Art Begins Locally

The reception for the Inland Empire Museum of Art was held at the Clara and Allen Gresham Art Gallery Tuesday, Jan. 26. The reception was well received by members of the community, college students, and fellow artist alike. Colorful creations draped upon walls divided the room into sectional gatherings for conversations pieces of all things art. Monochromic collages, painted and pressed chine-collés fill the focal view to the brim. Artist BJ Lanes piece, “Mostly Sunny” was awash with scenes of Downtown LA traffic in the rain. Lane says, “I really enjoy making people look.” A woman who’s experienced the vibrancy of life that saturates the canvas does exactly that. At a very young age she knew she wanted to be an artist, so she went to high school for free paint. When the time came for college she applied for grants and was accepted. This too was for the paint. People made their way from piece to piece inspecting the various artworks finding meaning in what the artist conveys. Gene Sasse, photographer, Author and founder of the Inland Empire Museum of Art put the reception together and gathered the works to be shown. Donna Morin of Loma Linda had her work on display entitled, “Theory and Beyond.” This Chine-collé piece with its deep blacks, blues, and multi-dimensional depth was a metaphor for much more. She expressed jovially about how we can have a plan and an idea, but once the work is put through the press, this can change how you continue working with the piece. Morin said, “Continue learning, it’s exciting to learn a new medium.” Elizabeth Carr, a San Bernardino resident for 15 years and artist of the piece “Hushed Morning” had this encouraging word of advice for any would be artist. “Take Some classes, or just start painting.” We know the greats who once where. Today we can experience the works of art depicting sentiments of life in our time that will be. If you would like more information about the Inland Empire Art Museum, check out their website at www.iearts.org.