| | Published October 23rd, 2024
| "Stories We Tell:" A creative journey unfolds at Lamorinda Arts Council artist reception
| | | By Emma Wong |  | | Ruth Stanton's "Conversation with Self" is pictured on the wall. Photos Emma Wong |
On Saturday, Oct. 5, a synthesis of art and writing was showcased at the "Stories We Tell" artist reception, hosted by the Lamorinda Arts Council (LAC) at the Orinda Library.
"Stories We Tell" drew inspiration from previous gallery exhibitions by a collaboration of the California Writers Club - Mt. Diablo Branch, the Lamorinda Arts Alliance, and the LAC. The exhibits, titled "Ekphrasis," paired an author's writing with an artist's work. Similarly, "Stories We Tell" opened a call for artists, who then included a writing about their work after they were accepted.
LAC board members Elana O'Loskey and Bill Carmel were the main organizers of the reception. Carmel served as Curator for the exhibit. "All the artists who submitted found a place," Carmel said. "Most artists submitted three pieces, and I selected at least one."
"Bill has wanted to host `Stories We Tell' for a long time-he's one of those people who loves storytelling and has always made art that tells a story," O'Loskey said. O'Loskey is also on the Curation team for the art galleries at the Orinda Library and Wilder.
Carmel aimed to expand artistic diversity and encourage expression. "I am not a traditionalist, even though I work in traditional media," Carmel said. "I want to encourage all artists to exhibit in this phenomenal place, including young artists in high school and college."
Creative minds gathered in the library. Artists milled about the room, chatting with visitors about their work. Lafayette cartoonist Betsy Streeter featured her comic series called "Sloth and Manatee," about the unlikely bond between two animals. "`Sloth and Manatee' is all about friendship," Streeter said. "When the pandemic hit, I just kept drawing these two characters and gave them their own lives."
Another lockdown project became a passion for Orinda artist Joy Chew, who makes drawings of animals with foil. "I like to draw cat faces because each of them has their own personality," Chew said. "For this exhibit, I wrote a story of two of the cats I drew as if they were friends."
Other mediums included paintings, with styles ranging from acrylic to Chinese brush techniques. Shun-fei and Karina Hou, a husband-and-wife duo, created a watercolor brush painting titled "The Frog in the Bottom of the Well," accompanied by calligraphy of a Chinese idiom. "Shun-fei did the Chinese writing while I did the English," Karina Hou said. "I think the words in the story are what I love most: they convey that when you think you know something, that's always just the beginning."
Ruth Stanton, Vice President of Exhibitions at the Lamorinda Arts Alliance, presented an acrylic painting with two mirror images of her daughter. "I titled my piece `Conversation with Self,'" Stanton said. "I thought that we all have conversations with ourselves in our heads. So, I wrote about [my daughter] speaking to her alter ego."
Music also found a home in storytelling. Georgianna Krieger of Oakland presented scores from songs she wrote, accompanied by illustrations. "I believe melody is a story that's so in touch with our emotions," Krieger said. "You don't have to know a specific language to feel something when you listen."
"Stories We Tell" linked artists from across the Bay Area in a space where they could share the vibrance of their lives. "There are over 50 wonderful paintings and narratives here-and we need to learn about each other's stories," O'Loskey said.
The impact of artwork goes beyond a single event. "Sometimes, art affects somebody deeply a long time after one sees it," O'Loskey said. "It's almost impossible to track its effect on people, but I'm absolutely sure that art builds community." As with the Ekphrasis Exhibitions, it is expected that some people will return to "Stories We Tell" multiple times to take in the many details and nuances.?
"Stories We Tell" will be available for viewing to the public during regular Orinda Library hours through Nov. 1. Upcoming events at the Lamorinda Arts Council include Art Embraces Words (Oct. 26) at the Lafayette Library, along with Poetry for the Ages (Oct. 29) at the Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette. For more details, visit https://lamorindaarts.org. |
 | | Ruth Staton "Seeking Our Someday" | | | | | | | | | | | |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA