In partnership with SEE International and the Abstract Art Collective, and with support from the Squire Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara’s Art at the JCC will present the 6th Annual ArtSEE fundraiser, July 15-Sept. 15. A free virtual opening reception will be 4-5 p.m. July 15.
The virtual reception and exhibition are free and will include welcome and introductions, juror selection process, and artist talks with simulcast online gallery screensharing. For Zoom event details, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88019315750?pwd=TFhERDNsaklVVDBlZ01mT1ZnQjI1dz09. Meeting ID: 880 1931 5750, Password: ART
This Abstract Art Collective (AAC) juried exhibit and art sale benefits SEE International, a nonprofit, humanitarian organization whose volunteer eye surgeons work to restore sight to disadvantaged blind individuals worldwide.
ArtSEE features an 80-piece virtual display of original 10-inch-by-10-inch abstract artworks, created and donated by AAC members and offered for sale at $100 each. For sales, inquires and gallery viewing, visit www.seeintl.org or contact Rachel at rachel@seeintl.org, 805-730-0649 or 805-335-3574.
All proceeds from art sales will be donated to SEE International. The impact of each $100 purchase will provide two sight-restoring eye operations to those in need.
Also on virtual display is a juried exhibition of larger abstract works by AAC members. Starting July 15, this exhibit can be viewed on the Abstract Art Collective’s website, www.abstractartcollective.com.
Ten percent of sales from the juried pieces will be donated to the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara. Past receptions have welcomed over 200 guests and exhibitions have been the largest annual Art at the JCC exhibit.
The ArtSEE virtual exhibit includes a range of abstract media — painting, assemblage/collage, printmaking, photography, and digital art. Abstract art encompasses as many processes as there are artists. One artist may work in an intuitive arc – not knowing how a piece will begin or end. Another may have a defined concept and their artwork is not finished until that concept is expressed to their satisfaction.
The juried virtual exhibit and 10-inch-by-10-inch online art sale will be ongoing during the exhibition.
Due to the pandemic, physical viewing hours will not be offered, but purchases will be coordinated on a case-by-case basis following all COVID-19 restrictions and rules.
The juror for the exhibit is Mariko Tabar, www.marikotabar.com, an artist experienced in participating in solo and group shows, locally and internationally. She was an art educator for over 30 years, the last 13 at Vieja Valley School, from where she retired in 2013. She volunteers as an art instructor for nonprofit organizations, including Girls, Inc.
Tabar has served as Santa Barbara County art commissioner for the Second District since 2017, and as executive board member for Goleta Valley Community Center since 2019. She is a member/organizer of United by Art, and curates community art shows at Farmers and Merchants Trust Company.
This year, Art at the JCC features AAC and Jewish community member Naomi Bollag. With her voluminous amount of work, it might seem Bollag has been painting in her current style for decades, but in fact it was after the twin disasters of the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslides that she transformed the grief she felt into her current style of painting.
Asked about painting during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bollag said: “During difficult times of anxiety and stress, I can always turn to my canvases. They have been and are still there for me. Painting is a place where I can escape from stress and feel free to express my feelings without recourse. It feels safe to me and I want those who view my art to feel the same, sort of like an artistic Rorschach method.”
Available for purchase via art@sbjf.org or 805-957-1115 ext. 103. Bollag’s work will be available at www.jewishsantabarbara.org/art-at-the-jcc beginning July 15.
The Abstract Art Collective is a group of Santa Barbara-area community members who organized in 2011 to exhibit their abstract artwork in an all-abstract environment. The 100-plus member group supports a range of media and adheres to a definition of abstract art that includes conceptual work where some forms may be recognizable. For more, visit www.abstractartcollective.com.
Art at the JCC is a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara meant to provide Central Coast and other artists from all disciplines a chance to bring their work to the Santa Barbara community. Because art is a universal language, its programs cross all boundaries of religion, race, gender and age. For more, visit https://jewishsantabarbara.org/art-at-the-jcc.
For more about SEE International, visit www.seeintl.org.
This year, Art at the JCC features AAC and Jewish community member Naomi Bollag.