Clay is now available for purchase at ASiF!
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PRESS RELEASE: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9th EVENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Friday, September 9th, 5 - 8pm 

Reception & Refreshments 5 - 8pm
FCAM Lecture begins at 6pm 

On Friday, September 9th from 5 - 8pm, the Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) proudly presents the Inaugural Exhibit of the  Foothills Ceramic Art Museum (FCAM) and new work by Nevada County muralist and studio painter, Linda Galusha.

FCAM MAKES ITS HOME AT ASiF
A new kind of greatness landed in our little town this summer... ASiF is thrilled to announce its newest resident member, a ceramic art museum with a collection of over 750 internationally renowned artists, never before seen by the public!

Collector, owner and founder, Kenneth Underwood began collecting in the early 1980's. His collection features over 750 ceramic works by world renowned artists and is now open to the public for the first time ever 
at the museum's new home at the Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) in Grass Valley, CA.   New selections from Underwood's permanent collection will exhibit about every two months i n rotating, thematically curated shows, each with a focus on a particular genre, style, region or technique.  

"FCAM is the first step toward my long-time dream of a ceramics museum for the Sierra Foothills of  Northern California",  explains Underwood. "My collecting began in 1981 and reflects my roots in North Carolina, my  working years in Southern California, my retirement years in Northern California, and my travels  around the world. The collection is very eclectic, with a focus on functional and sculptural, 20th and  21 st century studio pottery, i.e., handmade, one of a kind, artist work".

"Many friends have visited my home to see the collection and watch it grow", continues Underwood, "But I have always wanted  to make the collection accessible to more people... to share my joy of ceramics and build awareness for  ceramic art and artists. I finally found a place to make that happen at AsiF".

FCAM's Inaugural Exhibit, "A Blaze of Color"  is an eye dazzler... no muted colors in this show! Come meet Kenneth and learn about his fascinating collection. At 6pm he'll give a lecture and share stories of his travels as a collector, the artists he follows and the purchases that make his collection what it is today. He'll also share some of the special secrets he's learned from the artists he collects about the vibrant, colorful  glazes in this exhibit... Some of which, as he puts it "should come with a warning  label"! 

A Blaze of Color features the works by over 35 international artists and some local favorites,  including:  Carl Block, Jeff Campana, J. B. Cole, Neolia Cole, Patrick Crabb, Charles Chrisco, John Donoghue,  Marsha Elam, John Glumpler, Ray Gonzalez, Richard English Harvey, Otto Heino, Gary Lord, Naira  Barseghian, Tony Natsoulas, North State Potteries, Scott Nunnelly, Masuo Ojima, Ben Owen III,  Marsha Owen, Owens Pottery, Joseph Pelka, Sarmite Rakhlin, Andy Romero, Duncan Ross, Beverly  Saito, Porntip Sangvanich, Jenny Lou Sherburne, Natalya Sots, Peter Sparrey, Fred Stodder, Steven  Vachon, Derek Voien, Michael Weinberg, Kurt Weiser, Joe Winter, Sandra Wyner.

"FCAM is to be a collectors' museum," Ken explains... "One that shares my personal experience of collecting both pottery and the  stories that come with them. The pots are beautiful objects in themselves, but they are also reminders of the artists I have  met, the stories they tell, their experience and knowledge, their history and culture, and the land that is  the very source of clay. I hope to take you on a journey of enjoyment and appreciation too."
 

IN THE GALLERY - LINDA GALUSHA SOLO EXHIBITION
The second part to this exciting evening at ASiF is a solo gallery exhibition and opening reception for Nevada County muralist and studio painter,
Linda Galusha. .

Linda Galusha's vibrant, narrative works speak with a voice that is truly her own. Like many Nevada County artists, her love for the woods and river is palpable. Though the stories she tells of them are unique and otherworldly... Glowing renderings of calm green groves and mossy outcroppings are peppered with kaleidoscopic bursts of intricate patterning and exaggerated detail. These unexpected "bursts" seem to serve as a lens, informing the viewer of a world deep within the greater landscape. 

Galusha's current works are referenced from photos of local landscapes taken by her daughter.  Her current exhibition at ASiF has been selected to exhibit at the SFMOMA's Artists' Gallery at Fort Mason in San Francisco.


With origins in Canada & British Columbia, Galusha recalls her early travels through the beautiful foothills of Grass Valley and Nevada City over the years, and how each time she passed through, the wonder of how she might make it her home some day seemed never to leave her. Three years ago this September, she followed her wonder, and made her move. Her new home and studio in Grass Valley, its gorgeous surroundings and the community of artists she now calls her own remind her daily of how right she was. 

Upon her arrival in Nevada County the local art community welcomed her and her artwork with open arms. Her first year in town she participated in ASiF's annual Smallworks Holiday Show and The Wild & Scenic Film Festival, and proudly received  the honor of placing 2nd in the film festival's 2D category in 2014, and 1st place in 2015.

Her paintings have exhibited at Lucchesi Vineyards & Tasting Room and The Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley, and Kitkitdizzie Gallery and Szabo Vinyeard's Tasting Room in Nevada City. Keep an eye out for her again this year on the Fall Colors Open Studio Art tour.
    
Linda has worked as a muralist in the Davis, California area since 1998 painting many custom commercial and residential murals. Her work as a muralist recently brought her to Dixon CA, where she has just completed a mural of a Spanish village, commissioned by the town's new Language Center.  

Linda studied at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with a major in Lithography and Drawing. She  currently lives and works in a little yellow house in the woods just outside Grass Valley. Visit her w ebsite at lindagalusha.com / Facebook: GalushaArtStudio
                              
Linda Galusha and the Foothills Ceramic Art Museum's exhibitions will be on display at ASiF Gallery now through September 24th. ASiF Gallery & Art Center is open Tuesday - Saturday from 11am - 4pm.

ASiF Studios is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road in Grass Valley, and is open to the  public Tuesday - Saturday from 11am - 4pm. The center houses three large classrooms and  offers ongoing weekly classes in a variety of media, art camps for adults and children, private and shared  studio space for resident artists, and a gallery to promote local artists. Visit asifstudios.com for more information on programs and events.



KNOW & GO:

Who: Museum Collector Kenneth Underwood & Acrylic Painter Linda Galusha

What: Foothills Ceramic Art Museum, Inaugural Exhibit and Lecture
           & Acrylic Paintings by Linda Galusha

Where: ASiF Studios, 940 Idaho Maryland Road, Grass Valley, CA  95945  

When: Friday, September 9, 5-8pm/E arly Bird Viewing 11am - 4pm / Lecture 6pm

Contact: Amanda Paoletti, 530-210- 3162 / amandapaoletti.asif@gmail.com

Website: www.asifstudios.com

Amanda Paoletti, Owner, Director
Artists Studio in the Foothills (ASiF)
Nevada County Visual Art Center
940 Idaho Maryland Road, Grass Valley, CA 95945

Office: 530-274- 7000 / Cell:530-210- 3162

www.asifstudios.com


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