Art: Upcoming Exhibits

By Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson
If you live in Northern California or will be passing through in the next few months, I recommend two upcoming exhibits featuring Adventist artists Thomas Morphis and Vernon Nye:

ConstructionsJenny Honnert Abell, Marya Korgstad, and Thomas MorphisApril 22 – July 1, 2007Artists’ Talk: Wednesday, May 2, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Berkeley Art Center1275 Walnut Street, Berkely CA 94709(510) 644-6893
Thomas Morphis, professor of art at Pacific Union College and several-time cover artist for Spectrum, joins Bay Area artists Jenny Honnert Abell and Marya Korgstad in an exhibit at the Berkeley Art Center. “The physical and psychological processes of assembly are explored in Constructions, an exhibition of collages, found objects and installations…. The artists, selected from the Fall 2006 Members’ Showcase finalists, gather disparate materials including architectural features, magazine clippings, fabric, and twigs to create works that convey experiences of memory, loss, whimsy, and regret.” (Source: Berkeley Art Center)
And, just in case you missed it, here’s my interview with Morphis from last October.

Celebrating 90: New Work, Vernon NyeApril 21 – May 13, 2007Rasmusssen Art Gallery, Pacific Union CollegeOpening reception April 21, 1:00 – 5:00 pmMore info: (707) 965-7362
Longtime watercolorist and retired PUC professor Vernon Nye exhibits new work at Pacific Union College. “Vernon Nye has contributed greatly to California watercolor painting
and was one of the key artists to emerge on the West Coast during the
Post World War II era,” according to California & American Art.
Nye studied art with Eliot O’Hara, Roy Mason, Ted Kautzky and Harry Anderson. He began his art career by as a book illustrator for the Review and Herald Publishing Association. Later, he moved to Northern California and became chairman of the art department at Pacific Union College. He also taught watercolor classes on the Mendocino Coast. In addition, Nye created posters for the U.S. Treasury Department and the Department of Defense and held the position of staff illustrator for the Federal Civil Defense Department. Last year, the classroom in Pacific Union College’s Rasmussen Art Gallery was dedicated as the “Vernon Nye Lecture Hall.” Nye is now retired, but he continues to paint and exhibit his work in California galleries.