Vandals strike, but gallery undaunted
BY STEFANI DIAS Californian assistant lifestyles editor sdias@bakersfield.com
It's a rare occasion to both promote the news and become part of it, but The Foundry has had a busy week. Two events, starting Thursday, address the gallery's newsmaker role.
Let's start with the bad news: Someone smashed one of the gallery's large glass windows over the holiday weekend, forcing a quick damage cover-up and repair plans.
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"Vandalism" by Jesus Fidel covers a broken window at the Foundry at 1602 20th Street in downtown Bakersfield.
Kent Porterfield took inspiration from the “Faces of the Californian” — incorporating newspaper staffers Herb Benham, Robert Price, Matt Munoz and Richard Beene — for his glass painting and light box work for The Foundry's “Hot Off The Press” exhibit.
"Who is John Galt?" a sculpture by Troy Brown is part of The Foundry's "Hot Off The Press!" exhibit, happening Thursday.
Challenged with raising more than $1,000 to replace both the broken window and an adjacent fractured one, The Foundry's directors looked for a way to avoid using existing funds earmarked for new gallery lighting.
Rallying artists, the gallery will turn Saturday's in-studio day (where people can watch artists at work) into a fundraiser. Members will have art prints and works for sale, starting at $20, with proceeds to go toward the repair.
Costumes may also be sold as well as baked goods, according to gallery director Christina Sweet.
"At this point, we have raised just under $500," Sweet said Tuesday. "(Members) Jen Raven and Jesus Fidel took this by the horns and have done a really great job. I am humbled by their efforts and appreciation for what The Foundry does for our local artists."
Visitors will see Fidel's work inside the gallery (his exhibit "Plant Impossible Gardens") and out ("Vandalism," painted on the temporary window covering).
Before the fundraiser, art lovers can share some good news Thursday at the "Hot Off The Press!" one-day exhibit.
In a challenge inspired by Bravo's show "Work of Art," artists had two weeks to take inspiration from the pages of The Californian.
"The rules were to use an article headline from a local paper from 2012 to use as inspiration for a piece of art," Sweet said. "The detail of the article was not necessarily important for this challenge.
"I appreciate the draw that an article title brings. The title is the introduction to a literary art, whether a poem, story or article in this case."
The result is a unique collection of works, including a light box featuring some of the faces of The Californian -- columnist Herb Benham, reporter Matt Munoz, opinion page editor Robert Price and CEO Richard Beene -- and a torso sculpture incorporating newsprint.
The works from Thursday's show will also be for sale.
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