Art Legends @ Fullerton College Art Gallery

Tonight I went to a fantastic art show at Fullerton College Art Gallery.  It featured artwork by Fullerton College faculty and alumni, past and present, with work stretching all the way back to 1926.  The exhibit was part of the Fullerton College Centennial, which I was on the research committee for, so many of the artists featured were people I'd either researched and written about or met personally.  The show demonstrated to me that Fullerton College has long been a gathering place for some amazing artists.

I walked around the exhibit, talking to artists, teachers, and friends, taking pictures.

I was excited to meet former professor/artist Nixson Borah, who I wrote about for the Fullerton College Centenniel Exhibit last year.

Here are some of Nixson's pieces:

"Corporeal Athens #2" by Nixson Borah (encaustic)

There was work by Florence "Flossie" Arnold, who I also wrote about.  Florence was instrumental in starting A Night in Fullerton, an annual celebration of arts and culture which ran for 45 years.  Flossie was a pioneer of the arts in Fullerton.

"Yellow Eclipse" by Florence Arnold (serigraph)

There was work by Deborah Davidson, my first painting teacher, back when I was a student at Fullerton College.  It was Davidson who showed me that I could be an artist.

"Leaving Home, and Taking Her Black Sheep With Her" by Deborah Davidson

There were fascinating sculpture pieces by Janice DeLoof, who recently passed away.  In addition to being an artist, Janice was very involved in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and it is because of Janice that my gallery, Hibbleton, is partnering with NAMI for an art show in April.  Here are some pieces by Janice:

I was excited to see artwork by Don Hendricks, who was a well-loved teacher/artist at Fullerton College, who was tragically killed in a bicycle accident.  I know Don's family quite well.  I went to high school with his daughter, Courtney.  Don's son, Tim Hendricks, is a famous tattoo artist who has appeared on Miami Ink and New York Ink.  They are a really cool family.  Here are some watercolors by Don of locations in Southern California:

Steve Metzger is a well-known Fullerton artist/teacher who has shown his work at The Magoski Arts Colony (where my gallery is located).  Here's a sweet piece by Steve:

In addition to being a terrific painter, Metzger is also a talented musician, and he was jamming outside the gallery…

There were artists who I'd never met before, but heard of from other faculty and artists around town.  Here are some more amazing pieces in the show:

"Joker" by James Lorigan (acrylic)

"Dogs" by Justin Sweet

"Henry the Explorer" by Graham Booth (book illustration)

"Mock Turtle" by Marshall VanDruff

All in all, it was an inspiring exhibit, not just because of the quality of the art, but because of the generations of people who have contributed to Fullerton's art community, which I am proud to be a part of.  The exhibit runs through February 20th, and is definitely worth checking out.