Past Exhibitions
2019 - 2020 Season
Ferrari Gallery
September 14, 2019 through January 12, 2020
My Hero! celebrates and re-envisions the possibilities that exist when you are a superhero. With images that range from humorous to tragic, artists explore our fascination with iconic heroes and challenge the ways in which they are typically perceived. An impressive roster of more than 40 nationally and internationally known artists are presented in this exciting exhibition that was organized by Carrie Lederer, Curator of Exhibitions, Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA. www.bedfordgallery.org
Jamey Brzezinski: Retrospection
January 22 – March 22, 2020
Our focus on important Central Valley artists is a solo retrospective exhibition this season, featuring works by painter Jamey Brzezinski. With a long history as a leading faculty member in the art department at Merced College, Jamey is also a highly acclaimed artist with works in public and private collections throughout the state and beyond. The main thrust of Jamey’s art examines the act of perception, the moment when what we are looking at gains meaning. A love of traditional picture making, coupled with an interest in contemporary and Post-modern concepts, are fused in his paintings.
Virtual Exhibition Gallery
Firing Imagination: Contemporary Ceramics & Glass is a juried exhibition intended to highlight the demanding technical aspects and the wide variety of creative exploration possible in these challenging media. Works in any glass or ceramic technique, including mixed media works that feature glass or ceramic elements, were considered eligible for the show. During the winter, entries were accepted from throughout the Western United States. The show was juried by well-known artists Susannah Israel and Otto Rigan in early March, with 51 works by 26 artists selected for the exhibition.
Farms & Fields is an annual juried exhibition that celebrates the variety and importance of agriculture in the Central Valley. Typically, the exhibition is scheduled to coincide with the Stanislaus County Fair, but like most things this summer, plans have changed. Due to continued public health restrictions on business operations, plans for displaying the 46 selected works have shifted the show here - in our Virtual Exhibition Gallery instead of on the walls of our physical galleries.
Click here to see more about the exhibition along with images from the artists.
Welcome to the region’s foremost presentation of new work by California artists. Building on a tradition of more than 30 years, the Carnegie Arts Center is proud to continue honoring the very best in the visual arts. From the original Spring Juried Art Show, long hosted in the old Carnegie building by the Turlock City Arts Commission, to the new Carnegie Art Showcase, our annual juried exhibition has continually strived to increase awareness, encourage creativity, and feature great quality. Under the shadow of the global pandemic, we have proceeded with caution in bringing the show together.
Working remotely, our esteemed panel of jurors selected 84 works — from among the more than 200 submitted — for the exhibition. With face masks on and hand-sanitizer at the ready, they reviewed and chose the award-winning pieces in person. We are excited at the level of diversity present in the works selected, and we believe all visitors will be delighted and impressed with this showcase of talent. Enjoy!
Click here to see more about the exhibition along with images from the artists.
Lobby Galleries
Lower Lobby
October 16, 2019 through January 26, 2020
Heroes Real & Imagined, an all-media juried exhibition that asks artists to consider the idea of a hero from any angle. Why do some people or the ideas they represent become heroic to individuals or communities? Submissions included representations of mythic heroes, cultural icons, personal mentors, and civic figures. “Responses to this call for entries varied widely – as we had hoped they would,” says Carnegie Director Lisa McDermott. “The result is highly personal to the artists but does speak volumes about what we prioritize in our heroes. Nearly all the works included in the exhibition represent good intentions and selfless behavior as the core values in heroism.”
The exhibition selection was juried by Flora Carter, Professor of Humanities at Modesto Junior College. Carter teaches several classes, including Introduction to Humanities, East Meets West, and Introduction to World Mythology. She was an Arts Program Coordinator at the Boulder Assembly of the Arts and Humanities in Colorado, and she was an Associate Curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
Artists include: Leslee Adams (Modesto), Frank Ayala (Merced), Timothy Brown, Jr. (Turlock), Susan Conner (Altaville), Chloe Fonda (Oakdale), Harold George (Turlock), Magdalena Gonzales (Turlock), Don Hall (Turlock), Christine Harvey (Modesto), Tiffanie Heben (Tracy), Sue Jenkins (Scranton, PA), Judy Knott (Galt), Kathleen McLaughlin (La Mesa), Andrea Morris (Lodi), Geri Patterson-Kutras (Morgan Hill), Daniel Ryan (Columbia), Michael Souza (Turlock).
Upper Lobby
Roger Wyan, Anselmo Leon, photograph
October 16, 2019 through January 26, 2020
The photo-essay Sacred Spaces: Honoring the Final Journey by Merced photographer Roger Wyan. Working with Kathleen Stefani of Hinds Hospice in Merced, Roger photographed patients involved in hospice care during the final stages of their lives. The images are intimate and poignant; the stories and interviews recorded with the patients and their family members are life-affirming. Wyan states: “My hope is this project conveys that people are so much more than the final chapter in their lives. We are the summation of a life lived. Dying is just one part, albeit a major part, of our entire story.” Each of the photographic stories is accompanied by excerpts from interviews with the patient or his/her family members. Several also have audio excerpts from the interviews available to stream from the Carnegie’s website while viewing the show. Wyan feels that listening the voices behind the images provides for the most complete and compelling experience.
The Photo Collective Members’ Show
February 5 – May 24, 2020
The Carnegie Arts Center presents an exhibition of works created by members of The Photo Collective. This regional photography group holds an annual exhibit of members’ work and we are proud to feature it in our Lobby Galleries this spring. The 40 works by 12 photographers demonstrate a variety of creative approaches and unique perspectives. Color, black and white, and digitally enhanced images are included.
For more information on the Photo Collective, visit them at http://www.photocollective.org
Yosemite Renaissance 35
August 12 - October 4, 2020
Once again the Carnegie Arts Center is presenting our annual youth art exhibition, a unique opportunity for our region’s creative young people. We were forced by current public health concerns to move the show to our Virtual Exhibition Gallery, but we’ve had tremendous response and are excited for a lively, diverse and enjoyable array of artistic expression.
62 students, ages 6-17, sent in their work for our show. 116 pieces in a variety of media were received and are on display in our virtual gallery.
