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GRASS VALLEY:
206 West Main Street
Amanda Ganong and Julia Rose
“Linked to Nature” (more information here) A sculptural and interactive representation of my journey connecting with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our installation examines the deep human need to connect with nature, especially now that many social activities are on hold - and the sometimes unintended consequences of that interaction.
dAVID KING
"Guiding Light” (more information here) The star is often considered a symbol of truth, spirit and hope. They represent guidance, since the night sky has been regularly used as an orientation map. The star symbol embodies the notion of spiritual revelation in each of us. At this time in our lives we could all use more truth, hope, guidance and spirit.”herehereherehere
105 West Main Street
Nancy Mintz
“Ghost Leaves” (more information here) A sculptural installation made of brass, Japanese gampi paper, cordage., composed of numerous individual, translucent elements, which hang side-by-side in a curtain-like array. It intended to be displayed in a way that takes advantage of the passage of light (either natural or artificial) through the work. The sculptural elements hang freely, and are mobile if there is any air movement in the space.
Shelby Via
"Settling In The Unsettled” (more information here) A personal ode to my experience moving here to California right before the pandemic hit. The materials I’m using are acrylic on canvas and mixed media. I want to give the viewer insight into some of my mild madness that seems to 'spill' out no matter how hard I try to conceal it.herehereherehere
128 East Main Street
Al Martinez
“Fear Is A Mind Killer” (more information here) The bow of an old sailing ship with a siren calling as the figurehead and a brass spider web in the rigging. The Siren calls to our hopes and creative spirit. The web shows that we are being stifled due to this pandemic.here
NEVADA CITY:
217 Broad Street
April Durham and Bryan Gorrie
“Songs to Sing in Times of Sorrow” (more information here)
This media installation is a visual poem that uses cast off materials that cannot connect to the productive world of social networks and consumer goods. Salvaged wood, old tech, found images, and fragmented objects are recast in a theatre where longing and desire regenerate in the abandoned spaces of sociability and exchange. Lavender light speaks to potentials for transcendence while the pulsing rhythm of the silent films and hand-made slide projections generate their own kind of polyphonic music -- deeper and more sacred than Row Your Boat but not quite the Music of the Spheres. Surreal photomontage, partial ceramic faces, and a purple forest dreamscape hint at a world that could exist in the future or maybe only in the imagination.herehere
Alpha Building, 210 Broad Street
Tahiti Perhson
“The Big Wheel” is a large hand-cut paper installation. Each panel is hand-cut with hundreds of X-acto blades out of 100% Cotton paper in Perhson’s small Nevada City studio. The work was originally commissioned by Facebook for a private event at Moscone Center in San Francisco in 2018 and was exhibited at Art On Paper International Art Fair at Fort Mason in San Francisco later that year. The title was taken from the Class McCombs song “Big Wheel” and parts of the installation were used in the Cass McCombs video for the song “Sleeping Volcanoes” filmed at the dance studio of post-modern dance Icon Anna Halprin in Marin County.
Pehrson's installations have been featured in Viacom's Time Square HQ, and Facebook's Palo Alto HQ as well as Salon91 Gallery in Capetown, South Africa and South Korea's Daelim Museum.
Last year a permanent installation was installed at San Francisco International Airport's new Grand Hyatt terminal along with other prominent Bay Area artists.
Pehrson continues to live and work in Nevada City. (More information about Tahiti Pehrson here)
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra
Remember the Past—Embrace the Future (more information here) In one window is a design inspired by the Chinese author, Amy Tan and her book, “The Joy Luck Club,” a play CATS was due to perform in spring 2020, but which was postponed due to Covid. “The Joy Luck Club” is a story about healing and making peace between generations. On the opposite window, our installment is inspired by the Japanese Internment, or Japanese Incarceration, during WWII. The reality of incarceration of a people is very present today. There is nothing political about our designs. Rather, we hope they will stimulate thoughtful reflection. Our lead designer is Sovahn LeBlanc.
California Heritage Indigenous Research Project
Nisenan of the Nevada City Rancheria
“Pe’amen: An ‘extinct’ language” This exhibit briefly addresses forms of erasure. Who are without language, rituals and teachers. (Enjoy CHIRP’s video about “Pe’amen: An ‘extinct’ language” here.)herehereherehere
232 Commercial Street
Pamela Hodges
“Sacred Pool” (More information here) “Sacred Pool” is inspired by the idea that clear flowing water is nourishing and healing to the body, mind, and spirit. Pamela’s work as a glass artist spanned 26 years, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area, with commissions here in Nevada County that were similarly inspired by themes of water, most notably at the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. Since 2000, Pamela has been primarily a theatre artist designing, painting, and producing here in Nevada County. herehere
Why art in storefronts
In response to the economic downtown resulting from the COVID-19 public health crisis, Grass Valley-Nevada City Cultural District, led by Nevada County Arts Council and its partners, is once again stepping up, showing our community how vital and exciting the role of artists is when working in partnership with businesses.
“Project goals are threefold – we want to highlight innovation and the intersection of business and art within the Grass Valley-Nevada City Cultural District; provide visibility and a unique exhibition opportunity for artists; and provide visibility for our hard-hit downtown spaces and property owners.”
what is art in storefronts
Our new pilot project is called Art in Storefronts. Our partners include the Cities of Nevada City and Grass Valley, Nevada City Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Grass Valley Downtown Association and our project is supported by a grant from Nevada County Economic Resource Council.
From September 2020 onwards, artists and artist teams are partnering with local property and business owners to place site-responsive, temporary, art installations that stir the imagination and remind us what great downtown areas we have.
Installations will be shown in storefront windows that are vacant and, depending upon the property, they will be on display for varying lengths of time in downtown Grass Valley and Nevada City, from September – December 2020.
background
Our Art in Storefronts initiative follows a hybrid model of revitalization known globally as the ‘slack space movement’ in which – during recessions and depressions – the creative community forms partnerships with property owners to transform their storefronts, stimulating the imagination of those passing by, creating a sense of local industry, and maintaining the image of the property in its commercial setting.
With thanks
The Grass Valley-Nevada City Cultural District, Nevada County Arts Council and its partners are incredibly grateful to the Nevada County Economic Resource Council for its support of our pilot project as our founding sponsor. We also thank The County of Nevada for its generous contribution.
how to contribute
The COVID-19 pandemic wears on. While the end is not quite in sight, we welcome your contribution in the hope of expanding our project partnership over time. What does this look like? The transformation of empty commercial into exciting, inspiring, rentable properties where art and business drive our economy hand in hand.
Photo: Kial James