Abstracted Dream Scapes curated by Billy Kroft
Opening Party: Friday, August 14, 6:00-8:00pm
The Nest is excited to present an exhibition of work by artists from Thin Ice Collective curated by Billy Kroft. Thin Ice Collective is an Oakland based group of artists that grew out of Auto 3321 Gallery in 2006. The gallery, which Kroft curated with Tracy Timmins, was a founding member of the popular Oakland "Art Murmur" events. Besides their exhibitions in Oakland, they have shown as a group in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and Hamburg Germany.
Exhibition artists Include: Uri Kron, Billy Kroft, Catherine Ryan, Zefrey Throwell, Tracy Timmins, Jesse Meltzer, and Dominic Scarola
Young Folks
July 3 to July 31
Napa's popular alternative art space, the Nest, has moved to a temporary new space in downtown Napa. The gallery at 1144 Main Street (formerly Twenty-Six) is their new home through July. The Nest sent out a call for artists under 30 in Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties in order to celebrate the next generation of artists and musicians in the North Bay. The entries were judged and cash prizes will be awarded from the Nest Egg Fund.
Artists include: Adam M. Price, Courtney McCutcheon, Amy Hoeck, Devon Doss, Julie Craig, Jacqui Whitlock, Willis Mattei, Marie Shelley, Hugo Corro, Brian Werle, john ruszel, JR. Potter, Lily Ann Page, Sarah A. Mones, Akayo, Kristina McDonald
The One and the Many
May 14 to June 21, 2009
NapaNest is closing its space on Atlas Peak Rd, but they have managed to pull off one last exhibition featuring local artists. From May 14 to June 21 the gallery will resemble an Indonesian temple—with photographs and artifacts from Solano College Photography Department's recent trip to Indonesia with instructor Ron Zak. The show title, The One and the Many, reflects the diversity of religion, scenery, culture and craft that exists on this string of fascinating islands.
Since 1992 Ron Zak has taken photography students on annual trips to such scenic locations as China, Cuba, Greece, and India. The group's 2008/09 journey took them to the lush exotic islands of Indonesia. Photographers include Kirsten Berg, George Cagwin, Marti Cagwin, Kathleen Carter, Zanne Clark, Patty Daffurn, Maria Fulmer, Maureen Kelly, Courtney McCutcheon, Don McGee, Jessica Neasbitt, Helen Roe, Ann Trinca, Thomas Trippe, Jacqui Whitlock, Mary C. Woodward, and Ron Zak.
The national motto of Indonesia is "Bhinneka tunggal ika" -"Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one". Intrigued by this concept, Nest curator Ann Trinca invited family and friends to create an art object in response to one of her photos from the trip. Their works including poetry, memories, sculptures, photographs, and video will also be on view.
The Nest decides to show some decorum!
An opening "ceremony" will take place Saturday, March 21, 4:00-6:00 pm.
NAPA, CA — This may not be the time to bank on champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but elegance is always in style. For us, elegance suggests the chandelier, and chandeliers suggest light, architecture, delicacy, femininity, ballrooms, and the past. Our upcoming exhibition, DECORUM: lipstick, crowns, and chandeliers, allows us all to indulge a few highflown royal fantasies. An opening "ceremony" will take place Saturday, March 21, 4:00-6:00 pm.
The show will include North Bay artists Nancy Willis, Kana Tanaka, Carl Dern, Ann Weber, Mary Jane Wood, and Nina Zaslove, plus special guest artists, create stunning "objet d'art" that reflect the universal appeal of those pretty hangy things.
Nancy Willis is a well-known St. Helena artist who teaches at Napa Valley College and Nimbus Arts. Her frequent travels to France imbue her work with a transcendent feeling of infinity and grace. She states, "In my work, I create a sense of place, where the themes of beauty and visibility can inhabit." Willis will present new solarplate etchings and create a lipstick chandelier on the wall of the gallery.
Kana Tanaka, is a Japanese artist living in Richmond. She creates delicate and nearly invisible glass installations that challenge perceptions of light with moments of reflection. Kana says "Glass is the net with which I take the experience of light and share it with others. When I see the reflections of my pieces in my audience's eyes, the communication process becomes complete.
The exhibition will also include inspired chandeliers and lamps by Fairfax sculptor Carl Dern in collaboration with Oakland artist Ann Weber as well as luminous new photographs by Nest collaborator Nina Zaslove and incredible handcrafted crowns by Mary Jane Wood.
The objects in the shop set the tone for our nod to French Style. You'll find not-so-shabby-chic gifts and home decor, jewelry, furniture, and the usual surprises! During the month of April, the Nest will host a Tiara/Crown Workshop and Swingin Chandelier Making Party just in time for Mother's Day. Watch the website www.napanest.com for more information and registration.
The Nest is a gathering place to experience art, showcase local talent, and inspire future generations. Our mission is to live creatively and give generously. A portion of profits are set aside to build the "Nest Egg" grants which will be awarded to local artists and arts organizations through the Arts Council of Napa Valley.
You can visit between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Thursday thru Sunday. The Nest is located at 1019 Atlas Peak Rd behind Jessel Gallery in Napa, CA. Visit www.napanest.com or call 707/255-7484 for directions.
The Nest in Napa gets back to basics with "Meat and Potato"
Opening: Saturday, January 24 from 4:00-6:00 pm - Exhibition through March 15, 2009
Dec 22, 2008 — A group of meat-centric artists and writers come together as part of a new culinary theme at the Nest. Meat and Potato curated by Ashley Teplin and Ann Trinca opens on Saturday, January 24 from 4:00-6:00 pm in conjunction with the official Napa release party for Meatpaper, Issue #6. Join us for a creative exploration of meat culture plus incredible French fries from the Scratch N' Sniff TV guys, chaucuterie by the Fatted Calf, and surprises from the Secret Eating Society (shhhhh).
The Nest is delighted to host the Napa release of their favorite meat culture magazine, Meatpaper. Editors Sasha Wizansky and Amy Standen are on Issue #6 of their investigation of what they see as a "growing cultural trend of meat consciousness". They observe that many of us are seeking a closer relationship with what we eat, and finding in that relationship a source of new insight and creative inspiration.
The exhibition, on view through March 15, will feature paintings and photographs by Ashley Teplin and Tom Patton, video by John Porter McMeans, and objects from Heritage Culinary Artifacts and Sweet Meats. Ashley Teplin stands astride two worlds, with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America (N.Y.) and a fine art degree from UCLA. Her artwork is a gut reaction to the textures and colors of the meat she has handled and prepared many times as a chef. She breaks down the visual elements into a palatable abstraction, pointing out the disengagement of the product from the source.
Artist Tom Patton heads the photography department at CSU Chico and works with BA, BFA and MFA students. His own work has been shown in over 250 exhibitions and 60 publications. His Meat pictures are ripe with contradiction; they are beautiful, yet grotesque. Their underlying quirkiness allows them to neither affirm nor condescend about the industries that created these meats. He states, "To me, these images are weird and witty, simultaneously reverent and irreverent and employ the fascination/repulsion that humans have with things that we put into our bodies."
Lisa Minucci, owner of Heritage Culinary Artifacts (in the Oxbow Market) will help us install a tableau of kitchen cutlery and cooking paraphernalia. Our friends at Sweet Meats will be selling their Meat Medley plush toys and buttons and the Nest will be filled with vintage kitchenware and culinary goodies. Where's the potato? Listen and watch a choir of potatoes sing "The Potato Song" written by Cheryl Wheeler and animated by John Porter McMeans—a sensory experience you'll never forget!
The Nest is a vision shared by our community—a gathering place to experience art, showcase local talent, and inspire future generations. Our mission is to live creatively and give generously. A portion of profits are set aside to build the "Nest Egg" grants which will be awarded to local artists and arts organizations through the Arts Council of Napa Valley.
You can visit between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Thursday—Saturday to feather your nest with artful treasures. The Nest is located at 1019 Atlas Peak Rd behind Jessel Gallery in Napa, CA. Call 707/255-7484.
Making Merry at the Circus and Carnival
Thursday, November 13-January 15, 2009
NAPA, CA - Napa's unique art house, the Nest, is celebrating the colorful world of the circus and carnival with its new theme BRIGHT LIGHTS : BIG TOP. The space will be transformed into a spinning, whirling, ride of art and fun merchandise. An opening reception will be held Thursday, November 13 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Enjoy accordion music, popcorn and carnival games. The exhibition runs through January 15, 2009.
Exhibiting artists include Nest founder Norma Quintana. Quintana has spent over ten years following and photographing the circus, earning the trust and respect of her subjects. Her luminous portraits of life behind the scenes are a loving history of extended family, of another way of living in the world. Quintana works solely in black-and-white and uses only available light. She creates dark, rich, masterful photographs with an ageless, classic purity. Collaboration is essential to her process. The images, Quintana insists, would not be possible without her subjects' willingness to reveal themselves.
Also on view are the saturated, up-close-and-personal American Carnival Portraits of Linda Kramer. Growing up in Pleasant Hill and now living in Alameda, she remembers carnivals as a big part of her childhood.
For flight attendant Linda Kramer, the American carnival is a place to capture souls in transit. "My job is constantly interacting with people," she says, and that influences her photographs as well. "I think that's part of the excitement for me, being able to connect with someone out of nowhere, having them trust me, and then getting a great shot. It's like going into this makeshift little town that pops up, and going away with the biggest prize ever."
Prizes and treasures abound in the Nest's consignment store, featuring Napa's finest vintage and handcrafted gifts. Make this holiday unique by giving a gift that gives back to local arts. A portion of profits are set aside to build the "Nest Egg" grants which will be awarded to local artists and arts organizations through the Arts Council of Napa Valley.
We're now open Thursday! You can visit between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. The Nest is located at 1019 Atlas Peak Rd behind Jessel Gallery in Napa, CA. Visit www.napanest.com, or call 707/255-7484.
![[Photo] INSTANT ERA](images/exhibitions/instant_era_9-08.jpg)
The Nest in Napa looks back on an "Instant Era"
September 11-October 31
NAPA, CA — This Fall, the Nest will be celebrating the soon-to-be-extinct original Polaroid with an exhibition called "Instant Era". In the gallery we will be featuring Polaroids by artists from the new book For the Love of Light. In the retail shop, we will capture memories of the colorful sixties with mod jewelry, furniture and accessories.
The opening party is Thursday, September 11 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Become an instant celeb in the Warhol photo booth, spot your friends on the "Locals Only" wall, and enjoy eats by YES Chef.
Art, fashion, and design during the early sixties took on euphoric leap into futurism. A pervasive attitude in post WWII America was that the future would be as convenient as your new Amana Radarange and as satisfying as a Polaroid photo developed right in your hand.
In 1960, Edwin Land approached the Henry Dreyfuss design company to collaborate on a camera design, the result of which was the Automatic 100 Land Camera and then Polaroid Swinger camera in 1965. The black and white Swinger camera sold for under $20 and was a big hit with consumers.
Artists also embraced this new gadget and have been experimenting with it ever since. The Polaroid camera combined two of Andy Warhol's obsessions--the disposable nature of modern consumerism and the photograph as ready-made. A relentless user of Polaroid cameras, he made tens of thousands of instant photographs during the 1970s.
Like Warhol, the international group of photographers in this exhibition has a passion for the light and colors captured on instant film. Artists include Jenifer Altman, Anna L. Beard, Mat Denney, Jennifer Evans, Jen Gotch, Anna-Kathrin Koch, Monika Elena Kost, Nanako Koyoma, Fernanda Montoro, Mia Moreno, and Anne Naumann. We will also have a "Locals Wall" for anyone who wants to drop off or mail in their favorite Polaroid.
The Nest is a gathering place to experience art, showcase local talent, and inspire future generations. Our mission is to live creatively and give generously. A portion of profits are set aside to build the "Nest Egg" grants which will be awarded to local artists and arts organizations through the Arts Council of Napa Valley.
You can visit between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Nest is located at 1019 Atlas Peak Rd behind Jessel Gallery in Napa, CA. Visit www.napanest.com, or call 707/255-7484.
![[Photo] Apollonia Morrill, Metals Bank Building, Butte Montana, 2002](images/exhibitions/apollonia_morrill_radiator_7-08.jpg "Apollonia Morrill, Metals Bank Building, Butte Montana, 2002")
Apollonia Morrill, Metals Bank Building,
Butte Montana, 2002
WESTERN SPLENDOR
Exhibition: June 19 thru August 31, 2008
Opening Reception: Sunday, July 20, 2008, 3-5pm
Film and photography Apollonia Morrill and John Lightfoot; Heart of the Atacama By Norma I. Quintana
There is no place as unique and wonderful as the American West. At the Nest, we are featuring art, craft, and creative accessories that reflect the history, style, and allure of the Wild West region.
![[Photo] Apollonia Morrill, Metals Bank Building, Butte Montana, 2002](images/exhibitions/norma_quintana_atacama.jpg "Norma Quintana, Atacama Cacti, 2007")
Norma Quintana, Atacama Cacti, 2007
"A Rare and Desolate Beauty" is a short documentary by Berkeley artist John Lightfoot about the town of Butte, Montana. This film, made between 1997 and 2002, looks at the evolution of what was once the largest and most notorious copper boomtown in the U.S., home to hundreds of saloons, brothels, and more recently the celebrity daredevil Evel Knievel.
The exhibition also features Apollonia Morrill's photographs of the Metals Bank building (built in 1906) in Butte Montana. The unoccupied top floor of this once active building presents a rich selection of surfaces for Morrill's detailed eye.
"Heart of the Atacama" introduces a new series of photographs by Nest founder Norma I. Quintana. Coincidentally, the Anaconda Mining company that ran the copper mine in Butte Montana, also operated an even larger mine in Chuquicamata, Chile, just east of where Quintana captured these stunning desert landscapes.
Click here for more info about Lightfoot and Morrill
![[Photo] Avant-Garden Exhibition](images/home/avant-garden.jpg "Avant-Garden Exhibition")
Avant-Garden
Exhibition: May 15 thru June 24, 2008
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 15, 2008, 6-8pm
Live music by songstress María Márquez and nibbles by YES chef.
The French term Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". In English, it refers to a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo. This is what the founders of the Nest are doing with their latest theme—borrowing an expression from the art world and expanding its reach to the natural world. The artists in the Nest's Avant-Garden show each push flora beyond the typical still life, nature photo, or garden ornament. Works include paintings and installation by artist Carrie Lededer, multiple exposure photographs by Lewis deSoto, and sculptural blossoms by Joyce Hsu.
![[Photo] Natural History](images/exhibitions/natural_history3-08.jpg "Natural History Exhibition")
Natural History
Exhibition: March 6 thru April 27, 2008
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 6, 2008, 6-8pm
Art by Joy Broom, Rob Keller and Valerie Raven. Reception music by Sound Anatomy Delicious and food by YES Chef.
![[Photo] Shanghai Chic](images/exhibitions/shanghai_chic1-08.jpg "Shanghai Chic Exhibition")