Art/Act: Local – Sea Change
Art/Act: Local – Sea Change is a new iteration of the David Brower Center’s annual juried exhibition of work by Bay Area artists. For the first time, this show will feature work by five artists, based on their current portfolio, and include at least one new work per artist, inspired by and addressing ocean conservation. Sea Change will examine the negative changes we are currently experiencing in the world’s oceans, and the positive changes we hope to achieve in the future.
The artists selected for Sea Change are photographer Barbara Boissevain, printmaker and painter Sukey Bryan, public environmental artist Lauren Elder, sculptor Ethan Estess, and printmaker Sarah Newton.
The Brower Center’s Executive Director, Laurie Rich, says “The five Bay Area artists featured in Sea Change continue in David Brower’s tradition of employing art for conservation. The safeguarding of sea turtles portrayed by Lauren Elder, the ocean-themed installation from Sukey Bryan, the South Bay salt pond grids of Barbara Boissevain, the foreshore Bay Trail drawings of Sarah Newton, and the waves fashioned by Ethan Estess from reclaimed fishing rope, are all art of advocacy. While our world may be as tumultuous as the ocean herself, these Bay Artists embody the endless hope found in the tenacity of Earth.”
Every spring the Brower Center presents Art/Act: Local, a juried exhibition featuring work by emerging and mid-career Bay Area artists. Rather than selecting works by approximately 20 artists responding to a theme, as in previous years, the Brower Center decided to re-imagine the exhibition’s format to provide expanded insight into the work of the selected artists. By presenting multiple works by only a handful artists and commissioning them to create new work for the exhibition, the Brower Center aims to present a more impactful exhibition with Sea Change that connects viewers more deeply to each artist’s perspective.
* Due to unforeseen building repairs, a portion of the Hazel Wolf Gallery closed beginning Mon, May 20. All of Lauren Elder’s work and a few pieces by Barbara Boissevain are no longer on view; the rest of Art/Act: Local – Sea Change remains up through May 29. Thank you for your understanding.
Image: Oshio no. 5, reclaimed fishing rope on wood panel, 2018 by Ethan Estess