In the Press
Director and Resident Artist in "Studio Series"
ENCINITAS, CA — (June 9, 2010) — Lux Art Institute announces the final "Studio Series" of the 2009/2010 Season on Thursday, June 24. The public is invited to join the museum for an evening of art and conversation with Lux Director Reesey Shaw who will lead an interactive discussion and Q & A with Berlin-based resident artist Sati Zech about the inspiration behind Zech's Bollenarbeit series. A wine reception will welcome guests at 5:30 p.m. before the presentation begins at 6 p.m.
"We are excited to have our gallery filled with the dramatic, repetitive, red-on-raw canvas sequences of sculptress Sati Zech," says Shaw. "Her Bollenarbeiten—or mound forms—are not only of endless mystery to us, the viewers, but are also a continual fascination to her."
Hosted by Lux's Education Committee and introduced last summer, "Studio Series" is designed to bring new light to exhibitions in the Lux studio by inviting artists, scholars and professionals to share their perspectives through commentary and discussion.
With the support of local art patrons and philanthropists, Shaw, former Director and Vice President of Visual Arts at the California Center for the Arts Museum, assumed the position as founding Director of Lux Art Institute in 1998. The museum was created in response to a need for accessible contemporary art, as well as a cultural presence in San Diego's booming North County. Under her leadership, Lux evolved from a vision in 1998 to a reality. November of 2007 marked the opening of the Renzo Zecchetto-designed Artist Pavilion, Lux's first permanent facility and the first art museum in California awarded LEED certification for new construction.
The works in Zech's vibrant series titled Bollenarbeit – a reference to the vineyard-covered hills and mountains found in the region in Germany where Zech was born – float between paintings, drawings and sculptures. While the sumptuous displays of thick, bright red mounds of paint applied on raw strips of canvas are visually arresting, it is the process of tearing, layering, painting, gluing and sewing that Zech employs to create these cloth fields of intense color that is remarkable.
Zech is in-studio at Lux through June 26. Although she has exhibited internationally and in New York City, this is her first show on the West Coast. Her exhibit, as well as the large-scale "bollen" work she creates during her residency, will be on view at Lux through July 31.
Tickets to the "Studio Series" with Shaw and Zech are $10 for non-members and $5 for members (includes studio admission). Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited. Advanced reservations are required. To reserve your spot, please e-mail education@luxartinstitute.org, or call 760-436-6611.
Lux Art Institute, located in Encinitas, Calif., is redefining the museum experience with the region’s only artist-in-residence program that invites artists to live and work on site, while producing a commissioned work of art – start to finish. This one-of-a-kind institution welcomes visitors to not only “see art,” but also to “see art happen.”
Throughout each year, Lux hosts several significant regional, national and international artists who participate in its residency program. Visitors from across the country are able to participate in exclusive liaison-led tours, providing intimate access to the artist-in-residence, the artist’s exhibition and the museum’s permanent collection of indoor and outdoor art. Lux also offers a wide range of innovative programming for all ages.
The recipient of the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s top design award, the Grand Orchid, and the first art museum in California awarded LEED certification for new construction, Lux is located alongside one of Southern California’s few remaining coastal wetlands. The five-acre site also overlooks the San Elijo Lagoon and is surrounded by a wildlife preserve that stretches to the Pacific Ocean.
Through its Phase II Capital Campaign, Lux plans to add more than 25,000 square feet of galleries and classrooms. Once completed, the new building will also feature a hilltop plaza and a series of gardens climbing between the galleries and the Artist Pavilion.
Lux Art Institute is located at 1550 South El Camino Real in Encinitas, Calif. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and cost is $10 for two visits. For more information about donations, memberships, volunteer opportunities and more, visit http://www.luxartinstitute.org or call 760-436-6611.