1989-1990
Fall 1989
PaintForum
10/10-11/30
Artists include Katherine Bazak, Harry Fonseca, Mildred Howard, Betty Kano, George Longfish, Jean Lowe, Judy North, Christopher L. Porter, Raymond Saunders, Mary Snowden, Paul Wonner.
A gathering of art reflecting diverse approaches to the medium of paint. The visual experiences, enhanced by the verbal, created a kind of dialog about paint for the viewer and participants. Betty Kano, New York, New York, 1986. Acrylic on canvas, 4'x8' diptych. Public reception for PaintForum with presentations by Christopher Porter, Katherine Bazak, Judy North, Betty Kano and Mildred Howard answering questions, 10/22. Companion exhibition: A portion of PaintForum was displayed at Apple Computer, Inc. Artists: Katherine Bazak, Harry Fonseca, and Mildred Howard. 1-3/90. Video: Sixty-second spot of PaintForum. Production by Mark Gomez. Aired on cable. Later, De Anza College Television Center received First place award in Public Service Announcement category from the International Television Association "Golden Vision Awards* for the one minute promotional video for PaintForum, directed by Mark Gomes, 12/7/90.
Fund-raiser/exhibition at board member James E. Jackson's house. Art by Randy Shiroma, Mimi Chen Ting, Anita Lappi, Therese May, Theresa Robinson, Diane Cassidy, Claude Ferguson. 9/28/89.
Winter 1990
Drawing from Experience: Artists over Fifty
1/2-2/22
Artists include Herminia Albarran, Robert Arneson, Ruth Asawa, Huellar Banks, John Coplans, Ben Eisenstat, Jane Sperry Eisenstat, Elizabeth Layton, Dorothy Mayers, Yukiko Sorrell, Saul Steinberg, Wayne Thiebaud, Francisco Zuniga.
An exhibition presenting some 850 years of life experience, bringing together artists of different backgrounds and attitudes, and honoring changes that occur in artists' work as they age. The artists brought different cultural and geographic perspectives from their studios across the United States and Mexico.
BOOK: Drawing from Experience: Artists over Fifty, 1990. Produced and edited by Jan Rindfleisch with Patricia Albers in conjunction with the Euphrat exhibition. Presents years of life experiences, bringing together artists of different backgrounds and attitudes. See PUBLICATIONS. Public reception for Drawing from Experience: Artists over Fifty, presentations by Ben and Jane Sperry Eisenstat, Dorothy Mayers, Yukiko Sorrell, Herminia Albarran, Huellar Banks. 1/21.
Workshop for seniors. Artist Mimi Chen Ting conducted an experimental workshop for a group of seniors. The finished art was incorporated into the Drawing from Experience exhibition. 1/31. Slide presentation by Ben and Jane Sperry Eisenstat. 2/11. Companion exhibition of works of Hueller Banks in the Learning Center as part of Black History Month.
Video: Sixty-second spot of Drawing from Experience: Artists over Fifty. Production by Mark Gomez. Aired on cable.
Spring 1990
Room for Art: Works from Private Collections
3/13-4/12
Artists include Anonymous, Eddie Arning, Mary Bates, Romare Bearden, Vija Celmins, Kate Delos, Marita Dingus, Jacob Lawrence, Barbara Leventhal-Stern, John de Marchi, Ronna Neuenschwander, Deborah Oropallo, Nam June Paik, Sebastiao Salgado, Raymond Saunders, Randall Shiroma, Wolf von dem Bussche, and others.
Painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and works in fiber from private collections in Northern Califoma. The exhibition addressed different approaches to collecting, the kinds of study involved in developing collections, and connections between collectors and artists whose work they collect. Photo: Romare Bearden, Sunday Morning at Avila. 14"x18", Collection of Mary Parks Washington.
Public reception for Room for Art: Works from Private Collections, 4/5. Presentations by Barbara Leventhal-Stern and collector/artist/teacher Cozetta Guinn. Videos: Sixty-second spot of Room for Art: Work from Private Collections, production by Mark Gomez, aired on cable. As part of the Drawing from Experience exhibition, Artist Huellar Banks's interview appeared on the Channel 7 evening news, mid-January. The "Better Part," a video team from the Cupertino Senior Center, produced a half-hour program on the Drawing from Experience exhibition. Aired 5/29, 6/22, on Channel 30, additional cable channels. Half-hour video was composed from most recent spots.
Jennifer Small, untitled, c. 1990. Tiny rapid ink drawing on scrap paper, less than 1-inch-square. Small was Assistant to the Director during 1989 and 1990, helping to guide us through years of tremendous growth for the Euphrat as we branched out. Small created the drawing quickly to counter a frustrating experience trying to organize an event.
As creatives, we came up with ways to quickly recover from frustrations with people or institutions. We might place a scrap of paper with a difficult person’s name on it against a small mirror, which we then hid in our desk drawer as a secret wish for them to self-reflect and correct course. Then onward with our projects. We also kept a “good letter” file of positive, appreciative communications to lift spirits on particularly bad days.