 Art due in gallery June 16, 2022 Show In Gallery and online June 20 to August 18 Reception June 23, 2022 5 to 7 p.m. Join us to showcase the art of Calaveras-based rural LGBTQIA+ artists and their allies, friends and families for Pride Month.
Anyone can enter artwork that celebrates, amplifies, and normalizes LGBTQAI+ lives in our rural California community. Let your art shine a light on a safe Calaveras County where everybody is welcomed, respected, and loved. This show is a partnership with the Tri-County LGBT Alliance, #out4mentalhealth, Amador and Tuolumne Arts Councils, and Rosebud’s Café. We look forward to your submissions! 
Artists from Calaveras County explore the beauty of the Northern California Motherlode
The gold you find in the Motherlode isn’t only rocks dug from the dirt. Gold in Calaveras County comes in the form of paintings, photos and sculptures, mined by local artists from the depths of their own creativity, and love of where they live.
That creative gold is on display in the show Calaveras Gold at the Calaveras County Arts Council for the month May into June, a show of artwork and paintings that explores the landscapes and characters of the Northern California Motherlode. An artist reception will be held on May 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to attend and have a good time meeting artists and enjoying artwork. Snacks will be provided. All the artists bring a strong sense of place to their work, that feeling of belonging to the Northern California Motherlode. Landscape paintings by Linda Lawrence celebrate two Highway 4 landmarks: Board’s Crossing and Mosquito Lake. Marilyn Hinsdale’s watercolors examine artifacts like picturesque barns and antique cars found in the county. Painters Barbara Hall and George Dillon put people in the landscape—you can feel the heat in Hall’s painting of a woman under a blazing sun, while Dillon’s colorful golf course gives you a bird’s eye view of the state of golfing in the county. Deborah Marlene and Terry Richardson each concentrate on forests. Marlene’s watercolor called Moonshine over the Gold Rush shimmers in its golden frame. Terry Richardson invites the viewer to follow a flowery path through dense trees. Detailed photography by Elizabeth Seeley describes her loving and familiar relationship with the Sierra. But this show isn’t all landscapes. Images of frogs from artist Victoria Fout and photographer Katie Turnbeaugh reference the Mark Twain story that is classic Calaveras. Calaveras County events provide inspiration for two artists. Rars Shoemaker’s painting in marker pen of a person in a domino mask was inspired by Mark Twain Days in Angels Camp, while Nancy Tanner has created a moody impressionistic pastel painting of a Santa at Murphys’ Holiday Open House. Portraits by Dave Manousos, in his distinctive “big eye” style hold stories about characters in Calaveras history. Connie Bowser’s round gourd decorated with painted poppies and pine needle collar supports another character in Calaveras County: A California Quail. Executive Director Kathy Mazzaferro invites everyone to come see the show and support our local artists. “We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful county with so many talented artists. Our spring show has something for everyone.” You can see select paintings online at www.calaverasarts.org, but you really shouldn’t miss this special show about the place where we live. Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 209/754-1774 to confirm hours. This is the first in a series of stories about Calaveras County artists and how they are responding to the pandemic emergency. Nora Carracedo Keeps busy making masks & tells us how to manage isolation When her doctor could not get cloth masks to protect staff and patients, quilter Nora Carracedo of Valley Springs came to the rescue. After watching several mask making YouTube videos, she sat down at one of her many sewing machines and started thinking. She designed her own version of washable masks made of all cotton material, with a pocket in the middle for a piece of material that’s breathable but still acts as a filter. “I use my own pattern,” she said. “I made one for Sue (her daughter) and me and they worked great. Then I made some for the doctor, and they love them.” Her masks add a bit of brightness to a stressful time. “Some of them have flowers, some of them have polka dots. They’re not plain. They’re pretty,” she said.  She’s perfectly suited to this need. Nora’s been sewing and quilting for most of her life. When she was young and living in Argentina, she started sewing for a local store to make extra money. “I made pants, underwear, and shirts for men,” she said. “I had to learn to make patterns because there were not many patterns at that time.” She sewed on a pedal machine and finished the clothing by hand. After coming to the states, she sewed clothing for her children and herself. When the grandbabies started coming, she began making quilts. Sue recollects, “I remember my mother making a little bear quilt for the first grandchild.” Nora is still making quilts for the grandchildren, as well as quilts for community members in need. Nora and her sister lead a team of quilters at the San Andreas Senior Center to make quilts for foster children, children with cancer, and comfort care for hospice. “We also donate money for the senior center, and low cost lunches for kids.” It’s a tight knit group, but they welcome others. “We have fun and we enjoy being together,” she said. I’m a very positive person. When something happens, I always say ‘I’m going to go up, I’m not going to go down. While she misses the group since the stay-at-home orders made gathering impossible, Nora doesn’t let it get her down. I asked her for advice on how to manage isolation and the stress of this situation. “I’m a very positive person,” she said. “When something happens, I always say ‘I’m going to go up, I’m not going to go down. I’m going to do everything I can for me, for my family and to keep myself busy. And I get my mind on something I like to do. Even if I don’t like it, I make myself like it. I push myself.” Nora is not an idle person. Besides sewing masks, she makes gifts for the family, cooks, cleans, works in her garden, knits, and generally keeps busy, even while watching television. “I never lay down on the couch,” she laughed. “I don’t even know how to do it.”  |
Become a member of the Arts Community in Calaveras County
Join the CCAC!
You can still join the CCAC in 2! Your membership helps the arts grow in Calaveras County. Calaveras County Arts CouncilOur goal is to support, nourish, and awaken the arts in our community. Archives
October 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed
The mission of the Calaveras County Arts Council is
to build a united community by awakening, supporting, and nourishing the arts.
NEW Gallery HoursHOURS
Tuesday - Friday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday by appointment New Hours Begin July 5, 2023 Email goldrusharts18@gmail.com for an appointment or call 209 754 1774 |
|
Address/Telephone/EmailPO Box 250
22 North Main St., San Andreas, CA 95249 209.754.1774 goldrusharts18@gmail.com |
The Calaveras County Arts Council is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation. Founded in 1981, our purpose is to coordinate excellence in the presenting and promotion of the visual and performing arts of all cultures for artists, residents and visitors. Our staff is comprised of an executive director under the direction of a maximum 11-member volunteer Board of Directors. EIN 94-2779793