The intent of the show is to highlight the talent of our Willits graduates of the last 20 years, in the visual and performing arts.
The visual show includes many forms of visual arts: oil & acrylic paintings, ink & charcoal drawings, multi-media, jewelry, ceramics, photography, masks. Also included are creations by a snowboard designer and a creator of leather accessories.
The performing artists include heavy metal and hiphop bands for an opening night dance, to two Sunday afternoon shows up in the Great Room: August 2 will be an electric afternoon with both solo and band performers, and August 9 will be acoustic, with piano, guitar, vocals, and poetry.
The Sunday afternoon shows will be hopefully be bistro-style: café tables and chairs, with goodies for sale.
VISUAL ARTISTS’S BIOS (in alphabetical order)
Lori Budish “I graduated from Willits High School in 2001. After high school, I attended Mendocino College, and graduated in 2004 with an Associates Degree in Horticulture. I had dreams of being a landscape designer, or starting my own nursery. I continued at Mendocino College, changing my degree to Biology. My dreams changed again, and I decided to take some time away from school. I wanted to do some traveling and discover new interests. Currently, I am living in Willits and working at Mariposa Market. In the fall of this year, I will be attending Bauman College, a school for holistic nutrition and culinary arts. I will be studying to become a holistic nutritionalist. I am really excited about this. It has been my passion for some time to work with people on the importance of diet and how it can influence our overall well-being."
Britta Byer graduated from UC Berkeley with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and decided to move to Tahoe to do some soul searching. After a few years of teaching snowboarding, she realized that she needed to combine her two passions.
She started Sequel Snowboards in the winter of 2007 with the goal of helping "green" the snowboard industry. She wanted to create hand-made boards that used natural materials and avoid using synthetic materials that require large amounts of oil to create. She’s been experimenting with hemp fiber and basalt in place of fiberglass, and plans to use a bio-epoxy this fall. Britta contracted with Heather Patterson, a Lake Tahoe based artist, to do the artwork for the freeride board line, because her art is both organic and abstract.
Max Byer would like you to believe that he is currently off in Europe becoming a rock star, owning and operating a teahouse, working as a street performer, and running three countries simultaneously. Unfortunately, this is not true, as these things take time. Max is, however, currently living in Sacramento and taking a break from college to work. No job yet, but he’s trying. In his spare time, Max likes to practice guitar, write, and as displayed here, make costumes for animé and comic conventions.
Tessa Crawford is a recent graduate of California College of the Arts, with an emphasis in painting and drawing. Her last semester was spent as a student in New York at the New York Studio Program, where she met international practicing artists, was critiqued by professional art critics, and had her first New York show. She has recently moved back to Willits, and is looking forward to being a participant in the local art community.
Kale Haschak began his interest in the art of glass blowing while a senior in high school, in 2002. He worked on his own and with friends for several years, learning and perfecting his craft. Wanting to get some formal training, he took classes for 2 summers at the Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle, Washington, which was started by the world famous glassblower, Dale Chuhuly.
Desiring to be "in the thick of things", Kale moved to Seattle and continues to live there with his wife, Jackie. He has done a variety of work in his field, including teaching, production work, and assisting respected artists, while continuing to work on his own projects.
In October, 2008, Kale was the featured artist at "The Glass House" studio in Seattle, with a showing of his work. His pieces are for sale at their gallery on an ongoing basis, as well as other galleries in the area.
Billy Hetherington
Dawna Hetherington (Schwartz)
Crystal Kamoroff was born and raised in Mendocino County. Upon graduation from Willits High School, she wanted nothing more than to experience other environments, including the urban landscape. With a great sense of wanderlust and desire to explore, she moved to Oakland to study art at The California College of Arts. This was to be the start of a love affair with industrial landscapes and a fascination with the patinas of urban decay. After a year at CCA, she had the opportunity to travel and study abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico. She attended Instituto Allende, an art and language school in San Miguel De Allende. It was here that she worked and studied sculpture, photography and the Spanish language.
Upon her return to the States, Crystal settled in Santa Cruz, California, where she built a ceramics studio and began a professional career as an artist. Santa Cruz was home for several years until an overwhelming urge to traveled deposited her in South America, where she lived with a family in Chile and traveled extensively. Her journeys took her across Bolivia by train, to witness the landscape change from sparse desert to the wet heat of the jungle, where roads washed out, rivers were crossed by boat, and at the Bolivian border, motorcycle taxis couriered her into Brazil. She ventured across the enormous country of Brazil, passing through Sao Paulo, Rio, and Bahia, determined to reach Belem, located at the foot of the great Amazon River. It is at this great juncture, where the mouth of the Amazon River meets the sea and disbands its fresh water into the ever-rising salty ocean, that she began to travel westward again. Rivers like freeways and bi-ways branch out like capillary veins from el Rio Amazona, and marked a watery path by boat back through Peru and home to Chile.
The experience of learning a second language and immersing herself within other cultures, shattered preconceptions, added global perspective, and greatly informs Crystal’s work. She is very aware of societal constrictions and makes decisions to follow paths that break from conformity and allow for exploration, realization, and acknowledgement of the complexities of identity. This self-actualization, in combination with life experience, has led her to develop a strong sense of empathy towards those with diverse backgrounds and identities. She chooses to use art as a means to educate, to question, to create social dialogues and to explore the mysteries and beauty of the human experience.
Since receiving her B.F. A. from San Jose State University in the spring of 2008, Crystal has been active in applying to juried shows and artist residencies. She was honored by being selected for the position of Artist in Residence at San Jose State University, a program that awards an artist working in clay a personal studio space and an opportunity to develop a portfolio. In conjunction with being the artist in residence at San Jose State, Crystal worked as a laboratory technician assistant at SJSU. The “Resident Artist” position at SJSU was a greatly beneficial transition between her B.F.A. and M.F.A. studies. She dedicated her time to developing and resolving her current series of work, which was invaluable to her growth as an artist.
After her graduation, Crystal also acquired an apprenticeship with the artist sculptor, David Middlebrook. Crystal works part-time assisting Middlebrook with the construction and fabrication of his work. Working in Middlebrook’s studio has offered a wealth of knowledge, of tools and processes including stone working, mold making, metal work, casting, and fabrication. This environment has informed Crystal’s work by offering new perspectives and ideas concerning approaches to material. This is beneficial, as she has been venturing into an exploration of work that includes pictorial, spatial, and multi-media elements.
In addition to the artist residency and artist assistantship, Crystal exhibits work in galleries and various art venues throughout the Bay Area. She is constantly researching information and techniques that inform and improve her work, and continues to work full-time, producing in her studio. Starting in the Fall of 2009, she will be relocating to Ohio to pursue graduate studies and teach in the MFA Program at Bowling Green State University.
Sean Kirkpatrick “I am a student at UC Santa Cruz, studying Marine Biology. Recently I have been spending a lot of my time diving around Monterey Bay. In AP Art, in high school, I experimented with acrylic paints, and have recently become interested in photography. Primarily I shoot in black and white film on a 30-year-old analog camera with a macro lens. In the future, I hope to combine my interests in photography and diving, and take pictures of underwater life."
Gabe & Holly Madrigal are both graduates of Willits High School. They returned to Willits after living in Santa Cruz. They became involved in Taiko drumming in 2005, when they joined the Mendocino County Taiko group. Holly and Gabe have traveled extensively and have seen Taiko performed by masters in other countries. This inspired them to build their own drums. Holly was formerly a dancer in Kaleidoscope Dance Company, as well as enjoying many art and ceramic classes with Kathleen Kirkpatrick. Gabe's work as a natural builder has developed his skills as a craftsman.
Kyle Madrigal “I got here through mitosis. I was raised in Willits. This is my home. More and more my art has been ditch digging (I am for hire) and less of the traditional "art" presented in this art center. Hard labour gets me into the zen mind quicker and longer than "art" nowadays. I also spend more time playing music in the Dirt Floor Band (bass) and The Wild Unicorns (guitar/vocals/ harmonica). I get pleasure from watching water fall from the sky, the wind blow through the trees, clouds metamorphosing and evaporating, and the collapse of humanity. Something new is in the air...”
Hilary Manning "I started doing henna around freshman year in high school. I was interested in the history and culture associated with the ancient art. I scooped up all the books I could find on henna, scoured the internet, searched for masters—found them and studied with them. Seven, eight years later, I am part of a statewide henna artist community attending annual conferences and helping to teach classes. Henna is a hobby and passion. I also attend Mendocino College and am a proud member of the RN program."
What is henna? Henna is a plant, the leaves of which produce a dye. When made into a paste, it can be applied to skin, hair, fiber, etc., to dye it. On the skin, designs last for 1-3 weeks, slowly fading as your skin exfoliates.
Hilary works as a henna artist at the Willits Farmer’s Market and does private parties/appointments. Visit her website at hilaryhenna.com.
Francis Pealatere is currently studying music at SFSU, living in the East Bay, surfing with Samuel Groover, communicating musically with many, traveling to open his eyes to the world, and loving family and friends while working hard to make it all happen.
Roseanna Pealatere has three years of college and eight different majors under her belt, including Zoology, Studio Art, Mathematics, and many more, and is now in flux once again. She has created visual art in many forms and fiddles with an assortment of instruments, but is perhaps most at home smithing words. “I am alive in a world filled with God. What is there not to be inspired by?”
Will Pealatere studied Classical Realism with Barnstone Studios in Pennsylvania and Florence Academy of Art in Italy. He now lives and paints in Sarasota, Florida, with occasional visits home to Willits. You can see more of his art at willpealatere.com.
Simone River "The passion to create is always in me, and I believe this is what makes a great artist. When I sit down at my bench, I turn on my torch and examine the flame to find the peak of perfection. This eye for the heat will either make or melt my piece. This meditation in moments is what puts me in the "zone": from this point, I follow my hands and an inner desire to create balance and beauty in metal - a precious treasure that some day will find a home on someone’s body and bring that person the inner joy I let work through my hands."
"My Jewelry is currently for sale at the Tiger Lily boutique here in Willits and at Grace’s on Main in Ukiah. I am available by appointment to view the full line of my work, and also welcome custom designs."
Yvonne Marie Seibel “I am a truly blessed young woman to have grown my roots deep within a community blossoming with so much creative energy. My role models are endless. My inspiration is endless. Each step I take, whether hiking through redwood paradise or strolling Main St. of funky downtown Willits, my muses are reaching out to me. My work largely consists of waking life interpretations of my nightly dreams. I use paint, plants, paper, old books, found photographs, junk, jewelry, and much, much glue to share my dreams with the world. I hope to inspire, as others inspire me."
PERFORMING ARTISTS’S BIOS (in alphabetical order)
Greg Keebler (aka Sir RieL) is 21 years young, lives in Ukiah, California, and is addicted to Art. “I know Art is dying, but it isn't dead. This being said, I am a guitarist of many fashions, a contact juggler, a Buugeng student, an actor, and a practiced fire-staff performer."
"I have always been attracted to the arts; more so to the somewhat "eclectic" side of perspective. I have found I was determined enough to learn certain things which seemed to discourage other people from learning them, reasons being lack of interest or motivation or technique or what-have-you. I was never talented in creating pictures of any sort, so I started with music."
"I obtained my first bass guitar when I was fourteen and could not put it down until I was seventeen. In the gap of three years, I was in a few bands, as well as playing on my own to hone my personal skill. I was soon starting to get the response I wanted from people. I was being praised and being mildly scolded for art. As time went on, I started to be more attracted to the six-stringed, higher-voiced brother of the bass guitar. Around the beginning of my studies of the six-string, I heard a quote, which was the driving force to learn more: "You have to know the rules to break them." I can't remember who said this to me, but since then, I have been down every road I can find to push myself. Classical guitar, as well as performing with Legion of Plague, seems to be my focus as of late. When I was nineteen, David Bowie and Mike Moschen graced me with their presence on a good day, like so many times before. This particular encounter led to my discovery of contact juggling, fire staff, and my stage name, Sir RieL."
"Recently, I have been practicing a revolutionary new idea of shortstaff, Buugeng: "Buu", meaning Martial Arts, and "Geng", meaning Illusion. It has yet to be known by major society, which makes it a nice skill to learn early on. I do all of this because, like I said before, Art is dying, but it isn't dead. I'm doing my part to contribute to the revival of Art....it's also really, really fun."
Francis Pealatere (see Visual Artists)
Roseanna Pealatere (see Visual Artists)
Blair Rowland
Jodi Waseca