By Kathy Chouteau
A quartet of eclectic art exhibitions will be coming to town, when the Richmond Art Center (RAC) unveils its fall exhibitions Tues., Sept. 10, 2019. Exhibitions including the motorcycle-driven “Countersteer,” will be on display through Fri., Nov., 22, 2019, in the art center’s galleries at 2540 Barrett Ave. in Richmond, and will also include Nicole Mueller’s prismatic “Thresholds” and works on paper by Bay Area artist Stephen Namara.
A fourth exhibition opening that day will be the culmination of the RAC’s advance “Call for Graphic Art and Illustration,” from California artists.
A reception will be held at the art center Sat., Sept. 7, 2019, from 5-7 p.m. in advance of the exhibitions’ official openings.
Taking over the RAC’s Main Gallery Sept. 10 will be Countersteer, an exhibition that “zooms in” on the concept of personal expression through the medium of the motorcycle and which will display custom motorcycles as self-portraits.
Guest co-curated by Danny Aarons and Phil Linhares, Countersteer is described by the RAC as “an exhibition of works by artists and engineers making motorcycles their own. It will include a dozen custom and classic motorcycles ranging from Harley-Davidson’s first V-Twin to a rideable Parts-bin Special assembled by a team of artists, just to see if they could.”
The art center goes on to state that the Main Gallery exhibition is “a glimpse into motorcycle culture and spirit [that] will come from paintings and sculptures by artists inspired by their own riding exploits. Each machine in the collection represents the vision of an individual of out running, out maneuvering or just out shining the field of stock machines.”
Over in the windowed West Gallery, Nicole Mueller’s Thresholds will include “a new body of paintings and site-specific installation [that] will transform the gallery into a shifting environment that addresses the transitional and intangible nature of spaces,” per the RAC. “Using cut layers of colored films, collage, and paint, Thresholds will activate the natural light and windows of the [RAC’s] West Gallery, combining the effects of stained glass with contemporary abstract painting.”
For his part, Stephen Namara’s solo exhibition will be displayed in the South Gallery and will include dry pigment works on paper. Per the RAC, further details will be forthcoming.
The fourth part of the RAC’s fall exhibition will be works resulting from its “Call for Graphic Art and Illustration.” Juried by Marvella Muro, director of Artistic Programs and Education at Self Help Graphics and Art in Los Angeles, the exhibition “will feature contemporary art by Californian graphic artists and illustrators who express vital messages and explore the concerns of our time,” according to the RAC.
The RAC’s hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The art center is closed on Sundays, Mondays and major holidays. For more info about the fall exhibitions or the RAC, contact 510.620.6772, [email protected] or click here.
