The second-floor Gallery Space at El Cerrito City Hall had its walls enlivened by a new art exhibit this week, a show of photos by El Cerrito resident Evie Groch.
A public reception for the artist will be held Saturday, 2-4 p.m., at City Hall. The show runs through March. 29.
A framed artist's statement accompanying the exhibit says, "The creative spirit that I nurture within me bridges genres, boundaries, and themes, combining my love of cooking, writing, painting, and creating two and three-dimensional art."
"My photography selection reflects the thematic ebb and flow of the flora and fauna encountered in my travels, along with some spiritual scenes," Groch's statement continues. "I am at my happiest when my two worlds of words and visual arts perfectly meld."
Groch's writing includes occasional guest columns for El Cerrito Patch on education.
A news release about the exhibit from the city quoted Groch saying:
“My favorite scenes are those which make sense within themselves and provide clues to the meaning of their existence. I believe in designing from emotion and translating that design with structure. I enjoy creating an ambience in which I would like to find myself. Delving into innocent portrayals with underlying nuances helps me find this ambience. I appreciate themes of an evocative nature, or those that suspend disbelief. At times, I work at simplifying scenes with complex feelings. Sharing the lens through which I see things is a joy of mine. I start with a vision and let it take me where it needs me to go."
Patch offers apologies to the artist for the poor quality of the attached Patch iPhone photos of her exhibit. They do not reflect the quality of the originals.
The gallery space at City Hall – a wall area on the second-floor loft overlooking the building's main lobby – represents the city's required contribution under El Cerrito's 2005 Art in Public Places law, following construction of City Hall in 2008. The law requires at least one percent of the cost of developments of $250,000 or more be devoted to public art.
Selection of exhibits is done by the El Cerrito Arts and Culture Commission.
