FINE ART, PHOTOGRAPHY AND CRAFTS IN 3-D

Ornate Creations to be on Display at Free Town Center Gallery Exhibition

A vegetable harvest put to canvas, a slew of floral-patterned silk scarves, and a watercolor rendering of Central Coast cliffs: Each is a sampling of what visitors to the Town Center Gallery at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria will see Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guests are welcome to the all-member exhibition of fine art, photography and three-dimensional crafts and sculpture, which will be held in the large meeting room adjacent to the main lobby of the hotel with an artist’s reception planned from 3 to 5 p.m. Participating crafters will include Hattie Stoddard, Beverly Johnson, Barbara Shepherd, Claudette Willard, Sharon Foster, Pat Stalter, John Card, Stephanie Palomarez, and Deborah L. Hildinger.

The principle purpose of the event is to bring art to the community through ongoing exhibits at the Santa Maria Airport and at the Radisson Hotel. The gallery also provides a scholarship each year for aspiring student artists and art-related workshops for children at the Santa Maria Public Library.

The exhibit bears especial significance to the community, according to Deborah Hildinger of Young Designs: Contemporary Fine Art.  “It provides a venue for the community to view and hopefully purchase the work of local artists in this area. It also provides a chance for the community to come and meet the artists,” she said.

Visitors can expect to peruse paintings on paper and canvas, watercolors, photography, painted silk scarves, prints, and crafts such as gourd vessels.

Hildinger wants the exhibit to become a recurring event.  “We are hoping that this will become another one of the gallery’s venues on a continuing basis that provides affordable arts and crafts to the community,” she said. “In addition, we want to bring to the public’s attention our vision to once again have a permanent gallery space.”

The success of exhibits like these, she said, depends on community support.  “ … We need community support from individuals, organizations, and companies to have this vision come to fruition.”

The Radisson Hotel is located at 3455 Airpark Drive beside the Santa Maria Public Airport.

For more information contact Hildinger at 805-264-5183 or email lvtwmn1@verizon.net.

 2/28/14  Santa Maria Times