Ongoing Educational Activities
 Historically, most religious traditions - from indigenous cultures to the great civilizations - used the arts to enhance the spiritual experience. Most of the body of human artifact which we now refer to as ‘art’ consists of objects used in religious rituals or those that depict religious themes. Due to their strong emotional impact and ability to act immediately and directly upon our perception, the arts have the ability to enhance religious experience, and evoke a sense of transcendence, or the presence of some deeper or divine presence. The arts enhance religious experience by evoking strong emotions that preclude conceptual thought and may even invoke a sense of transcendence or the presence of the divine.
The role of the arts dates back to the earliest humans, who painted images deep in caves by flickering firelight and fashioned figures and objects as a means of interacting with the realm of spirit. The potential of the arts to explore spirit is still available to us, and can assist us in navigating the 21st century and the important work of healing the planet.
In this workshop, led by Kevin Wallace, director of the Center, participants will explore spirit through the arts. Following a PowerPoint presentation, drawing upon the recently published book Intersection: Art & Life, participants will work with pencil, paint and clay to create drawings, paintings, figures, and objects that explore the visual and tactile language of art as a means of better understanding and connecting with spirit.
Kevin Wallace, Director of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts & Happy Valley Cultural Center, will lead this workshop. As a curator and writer, Wallace works with museum curators and collectors to place works of art in the permanent collections of leading museums, is a regular contributor to numerous international publications, and regularly speaks on the subject of art and craft.
Kevin Wallace Teaching at the Center
Wallace has guest-curated exhibitions for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, the Long Beach Museum of Art, the Cultural Affairs Department of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles International Airport, and the San Luis Obispo Art Center.
Books include Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions; Transforming Vision: The Wood Sculpture of William Hunter, 1970-2005; River of Destiny: The Life and Work of Binh Pho; Moulthrop: A Legacy in Wood; Every Exit is an Entry: The Life and Work of Liam O’Gallagher, The Cutting Edge: Contemporary Wood Art & The Lipton Collection, and Shadow of The Turning.
Wallace has also co-authored a number of books, including New Masters of Woodturning: Expanding the Boundaries of Wood Art; The Art of Vivika and Otto Heino; Michael Peterson: Evolution/Revolution; Contemporary Turned Wood: New Perspectives in a Rich Tradition; Baskets: Tradition & Beyond; and Contemporary Glass: Color, Light & Form.
“Our educational programming at the Center is concerned with sharing knowledge and opening people up to the wonderful world of creative expression,” Wallace says. “Everything I know I learned from others and I have been fortunate to know and work with so many fascinating artists, collectors, dealers, curators and writers.”
Please contact the Center for more information.
For workshop registration, please contact:
The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts
Tel: 805-646-3381 or email us at BeatriceWoodCenter@gmail.com.
Our workshops and classes all take place at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts (driving directions).
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Please call 805-646-3381 or email BeatriceWoodCenter@gmail.com for more information on our exhibitions, workshops, and performances. |
