 | | | The pop-up art gallery opened in February and has been extended until the end of the year. Photo Pippa Fisher | | | | | | Jennifer Perlmutter will be reopening her pop-up art gallery and event space in September with new programming scheduled through the end of the year. And she couldn't be more delighted.
"JPG@The Bank was a huge hit in Lamorinda earlier this year," says Perlmutter. "With packed houses for openings and receptions, lines at the door, and over 3,000 people attending, the community's thirst for art and culture was clearly served."
But Perlmutter says the decision to extend her temporary lease was one she agonized over. "I was given three weeks to make the decision in May," she explains. Struggling with the conflicts and demands on her time of family versus career, it ultimately took the advice of her teenage son to persuade her. "You have to do it," he told her. "It's just the coolest place."
The idea to open a quality pop-up in an otherwise empty storefront (in this case a bank) was borne of a discussion at a city council meeting last year centered on revitalizing the downtown area.
In February the gallery, an extension of Perlmutter's flagship Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery - in business in Lafayette since 2014 - opened its doors in a converted bank building owned by Cortese Development Company on the corner of Mt. Diablo Boulevard and Moraga Road.
Perlmutter describes her exhibits as mid- to high-end contemporary art, primarily from Bay Area artists. "The vault has been updated to exhibit small paintings and sculpture, as well as a `selfie station' for photos," she says.
Perlmutter acknowledges that running this second gallery requires a lot of work and has taken on Yvonne Banis as director of client relations. Although the flagship gallery has been open as usual, over the summer the hours in the pop-up have been by appointment only. As of its reopening on Sept. 5, JP@TheBank hours will be from 2 to 6 p.m. and also by appointment and for events.
Perlmutter is especially excited about the events, such as "Tahoe Blue" with guest speaker Susan Safipour, former editor of Diablo Magazine who now lives in Tahoe and who is a neighborhood specialist in the region. Safipour will be sharing first-hand knowledge of the transition to mountain living alongside an art collection to reflect "mountain modern."
Perlmutter says they have a grand piano on loan from Lafayette's Steve Benjamins Piano. Music will feature strongly in the space. The Gold Coast Chamber Players, led by Pamela Freund-Striplen on viola, will be performing as artist Gabriel Schama brings his 3D, topographical artwork to life with projection mapping by Limelight Studios.
Communications firm Pivotal Twist will be back following the success of their talk in May for organizational leaders. Perlmutter likens the evening to a night of Ted Talks. "No sales," she says. "Just ideas."
Perlmutter explains with great enthusiasm that artist and architect Lara Dutto of Orinda will be creating a colorful mural on plywood to fit in the old ATM niche on the Moraga Road side of the building. "Lara will be gathering artists together to come up with themes focused on what it means to be an artist in Lafayette to create a beautiful colorful mural that reflects community values."
"The cost was daunting for either me or Lara to undertake, so I brought it to a fan and follower of the gallery, April Matthews of Village Associates Realty," Perlmutter says. "Her whole company said `Yes' and we now have a sponsor, Village Associates for the mural!"
With a couple of holiday-themed events, and one evening featuring Lafayette's Diablo Foods bringing tastes of holiday favorites created with family recipes, and art offered through a raffle and an auction, Perlmutter certainly appreciates the role of the community and seeks to involve herself in it.
"I've always wanted to serve the community while selling art. They're not mutually exclusive," says Perlmutter. She says that she is grateful for the support from community members and gallery collectors. "The feedback we've gotten has been extensive and entirely positive. We're clearly serving a lot of people."
A full list of details including dates of new events and collections is available on the Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery website at https://jenniferperlmuttergallery.com/jpgatthebank/ |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA