By JENNIFER MORRISSEY

On view at the Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Visitor and Interpretive Center from Aug. 3 through Sept. 13 is an exhibition featuring 25 artists from the San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild. “Au Naturale: Nature’s Art” showcases paintings, drawings, photographs, and prints in a variety of styles to exemplify the wonder found in the plant and animal life all around us.

The Artists Guild is an organization linking the San Diego Museum of Art to the artist community of San Diego County. It works to enhance awareness and appreciation of local artists by bringing their original art to the attention of patrons for display and purchase. This membership-based artist collective was founded over 100 years ago, celebrating its centennial in 2015 with an exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art. With new members joining each year, the guild remains a vital part of San Diego’s art future and past. Previous members included some of the region’s most notable artists like Belle Baranceanu and Olaf Wieghorst.

Artwork featured in the exhibition will be available for sale, and a portion of the funds will support the park through the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation. The artists in the exhibition are Jody Abssy, Susan Ashley, Warren Bakley, Jo Caldwell, Gloria Chadwick, Christopher Conroe, Jackie Farkas, Sue Gold, Doria Goocher, Elaine Harvey, Sandra Hayen, Alan Haynes, Sunny Hilliker, Margaret Larlham, Janet Lehmann, Skipp McCunney, John Oleinik, Cher Pendarvis, Arun Prem, Julianne Ricksecker, Sherry Roper, Bonnie Roth, Vita Sorrentino, John Straub and Minnie Valero.

The art program at the MTRP Visitor Center is organized by the MTRP Foundation and a portion of all artwork sales benefits the park. For more information and a list of this year’s exhibitions, visit mtrp.org/art. The Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor and Interpretive Center is located at 1 Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and admission is free.

Gift shop gets ‘Gold Leaf’ touchup

The MTRP Visitor Center Gift Shop is in the midst of a transformation by Sonya Kemp, founder of Gold Leaf in South Park, a well-loved shop featuring “curated goods for hearth and home.”

Sonya’s love of art, nature and design infuses the unique objects in her store and now she’s bringing her trained eye and retail savvy to create a shopping experience inspired by the beauty of the park and the excitement of outdoor life.

Watch this space for fun items to gift yourself and others, and new Mission Trails merch for the whole family. Later in the month, we will introduce another new T-shirt featuring California poppies, which graced the park’s slopes during the superbloom earlier this year.

— Jennifer Morrissey is executive director of the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation.