Art Beat

In these times of economic uncertainty, money is on everyone’s mind. Actually, it doesn’t really matter if times are good or bad, the power of money is a constant in our society. And we don’t just use it to buy burgers and beer. All too often it is the yardstick by which we measure an […]

Molly Ritter likes being looked at. She is a six-foot-tall, vivacious redhead with a striking figure; it is thoroughly unsurprising that she has become a sought after model. But for the local artists who have been lucky enough to work with her, Ritter is much more than just another pretty face. For many, she has […]

On a recent visit to Arcata Artisans I watched a small group of people enter together, engaged in a lively conversation. Almost immediately upon entering, the conversation faded and they split up, each drawn to different work around the gallery — each gravitating toward something that spoke to their personal aesthetic. It’s that kind of […]

Ten pink flamingos? Check. Thirty-nine large pink donuts? Check. Space Ghost, Batman, Wonder Woman and a dancing Big Foot? Check. This might sound like a laundry list of images from that dream you had the night you ate way too much Thai curry, but it’s not. It is a partial list of the objects and […]

  If you read the headline of this article and your first thought was, “I didn’t even know HSU had a permanent art collection,” you are not alone. The university has largely kept its works on campus, so outsiders haven’t had the chance to learn that HSU not only has a collection, but it’s a […]

Local artist Deborah Burke’s current show of silkscreened prints and fabric wall hangings at the Upstairs Art Gallery in Arcata, aptly titled “Progression,” exemplifies the movement and change in her work over the last 25 years. The progression is marked not just by stylistic changes, but by a dramatic shift in medium in her most […]

For over 20 years, photographer Alan Dismuke has been taking self-portraits. No, he’s not the world’s most narcissistic artist. In fact, he is often difficult to identify in his portraits. The figures in Dismuke’s work appear as male, female, young, old, rich, poor, nude and clothed. But behind the costumes, wigs and makeup, they are […]

Love it or loathe it, everyone has to agree that the Arcata Plaza is an eclectic place: from the people to the shops and restaurants, the Plaza runs the gamut. On the Plaza’s west side, there is a shop that embodies the spirit of its location. Arcata Artisans has been displaying and selling the work […]

Looking for a good conversation starter? Try this the next time you walk into a crowded room: “I just bought a really cool deck of tarot cards!” People will react — some with interest, some with disdain. Today, just about everyone knows what a tarot deck is. Tarot’s archetypal, iconic imagery and symbolism is ingrained […]

Most would agree that art has the ability to enrich our lives: Great works of visual and performing art can make us keenly aware of what is possible beyond the whitewash of typical daily experience. When we think about where we come into contact with this art, many of us picture austere gallery spaces, venerated […]

Ask longtime Humboldt residents why they live here, and chances are they’ll mention the beauty of this place, the forests, farmlands and beaches, the streams and rivers running from the mountains to the sea. That love of nature is reflected in our vibrant art scene. You’ll see it full force this weekend if you take […]