Still/LIFE continues through March 12

If you missed the opening of Still/LIFE, you still have a chance to see the work of photographers Shannon Leith and Pete Starman.

A graduate of The Art Center College of Design, Starman has focused his talents on editorial work, creating images that are dynamic, tense, and charged with the relationships of its players. They are stills from a larger scene, bursting out of the confines of their frame and highlighting the less tangible nuances.

"I'm interested in relationships and how people relate to each other but also how people relate to inanimate objects and their environments, in a word - context." The strength of many of his images lies in his very deliberate cropping, making us question the larger story beyond the still.

Shannon Leith's work is a meditation on the beauty and sanctity of the mundane. A recent Biola University graduate with a BFA in photography, Leith documents her home environment daily and is genuinely absorbed in celebrating life's smallest beautiful moments, and is able to capture them, so that we can too. She makes us all slow down to appreciate the beauty of a kitchen sponge, or colander. Or the pinkness of a straw, or a friend's red hair in the sun on a road trip.

"I am fascinated by the most ordinary things. For me, the everyday stuff of life has the potential to be full of meaning and mystery. These photographs are my way to practice being present. I'd rather rush, but this is how I slow down and actually see what I'm seeing."

Still/LIFE is on view through March 12.

At top, Untitled, Shannon Leith, Below, Untitled, Pete Starman

OPEN STUDIOS

Upcoming Saturdays, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

$20 per child, Ages 5 and up, reserve your space at southpasarts@sbcglobal.net, or call 626-441-4788.

Feb. 12 - VALENTINE'S DAY THEME

Children will create cards and crafts for their loved ones.

Feb. 26 - CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Come make collages and other artwork inspired by famous black artists.

Art Workshops Start Jan. 10

A new slate of arts workshops begins the week of Jan. 10 including drawing, painting, ceramics, creative writing, architecture and design, and photography. Information on the classes and registration info can be found on our website, spaceartscenter.com.

Ceramics classes with Rebecca Tager

Ceramics Show opens June 19

Space presents unearthed, a group show of local ceramic artists. Brenda Holzke, Toti O'Brien, Jocelyn Webb Pedersen, David Prince, Nicole Ruelle-Oppenheimer, Rebecca Tager and Cynthia Thiel celebrate the organic nature and history of the medium - the happy accidents and surprises; the tactile relationship with the object. The work ranges from ancient-looking vessels to objects resembling things found in nature. Come join us for the opening Saturday, June 19, with a reception from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Art Opening on May 1

SPACE is excited to announce the opening of Our Shaky Civilization, with Animals - collaborative paintings on wood by a family of artists, Abira Ali, Gordon Henderson and Eliza Bee Henderson. The work depicts a shaky civilization where what we once knew as wilderness has been removed and reassembled to resemble a theme park. People and animals cohabitate in the small space they’ve been given, struggling to maintain their now irrational instincts. Opens on May 1, with a reception from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

On May 15, join us at 8:00 p.m. for Our Shaky Stories, with Animals - an evening of adult storytelling with members of the Write Club; Ramsey Brown, Lauri Fraser, Gordon Henderson, Jane Morris and Clara York. Hosted by Helena H. (This event contains mature content, so it's better to leave this kids at home.)

Textiles on the Edge Opening Draws Crowds

We had a very successful opening for Textiles on the Edge on March 20. Great art, large crowds, children playing - a very fun night in the neighborhood! If you haven't gotten a chance to see this group show, come by during our gallery hours, Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Local artists in the show are Victoria Arriola, Melanie Ciccone, Kathleen Coyle, Karen Green, Lillian Montalvo-Hardy, Vanora Savig, Shelley Stephens, Marie Switzer, Cynthia Thiel and Joan Weizettle.