New venues debut in Pomona Arts Colony
A.S. Ashley, Correspondent
POMONA - It is nothing short of amazing how the Pomona Arts Colony has expanded its art venues by 50 percent over the past year, with tonight's Second Saturday Art Walk featuring the opening of four new art venues.
Andi Campognone, who is no stranger to the Arts Colony (formerly co-owner of the dba 256 Gallery), is going it alone in a new venture on the Colony's west side named appropriately, Andi Campognone Projects, 558-B W. 2nd St.
Campognone, who has curated exceptional and diverse artists in previous shows, is continuing this high standard with her opening of "The New Irascibles," based on the Irascible 18 (painters from the New York school), who in 1949 protested the New York Metropolitan Museum's collection and acquisition policies.
"The New Irascibles" is an exhibition of artists dedicated to painting. Though some say "painting" had died, this show is about artists who are loyal to the craft, re-examining and forwarding the act of moving pigment on a surface.
Beginning as a smaller version of the traveling exhibit (11 painters), "The New Irascibles" will eventually highlight the works of 18 painters. Artists include Philip Argent, Daniel Brice, Max King Cap, Alex Couwenberg, Jimi Gleason, Robert Kingston, Andy Moses, Thomas Pathe, Roland Reiss, Greg Rose and Mark Zimmermann.
Across the street from Campognone's gallery is the newly refurbished Edison Building, housing a dozen artist live/work units, some doubling as
exhibition space. One such space making its debut is Silence Gallery, 565-1 W. 2nd St., operated by Kai Streets, a Pomona native and photography artist.
Kai Street has an interesting take on art. His reasoning for naming his gallery "Silence": "I wanted to be part of this (Arts Colony) by giving artists an avenue for their work to have a voice, and most importantly be heard. Every piece of art speaks volumes that are immeasurable, and every viewer hears something different sometimes nothing at all. It's that `silence' that gives it its true meaning art!"
Silence Gallery's Second Saturday exhibit will present the photography of Rocco Myers, a teacher who enjoys spending his summers traveling the world and capturing the people, places and wonders of this incredible planet in photographs.
Switching up the exhibition space later in the month for Last Saturday's Metro Night Out on Nov. 28, Silence Gallery will present a group show of more than 20 local photographers.
Another art venue opening in the Colony featuring photography is Faded & Blurred, also the name of the 200-member photography group exhibiting at the gallery.
Faded & Blurred was founded by two photography instructors, Frank Wisneski and Jeffrey Saddoris, from Tri-Community Adult Education in Covina, one of the best known schools for beginning and advanced photographers in Southern California.
A body of like-minded photographers, Faded & Blurred shoots, retouches, shares, instructs, displays art and discusses photo-related issues, additionally performing community outreach.
Asked why the group is named Faded & Blurred, Paul Knight, member and curator of the gallery, said, "Sharp and vibrant is simply too overrated. Faded & Blurred represents the quest for promoting photography as an art, a business, and a group of socially conscious individuals giving back to the community."
The gallery is in the Founders Building, also the home of the Latin Art Museum, and the SCA Project Gallery. Unlike their neighboring venues located in the basement, Faded & Blurred requires an elevator ride to the second floor, 281 S. Thomas St. No. 205.
Having done a spectacular job converting the space at the northeast corner of Thomas and 4th St., Kirk Pedersen will debut his new gallery, PEDERSEN Projects, 396 S. Thomas St., during the Art Walk.
Pedersen has recently exhibited at the Downtown Cal Poly Art Center and completed five exhibitions in China including the Today Art Museum, Beijing, and Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai. His first hard-cover photography book, titled "Kirk Pedersen: Urban Asia," was published earlier this year.
Pedersen's first offering at the gallery will be "FINISHED/UNFINISHED," an introduction to PEDERSEN Projects featuring the paintings and photographs by Pederson himself. Future shows will focus on group exhibitions of paintings and photographs by national and international, established and emerging artists.
Pomona's Art Walk is every "Second Saturday" of the month in downtown Pomona, 6 to 10 p.m., with closing exhibits on display during Pomona's Last Saturdays Metro Night Out, 6 to 10 p.m.
For more information and to download a map of all 36 art venues in Pomona's Arts Colony, go to www.pomonaartscolony.com.
A.S. Ashley is a Pomona Arts Colony artist and advocate.
New neighbors
Four new galleries have recently opened in the Pomona Arts Colony:
• Andi Campognone Projects, 558-B W. 2nd St.
• Silence Gallery, 565-1 W. 2nd St.,
• Faded & Blurre, 281 S. Thomas St. No. 205
• PEDERSEN Projects, 396 S. Thomas St.