Pet portraits pop up at San Anselmo gallery
Strolling down San Anselmo Avenue, it’s all too easy to miss one of Marin County’s great art treasures.
Tucked away among the coffee shops and nail salons is Artist Within — A Cedars Gallery, one of the most delightful and uplifting enterprises you may ever encounter: an art gallery devoted totally to the works of developmentally disabled artists from the Cedars organization, a Marin group serving around 200 clients.
The gallery’s frequently renewed exhibits typically feature as many as 60 artists, according to Nicole Frazer, the gallery’s manager. The current show, humorously called “Pet Parade,” includes an entire wall of depictions of cats, dogs, rabbits, an exotic bird and at least one horse — many of them bright watercolors on paper, and a few in acrylic on canvas or panel. Each painting of an animal adopted from Marin Humane is accompanied by a card with information about the artist as well as a small reproduction of the photo that the artist worked from.
The results are revelatory. The art on display at Artist Within is joyously uninhibited, unselfconscious and absolutely delightful.
Those familiar with the art world know the term “outsider artist,” meaning people with no formal training and no knowledge of the larger world of art exemplified by high-level auctions such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Semi-literate Georgia preacher Howard Finster and Alabama recluse Mose Tolliver were two such artists who broke through the class barrier and gained dedicated followings among art sophisticates. Other well-educated and well-connected artists, such as Joan Brown, David Park and Jean-Michel Basquiat, worked hard to shed their conceptual inhibitions to emulate the innocence and spontaneity of true outsiders.
Sophisticates could learn much from Cedars artists, who combine unbridled enthusiasm with admirable technical skill. Some of their work alludes to that of established legendary artists — Debbie Wann, for example, whose portraits of women echo paintings by artists as diverse as Amedeo Modigliani and Alice Neel.
The gallery has a fetching collection of big bright abstract works, lots of incredibly well-made fabric pieces — cushions, handbags, hats and more — and many wonderful unframed pieces of art at astoundingly accessible prices. The most expensive piece is “Comical World #1,” a large painting by Jeff Haines, at $1,200. Haines was featured last year in a juried exhibit at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. Participating artists get half of sales, according to Frazer.
With prices as low as $40, the real hook through Nov. 23 is “Pet Parade,” a joyous riot and a bonanza for animal lovers. Check out Trey Buder’s yellow dog “Brie”; Bridget Jackson’s “Pineapple”; Cynthia Adams’ “Bernadette”; Patricia Drake’s jocular “Gray Cat”; Robynn Vaughn’s “Princess Kate”; and Rose Sanders’ “Peggy,” the most modern of modern art.
Art fanciers not smitten with pets should look into abstract works such as Mary Miller’s “Inside View” or Mariana Aballo’s “Multicolor Flowers.” Katie Buster’s beguilingly simple “Happy Homes” is a beauty, as is an untitled palm tree by Cindy Johnson. Emily Hoog’s “Snow White” and “Tinkerbell” are just right for Disney fans.
Cedars Fine Art Studios will also host an annual holiday sale of all sorts of crafts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 2 Kensington Road in San Anselmo, and the Cedars Textile Arts Collaborative will host a similar event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at 2500 Fifth Ave. in San Rafael.
Artist Within is open every day. There are few better uses of your time and money.
Contact him at barry.m.willis@gmail.com
If you go
What: “Pet Parade”
When: Through Nov. 23
Where: Artist Within — A Cedars Gallery, 603 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends; closed Sundays in January, July and August; by appointment
Information: 415-454-2568; cedarslife.org