Liberty Pierson talks with fellow artist Gene Buban about her artwork titled “The Heraldess” as they hang the Brushstrokes for Earth arts show at the Temple Arts Loft in downtown Vallejo on Wednesday. The piece is created with homemade paper, recycled old utility bills, dandelion ink and coffee. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
Featuring artists from Benicia and Vallejo, a new Vallejo art exhibit aims to shed light and spark conversations surrounding global warming.
This collaborative exhibit between Vallejo Center for the Arts and Arts Benicia will spotlight the work of more than 20 artists in “Brushstrokes for Earth” and “Solano Water Stories: Artists Voices.” The exhibition debuts on Saturday at the Temple Art Lofts Gallery, with an opening reception from 12-2 p.m.
The exhibit features a diverse mix of styles, including materials like recycled car hoods and mosaic sculptures, each piece uniquely incorporating critical environmental issues. The space will also incorporate non-visual artists, namely poems by Vallejo Poets Laureate Kathleen Herrmann and Jacalyn Eyvonne.
A project of this size required financial backing to carry out, which VCA Executive Director Renay Conlin secured through a grant from the California Arts Council Creative Corps program. This funding proved to be the green light on a climate project Conlin had been trying to pull off for some time.
For featured artist Sophia Othman, the exhibit’s climate theme aligned seamlessly with her own body of work which is primarily nature-inspired. “It goes way back to when I was a child and would create villages out of twigs and leaves and mud,” said Othman. “I’ve been playing in the mud for a long time. I’m really fascinated with nature.”
Most of Othman’s work exists outside near where her ideas first originate. Walls and playground benches around Vallejo feature the colorful mosaic murals Othman is best known for.
As she prepares to unveil her work for the first at Temple Art Lofts, Othman finds it ironic that her most ecologically poignant piece will be indoors.
This new work is a tryptic consisting of three sculptures that each depict a pregnant female torso. “They’re each a snapshot in time, or epoch, of how humans relate to the earth,” said Othman. The first one represents the earth in harmony, the second is engulfed with fire while the third depicts bones and archaeological remnants.
“It’s just a whisper of us having been there,” said Othman. The three sculptures work together to convey a sense of past, present and future, ultimately compelling viewers to confront their insignificance.
Even the tiles adorning the sculptures are integral to the theme, with some containing fossils. By arranging the tile in swirling patterns, Othman said she is portraying the growing instability of climate patterns.
Othman is the first to admit this “cautionary tale” theme is a departure from her usual style, which adds to its significance. “People might be a little bit shocked by a gash going down the middle of a pregnant belly, but that’s the point,” said Othman, who wants this to be an emotional experience for viewers.
The piece will be accompanied by information for attendees that outlines the most effective steps to combat climate change.
Originally slated for Earth Day, this new opening date is a result of last-minute coordination. But the delay might be for the better, said Othman.
“People can get a little bit saturated [on Earth Day],” said Othman. “This gives you more of an opportunity through the calendar year to get to people’s hearts and minds about the topic.”
Other featured Vallejo artists include Gene Buban, Liberty Pierson, Leah Tumerman, Lorenzo Crockett, Izzy Drumgoole, and Lil Boskio Alotu, all renowned for their commitment to environmental advocacy and social change.
Arts Benicia’s contribution to the exhibition, “Solano Water Stories: Artists Voices,” showcases a diverse array of artists including Miro Salazar, Tramaine de Senna, Janet Barnes, Sheree Rayford, Tereasa Tso, Lawrence H. Buford, Vincent Concepcion, Alicia Gomez, Daniel Valadez, Desiree Vicente, Mario Saucedo, Carl Heyward, and Akiko Suzuki.
The exhibition will be open to the public every weekend, on Saturdays and Sundays 12-4 p.m., at the Temple Art Lofts, 707 Marin St., Vallejo, until July 23.
