Muralist Brown has first gallery exhibition in Palo Alto

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 19, 2003

THE humorous murals along Palo Alto's University Avenue have brought artist Greg Brown national recognition. He painted those murals in 1975-76 as part of an Artist in Residence program. Brown is enjoying his first gallery exhibition in "Greg Brown: Unlikely Saints" at the Palo Alto Art Center. The exhibition depicts some of Brown's friends and acquaintances in a series of 12 oil paintings over gold leaf. Included, too, are fragments from a deconstructed Palo Alto mural; "San Miguel Boxerman," a 7-foot colonialist style painting from 1995; the drawing on paper "Susan Inadvertently Witnesses the Altercation; and two of Brown's moveable narrative screens, "The Voyeur and the Saboteur Pig" from 1977 and "Don Diego Loves Frida," done in 1998. The artist was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., but has lived in Palo Alto since he was 2. Creating murals on both exterior and interior walls are still a passion for him. His collections include the Bank of America in San Francisco, Atari in Santa Clara, Technique D'Avant Garde in Paris and The Regent of Washington, D.C., among many others. He has said, "My desire is to lead people to discover the positive elements of humanity on a very human scale." "Greg Brown: Unlikely Saints" will continue through Sept. 7. Two programs are associated with the exhibition. The Children's Corner and Family Guide includes a children's drawing area, available during gallery hours, and a Family Guide, a free book full of activities to do in connection with walking tours of Greg Brown murals around Palo Alto. Also, beginning July 21, there will be an artist-in-residence mural class, mural walking tour and reception. Brown will lead a mural-making class for youngsters ages 9 to 14, which will conclude in an "unveiling" reception of the final children's mural. Call (650) 329-2366 for more information about the two-week class. The Palo Alto Art Center is at 1313 Newell Road. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, with evening hours from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

Group shows at Gallery House

"The Third Dimension" brings together ceramics, sculpture, assemblage and jewelry at Gallery House in Palo Alto. The group show features work by 13 3D gallery artists.

Peninsula artists Jan Beyer, Barbara Brown, Pola Harrel, Swanica Ligtenberg, Cristina Macphherson, Pat Oyama, Theresa Robinson, Lidija Tkalcevic and Sue Toorans have works in the 3D show.

Concurrently on view is a group show featuring 2D work by 24 gallery artists. That all-media show includes painting, mixed media, collage, graphics and photography.

Gallery House is at 320 California Ave., Palo Alto, in the Printer's Inc. Cafe. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. "The Third Dimension" and the 2D show continue through June 28. For more information, call (650) 326-1668 or visit the Web site at www.galleryhouse2.com

Indoor sculpture biennial

The City of Santa Clara's second biennial Indoor Sculpture Exhibition is on view through Sept. 30 at Santa Clara City Hall. San Mateo sculptor Robert Wilkinson, who has a studio at the 1870 Art Center in Belmont, has been selected as one of the show's artists. His exhibited work is "Florescence," sculpted in walnut.

Santa Clara City Hall is at 1500 Warburton Ave., across from the Triton Museum. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call (408) 615-2219.

Employing recurring patterns

At the Triton Museum

through Aug. 24 is "Patterns: Selections from the Permanent Collection." The exhibition explores the ways artists use recurring patterns in their work.

Among the artists included in the exhibition are Charles Strong, Iku K. Nagai, Kate Delos, Joe Price, Robert Smith, John Sacarro, Nelia Me and Phe Ruiz.

The Triton Museum of Art is at 1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara. It's open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with evening hours until 9 p.m. Thursdays. Admission is free. For more information, call (408) 247-3754 or visit the Web site at www.tritonmuseum.org

Techniques for watercolors

At the next meeting of the Society of Western Artists, Jan Pollard will demonstrate watercolor techniques. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Society of Western Artists Center, 300 Piedmont Ave., Building E, Suite 500, San Bruno.

The SWA meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, call Esther Pava at (650) 591-0962.

Information on visual and literary arts can be sent to Bonny Zanardi, San Mateo County Times, 1080 S. Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94402, faxed to (650) 348-4446 or

e-mailed to Bzanardi@aol.com .