La Jolla shows its Pride at First Friday Art Walk in June

Every variety of art from the most abstract to fine art wildlife photography was exhibited at participating art galleries with visiting artists at the June 3 First Friday La Jolla Art Walk.

The art walks returned by popular demand to the Village of La Jolla in December 2021. Katey Kalanges, director at Lik Fine Art La Jolla, and a member of La Jolla Village Merchant Association’s board, chairs the monthly event.

LGBTQ+ Pride was chosen as the theme for the event because June is Pride Month, which celebrates the worldwide influence of LGBTQ+ people. June was also the month when the Stonewall Riots took place in 1969, ushering in the start of the gay rights movement.

“First Fridays are not just about art and artists, it is about partnerships and community,” said Jodi Rudick, LJVMA executive director. “First Friday Art Walk is a true collaboration. Not only are over 16 galleries taking part each month, but many galleries have also developed creative partnerships.”

Rudick noted Village restaurants often sponsor gallery food and beverages at participating La Jolla art galleries, which have included Mermaids and Cowboys, Eddie V’s, Catania, Lobster West, and Cove House, even brand-new Java Earth.

“Real estate agents and chiropractors have sponsored galleries by helping with costs, serving refreshments, and creating a friendly, welcoming atmosphere,” said Rudick. “We’re also thrilled to have developed an ongoing partnership with the San Diego Spirits Festival, which has been providing unique beverages and spirits to guests. All La Jolla businesses can partner with a gallery to lend a hand, and share costs while meeting new potential customers.”

Rudick said upcoming art walk themes will be red, white, and blues for July. In August, the theme will involve Akuna Matata in partnership with Disney’s musical production of “The Lion King.”

A tour of the June 3 First Friday Art Walk was memorable as guests dined on hors d’oeuvres, sipped wine, and mingled with gallery owners, artists, and their guests.

Robert J. Leyh, San Diego Pride programs manager, was among six gay organizations represented at the art walk. He and others hosted a gay trivia game set up outside Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty at 1111 Prospect St.

“We’re here because this is June and June is Pride Month,” said Leyh. “They (LJVMA) reached out to a couple of organizations and we said, ‘Yeah, let’s go up there, play a fun trivia game, give out some little prizes, and have some fun.’ It’s about being present in the community. We’re more than just Hillcrest. We’re all of San Diego.”

Inside Pacific Sotheby’s, mom-daughter artistic team Geraldine Hummel and her daughter, Dr. Giselle Catalina, were being sponsored by the business. They unveiled their Scapes Collection.

“I’ve been painting for 25 years and I just decided to sort of go full-time (in art) now,” said Hummel. Speaking of her inspiration and her artistic palette Hummel noted: “I’ve always lived along the coast and I like the ocean and the sky,” adding about her color scheme, “I like turquoise a lot. My colors, I like them to be brighter. I’m more of a contemporary artist, not fine art, so I want my paintings to be happy.”

At Martin Lawrence Galleries around the corner at 1111 Prospect St., gallery director Brenda Klippel-Stores noted the paintings of artist Rene Lalonde will be here “till the end of the month” while adding that “everything else changes constantly. We’ve been here since 2007, but the company’s been in business for 40 years. We have modern masters and pop artists, as well as contemporary artists that we represent.” They treated guests to chocolates.

Tammy Tillack of Artemis Fine Art Gallery at 1152 Prospect St. noted her gallery “supports professional artists and National Geographic photographers from around the world.” She added, “All our artists support conservation efforts for our planet. We also have painters, sculptors, and glass artists from all over.”

Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery at 7946 Ivanhoe Ave. was featuring the sculpture work of Tom Marosz. “I do glass,” he said of his laminated sculptures reflecting light like a prism. “Part of what makes mine (sculptures) different from others is the coating on here that causes the colors to change. All the color comes from the coating that is put on it.” Marosz named one of his glass sculptures “Ella,” for the jazz musician he listens to while he works.

Art consultant Nicole Eilemberg of Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery at 7946 Ivanhoe Ave. noted, “We were one of the first art galleries in La Jolla,” adding, “We get awards every year for just maintaining quality and (keeping) the artists that we’ve represented through the decades. You have to have a relationship with your artists.”

Roree Mayhew of Legends Gallery Fine Art of La Jolla at 1205 Prospect St., Suite B, said that “about half the gallery is dedicated to Dr. Seuss and two other artists as well, (Snoopy) artist Tom Everhart, who does the Peanuts work here, and MacKenzie Thorpe, an artist from the UK who’s been showing internationally for about 30 years now.”

The artwork exhibited at Modernist Cuisine Gallery at 1241 Prospect St. was really something to behold featuring Daliesque photos by Nathan Myhrvold of food and drink in motion: Beer sloshing into a mug, scoops of ice cream cascading into a cone.

Guests were transfixed by the breathtakingly beautiful fine art photos at Images of Nature Gallery at 7916 Girard Ave. Those images were painstakingly captured by wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelsen, whose work has been featured on “60 Minutes.”

Krista Schumacher Art Gallery at 1113 Wall St. featured the work of another mother-daughter artistic team, Kathy and Krista Schumacher (above). “Krista is a heavy texture oil palette knife painter,” said Kathy. “She (Kathy) taught me to oil paint when I was 16, and now we are both professional oil painters,” said gallery owner Krista, who added, “Every year we do one painting together on the same canvas.”

This year that joint painting taking up nearly an entire wall was titled “Desert Oasis.” “We created it at the same time, both working side-by-side, and we just released it,” noted Krista adding “This is year number three,” referring to her artistic collaboration with her mom.

PARTICIPATING LA JOLLA VILLAGE ART GALLERIES

Artemis Fine Art Gallery
artemisfineartgallery.com
Ig: @artemislajolla

Be Boutique
beboutiquesd.com
Ig: @beboutiquesd

BFree Studio
bfreestudio.net
Ig: @bfreestudio

Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery
contemporaryfineartsgallery.com
Ig: @contemporaryfineartsgallery

Conrad Performing Arts Center
ljms.org

Ig: @ ljmusicsociety

Cosmopolitan Fine Art
cosmopolitanart.com
Ig: @cosmopolitanfinearts_gallery

Cove House La Jolla

covehouselajolla.com
Ig: @covehouselajolla

Greg Lawson Gallery
greglawsongalleries.com
Ig: @greglawsonimages

Krista Schumacher Art Gallery
kristaschumacherart.com
Ig: @kristaschumacherart