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Cowell Gallery EXHIBITION Dis/Armed Julie Grantz DATES: AUG 26 - DEC 30 YEAR: 2023 Previously on view in the Cowell Gallery < Back OVERVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. As I initially began to conceptualize this body of work, my working title was “Smaller.” In our society, I strongly believe that women feel pressure to limit their self-expression. This resonates deeply with my own journey. Throughout my life, I've carried the weight of constantly needing to make myself smaller, fading into the background and silencing my voice—not only to navigate the world but also to fit into the lives of others. I've often felt like a burden, unintentionally occupying the space meant for others. This idea of becoming smaller for survival is woven from a narrative that highlights the importance of conforming to the role of a compliant and well-behaved “good girl” as the only way to be accepted and successful. According to this archetype, the “good girl” should be quiet, polite, and avoid seeking her own desires. The drive to shrink oneself isn't just rooted in the “good girl” philosophy; it's also fueled by a desire for control propagated by a society that expects women to be unassuming, obedient, and rule-abiding. These tight boundaries stifle our potential, suppress our ambitions, and mute our voices, diminishing our dreams and muting the vibrance of our imaginations. Over the past year, as I dedicated myself to creating more and more drawings for this body of work, I noticed a distinct change: a shift in the story being told. The narrative extended beyond just my sense of Smaller . Some of the pieces, gestures, and symbols began conveying something entirely different—some even grew louder, asserting themselves. I started to feel the emergence of my voice, rising distinctly, confidently, and audibly. As this evolution unfolded before me, I aimed to find a title that captured the juxtaposition between past trauma and current growth, along with the duality of living a life of both merely surviving and flourishing within each day. My aim is to reveal and share the emotional spaces where I've felt disarmed by life's challenges, as well as how I've learned to arm myself, to protect and empower myself. My experiences of feeling disarmed exposed me to vulnerability and defenselessness in the face of life's trials. While my journey has included trauma, my journey hasn't only been about vulnerability; it's been a path to empowerment. Through my artistic expression, I want to highlight the moments of transformation where I've intentionally armed myself against both internal and external adversaries. I have strived to capture not only the conflicts but also the victories—instances when I've crafted my own armor from resilience, self-awareness, and determination. As I have come to realize that my voice isn't quiet or “smaller," it confidently reverberates within my work. As my confidence in my voice grows, so too has the scale of my drawings. By exploring these emotional landscapes, I hope for the work to connect with others on their own paths through disarmed vulnerability to armed self-empowerment as new voices grow from within. Julie Grantz 2023 "I am Milk" Previous Next

Unknown EXHIBITION Aliens Enrique Chagoya DATES: FEB 8 - APR 19 YEAR: 2020 Previously on view in the Unknown < Back OVERVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Previous Next

Permanent Collection Gallery EXHIBITION The Punctum Void: A Miha Sarani Retrospective Miha Sarani DATES: JAN 20 - MAY 12 YEAR: 2024 Previously on view in the Permanent Collection Gallery < Back OVERVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. My work explores, and responds to the elements of everyday life - particularly by framing our collective existence, individual experiences, voyeuristic responses, and the idea of duality. I find playing with the formal elements helps me better visually represent these objectives. While the intention is to bring about an exploration of a dialogue with the past, I commonly engage in current issues; addressing cyclical occurrences throughout history, but with contemporary challenges. My art practice aims to create a juxtaposition of conceptual art and aesthetic value; thus visually combining what I believe to be the essence of art making as a philosophical pursuit. For this reason, reading of my work often includes both arbitrary and conventional signs, personal assumptions mixed with stylistic representation of post-modern content. My theoretical framing is to move my work beyond the hyped contemporary referent and trendy aesthetic which pay less attention to the content and more to approximation. My practice is also profoundly informed by my studies as an art historian, so I look to the old masters as well as new for inspiration. Still, I find myself most often returning to the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Marcel Duchamp, Martin Kippenberger, Anselm Kiefer, Philip Guston and Neo Rauch. Modern viewers, I believe, have become accustomed to having art dissected and served to them - which tends to devalue the work and the process. Although I enjoy contemporary art and admire many of its practitioners, I strive to create something with a deeper significance; a bridge between the ancient rituals and modern audience. Miha Sarani, One of My Turns, 2020, charcoal, coffee, acrylic, commercial paint on wood. Previous Next

Rotunda Gallery EXHIBITION Happenstance Jeff Owen DATES: SEPT 2 - JAN 7 YEAR: 2023 Previously on view in the Rotunda Gallery < Back OVERVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Happenstance - An Unexpected Journey My artist life began as a child sitting in the back seat of a 1957 Chevrolet with a drawing tablet – only the best from the art store – and my favorite #2 pencil. My mother would throw me and all of her drawing supplies into the car and drive all around town looking for interesting buildings, homes, or people to draw. Always on a busy street, cars whizzing by with all the noise that accompanies them; no matter, we were there to draw whatever was out the side window of the car. I’d say my drawings were never much to look at, but I always received tons of “that’s beautiful” or “I wish I could draw like that” from Mom. Sometimes my scale would be off, sometimes my perspective. No problem, Mom encouraged me. Each adventure would top the last – and each finishing with a quick roll up of the window, a buckle of the seatbelt, and a retreat to home where Mom would pull out her recent work and “touch up” her drawing – then – she began to paint. This was the best time. The fumes of oil and turpentine would fill the house. We, my sister and I, would run over and open a window to get some fresh air into the room – Mom was painting! We would watch her paint, and then, for some unknown reason (except for being a kid) we’d find something else to do – until our curiosity sparked us to again go and see how far she had come with her latest “masterpiece.” This was my introduction to art. My art evolved over the years, sometimes taken with painting, sometimes drawing, until that one special day that I discovered welding. My father-in-law, Chet Christison, lived in Fresno. We would visit him and his wife Thelma at least three or four times per year. His workshop, a huge outbuilding on the property, was filled with woodworking tools. Little did I know that he also loved metal. Inside his workshop, in a corner that you could barely get to without disturbing all the feral cats he loved so much, away from everything else, was an oxy-acetylene torch set, and next to it, a small welder. “What the heck is this?” I asked him. “Oh that, you wouldn’t know” he said. “That’s for welding metal.” I asked him if he wanted it, since I could see it had not been used in some time. “What are you going to do with it? You don’t even know how to use it.” I finally got him to give it to me. The welder went into the back of my truck, along with the oxy set. I was determined to put them to good use. I must be able to find something that needs welding... -------------- My technique is brute force, decide-at-the-moment. My creative process emerges with patterns. I incorporate patterns into all of my sculptures. Taking one piece of steel, adding to it, or deleting from it, then ending when the sculpture encompasses all of my creativity, this is what charges up my artistic energies. When my creative force is flowing, I work on a sculpture to completion. It is finished when the creative flow ends. I have been an artist all my life. I am fascinated with engineering and architecture. The shapes of metal, its patterns, textures and grains all entice me to create. My ability to cut and weld metal allows me to create any art I desire. My aspiration is to create sculpture that is unique, something that no one has done before. I resist conformity and mass production. My art is as individual as I am. My art belongs to our present time or any time. My art does not represent reality inspired by the real world. It makes use of patterns representing independent relationships with no reference – “contemporary-abstraction.” I take delight in rummaging through metal scrap yards, finding those particular pieces of steel that stir me in some way or other. I have feelings for inanimate objects. When I see something tossed aside, I ponder why? I wonder where it has been and where it is going. Each piece I touch has its own individual tale. Was it once part of a bridge, supporting travelers to distant cities? Was it once part of a water tower, supplying nourishment to gardens? Was it used to manufacture others, like itself? When I’ve rescued that piece from limbo, it may take me only moments, or possibly many months, to understand within myself what that metal wants, or needs, to become. Only then will I fulfill “its” dream. Jeff Owen 2023 "Lost Horizons" Previous Next

Permanent Gallery EXHIBITION A Group Exhibition with Chopsticks Alley Season II DATES: SEP 17 - JAN 8 YEAR: 2022 Previously on view in the Permanent Gallery < Back OVERVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. "Researching and Remembering" Previous Next

< Back Stephanie Metz SEPT 14 - DEC 29 In the Glow Stephanie Metz is an accomplished Bay Area fiber arts sculptor. She has an affinity for the natural world, which is often echoed through her artistic creations. Her artwork is created through a sense of curiosity and her desire to explore the meaning of things around her. The Triton is pleased to present a new body of Metz's work in her exhibition In the Glow which will combine smaller works with a large scale immersive installation, specially created for the Cowell Room gallery. About the Artist: I use fiber media to sculpt solid, freestanding forms that embody the complex experiences of womanhood within contemporary American culture. Created from wool fibers needle-felted into intricate, robust, writhing shapes or meticulously stitched from pieces of thick, smooth wool felt, my sculptures evoke the female form rendered in soft, tactile media to engage viewers on multiple sensory and intellectual levels. Current works incorporate subtle reflections of intense pink pigment, a color laden with cultural significance long associated with femininity. The organic forms I create are seductively approachable yet mildly alarming; they serve as vessels for exploring the multifaceted nature of living in a female-identifying body—a spectrum encompassing strength and vulnerability, the beautiful and the grotesque, pain and resilience, control and the lack of agency. "Soft power" refers to persuasion through indirect or non-confrontational means; it captures the way I learned to navigate my world as a girl growing up in 1980s America, as well as my visually alluring approach to feminist topics in a world that still undervalues women. I want to be part of the dialog that ushers in a future in which gender equality, positive body images, reproductive rights, and sexual empowerment are the norm. My sculpture invites audiences to reconsider their preconceptions and assumptions, fostering a sense of shared connection within the larger human experience through a visceral, visual language. Previous Next

Cowell Gallery EXHIBITION Expression of an Inner Life Susan Krough DATES: SEP 3 - DEC 23 YEAR: 2022 Previously on view in the Cowell Gallery < Back OVERVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. "Justice - Tribute to Ahmaud" Previous Next

< Back Visual Duets Group Exhibition MAY 16 - AUG 16 Visual Duets: The Art of Creating Together To many, art may seem like a solitary activity – a way for us to pour our individual souls into whatever we choose to create while commenting on or escaping the world around us. But for others, the process of creating art is a collaborative effort – one where we can find joy in experiencing it with others. The Triton Museum of Art is proud to present Visual Duets: The Art of Creating Together. This group exhibition features the works of four significant and talented artist couples: David Einstein and Judith Cook – painting, mixed media Era and Donald (Aldo) Farnsworth - printmaking Ellen Konar and Steve Goldband - photography Tandem Painting (Suzette McDonough and James Whitehouse) - painting Each of these couples creates artwork in connection and conversation with each other. In their practices, they have learned the delicate balance of working with another creative to produce not only something that is unique to the pair, but something that also carries their individual voices. About the Artist: Artist Information PDF Previous Next

< Back Gabriel Coke MAY 3 - AUG 8 Unlimited Imagination Gabriel Coke is native to Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Gabriel is a father, a practicing artist, a teacher and advocate for his students. He enjoys teaching and giving lecture demonstrations. Gabriel pursued private studies in ateliers since the mid 1990’s. He began in Seattle, Washington and continued to Santa Fe, New Mexico, France, Norway and New York City. From those many years of study he acquired the knowledge to become a well practiced artist and teacher. Gabriel taught constantly in his own atelier from 2012 to 2020. For a decade Gabriel’s life has been devoted to working inside a studio that developed its own unique community. Knowledge, friendship and family have been combined with a world class field of professional teaching artists. As an Atelier Program Director Gabriel benefits from being a father to two incredibly gifted teenage children. Gabriel’s teaching philosophy begins with creating an ideal studio environment. He wants students to be in the best possible position to get the most of their potential. Gabriel is highly motivated to prepare for each class with a passionate love for detail and forethought. The atmosphere in the studio is part of a successful formula. Students are always given expert instruction by lecture and demonstration and they are given a healthy amount of personal space and freedom. Students focus and work for long spans of time. The results are truly remarkable as the achievements of young students are often far greater than is expected. Hundreds of students have worked for several years in small groups and many are currently attending art schools and colleges in the United States and abroad. Some have even finished college and have families, and still regard their time in Gabriel’s atelier as very fortunate. About the Artist: Gemini Jack Gabriel Coke Born 1969 Durango, Colorado The art of drawing and painting is a vital experience for human beings. When done well it leaves a trace of consciousness embedded in the artwork. Making art may be about finding the space to create. We have an artistic space in the corners of our mind, body and spirit. The freedom to explore and roam our imagination is a sacred and timeless activity. There is also a physical outward space we inhabit as artists. If not in nature, then in the special enclosure of an art studio. It may be a room in a house or a garage, or if we are fortunate, inside a lovingly arranged and functional art studio with great lighting, packed full of art supplies and inspiring objects. Where thoughtful care has been taken to create the best possible conditions, we feel more settled for exploring that space within ourselves. When we escape from the worry and haste of everyday life and responsibilities, we sense our lungs filling and releasing and then suddenly, like walking barefoot on a beach, we feel like ourselves again. That is how good it feels to be in the flow state at an easel drawing or painting for that peaceful time. Being creative is the best time in anyone's day, or week or life. It is the connection to thoughts and ideas that need our full attention. That is when creativity and imagination are in full bloom. That is when a pear or a rubber duck looks incredibly full of nuance and beauty. Things look more interesting. Music sounds better. Texture and color and light seem increasingly vivid and clear. Motion takes a break to be still for us to observe and capture. Noise and clamor subside and an apple or a wedge of cheese looks more beautiful. Studying nature and reality as an artist is the work we take on to enjoy the benefit of seeing the imaginary ideas floating inside our own minds. In the gallery here is a large painting I finished in 2011. I was just beginning my teaching years at what is now Art Students' Atelier. The painting has a foreground that is a still life of objects found in nature. I arranged it in my studio to paint from observation. The landscape in the distance was made completely from imagination. It was formed from memories of my younger days hiking and golfing in northern California. I made that painting as a leap of faith into my own imagination. The adventure for me was to rediscover drawing and painting from make-believe. It restored that joy I had as a child when everything I drew was made up. Years of practice with master teachers in ateliers had helped me build some skill but my paintings were not about anything. A painting can be beautiful and be a pleasure to create and still have no meaning or message. Leap of Faith was practice for getting back into a creative space inside my own imagination. I have taught for almost fifteen years now and I always tell younger students to keep their imagination alive. Use it. Figure out how it works. Practice your skills to make something look realistic, but incorporate something from an idea or a thought. Even if it is simple, it comes from you and your imagination is something to rely on for the rest of your life. Imagination can help you look ahead and create your future. Previous Next

< Back Katherine Young MAY 3 - AUG 3 What Do You Treasure? Katherine B. Young, MD, MFA fell in love with the ocean when she was a small child. She spent a lot of time on the water before going to medical school to train in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. After working for 10 years as a plastic surgeon in San Francisco, she fulfilled her dream of becoming a full time artist. She specializes in drawing and painting vast spaces of ocean and sky. Her work has won numerous awards and has been exhibited and collected throughout the United States. She is currently creating an exhibition for the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, CA which addresses the ocean plastic pollution problem. The following galleries represent her artwork: HANG ART in San Francisco, Claire Carino Contemporary in Boston, and The Gallery at Tree’s Place in Cape Cod. She maintains a studio at 1890 Bryant Street in San Francisco, and lives in the city with her husband and daughter. Her artwork and creative process are featured in creativity expert Tina Seelig’s book, Insight Out. About the Artist: My connection to the ocean and art-making began in childhood, growing up in the Tidewater region of Virginia near the Atlantic. Though I initially pursued science—studying engineering and medicine at Duke University and training as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Stanford—I ultimately returned to my artistic roots. After a decade of surgical practice in San Francisco, I earned an MFA and committed to a full-time career as an artist. The ocean is both majestic and meditative, a force of awe and tranquility. My paintings and drawings capture its vastness, immersing viewers in its beauty. However, my relationship with the ocean was profoundly altered when I learned about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—an immense collection of plastic waste polluting the waters I love. This realization compelled me to confront this crisis through my art. 'What Do You Treasure?" emerged from my reflections on our paradoxical relationship with nature. We revere the ocean and its life, yet contribute to its degradation through rampant plastic consumption. This exhibition invites you to examine this contradiction and reconsider the choices we make daily. The paintings and drawings lining the walls evoke the ocean’s sublime power. Many incorporate genuine gold, referencing early Renaissance religious icons and illuminated manuscripts—symbols of reverence and contemplation. The sculptures interspersed throughout the space, however, disrupt this serenity. Cast from discarded plastic and gilded in gold, they serve as objects of reflection, mimicking sacred artifacts yet exposing the false idol of consumerism. These pieces also nod to the economic forces that sustain our dependence on plastic, making change feel daunting but necessary. As you move through the exhibition, allow yourself to experience the ocean’s grandeur, then confront the unsettling reality embedded in the sculptures. What do you treasure most—nature or convenience? The answer to this question carries weight beyond this space. If you choose nature, let that commitment extend into action. Even small steps—reducing plastic use, supporting sustainable initiatives, advocating for systemic change—can have a profound impact. This exhibition is not just a reflection; it is a call to action. The choice is yours. Previous Next

< Back Hana Lock SEP 14 - JAN 5 Anatomica Hana Lock is the Best of Show winner for the 2023 Salon at the Triton. Her work is an intriguing mix of bizarre and sublime, depicting in great detail our delicate anatomy alongside or combined with other wonderful creatures such as rabbits, frogs, mice, snakes, wolves, beautiful plants and flowers - our connection to the natural world. Her work displays our vulnerability and forces us to confront what is inevitable - that, along with all over living beings, we will all die and decompose. However, this fate is not portrayed as something to be feared, but rather embraced as part of the natural rhythm of life and death. This exhibition will include a selection of 2D works by the artist. About the Artist: Anatomica is a collection of paintings and drawings that draw inspiration from my love of anatomy and fascination with the transience of life, the inevitability of death, and the mystery of what lies beyond. My work offers a holistic view of the body by highlighting the beauty of its internal structures without shying from the grotesque. Referencing visual and philosophical concepts from Buddhism and European medieval funerary art, my art often features anatomized bodies being strewn across the composition as their viscera intertwines with flora and fauna. In my practice, I primarily use ballpoint pen, watercolor, and acrylic to create intricate and precise line work and vibrant, flat colors reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints and Art Nouveau. I strive for precision and detail, and I believe that in addressing the formal and conceptual qualities inherent in line, I am effectively capturing the delicate intricacies of the natural and imaginative world. Previous Next

< Back Khat Zorig & Kyle Dell'Aquila SEPT 28 - JAN 5 Energies Khat and Kyle are partners in life, business, and creativity. They explore the intersection of nature, humanity, and machines. Their work embodies the cross-section of internal and external energies with the shared mission of empowering those often overlooked. Khat’s energies focus on internal empowerment, nurturing resilience, and healing within individuals, particularly the underprivileged. On the other hand, Kyle's energies are channeled into external empowerment, manifesting through technological innovation and artistic expression. About the Artist: Our commitment is challenging the status quo and envisioning a future where creativity, technology, and courage intersect to shape our better world. This commitment was inspired and encouraged by our mentor, Bill Warner, a visionary who transformed the film industry. His influence motivated us to follow our energies and create ZORIG, which means "Courage" in Mongolian. It is not just a sci-fi movie and futureware brand; it embodies the spirit of bravery and the conviction to speak and act from the heart. Through ZORIG, we explore the power of science fiction as a medium to dream and visualize the future we want to live in - one that’s nature-loving, techno-optimistic, and humanity empowering. Movies profoundly impact shaping mindsets and influencing the collective imagination, yet the current state of the film industry disheartens us. Real stories are often overlooked, lacking diversity, and commercial interests frequently stifle creativity. Our mission is to disrupt this narrative by telling stories our way, inspiring change, and empowering the underrepresented. Our work extends beyond the screen into the tangible world of fashion. We have seen the devastating effects of the fashion industry on the environment, and we refuse to contribute to its harmful practices. Instead, we embrace a made-to-order approach, ensuring that every piece we create is a statement of power, style, as well as a commitment to sustainability and responsible consumption. Both through our futuristic Mongolian themes and our earth-loving designs, we hope to make people feel like powerful techno-warriors when they’re wearing our garments. As we continue to develop our sci-fi movie, we release snippets and showcase products that reflect the themes and values of our story. Each piece we create is a fusion of art, technology, and storytelling, designed to inspire others to imagine and build the future we all deserve. Previous Next