An uplifting weekend with artist friends, part two

Today was so exciting as my good friend Maria Kurtz hosted the reception for her first ever solo art exhibit at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica.

Several members of the Culver City Art Group attended, along with her friends.

The church displays art throughout the year of local artists. Lori Escalara and Allison Foster, both members of the Culver City Art Group, have had solo art exhibits at this venue.

Maria's specialty is oil paintings of landscapes, seascapes and still lifes.

It was lovely to sit and talk to people... a very relaxing afternoon.

Maria's exhibit will be up through the month of February so hop on over there.

The Unitarian church is at 18th and Arizona in Santa Monica.

(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins - artwork copyright maria molica kurtz)

Robbing the Heart Sunday night BG, MK and I visited the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica to attend the art reception for our mutual friend Lucy Blake-Elahi. She was exhibiting works from three different series:
Come Here…Go Away!, hand-colored Drypoint and monotype prints whose subject matter is “relationships”, The Burden of Unused Wings, small prints lamenting opportunities missed and Robbing the Heart, a few of the smaller pieces from a larger body of work referencing the looting of the Iraq Museum.

When I do attend church (about once a year on the Day of the Dead) this is where I go. And the previous minister, the Reverend Ernie Pipes, presided over my long-ago and long-gone wedding. Ah, memories!

Forbes Hall is a nice little space for an art show. And good advertising for the church, too. I like to support local artists (and my artist friends) as much as possible. Although this show was in Santa Monica there were quite a few people I knew from Culver City in attendance. How great is that when you walk into a space where art is the focus and there are many people you know!

I especially enjoyed Lucy's discussion of her art and the history behind it. You can tell she loves to teach.

And I met an interesting lady who engages Nepalese artists to paint pet portraits on metal.

Another great art day!

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)