On January 26, 2015, the Californian (
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"Monterey Museum of art makes big gallery changes
Jan Austin 11:32 a.m. PST January 26, 2015
The Monterey Museum of Art is painting a new picture ... this time for itself.
"Upstairs our space has a brand new mission," said Karen Crews Hendon, chief curator. "We've dedicated this space to be a community gallery. It's really exciting that the Youth Arts Collective (YAC) is going to be our inaugural exhibition for that space."
"When I learned that the museum is going to dedicate some of its prime real estate to community art, I was very excited," said Ami Davis, Director of Education and Community Partnerships at MMA.
YAC is celebrating it's 15th year with this exhibition at MMA titled Evidence/Longevity/Celebration: Youth Arts Collective Alumni and Mentors. The works are by 33 artists, mentors and alumni of the organization.
"It's exciting for us to offer a gallery that is dedicated to community art-making and the next generation of artists," said Charlotte Eyerman, executive director of the museum. "Monterey has always been a magnet for artists. We recognize that YAC is such an important force on our cultural landscape. Art is for everyone."
One unique item is a life-like cheetah fashioned from pipe cleaners (chenille stems) by 23-year-old Lauren Ryan. In her skilled hands, the stems are curled, woven and bent to create a furry, believable animal. Ryan says she never uses glue because she feels that would be cheating. She rarely uses scissors.
Founded by Marcia Perry and Meg Biddle, YAC provides studio space, mentoring and community support for young artists aged 14-22 to practice their art. Professional artists provide mentoring in both art and life skills. YAC's motto is: "Do art. Be kind." YAC is located at 472 Calle Principal in Monterey.
"We will always be there for each other," said Biddle. "This is a lifetime relationship. Mentoring doesn't end once YACsters pass age 23. This is a place that has changed and sometimes saved lives."
"We're really focusing on Pacific Street as a community gathering place," said Eyerman. "Because our mission is to promote California art, past, present and future, we recognize that youth artists are the next generation. We're very happy to roll out our new community gallery with the YAC exhibit. We believe that art can transform people's lives. We want to show our commitment to the community and we've demonstrated that by opening up a community gallery."
The next exhibition slated for the community gallery will be with the Boys and Girls Club in May 2015.
MMA is also presenting a new, dynamic installation of their permanent collection showcasing their collections of photography, works on paper, and paintings.
"In our permanent collection gallery we wanted to give the community a taste of the incredible variety of our collections," said Eyerman. "The new installations here put forward the great strengths of our permanent collection. A permanent collection doesn't mean that it's never-changing, it means that we own the pieces and we're committed to taking care of them and sharing them with the public. There will be changes over time. A lot of these works haven't been seen."
MMA has a cataloged collection of more than 8,000 items.
This on-going installation provides a 360-degree view celebrating the strengths of the collection from the past to the present.
MMA is striving to provide a forum where art, ideas, and community intersect. In keeping with this, interactive spaces have now been integrated throughout the galleries and are dedicated to public response and participation.
"We want to engage visitors," said Eyerman. "We now have interactive opportunities for people to teach us about themselves."
One such feature is a large magnetic board where visitors can place a colored magnet in a column to indicate what they personally collect.
"We want people to understand that MMA is a collecting institution," said Eyerman. "Collecting is a human impulse. We collect art here. We want people to feel a connection to the museum. Coming to a museum isn't just a passive experience, you can engage here. The museum is a resource for everybody in the community. We're committed to having an accessible, welcoming, participatory experience here."