Written by:
kellym

Any idea how many pencils there are in an average art store?? Well, we’re going to find out on Sunday, April 20th when we conduct our annual storewide inventory.  We will be closing one hour early that day, at 4:00 p.m. instead of our usual 5:00 p.m., as we prepare to count every single item in our store!  Want to help?  Then come in this weekend and check out the clearance items and our new spring sale flier.  We’ll take 20% off any non-sale item in the store as a thanks for giving us one less thing to count!

Written by:
kellym

One of the great things about running an art store is getting to meet and work with so many terrific artists.  Occasionally, I am lucky enough to convince one of them to work for me for a while, until they become famous or get tired of counting pencils.  One of those terrific artists, who is very likely to become successful, if not famous, is Eva Speer, whose work is now being shown across the continent.  A graduate of Indiana University’s MFA program, she shows at Viveza, in Seattle and was recently profiled on Oregon Art Beat.  Having been lucky enough to participate in some morning discussions of philosophy and art theory, I can attest to the intellectual vigor that Ms. Speer brings to the table.  You can also see it in the energy she conveys when talking about art materials, especially paint, which contrary to the adage, is pretty damn interesting to watch dry.

Eva’s work is still developing, and it is entirely possible that we have not even seen what will become her recognized style.  That is the problem of having a surfeit of ideas in an industry which is agonizingly conservative and narrow minded.  Most people think of the art world as a bastion of liberality, but the reality is that gallery owners and collectors really don’t want to see an artists change and grow, but would rather see a stable, constant production of the same piece, over and over again.  Think of Chuck Close churning out the same portrait of his homely friends and you will get an idea of narrow intellectual conformity of the artiverse.  I don’t see Eva being so constrained, at least until she gets really tired of counting pencils. 

Several of Eva’s gouache/collage work can be seen in Portland Modern .

Written by:
kellym

If you haven’t received our current sales flier stop in the store and check out the great prices!  There is a $10 off coupon for purchases of $50 or more and big savings on our Traditional pre-stretch canvas, our 2oz acrylic tubes, and our 37ml oil paints.  Stock up for summer painting now!  Prices good through 4-13-08.  See you soon.

Written by:
kellym

Utrecht Art Supplies of Portland is proud to be hosting a group show of 44 artworks by nearly 40 women in honor of Women’s History Month.  Taking the title “Crone,” the show was inspired by the growing membership in our customer ranks of a class of mature women, often returning to (or arriving at) art after a long absence.  As a group, these women seemed to posess the traits of the wordly wise, and as we are always curious as to what our customers are making with all of their supplies, we decided to arrange a group show.  We did not really set a theme, but were simply interested in what these individuals were wanting to show the world.  Nor did we set any age restrictions, although the majority of contributions came from women in their 50’s. 

The work carries a wide range of styles and subjects, but much of it is figurative.  These images of women - portraits, nudes, and symbolic compositions -  show a sense of assuredness, of coming into their own.  There is no remnant of Picasso’s hysterical woman here, only self assuredness, confidence and humor. 

There are also references to nature, but not often in the manner of traditional landscape painting.  Instead the focus is on nature, on organisms, and the patterns of plantlife.

The individual artists have their own interesting stories.  Martha Reisdorf came to painting by the circuitous route.  After being diagnosed with a brain tumor and undergoing surgery, Martha’s vision was altered.  She enrolled in an art class as a part of her recovery and was hooked.   Stereotypes cannot be easily broken until there is concrete evidence that they are false.  Anyone who thinks women are timid nead only look at one of Martha’s paintings to see a concrete manifestation of a woman’s strength.

Many thanks to all of our participating artists - and special thanks to PNCA student Heather Birdsong for her outstanding organization and curatorial efforts in bringing about this show.

The exhibition will run through March 28th.

Written by:
kellym

The Utrecht Gallery may well be the most exlusive gallery in town!  It’s not that we try to be, it’s just that there is so much demand to hang a piece on our wall.  One of the perc’s of working at Utrecht is that, as an employee, you are entitled to have a show.  So we fill nearly half of our year with employee work.  We have a couple student shows each year, one usually curated by the Oregon College of Art and Craft.   For our very few remaining individual shows, we tend to try and show the work of graduating art students from PNCA, PSU or from area programs.  This is a reward for their generous support of us during their academic careers.   We are trying to have more large scale group shows, like our current exhibition Crone: Wise Women of the Northwest.   Our next, all inclusive, show will be our July Plein Air exhibition.  

Last year we had over 20 artists painting outdoors in the park blocks and hung a salon style landscape show. 

Then in November we will be holding our second Political Art Show.  This year is sure to be even more popular than our last  show.  Start your piece now!

Written by:
kellym

On the corner of Northwest 12th avenue and Hoyt street is the true gem of the Pearl District.  A refuge for the weary soul and a feast for the eyes, this art gallery/antique shop/sumptuous oasis is a not so hidden treasure that gives our neighborhood a touch of the genuine amidst the carefully calculated boutiques and overpriced restaurants.  While I very much enjoy the gallery scene, too often I find that I leave our local galleries feeling depressed, discouraged and dissed - the three d’s.  I suppose it is too much to expect warmth and friendliness from an art gallery, especially since I never buy anything, but one can hope. 

Where one can find a warm greeting, not only from the lovely people behind the counter, but also from the paintings on the walls, is at The Cultured Pearl (532 NW 12th Avenue).  Owned by Harvey and Steve, they have perfected the fortunate art of traveling to Europe to bring back an array of masterpieces that somehow slipped through the museums and collections of the old world. 

How they can assemble such a range of work and have it come out anything but a jumble is a testament to their collective eye and aesthetic.  Their shop is, in my mind, the greatest work of installation art that Portland has ever witnessed.  If you like painting, or have ever wondered what it would have been like to walk into an art gallery in Paris in 1896, then I encourage you to spend an hour at the “salon”.

It is really an amazing selection of work, from the very traditional to antique/contemporary.  And, surprisingly, most of the work is incredibly affordable.  So before you decide to drop six figures on that pile of postmodern pulchritude, go by The Cultured Pearl and ask yourself if you really wouldn’t rather live with one of their warm old friends.

Written by:
kellym

One of the great things about working at an art store is, of course, getting to work with artists.  Surprisingly, Utrecht isn’t much of a revolving door when it comes to our associates, and even our student employees tend to stick around for several years before moving on to greener (pthalo? viridian?) pastures.  One of our past employees, Mike Endo, has gone on to graduate school at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.  One of the great things about the internet and blogging is that now you can read someone’s diary without having to force the lock.  Mike has an interesting blog which he is using to chart his progress as a grad student and which is fascinating to observe if you are interested in the process of how an artist grows and evolves.  Take a look at http://www.cryingoflot49.blogspot.com/ and check out Mike’s progress.

Written by:
kellym

Our current winter sale ends on February 29th (that’s right, its a leap year) so stock up while prices are low.  150ml tubes of oils are 45% of list which means that large tube of Cobalt Blue will only be $32.99 instead of $59.99 list!  Series 1 paints like Titanium white are only $11.49 right now, so it is really a smart time to stock up.  And with crude oil prices going up, this is a great time to stock up on Acrylics - which are the real oil paint, after all!  A large tube of Titanium white acrylic is only $6.59 right now - that is an awesome deal! 

Written by:
kellym

Founded in 1990, Gallery 114 has been a constant beacon of individuality and artistic freedom in Portland’s Pearl District.  Most member run, cooperative galleries are lucky to last two years before the infighting and squabling  tear them apart, so it is a testament to the member artists that the gallery has continued to be a vital part of Portland’s art scene.  The gallery has also avoided the complacency of some co-ops, and the work on view is consistently of high quality and relevant to our region. 

So, on to our favorite artist, Kimber Shiroma.  She is, of course, our favorite, because she works with us here at Utrecht, where she is known as the Queen of the Count, and the God of Galkyd, among other things.  I was lucky enough to see one of the Robert Motherwell’s series, “Elegy to the Spanish Republic”, while on a business trip to Philadelphia, and came back to Kimber’s show with the painting fresh in my mind.  Her work was impactive, to say the least.  Looking at her large scale paintings, one can see a continuity with the history of abstract expressionism, but she clearly adds to the tradition.  The addition of fabric and hair, which are glued to the surface of the canvas, are not readily visible from a distant viewing, and as you are drawn in there is a paradoxical attraction/repulsion that goes on.  They imply an underlying complexity to all things, something visceral and filamental about nature.  They are beautiful paintings, and, like humans and other living organisms, they are constructed of things that, when explored too closely or squeezed too tight, make one go yuck. 

Written by:
kellym

E.B. White wrote a an essay after Charles Lindbergh’s successful flight across the Atlantic on the spirit of Me-Too-ism - the tendancy of individuals to claim some share of the success of another persons accomplishments.  Suddenly it was because of the Goodyear tires and Quaker oil that Lindbergh was able to accomplish his heroic flight.  With that in mind, I still have to admit that I was excited to see a huge, three page layout in the Sunday Oregonian that praised the accomplishment of artist Lucinda Parker upon her execution of a huge 10 foot by 40 foot painting commissioned by the Washington State Arts Commission for the new performing arts center at the Lower Columbia College in Longview.   The reason for my excitement?  Well, it was because I sold her the canvas it was painted on!  Now, trust me, I take no credit for this tremendous work of art, but it is difficult not to want to crow - “hey, that’s our canvas!”  That Ms. Parker could create such a monumental work is a wonder in and of itself, considering that she herself is only about half as tall as the painting.  The work’s title, “Where Water Comes Together with Other Water” touches upon the theme of confluence, which many Portland artists have been thinking about lately.  This is, perhaps, Portland’s best contribution to the arts right now, the idea that here, things can come together, and that together we may solve some of our common challenges.  I encourge you to take a look at the full article in the Oregonian, written by D.K. Row.  Unfortunately the online article does not reproduce the terrific photos by Benjamin Brink, but they are in the January 6th Sunday publication.