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Some people who are new to Chico write the city off as a land of house parties and bar crawls. But if they dug a little deeper, they could find an escape from this stereotypical scene at the 1078 Gallery, a domain of spectacular art and comforting people who welcome anyone and everyone.
The gallery is currently showing the art of eight artists in its "Distinctions in Drawing" exhibit, which runs until Sunday.
"It's not typical 'I'm sitting down and drawing' art," said Pat Kemeny Macias, the gallery's director.
He thinks the exhibit is different from others because while some people might think of drawing simply as making marks on paper, these drawings are completely different.
Some of the works in the show - conceptual, abstract, mixed media and other modes of art - didn't even require contact between the artist and the medium. Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats created his piece by tying graphite pencils to tree branches and letting nature take its course, he said. The results were a few simple etches on paper created by a subtle breeze that made the pencil and paper collide.
The contributing artists - some who come from the Bay Area, others from all the way across the ocean in Holland - are very creative, so people should not expect simple sketches or paintings from them, Macias said.
Erica Duffy, another artist featured in the show, came up with her creation by building a machine to stretch holes on latex canvases as she made humming noises, she said.
Jerome Pouwels, a professor at Chico State and the curator of the exhibit, worked with the exhibition committee to select an ensemble of artists who portray drawing in many forms, he said. The committee usually chooses a wide array of artists it finds through the Web site www.artdeadline.com.
Pouwels said art comes in many forms, depending on the medium used, but drawings unify the variety of works in the show. His own piece, entitled "Paper Clips or Binder Clips," is a compilation of mixed media art based on the adventures he had traveling throughout the United States.
Other artists in the show include Lexa Walsh, Nelleke Beltjens, Michael Loffredo, Emily Sullivan and Hedwig Brouckaert. Each of their pieces was concocted by stretching their imaginations.
The exhibit will wrap up with a reception at the gallery at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Pouwels will lead a discussion about the exhibit and answer questions that guests may have at that time.
Geoff Baker, Bear Hunter, Shimmies and The Secret Stolen will also perform following the reception.
"We try to have a mix of visual and literary arts in the studio," Macias said.
Macias said it's important to include all aspects of art, including spoken words, performance art and music. And he expects about 100 people to attend the reception.
But "Distinctions in Drawing" is not the only project the gallery is working on right now. It will hold a benefit show on Sept. 15 with recycled arts and goods, and staff at the gallery is asking people to donate their recyclables one day before the show between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Macias said he hopes more students get more involved in the studio and encourages anyone interested in the gallery to check into the internships it is offering, which range from business to web design and could be a good opportunity to dive into some of the culture that Chico provides its residents.
Lindsay Wright can be reached at lwright@theorion.com
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