Works from Private Collections and the Estate of Joan Brown Featured This Fall at the Richmond Art Center

A new exhibition, Joan Brown: In Living Color, reveals the intimate and personal of a supportive and influential teacher to a generation of artists.

RICHMOND, CA — July 20, 2017 — Joan Brown: In Living Color reveals the intimate and personal in the renderings of an artist who never stopped drawing. Any piece of paper could be taken to record the every day: a child, a cat, a dream, or a view of oneself. Many of these works come from the artist’s estate and have never been exhibited publicly. This is the first Bay Area exhibition that focuses on Brown’s works on paper in over 20 years.

On display in the Richmond Art Center’s South Gallery from September 12 – November 18, 2017, this exhibition of works on paper reflects Brown’s bold originality. Focused on her personal iconography, Brown pursued individual values and a commitment to humanism. Her work served to catalyze artists in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the impact of her work continues: for artists, educators, and collectors in the Bay Area and beyond. Her works have continued to inspire younger artists and enrich the lives of collectors today.

Says Director of Exhibitions Jan Wurm, “At a time when the art world was heavily focused on abstraction and formalism, Joan Brown was unique in the exploration of the personal, the domestic, and the human relationship to nature.” Wurm adds, “The core of Joan Brown‘s life and experiences became the subject of her art. Brown’s quest for a visual rendering of the experiences of an evolving life was a beacon particularly for women artists and became a model for generations of artists exploring identity and place.”

The Opening Reception for Joan Brown: In Living Color will take place on Saturday, September 9, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm and is free and open to the public. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Art Center is also publishing a fully illustrated catalogue, available for purchase.

Two events planned in to coincide with this exhibition include Picturing a Life, featuring a panel of artists, former students, and those who worked with Joan Brown on Saturday, September 23 at 2:00 pm, and Printing JoanBrown, a presentation by Don Farnsworth of Magnolia Editions, who will discuss the working process of Joan Brown on Saturday, October 21 at 2:00 pm.

For more information about the Fall exhibitions, programming, and events, please visit the Richmond Art Center’s website: https://richmondartcenter.org All events and exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Images:
Joan Brown, Model with Foot on Table, Acrylic, graphite, and ink on paper, 1973, Estate of Joan Brown courtesy Anglim Gilbert Gallery, San Francisco

Joan Brown, Head of Jay DeFeo, Ink on paper, 1958, Estate of Joan Browncourtesy Anglim Gilbert Gallery, San Francisco

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios, Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Richard Misrach, Wanxin Zhang, Mildred Howard, Bella Feldman, Hung Liu, William Wiley, June Schwartz, and David Park have been showcased here.

The Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Visit the Richmond Art Center’s website for more information:https://richmondartcenter.org/

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772