Word Perfect

Hi Everyone,

I’m having fun with art again and just curated an art show we titled “Word Perfect”. I love art with words in it, and I curate an art show every August for a wonderful gallery in San Francisco, the Andrea Schwartz Gallery. Andrea and I have a ball working on the show together. She very generously invites me to do a show in her gallery every year, to pick whatever theme I like and whatever artists. And this is the second time we’ve done one with art that involves words.

We pick the theme for the show in January, and start looking at artists’ work. I usually use one or two of the artists I represented at my gallery (Andrea took on many of my artists when I closed my gallery), and we use some of her artists that she represents as well. It’s a group show, which includes several artists’ work. After we decide on the artists for whatever theme we choose, we contact them, and ask them to be in the show, and in April or May we pick the pieces we want to show from the work they have available that is appropriate for the show. They send us their work in July, and around the first of August, I spend a day hanging the show, and deciding where everything goes. It is always so exciting to see the work once it arrives, and then to see how it all looks together. It always thrilled me to hang a show when I had my own gallery, and I enjoy it just as much when I do it now at Andrea’s gallery. Two days after we hang it, she gives a party for the opening of the show, with music, wonderful hors d’oeuvres, and wine. Usually one or several reporters and/or art critics are there the night of the opening, her client list, some of my friends and children, and it’s really a fun event.

There was some very interesting work in the show, and a lot of really fun pieces. There was a Buddha head (about 3 feet tall) that was carved from a block of books glued together that had been sanded down to look like wood. An amazing piece. Cara Barer transforms books into interesting shapes and then photographs them and her work was in the show, and a new artist that Andrea had found: Lucky Rapp, who does words on resin in monochromatic colors, and look as though they’re lacquered. She uses fun or thought-provoking words, like “Whatever” and ‘Hope”, or sayings like “Talk to me” and “Blah blah blah”. They looked terrific on the walls. There was a beautiful piece in subtle colors made up with collages, with the theme “Dream”. And a very humorous artist from Colorado, whose last name is Kunkel who combines funny sayings with fun paintings, and his work always makes me laugh. We also included one of Andrea’s artists in the show, Seamus Conley, who does surrealistic work that is truly beautiful. It all worked together really well, the show looked great, and the opening was lots of fun!! And I hung some of my own work in the show this time. For many years, I have looked for vintage letters, usually in bright colors, in wood, plastic and metal (from old signs mostly), and I make words with them. I had 3 words in the show “Word” and “Perfect” and “Wow”, and it was exciting to see my work in the show too.

I love keeping my hand in the art world, especially when I get to combine art with words!!! I loved curating the show, and hope to do one again next year!!!

love, danielle