of entertainment, including the dance music at the main stage on Waverley and acoustic folk, country and blues presented by the California Coast Music Camp at the Webster Street stage.
Street corner concerts include Celtic harpist Aryeh Frankfurter, who plays a wide range of instruments and musical styles from modern to ancient, Emerson with his soulful voice and astounding keyboard melodies, and the accordionist Great Morgani, who’s outlandish costumes are only topped by his talented playing.
On the main stage Saturday, dance to the guitar-driven songs of the power trio Loose Gravel, covering artists such as Pretenders, Green Day and Hendrix. Joining them Saturday are Department of Rock and The Hitmen. On Sunday, the Cocktail Monkeys play popular music from rock, Motown and R&B. They are joined by Nothin But The Beat and Sage.
At the Webster Stage, the M’Earthtones, a Palo Alto-based a capella choir, and the musical saw playing Golden State Ramblers take center stage, joined by Nancy Cassidy, Hobbyhorse and music that includes melodic fingerstyle guitar and a ukulele pop ensemble.
Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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Great costumes, great accordion – the Great Morgani
PALO ALTO -The Great Morgani doesn’t just perform your favorite songs on accordion. He plays them while dressed in the most creative, outlandish costumes he can build.
“I enjoy watching people’s reactions, either to my music, but mostly to my costumes,” he says.
Performing for the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts noon to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25 and 26 at Cowper and University Avenue, the Great Morgani is a piece of art all by himself.
He’ll wear his Flower Powered and Everything is Black or White costumes Saturday and Parts Department and Making a Point Sunday.
“The hardest thing about performing in my costumes is first of all, getting into them, and then the heat factor. I can lose five pounds in a performance, but then I go home and eat 10 pounds of food, so it is a losing battle,” he says.
The Great Morgani has a repertoire of 1,000 songs and more than 50 costumes. And he’s always adding more. A former stockbroker named Frank Lima, the Great Morgani has found his true identity making whimsical costumes and entertaining young and old alike.
Admission is free, with free parking outside the event area. Call (650) 324-3121 or visit www.mlaproductions.com for more information.
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