Art of Love...
On Friday, February 3rd, the Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) presents its 2nd Annual Art of Love Show. The show will feature a juried exhibition of over forty Nevada County artists' paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and multi-media art works. Guest artists include Kourosh Gorji, Irving Guyer, Lil McGill, David McKay, Linda Savitz, Douglass Truth and many more!

A very special collaborative installation by resident artists, transforms the gallery for this event with a series of love themed sculptural pieces, created by Deborah Bridges. Each of these have been cast, painted, collaged, carved or otherwise "multi-media-ized" by resident artists and close kin. This collaboration speaks volumes of the ways in which this core group of artists continues to grow and thrive together, capturing the spirit of ongoing support and love that keeps this visual arts center brimming with creative energy!

Love, Poetry & Fire!
Also at the Art of Love opening reception, ASiF proudly presents poetry readings by Molly Fisk, Marilyn Souza, Will Staple, Julie Valin and Chris Olander, and an exciting fire dancing performance by members of the Beyond Fire Tribe!

Love as theme, has been explored throughout the ages by artists of every kind.... Poets, musicians, dancers, playwrights, painters and sculptors... all know well the ways in which simple words most often fail to convey love's true message. Traditionally, each year for Valentines Day many of us will find ourselves in search of artfully made cards, gifts, poems, love songs and charms... the greatest of which are artist-made. For those of us whose gifts lie elsewhere... we owe great thanks to the artists of the world, for helping to express, some semblance of this... un-harness-able, and ever-fleeting breath of love!

A reception for the artists will begin at 5pm... wine and refreshments will be served. Poetry readings to begin at 7pm, and, to end the event with a bang, a fire dancing performance at 8pm!

Valentine Art Workshops...
Following the Art of Love opening reception, ASiF instructors will offer several valentine themed workshops in which adults and children are offered opportunity to create their own handmade valentine gifts.

The first of these will be a Valentine Goblet Making Workshop with Denise Wey. For this workshop adults and children are guided through the process of hand-building with clay, ceramic goblets with love themed embellishments, perfect for Valentine's Day gifts! This workshop will be held on Saturday, February 4th.

The second Valentine Art workshop will be the Art of Love Open Heart-Art Workshop with Eileen Blodgett! This adult class offers students opportunity to collaborate with resident artist and sculptor Deborah Bridges! For this class students are given cast forms... the same love themed sculptural pieces created by Deborah for the resident artist installation, and are taught various methods for personalized embellishment. Each student will leave the workshop with a beautiful hand made love themed wall piece. This workshop will be held the Sunday following the opening reception, on February 5th!

ASiF sets out on its 5th year!
This January 2012, the Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) sets out on its fifth year, serving as a resource for the many talented visual artists of Nevada County. The center has earned wide acclaim for its stable of high caliber artists, and their hugely attended art events featuring themed gallery shows every six to eight weeks. Crowds of several hundred people join the artists to celebrate and enjoy fine art, food, wine, music, and presentations by local local art historians.

ASiF also serves as a fully equipped studio arts facility, offering private and shared studio space, lectures and fine art instruction in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics and mosaics, drop in studio use, and community classroom use for classes and workshops. In addition to the center's main gallery shows, is the center's gift venue, ASiF GiFT, featuring cards, prints, jewelry, pottery and many other "gift-able" art works created by local artists.

The gallery and gift store are open Monday - Friday from 10am - 5pm, 11am - 4pm on Saturdays, and Sundays by appointment. The Art of Love show will hang through March 3rd.

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley. For more information go to www.asifstudios.com
or call the center at 530-274-7000.


Art of Love Show Participating Artists:
Simona Bellini
Rebecca Bleau
Eileen Blodgett
Deborah Bridges
Odette Brush
Roseanne Burke
Ruth Chase
Susan Crocenzi
Miranda Currie
Heather deVivieros
Annette Dunklin
Esther Escott
Flo Fahrenheit
Kourosh Gorji
Sharon Griffiths
Kathryn Hannah
Barbara Harris
Sarah CV Hendrickson
Michael Hendrix
Sally Herring
Suzanne Himmler
Betsy Hufnagel
Lil McGill
Jennifer Iams McGuire
Elizabeth Jens
Olaf Jens
David McKay
Mindy Oberne
Amanda Paoletti
Linda Rachmel
Jennifer Rain
Sue Rexer
Doug Rutter
Linda Savitz
Lin Shiffner
Mary Thelander
Douglass Truth
Robin Wallace
Denise Wey
Christena Wiebe
Kathryn Wronski

ASiF'S Sculptors' Collaborative & Atelier Style Mentoring Program...

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) is thrilled to announce some very exciting news about the center's ever-expanding program offerings!

The new ASiF Sculptors' Collaborative and Atelier Style Mentoring Program offers a whole new take on fine art instruction at ASiF. Resident Artists Simona Bellini, Deborah Bridges, Jennifer Iams-McGuire and Amanda Paoletti are spear-heading this new direction for programs at the center, taking the student-teacher relationship to a whole new level. The four instructors have been teaching classes at at ASiF and elsewhere for many years... though the intimacy of this program and the ways in which they will be working collaboratively with each other in the space, breaks new ground for all of them.

The new ASiF Sculptors' Collaborative & Atelier Style Mentoring Program invites a small group of two to three intermediate to advanced level students, or "mentees" into their sculpture studio for weekly sculpting sessions, ongoing mentoring and group critiques. "The teachers are as excited to learn from each other as the students are", says Amanda Paoletti, one of the four studio instructors, "The diversity and varied focuses of each of the teachers means that we'll be trading hats from mentor to "mentee" quite regularly... I'm already clearing my calendar in hopes that there'll be room for me to attend the other instructors' weekly sessions!" This new program promises to be an exciting studio environment where teachers and students share new inspiration, techniques and methods for creating sculpture.

In addition to weekly mentoring and critiques the four instructors will share the sculpture studio with their students during the centers open studio hours, working side by side in a tradition of instruction that most resembles the atelier studio methods practiced historically in western European countries.

"What", you ask, "does 'Atelier' mean?" ... Atelier is the French word for "workshop", in English it's used principally for the workshop of an artist in the fine or decorative arts, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students and apprentices worked together producing pieces that went out in the master's name. This was the standard way of working for European artists from the Middle Ages to the 18th or 19th century, and common elsewhere in the world.

The current "Atelier method" is a form of fine art instruction modeled after the historic private art studios of Europe. An atelier consists of an artist, usually a professional painter or sculptor, working with a small number of students to train them in art. Atelier schools can be found around the world, particularly in North America and Western Europe.

ASiF Sculptors' Collaborative students will receive: 3 hrs weekly mentoring with one of the four instructors, and studio space in ASiF's sculpture studio. The studio will be made available to students during open studio hours, Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm and Saturdays from 11am - 4pm.

The cost for students is $200 per month... this includes studio space. Students are asked to make an initial commitment of three months with one of the four instructors. Student dues may be paid on a monthly basis at the beginning of each month. Mentor-ships with specific teachers may continue beyond the initial three month period... this too will be established based on the needs of participating students.

This atelier style mentoring thing is really catching on...
Inspiration about this style of teaching is catching the attention of many studio residents. Kathryn Wronski, oil painter and vetran resident at ASiF has recently taken on two students or "mentorships". "People have been asking me about teaching for years," says Kathryn. "The one on one format is comfortable for me... I never knew how inspiring teaching could be... it's a mutually supportive relationship that's turning out to be super creative for me!"

This exciting new program is getting so much attention, the word at the studio is that other residents may be taking students under their wings in the near future as well!


ASiF SCULPTORS' COLLABORATIVE
Instructor Biographies and "Mentor-ship" offerings...

Simona Bellini...
Simona moved to the United States this year from Switzerland where she is an active member of the Association of Swiss Ceramists. Simona's works, strongly linked and inspired by organic elements found in nature, are mainly developed in clay using various firing techniques. She utilizes armored structures covered in acrylic resin for her larger forms of expression and has a particular interest in creating mural relief forms and modular structures.

The initial focus with Simona's students at the ASiF Sculptors' Collaborative will be in creating ceramic relief forms, organic abstract objects... spheres, cocoons, and other forms... and utilization of pure oxides.

International Students Welcome... Mentoring with Simona is available to students in English, Italian, Spanish, French or German!

Mentoring with Simona is scheduled for 3 hours on Mondays... she is now taking student requests to determine the times that will work best for her students.

Deborah Bridges...
Deborah is an award winning sculptor of stone, clay and bronze. With twenty five years of experience sculpting professionally and teaching the art of figurative sculpture, she keeps her attention on the inner depths of being, keeping her work fresh, honest and authentic.

For the ASiF Sculptors' Collaborative Deborah will teach figurative sculpture using techniques she's developed over her many years of working with the figure in various media. Using ceramic clay, Deborah will demonstrate techniques that express the evocative nature of the face and natural movement of the body.

Three hour mentoring sessions with Deborah Bridges are scheduled for Wednesdays. She is currently taking student requests to determine the times that work best for her students.

Jennifer Iams-McGuire...
Jennifer is an award winning member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists. She sculpts using mosaic surface treatment over sculptural forms made of cement and recycled materials as armatures. Her large scale 3-D Mosaic sculptures are known for their humor and playful use of scale... for example a tea-bag scaled up 250 times life size!

While the sculptural aspects of her work will be the focus of her offerings and expertise at the ASiF Sculptors' Collaborative, the art of mosaic surface treatment will be an exciting additional option for her students! Mentoring sessions with Jennifer are scheduled for Tuesdays from 10am - 1pm.

Amanda Paoletti...
Amanda is a ceramic sculptor with a great appreciation for the expressive nature of the human form. With twenty five years experience working with clay, her teachings at the ASiF Sculptors' Collaborative will focus, not on the figure, but rather on technique and methods for building large scale sculptural vessel forms without the use of armatures. Combining age old methods of coil pot making and slab form building, she works closely with students guiding them through the process of discovering their own styles and personal paths as artists. Mentoring sessions with Amanda are scheduled for Thursdays from 11am - 2pm.

ASiF's 4th Annual Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show...

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) is thrilled to announce its Fourth Annual Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show! Many agree this is ASiF's best show of the year, bringing together the highest quality local artists and more art in a shared thematic show at a single location than any local venue in Nevada County history!

For this show, the gallery is brought to life with close to a thousand original, one of a kind works of art... paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, multi-media collages, jewelry and sculptural & functional works of art, all under twelve inches in scale, perfect for holiday gift-giving!

Each wall is a work of art in itself... Just weeks before the opening ASiF's veteran hanging crew invites a small number of participating artists to help and share in the creative work of hanging and displaying the artwork. On this day each of the crew members claims a wall and sets to work creating large wall sized collages of the artworks from about knee height to as far up the wall as one can see.

Each carefully composed gallery wall, consists of one or more of each of the sixty-plus participant's -up to ten art entries. Unlike most gallery shows, artists works are not grouped together, instead they're peppered into the mix, like unique one of a kind art tiles in a collaborative mosaic creating a kind of treasure hunt for fans of particular artists as they search to find each of their favorite artists' works.

And speaking of treasure hunts... for this event, one of the center's studio residents has designed a special art activity for those who enjoy a playful challenge. Oil painter, Robin Wallace has created a Smallworks Art Treasure Hunt offering adults and children some extra fun with an interactive game in which participants search for specific art works using special clues leading them to learn interesting facts about local artists' fascinating subjects, mediums and techniques.

Another exciting note on this show, is that over the fifty-day course of the exhibit, art works are continually sold "off the wall". This means, that unlike most of the center's gallery shows, where sold works are left on display until the close of the show, customers are encouraged to buy smallworks for holiday gift giving, and to take them right away! "The exciting part of this", offers Amanda Paoletti, owner, director of ASiF, "is that each time a piece is sold, a new piece is brought out to replace it, as new artists and artworks are accepted throughout the course of the show, making it an ever-changing exhibit. Last year the center sold and replaced so much work that a completely different show was in place just one month after its opening!

Smallworks walls are catching on... " I guess it's kind of contagious", says Paoletti, "every year guests and patrons tell me that the manner in which we hang this show, has become something they're trying to re-create in their own homes... of course, I personally have a smallworks wall in mine, and look forward to collecting a few new favorite Smallworks each year!"

In addition to the main gallery show, ASiF GiFT, the center's gallery gift shop offers an extra holiday gift shopping option featuring cards, prints, jewelry, pottery, ceramic sculpture, carved wood and glass works, and features on its walls an ongoing display of local artist's paintings and multi-media artworks.

ASiF invites the public to celebrate the Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show on Friday, November 4th, from 5-8pm. Fine art, food, wine and music to be enjoyed by all!

The gallery and gift store are open Monday - Friday, 10am-5pm, Saturdays from 11am-4pm, and by appointment on Sundays. The Smallworks Holiday Show will hang through January 7th, 2012.

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley. For more information go to www.asifstudios.com or call 530-274-7000.

Participating Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show Artists:
Wanda Avery
Laddy Barnett
Simona Bellini
Rebecca Bleau
Mieke Blees
Eileen Blodgett
Lugene Boyd
Deborah Bridges
Phil Brown
Odette Brush
Dina Budginas
Roseanne Burke
Susan Crocenzi
Miranda Currie
Heather deVivieros
Christoph Diermann
Esther Escott
Flo Fahrenheit
Molly Fisk
Karin Givon
Sharon Griffiths
Leslie Anne Guinan
Irving Guyer
Barbara Harris
Sarah CV Hendrickson
Sally Herring
Suzanne Himmler
John Hoft
Richard Hotchkiss
Claudia Jeffers
Elizabeth Jens
Olaf Jens
Kris Johnson
Max Kommissarchik
Terri Lambert
Sandy Lindblad
Betsy Lombard
Jenny Long
Jill Mahanna
David McKay
Susan Michalski
Larry Miller
Mindy Oberne
Penelope Partch
Jean Patterson
Denia Pearson
Daniel Peck
Jennifer Rain
Mary K. Deleray Russel
Rose Shulman
Robin Sill
Jim Stettler
Gordon Strom
Cathy Tardif
Linda Lewis Taylor
Mary Thelander
Robin Wallace
Denise Wey
Cheryl Wilson
Joanne Wohlfeld
Kathryn Wronski

ASiF Summer 2011 Student & Teacher Show

The Artists Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) Visual Arts Center of Nevada County
is proud to present its Second Annual Student & Teacher Show... The show will feature the works of over fifty ASiF students and their teachers, showcasing just a handful of the center's program offerings. Adult and children's student art works, from papier mache to fine ceramic sculpture, functional wheel thrown and hand-built ceramics, mosaics, acrylics, oil and pastel paintings, printmaking and jewelry art will be on display throughout the month for this exciting art event. Though only some of the art will be for sale, all of the works are a testament to the high quality fine art instruction offered by the center's resident instructors.

ASiF has become hugely committed to the development of a mutually supportive community for the visual artists of Nevada County. This year's Student & Teacher Show exemplifies the ways in which that support has fostered the great talents of this budding student body, the quality of which is most evident in the art itself!

The Student & Teacher Show will open on Friday, August 12th, with an opening reception from 5 - 8pm. At 6pm that evening ASiF instructors will gather to introduce themselves to reception guests, and offer short presentations of their current and upcoming programs. Two to five minute presentations by each of the instructors will be followed by an open discussion and question and answering session.

Over a period of years since the center opened in 2008, many course participants at ASiF have become regular students, taking a different approach to art instruction... seeking more of a "mentor-ship" by working closely with one or more of the instructors on an ongoing basis. This business of mentoring has proven to be a wonderfully successful mutual support system for the center and its instructors as well. Says Amanda Paoletti, ASiF owner and director, "The mentoring in the classes that are happening here brings an incredibly vital creative spirit to ASiF... it's like a mini version of the synergy shared by resident artists with studio spaces here... each of the artists support each other in so many ways.... it's a very intimate artists' community, though since each of the artists seek visibility and exposure as well, the greater community is made to feel welcomed in".

ASiF Studios opened its' doors in June of 2008, with the mission of creating a visual arts center to support and promote the visual artists of Nevada County. The center offers professional art instruction and state of the art facilities for resident and visiting instructors, private and shared studio space, drop in studio use, community classrooms for painting, drawing, printmaking, mosaics, jewelry arts, wheel throwing, and sculptural ceramics. One of the center's greatest assets to the community has proven to be their emerging artists gallery in which themed gallery shows are celebrated throughout the year, promoting studio residents and hundreds of local Nevada County artists.

Since the beginning the community has fully embraced the centers' efforts, naming it the highest quality local artists' venue in the county. The center features over twenty resident artists with year round open studios, community art events celebrated with opening receptions offering fine art, food, wine and live music. The events at ASiF bring hundreds of local artists and patrons together each month, growing community and shared a dedication to the visual artists of Nevada County.

ASiF's 2011 Student & Teacher Show will open with a reception for the artists on Friday, August 12th from 5-8pm. Teacher presentations will begin at 6pm on the evening of the opening reception. The show will hang through September 3rd. The gallery is open from 10am-5pm, Monday - Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturdays.

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley. For more information and a list of program offerings go to www.asifstudios.com or call 530-274-7000.


Student & Teacher Show - Participating Artists
Vega Alvarez
Yoli Bacon
Barbara Barr
Eileen Blodgett
Lugene Boyd
Deborah Bridges
Kaylie Brooks
Phil Brown
Susan Crocenzi
Dallas Cruikshank
Kathryn Davis
Tyler DeFrance
Betty Takacs deViveiros
Maria Dicintio
Rita Fabrizio
Fran Ferrell
Cathy Gerstung
Sharon Griffiths
Lucy Guthrie
Barbara Harris
Sally Herring
Francene Holland
Betsy Hufnagel
Claudia Jeffers
Linda Johnson
Vivien Kane
Karen Klayman
Clea Lassiter
Angela Lazarow
Daneal Liller
Michael Marx
Karen Marinovich
Daly Merrill
Susan Michalski
Cynthia Moffatt
Gwen Moore
Jerry Murphy
Evelyn Norris
Nancy Patmont
Daniel Peck
Tayler Ravenscroft
Kristine Ringland
Adam Robertson
Mary Sanichas
Debi Savoy
Lin Schiffner
Lois Shelton
Kristin Steindorf
Denise Wey
Sierra Whitney
Christena Wiebe
Jill Wiggins
Jill Young

Landscapes... A Nevada County Art Event!

ASiF Creates common ground for local landscape artists...

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) is proud to announce its Summer 2011 Gallery show, Landscapes... A Nevada County Art Event, featuring paintings, drawings, prints, photography, mosaics and sculpture by over forty local artists.

For this exhibit, ASiF's special brand of eclectic styles and diverse media, makes way for the perfect bridging of traditional and non-traditional local artists' groups of our community. While many local artists share common ground when it comes to inspiration, and though ASiF has been in pulling together hundreds of local artists with common themes over the past several years, the center is especially proud of the ways in which this event embraces the stylistic differences between the traditional studio and plein-air painters groups, and the more progressive and innovative painters and multi-media artists of our community. Using an historically traditional theme, this event creates an excellent cross section... a melting pot, if you will - of artistic expression, fulfilling exactly the center's vision and commitment to representing the hugely diverse community of visual artists that live here.

On Friday, June 3rd, from 5 - 8pm ASiF Studios invited the public to celebrate this exciting exhibit at a reception for the artists, featuring fine art, food, wine and live music. Beginning at 6:30pm, special guest and Art Historian, Kristanne Heaton, gave an art talk entitled, New Visions of the California Landscape. Heaton's art talk began with a look at California's natural landscape, its multi-faceted beauty... its beaches, rolling hills, mountains, farms, and glittering cities, all of which offer landscape artists a lifetime of inspiration. An historic look at California's landscape art proves to be equally diverse. Beginning with a look back to George Inness and the early Tonalists, the "Society of Six" Colorists, and Richard Diebenkorn's modern California landscapes, the discussion then will move on to more recent influences, including local Nevada County artists, ASiF's current 40-plus exhibitors representing these New Visions, and the ways in which they are as diverse and beautiful as the land itself.

Landscapes... A Nevada County Art Event exhibit will be on display at ASiF through July 1st. The center's gallery and gift store are open Monday - Friday from 10am - 5pm, 11am - 4pm on Saturdays, and Sundays by appointment.

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley, CA. For more information go to www.asifstudios.com

Landscapes... A Nevada County Art Event - Participating Artists:
Wanda Avery
Kara Asilanis
Cindy Barry
Eileen Blodgett
Carolyn Bloom
Calvin Bohner
Odette Brush
LeeAnn Brook
Norm Brown
Phil Brown
Roseanne Burke
Ruth Chase
Susan Crocenzi
Sandra Delong
Heather deVivieros
Sharon Griffiths
Robin Hart
John Hoft
Roger Honey
Richard Hotchkiss
Claudia Jeffers
B.J. Jordan
Valerie Kack
Zachary Lake
Donna Levreault
Betsy Lombard
Jill Mahanna
Ruth Mazur
David McKay
Daly Merrill
Susan Michalski
Denia Pearson
Daniel Peck
Jim Stettler
Cathy Tardif
Mary Thelander
Robin Wallace
Jane Welles
Denise Wey
Jill Wiggins
Katie Wolff

Art of the Garden - ASiF Spring 2011 Resident Artists' Show

The Artists' Studios in the Foothills is proud to present its Spring 2011 Resident Artists' show - Art of the Garden, featuring garden inspired paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptural and functional works of art intended for the garden. This show, opening just before Mother's Day, offers special homage to the accomplishments of a very special charitable organization founded for the purpose of supporting women and children... The Soroptimist International of the Sierra Foothills' (SISF) and its annual spring fundraising event, the Nevada County Garden Tour.

For this exciting spring art event, and in honor of Mother's Day, ASiF Studios, working closely with organizers of the SISF's Garden Tour, has planned a special celebratory kick-off for this year's 18th Annual Nevada County Garden Tour Event! The artists at ASiF and the SISF invite the public to celebrate the earthly pleasures of spring with fine art, food, wine, music and a special presentation given by Master Gardener, Lynn Lorenson! Tickets for the May 21st & 22nd Garden Tour will be available for purchase at ASiF throughout the month!

The Nevada County Garden Tour is the offspring of the Soroptimist International of the Sierra Foothills. Each year local artists are invited to the gardens to paint, sell their wares, and otherwise inspire Garden Tour guests. This year several ASiF resident artists will be among them, sharing their inspiration for this wonderful event.

The SISF is a charitable volunteer service organization founded for the purpose of offering support to women in business, management and career development. The SISF, incorporated in 1988 in Nevada City, California, is part of the internationally known, Soroptimist International, comprising almost 100,000 members in about 124 countries around the world! The first Soroptimist club was formed in 1921 by a group of 80 women in Oakland, California. They chose their name from the latin word soroptimist, meaning "best for women." Membership provides an enriching environment for women to develop friendships and to support each other, while experiencing the satisfaction of their collective efforts designed to improve communities and opportunity for women. These women, who represent leaders across all professional disciplines, also serve as role models for younger women at the beginnings of new careers.


On May 6th, just two days before Mother's Day, the resident artists of ASiF invite the public for an opening reception to celebrate art in the gardens of spring, the accomplishments of this much loved organization, and the ways in which both hope to inspire the growth and nurturing spirit of women around the world!

A reception for the artists will begin at 5pm... and a very special master gardener's presentation, an historic and cultural look at garden design from around the world, "Gardens of the Spirit". A brief history of the Soroptimist International of the Sierra Foothills, to follow the master gardener's prsentaion. Fine art, wine, music and fresh from the garden refreshments to be enjoyed by all! The Art of the Garden show will hang through May 28th.


The Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF), now in its fourth year serving as a resource for the many talented visual artists of the community, has become known as the Visual Arts Center of Nevada County. The center has earned wide acclaim for its stable of high caliber artists and teachers, and their hugely attended art events featuring themed gallery shows every six to eight weeks. Crowds of several hundred people join the artists to celebrate and enjoy fine art, food, wine, music, and special lectures and presentations.

ASiF is a fully equipped studio arts facility, offering private and shared studio space, fine art instruction in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics and mosaics, drop in studio use, and community classroom rental. In addition to the center's main gallery shows, is the center's new gift venue, ASiF GiFT, featuring cards, prints, jewelry, pottery and many other "gift-able" art works created by local artists.

The ASiF gallery and gift store are open Monday - Friday from 10am - 5pm, 11am - 4pm on Saturdays, and Sundays by appointment.

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley, CA. For more information go to www.asifstudios.com
or call the center at 530-274-7000.

Art of the Garden - Participating ASiF Resident Artists:
Wanda Avery, Rebecca Bleau, Eileen Blodgett, Lugene Boyd, Deborah Bridges, Marlene Britton, Phil Brown, Odette Brush, Roseanne Burke, The Claybabes, Susan Crocenzi, Miranda Currie, Heather deViveiros, Sharon Griffiths, Sarah C.V. Hendrickson, Claudia Jeffers, John Michael Keating, Warren Knox, Roger Lewis, Betsy Lombard, Jill Mahanna, Susan Michalski, Mindy Oberne, Amanda Paoletti, Jean Patterson, Daniel Peck, Jim Stettler, Cathy Tardif, Josh Unterman, Robin Wallace, Denise Wey, Kathryn Wronski

Art of Love...

The Artists' Studios in the Foothills is proud to present its winter 2011 gallery show... Art of Love. This exciting art event will feature a juried exhibition of over thirty Nevada County artists' works... paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and multi-media art works, all of which in some way speak of love.

The center invites the public to celebrate this fine art exhibit, with love inspired food, wine and music, at a reception for the artists, on Friday, January 28th, from 5 - 8pm. An awards ceremony, during which three of the participating artists will be presented with awards for "Best Love Themed Artworks" will begin at 6pm on the evening of the opening reception. First, second, and third prize winners will receive $500, $300 & $200!

Love as theme, has been explored by artists of every kind. Poets, musicians, playwrights, painters and sculptors... all know well the ways in which simple words most often fail to convey love's true message. Though there's not only one message is there? In fact, artists are famous for finding new ways to define, interwine and rediscover human emotion altogether. Traditionally, each year on Valentines Day many of us will find ourselves in search of artfully made cards, gifts, poems, love songs and charms... the greatest of which are artist-made. For those of us whose gifts lie elsewhere... we owe great thanks to the artists of the world, for helping to express, some semblance of this... un-harness-able, and ever-fleeting breadth of love!

Two weeks after the opening reception for this show, on Saturday, February 12th from 5 - 7pm, the center will open its doors again, for a special Valentines Date Night. Sweethearts are invited to bring their loves, to eat chocolate, drink wine, share in some very special love themed activities, and browse love themed artworks, jewelry and other giftable art, all of which may be purchased right off the wall! The Art of Love show will hang through March 12th.

This January 2011, the Artists' Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) sets out on its fourth year, serving as a resource for the many talented visual artists of the community, and becoming known as the Visual Arts Center of Nevada County. The center has earned wide acclaim for its stable of high caliber artists, and their hugely attended art events featuring themed gallery shows every six to eight weeks. Crowds of several hundred people join the artists to celebrate and enjoy fine art, food, wine, music, and presentations by local local art historians.

ASiF also serves as a fully equipped studio arts facility, offering private and shared studio space, lectures and fine art instruction in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics and mosaics, drop in studio use, and community classroom use for classes and workshops. In addition to the center's main gallery shows, is the center's new gift venue, ASiF GiFT, featuring cards, prints, jewelry, pottery and many other "gift-able" art works created by local artists.

The gallery and gift store are open Monday - Friday from 10am - 5pm, 11am - 4pm on Saturdays, and Sundays by appointment. The Art of Love show will hang through March 12th. A list of participating artists will be posted on the ASiF website the week of the opening reception.


The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley. For more information go to www.asifstudios.com

or call the center at 530-274-7000.

ASiF's 3rd Annual Holiday Celebration, Saturday, Dec 11th, 10am-5pm!

Over 300 people attended the opening reception in November for the Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday show, during which over 200 of the original 500 artworks were sold! Artworks are being "sold off the wall, though, one would never know it, as new works continue to arrive daily, filling the walls shelves and pedestals for this exciting show! And, as the list of participating artists also continues to grow, the center's vision of an "ever-changing (never-waning) holiday show" has become a wonderful reality!

This weekend, the Artists' Studio in the Foothills invites the public to come enjoy a cup of hot spiced cider and share the in the excitement for the center's 3rd Annual Holiday Celebration on Saturday, December 11th from 10am-5pm.

The Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show features fine artworks in a variety of media, all under 12 inches in size... these are very affordable original artworks created by local artists! The new ASiF GiFT Gallery features cards, prints, jewelry, scarves, pottery, glass and sculptural & functional works, all by local artists. The list of participating artists for this show has grown from fifty to seventy since the opening reception on November 12th!

Participating Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show Artists: (70 and counting!)

Denise Abella
Stephanie Adams
Cindy Bair
Andrea Baron
Cindy Barry
Alicia Berardi
Rebecca Bleau
Eileen Blodgett
Carolyn Bloom
Lugene Boyd
Deborah Bridges
Sarah Brink
LeeAnn Brook
Carin Brooks
Pam Brown
Phil Brown
Odette Brush
Liz Collins
Susan Crocenzi
Dallas Cruickshank
Jennifer Rain Crosby
Jackie Davis
Heather deVivieros
Flo Fahrenheit
Audrey Farina
Karen Fulk
Leslie Guinan
Vicky Haden
Sarah C.V. Hendrickson
Barbara Hoffmann
John Hoft
Tatyana Holodnova
Paul Honatke
Claudia Jeffers
Jeanne Jabbour
Susan Jakubik
Don Johnson
Kris Johnson
Valerie Kack
Kathleen Kershaw
Max Komissarchik
David Lewin
Betsy Lombard
Jenny Long
Chic Lotz
Jill Mahanna
Ruth Mazur
David Mckay
Susan Michalski
Victoria Mora
Anita Morgan
Rick and Janet Nicholson
Mindy Oberne
Amanda Paoletti
Penelope Partch
Jean Patterson
Denia Pearson
Heather Peck
Clay Platner
Marsha Rafter
Judi Robison
Suzanne Ropiequet
Risa Roseman
Mary K. Deleray Russel
Jim Stettler
Liz Swindell
Mary Thelander
Josh Unterman
Robin Wallace
Jane Welles
Denise Wey
Cheryl Wilson
Kathryn Wronski

Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show at ASiF

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills Gallery, and Visual Arts Center of Nevada County is thrilled to announce its third annual Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show! This has become ASiF's signature show, and works well to define the center's vision of becoming a conduit for the great number of talented visual artists in Nevada County. For this show, the gallery is brought to life with some five hundred original works of art. Each carefully composed gallery wall, consists of a peppering-in... a smattering if you will, of each of the fifty participant's - up to ten art entries. Paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, multi-media collages and sculptural & functional works, all under twelve inches, line the walls, shelves and pedestals for an absolutely stunning effect.

Each wall is a work of art in itself... Participating artists who share in the work of hanging this show will agree, that composing the walls with these small art works is a huge part of what makes this show a success. Several of the show's participants look forward to volunteering for this occasion each year, becoming engaged, and somewhat changed, by this expressly new and exciting way of hanging art! "It's pretty exciting", says Amanda Paoletti, owner, director of ASiF, "Guests and patrons have told me, that the style and manner in which we hang this show, has become contagious... a few have even begun trying to re-create the effect on a chosen wall in their own homes, and look forward to collecting a new favorite Smallwork each year!"

Another exciting note on this show, is that over the fifty-day course of the exhibit, art works are sold "off the wall". This means, that unlike the rest of the center's gallery shows, where sold works are left on display until the close of the show, customers are encouraged to buy smallworks for holiday gift giving, and to take them right away! "The most exciting part of this", offers Paoletti, "is that each time a piece is sold, a special gallery elf, left in charge of the center's secret smallworks stash, replaces it with another completely different one!"

Sharing the excitement for this show, is the new ASiF GiFT Gallery, for which the center will celebrate its Grand Opening on the evening of the opening reception of the Smallworks Holiday Show. Early this summer local artists began filling the shelves and jewelry cases, with beautiful handmade original, functional and sculptural works, to create what ASiF GiFT is now calling, the destination for handmade gift-able art by local artists. The gift shop offers cards, prints, jewelry, pottery, hand painted scarves and carved wood and glass works, and features on its walls, local fine artist's paintings and multi-media art, for a classy museum store-like feeling.

ASiF invites the public to celebrate the Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show, and ASiF GiFT's grand opening event, on Friday, November 12th, from 5-8pm. Fine art, food, wine and live music to be enjoyed by all!

The gallery and gift store are open Monday - Friday, 10am-5pm, Saturdays from 11am-4pm, and by appointment on Sundays. The Smallworks Holiday Show will hang through January 8th, 2011.

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley. For more information go to www.asifstudios.com or call 530-274-7000.

Participating Smallworks in the Foothills Holiday Show Artists:
Denise Abella
Stephanie Adams
Cindy Bair
Cindy Barry
Alicia Berardi
Rebecca Bleau
Eileen Blodgett
Lugene Boyd
Deborah Bridges
Sarah Brink
Odette Brush
Jennifer Rain Crosby
Heather deVivieros
Flo Fahrenheit
Audrey Farina
Sarah C.V. Hendrickson
Barbara Hoffmann
John Hoft
Paul Honatke
Jeanne Jabbour
Susan Jakubik
Don Johnson
Kris Johnson
Valerie Kack
Max Komissarchik
Betsy Lombard
Jenny Long
Chic Lotz
Jill Mahanna
Ruth Mazur
Susan Michalski
Victoria Mora
Anita Morgan
Rick & Janet Nicholson
Amanda Paoletti
Penelope Partch
Jean Patterson
Denia Pearson
Clay Platner
Marsha Rafter
Mary K. Deleray Russel
Jim Stettler
Mary Thelander
Josh Unterman
Robin Wallace
Jane Welles
Denise Wey
Cheryl Wilson
Kathleen Woolsey
Kathryn Wronski

3rd Annual Open Studios Art Tour Event at ASiF Studios

The Artists Studio in the Foothills Gallery and Visual Arts Center invites the public to its 3rd annual Open Studios Art Tour Event! ASiF Studios is home to more than 20 resident artists, each with private or shared studio space. The center is open daily - year 'round, offering the public a candid look into the creative spaces of working artists.

During the Open Studios Art Tour, ASiF residents take special care to create beautiful displays of their art work for fans to see. In addition to the displays of finished works, resident artists and instructors have prepared demonstrations in a huge range of media. This is a fabulous opportunity for the public to see how artists create their work, and a great way for prospective students to get a taste of the many classes and workshops offered at the center!

This year the studio will feature demonstrations by resident artists and instructors, Rebecca Bleau, Eileen Blodgett, Claudia Jeffers, Bob Martin, Josh Unterman & Denise Wey, in drawing, painting, printmaking, wheel-throwing & ceramic sculpture. Demonstrations will be loosely scheduled on an ongoing basis throughout the two Open Studios Art Tour weekends, October 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th.

ASiF will feature the following demo's by resident artists and instructors:

Rebecca Bleau: Silk-Screen Printing
Eileen Blodgett: Mono-prints - Sunday, October 10 & 17th)
Claudia Jeffers: Sculpting the Head & Face (Saturday, Oct 16th)
Bob Martin: Figure/Portrait Drawing & Painting (Saturday, Oct 9th & 16th
Josh Unterman: Wheel-throwing (Sat & Sunday, October 9,10,16 & 17)
Denise Wey: Acrylic Painting (Saturday, Oct 9th)

Though you may find up to twenty resident artists working in their studios on any given day at ASiF... six of the center's resident artists are officially on the tour and are looking forward to receiving art tour guests!

ASiF Resident Artists on the Tour:

Rebecca Bleau
Eileen Blodgett
Deborah Bridges
Roseanne Burke
Jill Mahanna
Kathryn Wronski

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills is a fully equipped studio arts facility with more than twenty resident artist's private and shared studio spaces, and two large community studio spaces for ceramics & painting, drawing and printmaking. Resident instructors offer classes in painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramic sculpture, wheel throwing, and glaze chemistry. The Center offers drop in studio use, and is devoted to promoting local artists of the Nevada County area in themed gallery shows every six to eight weeks.

Mythic Beasts & Sacred Altars Show at ASiF Studios

The Artists Studio in the Foothills Gallery and Visual Arts Center is proud to present their October Gallery Show - Mythic Beasts & Sacred Altars. This show will feature mythical creatures by more than 30 local artists inspired by classic to modern myths... and altars designed to inspire great intention and place of being.

"Why do humans make art?" This age old question is at the core of this month's show at ASiF gallery. We know from the earliest evidence of humans, that art fulfills sacred purposes for us. Whether these were practical (depictions of good luck in a hunt), or more mystical (the spiritual leader as half-man, half-animal)... the mysterious nature of animals has empowered us since the beginning of time.


From shamanistic images of prehistoric times, to the latest teen fascination with vampires, humans have created art that delves into our dreams, fears and special connections with the animal world. Even the word animal, from the Latin anima, meaning "breath, soul", in and of itself touches on why the subject of animals holds such purpose for artists.


Altars exemplify another special purpose for art, as loci of the sacred... artists create unique spaces endowed with special human meaning.

ASiF's Mythic Beasts & Sacred Altars Show will open with a reception for the artists on Friday, October 1st from 5-8pm, featuring, fine art, food, wine, and live music! The show will hang through October 30th. The gallery is open daily from 10am-5pm, Monday - Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturdays.

Mythic Beasts & Sacred Altars Show Participating Artists:
Cindy Barry
Colin Barton
Sandy Berliner
Rebecca Bleau
Eileen Blodgett
Calvin Bohner
Deborah Bridges
Ruth Chase
Joyce Currie
Willem deGroot
Heather deViveros
Lauren Drutz
Flo Fahrenheit
Jerry Hall
Sarah Hendrickson
John Hoft
Richard Hotchkiss
John Hughes
Elizabeth Jens
Valerie Kack
Teddy Kell
Kathleen Kershaw
Marin Lipowitz
Mandy Lucchese
Michael Marx
Michael Moerman
Victoria Mora
Anita Morgan
Amanda Paoletti
Jennifer Rain Crosby
Terrie Rockwell
Risa Roseman
Jeff Strain
Peggy Wright
Kathryn Wronski

ASiF Studios Student & Teacher Show

The Artists Studio in the Foothills (ASiF) Gallery and Visual Arts Center
is proud to present their First Annual Student & Teacher Show! The show will feature the works of over 75 ASiF students and their teachers, showcasing just a handful of the centers' fine art program offerings.

Adult and childrens' student art work, from papier mache to fine ceramic sculpture, oil, pastel and acrylic paintings, will be displayed. Though only some of the art will be for sale, all of the work on display is a testament to the high quality art instruction offered by resident instructors at the center.

ASiF Studios opened its' doors in June of 2008, with a vision of becoming The Visual Arts Center of Nevada County. Offering professional art instruction and state of the art facilities for resident and visiting instructors, private and shared studio space, drop in studio use, community classrooms for painting, drawing, printmaking, mosaics, wheel throwing, and sculptural ceramics, and a gallery, to promote residents and local Nevada County artists.

Since the beginning the community has fully embraced the centers' efforts, calling it the number one, and highest quality local fine art venue in the area. With over twenty resident artists with year round open studios, the center features themed gallery shows every six to eight weeks. These art events are celebrated with opening receptions, offering fine art, food, wine, and live music. Bringing hundreds of local artists and art patrons together, the center continues to grow a community dedicated to promotion of visual artists of Nevada County.

ASiF's First Annual Student & Teacher Show will open with a reception for the artists on Friday, August 6th from 5-8pm. The show will hang through September 10th, 2010. The gallery is open from 10am-5pm, Monday - Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturdays.

The Artists' Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road, in Grass Valley. For more information and a list of program offerings go to www.asifstudios.com or call 530-274-7000.


Student Teacher Show - Participating Artists:
Cherie Adams
Yvonne Bartlett
Amy Biddinger
Eileen Blodgett
Lugene Boyd
Deborah Bridges
Greta Broda
Alexi Brooks
Carin Brooks
Kaylie Brooks
Lori Brooks
Phil Brown
Indiana Clark
Kristin Comeaux

Dallas Cruickshank
Kathryn Davis
Cathy Diamond
Nancy Donahue
Linda Drew
Fiona Duggan
Carol Dunbar
Andrea Eiermann
Bailey Gannon
Cathy Gerstung
Molly Gomes
Sharon Griffiths
Monique Hanson
Barbara Harris
Elana Hierman
Francene Holland
Betsy Hufnagel
Claire Jeffers
Claudia Jeffers
Jessica Jennings
Linda Johnson
Vivien Kane
Aiden Keller
Kathleen Kershaw
Karen Klayman
Caren Lake
Shelby Lampson
Diann Lane
Angela Lazarow
Hayden Leach
Tonya Marie
Judy McAuliffe
Sophia McKean
Callum McKean
Daly Merrill
Susan Michalski
Cindy Moffatt
Gwen Moore
Susan Murphy
Kathleen Newland
Mindy Oberne
Daniel Peck
Gordon Pelton
Anthony Pritchett
Elany Prusa
Linda Rachmel
Garret Reeser
Kristine Ringland
Mariah Sanford
Katherine Scourtes
Paige Shatto
Lois Shelton
Jane Swan
Arkady Unterleidner
Josh Unterman
Karen Voors
Jacquie Wallach
Teri Webb
Jill Wiggins
Denise Wey
Chase Yantis
Lauren Yantis

Nevada County Plein Air Painters Show

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills Gallery & Visual Arts Center
is proud to present The Nevada County Plein Air Painters (NCPAP) Show!
Early this year the group joined ASiF Studios, gathering weekly in the center's community classroom to paint, share ideas and techniques, and become part of the greater, and ever growing community of Nevada County visual artists seeking a centralized local art venue.

A great resurgence and new appreciation for plein air painting brings this group of painters together each year to celebrate and carry on this much loved tradition with an annual group show. Many of the artists have been painting together for over ten years. This year's show at ASiF will be NCPAP's 6th annual exhibit.

The NCPAP follow closely in the footsteps of some of California's ealiest painters, the french impressionists, who discovered this gorgeous landscape during the turn of the 19th century. Venturing out to paint on location, their ongoing challenge is to capture a scene in about 2 hours before the light changes. Their inspiration comes from being totally immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature while coping with wind, heat, and bugs.

Painting outside rather than from photographs, means learning to edit a 360 degree view. This does take some practice, but most plein air painters will agree, that in order to capture the true experience, the magical presence of the landscape, you need to be in it!

The show will feature fourteen artists works, mostly landscapes... any place within a day's drive is fair game, Tahoe, Napa, the Sierra Buttes, Hope Valley, and, of course, Nevada County! "There is so much natural beauty in this area", the artists say, "One thing we can promise, is we'll never run out of things to paint! "


The Plein Air Painters Show at ASiF will run from June 25th through July 24th, and will open with a reception for the artists on Friday, June 25th, from 5-8pm. Food, Wine and live music to be enjoyed by all!

The gallery is open 10am - 5pm, Monday - Friday, 11am - 4pm on Saturdays, and by appointment on Sundays.

A Show of Chairs at ASIF Gallery, May 7th - June 12th...

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills Gallery & Visual Art Center is proud to present A Show of Chairs... Imagine a gallery full of un-fathomable chairs, lining the walls, shelves, pedestals... even the ceilings are not off limits! Local artists have truly come out of the woodwork for this show. Some have invented new and exciting sculptural chairs, others have adorned and transformed chairs with forgotten identities... A Show of Chairs has inspired sculptors, painters and inventors to surprise the world with what a chair, in its wildest dreams can be!

The provocative nature of the chair has long inspired the artists of the world. Their legged - likeness to us, is perhaps what makes them irresistible! Get ready to grab a chair and take part in this exciting ergo-eccentric art event that's sure to inspire collectors of fine and fantastic art!

A Show of Chairs will include works, both sit-able, and not... as well as paintings, drawings, prints, and small sculptural chairs. A reception for the artists will be held on Friday, May 7th, from 5-8pm. The show will hang through June 12th... gallery hours are Monday - Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, and Sunday by appointment.

Local artists support ASIF art events...
If you've had the pleasure of attending one of ASIF's recent art openings, you may have encountered their display of lovely collectable handmade cups! These are created by local artists, and offered for sale to guests, to be filled with the complimentary wine or other beverage of the evening! Guests have loved the opportunity to support the center, and look forward to taking home a special memento for each of the gallery's exciting art events!

Also in the gallery this month... New Small Works in the Smallworks Hall! Smallworks Hall shows have become a permanent side kick to the center's main gallery shows. The Smallworks Hall shows loosely follow main gallery show themes.

And check out ASIF's new Fine Art Gift Gallery, featuring small handmade functional and decorative works of art... cards, prints, sculptural candle holders, ceramics, jewelry and more! The gift area will also feature a number of local painters and printmakers on an ongoing basis, offering original works and giclee prints.

Another Grand Opening... The 21 Buddhas Show at ASIF Gallery!

Several hundred fans and patrons gathered at the Artist's Studio in the Foothills on March 26th, for the opening reception of the 21 Buddhas Show. Guests enjoyed fine art, live music, and a lecture given by art historian, Kristanne Heaton, while sipping sake in small handmade ceramic sake cups, donated by local artists to support the event. The show, which hangs through April 24th, features the collaborative works of one sculptor and twenty one local painters and multi-media artists, all inspired by a single powerful icon... the image of Buddha!

Figurative sculptor Deborah Bridges has become known for her peaceful garden Buddhas and one of a kind original works in bronze and clay. Inspired by the many talented painters of the community, Bridges created castings of the form, and invited the artists to use them as canvas to express their own personal visions of enlightenment.

The result is impressive to say the least... the gallery walls are lined with the cast forms, each adorned in a different artist's style and pallet, brilliantly distinguishing each artist's interpretation from the next. Some would say, the phenomena is not unlike the many incarnations the icon has come to have throughout the ages, by nearly every culture of the world!

Midway through the reception, guests funnelled into the center's community classroom for a fascinating lecture on the history of the icon, tracing its steps from its classical beginnings to its use by current artists of our time.

The response by the public has been so grand, that a number of local venues have requested the opportunity to host the show at their own public locations. As artists continue to express interest in participation, the show plans to take on a new name... "The Traveling Buddhas Show" and is scheduled to appear at Wild Mountain Yoga in Nevada City for the month of May, Matteo's Public in Nevada City later this summer, and Briar Patch in Grass Valley in early fall!

For more information on the The Traveling Buddhas Show, please contact Amanda Paoletti at the Artist's Studio in the Foothills, located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road in Grass Valley, 530-274-7000, mpaoletti@asifstudios.com

The 21 Buddhas Show at ASIF Gallery

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills is proud to present The 21 Buddhas! Picture this... twenty one painters and 2D multi-media artists, each being handed a blank canvas... though not a flat or rectangular one, a low-relief sculptural casting of the face of Buddha!

Figurative sculptor, Deborah Bridges has become known for her peaceful garden Buddha castings, and original one of a kind works in bronze and clay. For this show, Bridges has created a grouping of Buddha face castings, in various sizes, and has invited twenty one local artists to create a composition on them, each in their very own recognizable style and palet. A collaborative effort between painter and sculptor... twenty one visions, through a single powerful icon.

As a special addition to this art event... On the evening of the opening reception, local art historian, Kristanne Heaton will lead a discussion on the history of this icon, as it is used by artists. Weaving a wealth of historic knowledge through heartfelt interpretations of individual artist's works, Heaton's Art Talks have become interesting, and provocative educational experiences for guests of the center's specially themed shows and art events.

The 21 Buddhas Show opens just two weeks before the celebration of the birth of Buddha! On April 8th, Buddhists around the world will be celebrating Prince Siddhartha Gotama's birthday, also known as Shakyamuni Buddha!

As a special fundraiser for this event... On March 1st, during ASIF's monthly artist's salon meeting, local artists were invited to support the center's efforts with a small donation of creativity... ASIF residents offered a special sake' cup making workshop, in which artists from the community were given clay and basic instruction on how to hand-build a sake' cup! Twenty-some artists gathered for the occasion, creating an excellent inventory of tiny handmade cups, most of which share one sameness... the image of Buddha! The cups will be offered for sale to guests, filled with sake' of course, at the opening reception. Proceeds from sake' cup sales go to supporting ASIF Studios!

Also in the gallery this month... New Small Works in the Smallworks Hall! The Smallworks Hall shows have become a permanent side kick to the center's main gallery shows. The Smallworks Hall shows loosely follow the main gallery show themes... so, yes, you will find some Buddha images in the Smallworks Hall!
Mark your calendars for this very special art event! An opening reception for the artists, celebrating both the Main Gallery/21 Buddhas, and Smallworks Hall shows will be held on Friday, March 26th from 5-8pm. Asian inspired music, food and drink to be enjoyed by all!

Artists Revel in the Creative Spirit at ASIF Studios...

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills (ASIF) celebrated its' Winter 2010 Resident Artist Show with a few hundred fans and local patrons, at a reception for the artists on Friday, February 12th. ASIF residents welcomed the crowd to another grand opening, with Valentine sweets, wine and home-made delectables. Live acoustic guitar music filled the air, as guests reveled in the collective creative spirit, and celebration of this talented community of artists, in their very own gallery and visual arts center!

Though it wasn't just another grand opening reception at ASIF... As the center heads into its third year, this show holds special meaning for the artists there. It celebrates the resident artists, the individuals that have made ASIF Studios their home... they are what makes the place tick, in virtually every way. "This show is all about the people that bring the spirit, substance and viability to the place. And, it's definitely one of our best shows yet!", says owner, director Amanda Paoletti. "I am so proud of the work that's happening here, and so grateful for the support and dedication of each and every resident member!"

The unique success story of this small town studio and gallery is one that Paoletti loves to tell... The great accommodations and classy appeal of the center's gallery and private studio spaces comes with a steep monthly bill to fit. Though with the dedicated support of the resident artists, it has become a self sustaining entity.

One year ago the studio faced its potential end, when the original owner, founder and financial backer announced he would no longer be able to fund the effort. The torch was immediately passed to the founder's manager, an artist with a background in gallery management, who from that moment, vowed that the center would not close!

With some tweaks to the business model, and some hefty promises to her resident artists, Paoletti set forth to create a fine art venue for the community that would garner the respect of the finest artists and art patrons in the area. "It tuns out, the gallery is the real gem here... And with its symbiotic relationship with the studio aspect of the place, it's really the perfect business model for a fine art gallery!" Says Paoletti "So many wonderful galleries have slipped away over the years... what I've learned is that a gallery depending on art sales alone to cover its overhead is a very risky business."

So Paoletti came up with a plan, and fashioned a creative business deal of sorts... which, simply put is, if the artists will commit to support the space, they will be supported and promoted in it. And it's the center's monthly gallery shows in which the artists art promoted, that are what the center is becoming known for. This very special, and mutually supportive relationship between artist and gallery is what this budding viusal arts center is all about!

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills is a fully equipped studio arts facility, offering studio memberships and drop in studio use, private and shared studio space, instruction in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramic sculpture, pottery and mosaics. The gallery holds art events and opening receptions for gallery shows every six weeks and is open to the public, Monday through Friday, 10am - 5pm and Saturdays 11am - 4pm.

The Winter 2010 - Resident Artist Show will hang through March 5th.

For information on classes, and upcoming gallery shows call 274-7000, or go to: www.asifstudios.com

Winter Resident Artist Show at ASIF Gallery!

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills Gallery & Visual Arts Center is proud to present its Winter Resident Artist Show, featuring twenty five artists, February 5th - March 5th, with an opening reception on February 12th from 5-8pm.

Now home to an astounding forty resident artists, each with private or shared studio spaces, residents create works in a range of mediums... painting, drawing, printmaking, bronze, concrete and ceramic sculpture, pottery, mosaics, and various forms of multimedia.

The center is proud to announce fifteen new residents joining in just the past two months! New artists... Roseanne Burke, an oil painter best known for her sensitive colorful paintings of local scenes, Lily Russo, a new to the area mosaic artist, known for her dazzling two dimensional pictorial works, Denise Wey and Claudia Jeffers, from the locally known women ceramic artists group - The Clay Babes, John Hughes, a local ceramicist, and ten painters from the Plein-Air Painters of Nevada County - Odette Brush, Sandra Delong, Elizabeth Donnelly, Jan Flemming, Warren Knox, Penelope Partch, Daniel Peck, Jim Stettler, Richard Stone, and Patricia Sussberg... most of whom will be participating in the Winter Resident Show, along with several of the center's long time residents.

Come experience the buzz, and collective creative spirit, of this very special community of artists in their very own gallery and visual arts center! This show exemplifies the natural synergy and momentum created when artists come together to inspire and be inspired! The gallery shows alone are such a huge motivator for the artists here. That, combined with the daily inspiration and support provided by each of the residents, is what brings about the spirited energy of this art haven!

Also in the gallery this month... New Small Works - in the Small Works Hall: by Nevada County Artists: Jenny Long, Mary Thelander, Flo Fahrenheit, Stephanie Adams, Lily Russo, Joanne Wohlfeld, Phil Brown, Roseanne Burke, Claudia Jeffers & Denise Wey.

A reception celebrating both, the Main, and Small Works Hall gallery shows, will be held, Friday, February 12th, from 5-8pm. Food and wine will be served! The gallery is open to the public, Monday - Friday 10am-5pm & Saturdays 11am-4pm.

A sister show, featuring five ASIF resident's... Jody Alquist-Mough, Eileen Blodgett, Deborah Bridges, Lily Russo, and Kathryn Wronski, will be exhibited at Matteo's Public, located at 300 Commercial Street in Nevada City. For information on the ASIF - Sister Show at Matteo's, call Matt Margulies at 530-265-0782

ASIF Studios offers private and shared studio space, daily drop in and open studio use options, mentoring and instruction in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramic sculpture, pottery, glaze chemistry and mosaics

For information on memberships, classes, workshops, upcoming shows, artist salon meetings and more, call Amanda Paoletti at 530-274-7000, or go to their website at: www.asifstudios.com, and blog at: www.asifstudios.blogspot.com

To receive newsletters, email announcements and calls to artists, email Amanda Paoletti at mpaoletti@asifstudios.

The gallery is open to the public, Monday - Friday 10am-5pm & Saturdays 11am-4pm.

Asif Gallery's Big Success with Small Works...

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills is thrilled to announce art sales of over 120 works during their Small Works in the Foohtills Holiday Show this year!

The opening reception on November 20th brought in over two hundred fifty people, many purchsing works right off the wall for holiday gift giving. The artists replaced sold works on a daily basis, until the show's end on January 9th, exhibiting over 640 works in all!

The response by the public for a venue offering original works of art on a smaller scale has been great! So great that the gallery has designated a permanent area of the gallery as an official Small Works Hall... a wall along a short hallway connecting the ceramic studio and gallery area of the art center. The gallery will be featuring small rotating groups of local artists on an ongoing basis, with opening receptions for the artists during the larger main gallery show openings.

February's Small Works Wall opening February 5th, with a reception on February 12th, will be featuring many new works by: Roseanne Burke, Jenny Long, Flo Fahrenheit, Denise Wey, Claudia Jeffers, Mary Thelander, Cheryl Wilson, Kathryn Wronski, Randy Rigg, Heather deViveros, Amanda Paoletti, Joanne Wohlfeld, Cory Norris, Stephanie Adams, Jody Alquist Mough.

Also in February... Asif Gallery will proudly feature its Resident Artist Show in the main gallery, February 5th - March 5th, with an opening reception, also on February 12th from 5-8pm. Asif Studios is now home to over 40 resident artists, many of whom will be featured in this special winter show!

Asif Studios welcomes the Mud Hut to its new Home!

In mid December the beloved Imaginarium and Mud Hut, run by the Nevada City Superintendent of Schools, got word that they would no longer be able to offer their programs at their Zion Street address in Nevada City. The Mud Hut, founded in 2002 by Paul Harrar, Claudia Jeffers, Chic Lotz and Denise Wey, well known for their ceramics classes and workshops offered as part of the Superintendent's, Arts in the Schools program, had no idea what wonderful growth and opportunity, this seemingly tragic news would hold for them!

Word spread quickly of the soon to be homeless clay art program - but Asif Studios owner and director, Amanda Paoletti, knew just what to do... "The minute I heard, I knew exactly what needed to happen!" says Paoletti. "The merging of these two studios will not only be fulfilling an urgent need for this community to keep the Mud Hut in operation, their programs will become a huge support to this budding visual arts center!"

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills, (Asif) a community art studio located on Idaho Maryland Road in Grass Valley, offering private and shared studio space, a gallery to promote local artists, instruction in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramic sculpture and wheel throwing, has been busy earning its own reputation as a known and respected visual arts center and emerging artist venue. Asif Gallery is already working on ideas for fundraising events and student-teacher gallery shows to promote and raise funds for Mud Hut scholarship programs, which offer art instruction to underprivileged children.

In order to accommodate the Mud Hut's extensive operations, Asif will be expanding their ceramic studio with a 160 sq ft kiln shed, to be brought from the Mud Hut's Zion Street location. "People have been so helpful in making this move happen smoothly", says Paoletti. Asif Studios property owner, Reginald King, has graciously offered to move the kiln shed to its new location the first week in January. "It's very clear how important the Mud Hut is to this community... We are thrilled to have these talented artists and their amazing programs become part of Asif Studios!"

The Mud Hut offers a full range of ceramic art instruction, from one hour clay workshops for groups of kindergarteners, to advanced adult sculpture classes and teacher training courses. This team of talented educators, is moved in, and ready to continue without pause, at their new home, at Asif Studios!

For more information on Mud Hut and other Asif art programs go to: www.asifstudios.com or call Amanda at 530-274-7000

Asif Studios Open House Holiday Art Event!

On Saturday, December 19th from 11am-4pm, the Artists at Asif Studios invite you and your families to celebrate the holidays! Come share some hot apple cider, cookies & other tasty treats!

FEATURING AN EXCITING & EVER-CHANGING SMALL WORKS EXHIBIT...
The Small Works in the Foohtills Holiday Show Artists have been delivering NEW WORKS daily! Don't miss what's new in the Small Works Show!

Fine, original, one of a kind, small works of art...
paintings, drawings, prints, photos, sculpture and decorative pieces,
perfect for holiday gift giving!

Hope to see you there!

Small Works Holiday Show Opening Reception a BIG success!

Two hundred-fifty people gathered at the Artist's Studio in the Foothills gallery on Friday, November 20th, for the opening reception of the Small Works in the Foothills Holiday Show! Though the weather forecast promised the season's first snow storm, it didn't seem to discourage anyone from coming to kick off the holidays with this, one of a kind, exciting holiday art event!

Sixty participating artists enjoyed a lively evening sharing fine art, food and wine with friends and loyal patrons. Throughout the busy evening, works came off the walls, and into the hands of happy holiday gift-givers, as gallery attendants quickly filled empty spots with new works. ...And new works continue to arrive daily, as the artists strive to keep up with the demand of this popular show! The 600 piece show will hang through January 9th, 2010!

Now in its second year, Asif Studios proudly embraces its local community of artists and art patrons, fulfilling its mission to become the visual arts center of Nevada County!

Asif Studios Gears up for the Small Works in the Foothills Holiday Show Opening Reception, Friday, Nov. 20, 5-9pm!

Residents at the Artist's Studio in the Foothills rose bright and early Monday morning to hang and display sixty Nevada County artist's works for their Small Works in the Foothills Holiday Show! Six hundred small paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture and decorative works of art, are now on display and await their debut at the opening reception, this coming Friday, November 20th from 5-9pm!

Each of the sixty Nevada County artists, will arrive before the crowds on Friday evening, brandishing bottles of wine and artfully prepared dishes to share with their loyal patrons. This fabulous display of works... quite possibley the largest collection ever seen in Nevada County, hangs from floor to ceiling in the studio's main gallery, is just the thing for fine art lovers in search of a more unique one of a kind, yet affordable holiday gift shopping experience! And, since works may be sold off the wall for holiday gift giving, the exhibit, which hangs through January 9th, promises to be everchanging. This is a show you'll need to visit again and again to see it all!

Asif Studios Small Works in the Foothills Holiday Show - Opens November 20th!

Back by popular demand, and just in time for the holidays, the Artists Studio in the Foothills is gearing up for another Small Works show!

The Small Works in the Foothills Holiday Show will feature sixty Nevada County Artists, in what Asif Studios is calling their, "BIGGEST Small Works Show yet!" The gallery's first Small Works Show, held in May of this year, featured 50 artists exhibiting 450 pieces in all... "We're hoping to pack in as many as six hundred paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and decorative works of art for the holiday show... resulting in what may be the largest collection of fine art ever shown in Nevada County!" says Amanda Paoletti, Asif studio & gallery director. "And, to keep it fresh... the exhibit promises to be ever changing!" That is, since works will be sold 'off the wall' for holiday gift-giving, the gallery will maintain a supply of additional works, or "art back stock" to replenish the display on an ongoing basis throughout the course of the exhibit. This is a show you'll need to visit again and again to see it all!

Each of the sixty small works artists may submit up to ten pieces, all meeting specific size limitations... Small paintings, drawings, prints & photos must measure to under twelve inches in any direction, including the matt and frame. ...Sculptural and decorative works must not exceed 432 cubic inches (6x6x12"). Since small art often results in smaller price tags, the gallery is hoping to insure that, despite difficult economic times, their patrons will still be able to quench their thirst for original art... "same quantities, just smaller portions!" The works will be displayed from floor to ceiling on the walls, shelves and pedestals of the center's main gallery. The show will hang through January 9th.

Join the artists at Asif Studios to celebrate this exciting holiday art event... featuring fine art, delicious food & wine, and an ever growing community of visual artists and their patrons!


For more information call, Amanda Paoletti - 530-274-7000, or go to: http://www.asifstudios.com/

Open Studios Art Tour At Asif Studios - October 17th & 18th

Five resident artists at the Artist's Studio in the Foothills will open their doors for the final weekend of the Open Studios Art Tour, this coming Saturday and Sunday, October 17th & 18th.

The gallery will feature the works of each of its five residents on the tour; Rebecca Bleau, Eileen Blodgett, Deborah Bridges, Amanda Paoletti, and Kathryn Wronski, with additional finished and in progress works on display in each of their private studio spaces.

The Aritst's Studio in the Foothills is home to over twenty five resident artists, working in private and shared studio spaces at their Grass Valley location, at 940 Idaho Maryland Road. The studio and gallery is open to the public, 10am-5pm, Monday - Friday, 11am-4pm on Saturdays, offering classes, workshops, and open studio access to students and members. For more information about Asif Studios, go to their website at http://www.asifstudios.com/.

Asif Studios Art of Tea Show Artists discovered by the Kamm Teapot Foundation...

If you didn't make it to our Art of Tea Show opening reception, there's still time to catch this exciting gallery show! Three hundred people gathered for the reception on August 28th, to enjoy an evening of fine art, exceptional teas, and educational presentations by local tea experts and art historians.

The Kamm Teapot Foundation, founded by collectors, Gloria & Sonny Kamm, of Los Angeles, CA, is the largest and most comprehensive collection of teapots in the world, presently consisting of approximately 10,000 teapots and tea sets, is purchasing ten pieces from the show! An exhibition of 250 of the foundation's, mostly contemporary artist's teapots, toured to nine museums over a four year period under the name of the "Artful Teapot", setting attendance records at six of the nine museums! While the collection includes antique teapots from virtually every time period and country, one of its greatest strengths are its sculptural teapots, many of which were created by world famous contemporary artists... including, Peter Voulkos, Richard Shaw, Beatrice Wood, David Gilhooly, Viola Frey, Arman, Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein and many, many more!

It is a great honor to become part of this incredible collection. The teapots will begin their journey to their new home after October 2nd, to become part of the foundation's permanent collection, presently located in Sparta, North Carolina. We are all very excited to see our small-town artists getting such big time attention for their talent. Congratulations to all of you!

The show will hang through October 2nd. The gallery is open daily from 10am-5pm Monday-Friday, and Saturdays 11am-4pm.

Art of Tea Show Opening Reception a Big Success!!!

Three hundred people gathered at the Artist's Studio in the Foothills for their Art of Tea Show opening reception, Friday, August 28th. Each of four educational presentations on tea ceremony, teapot history and tea leaf reading were also well attended by enthusiastic guests seated in rows of chairs and stools in the studio's 2D classroom & gallery buffet area.

Guests enjoyed a fabulous display of teapots fashioned in ceramic & wood, and paintings and pastel drawings of spirited teapots and tea themed scenes. Exceptional teas, both hot and iced, gathered by Babette Donaldson, our local tea expert, on her many journeys around the world, were shared with guests, along with an impressive buffet of green tea ice cream, Russian tea cookies and many other sweet tea treats! The show will hang through October 2nd in the studio's Grass Valley gallery, open Monday - Friday, 10am-5pm, Saturday, 11am-4pm!

Asif Studios - Art of Tea Show, Opening Reception August 28th, 5-8pm!

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills is celebrating the Art of Tea... featuring teapots and tea inspired works by over twenty five Nevada County artists. From traditional functional teapots to tea themed paintings, poetry, and sculptural non-functional works.

With Special guest presentations on Traditional Chinese & Japanese Tea Ceremony, by tea expert, Babette Donaldson, and a tracing of steps from ancient to modern tea culture by local art historian, Kristanne Heaton.

The show will open Friday, August 28th, with a tea - reception for the artists, from 5 - 8pm. A very special tea ceremony grade Matcha will be served for tea ceremony presentations. Iced and herbal teas, tea cookies, sweet tea treats and spiked tea concoctions will be served throughout the reception.

The gallery exhibit will be open to the public daily, 10am-5pm Monday - Friday, Saturday 11am-4pm, and will hang through October 2nd.

Babette Donaldson, a well known local author, student of historic and modern tea culture, and creator of World Tea News...The Art & Spirit of Tea - website & blog, will offer presentations on Chinese & Japanese tea ceremony. Go to Babette's blog at: http://www.worldteanews.com/ArtAndSpiritOfTea/2009/08/23/tea-in-art-exhibits/

Tea In Art Exhibits:
Posted by babette on Sunday, August 23rd 2009 under: Tea culture, tea and art
The connection between the Art World & Tea Land has been one of my main blog themes. It was tea in art that lured me to the leaf. So, it gives me great pleasure to observe how this is being celebrated in at least two different California venues this month. One is Northern California and the other in Southern California. One is a very prestigious exhibition and the other is an intimate studio gathering. But both generate a dynamic conversation between visual arts and the ancient brew.

Steeped In History: the Art of Tea
An exhibition at the Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles opened this month and will run through November 29, 2009.
The show’s curator Beatrice Hohenegger, has chosen an interesting approach, using art to tell the 5000 history of tea. Beginning with the ancient Chinese legend of Shen Nong, she explores follows the tea routes through Japan and into the west.
“Tea was an exotic novelty, and no one knew what to make of it at first,” Hohenegger said.The survey of tea-inspired art is drawn from three continents and several centuries of art to illustrate the importance of our favorite brew to world culture. Beatrice Hohenegger, author of Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West (St. Martin’s Press, 2007). Ms. Hohenegger also edited the published show guide for the Fowler Museum, Steeped in History: The Art of Tea (ISBN: 978-0-9778344-1-9).

During the three-month of the exhibit, the Fowler Museum will also be offering numerous special tea-art events for both children and adults.

One other interesting partnership of note is that Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf provided tea service for the opening. Like my own tea service at the Asif Studio show, these are opportunities for tea businesses to make connections with art patrons - quite likely an interested audience in premium tea. Tea businesses and tea educators may want to be alert to possibilities for these types of exchanges.

One Last Word
Tea’s foundation in history and culture is one obvious inspiration for artists. And the wealth of inspired images in art available to the tea lover rewards the passion. But I continue to pin the ‘why’ question to the observation. What is it about tea. . . ?

This summer I joined Dan Robertson’s World Tea Tour to China, traveling with this question in mind. Touring tea gardens, factories, tea schools, tea wholesale markets, meeting tea masters, down to picking our own tea and molding our own puerh cakes encouraged me to continue to ponder. But I’m pleased to say that I returned with more questions.
This is a good thing for a lifelong passion. And I believe it’s good for artists as well.

Gan bei.

Asif Studios - Figurative Works Show, July 31st - August 22nd

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills Gallery will celebrate the works of more than 25 well known and emerging local artist for its' Figurative Works Show - Featuring New Works - Inspired by the Human Form... Paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and low relief wall forms will be exhibited for this special art event. The main gallery will feature a selection of juried works, while the studio's two community classrooms will feature student works and figurative studies created by a sampling of 2 & 3D program participants.

The show will open Friday, July 31st, with a reception for the artists, from 5 - 8pm. Coufos Cellars, Rough and Ready's premier local winery, will pour a few of their delicious wines for the event. The Exhibit will be open to the public daily, 10am-5pm Monday - Friday & Saturday 11am-4pm, and will hang through August 22nd.

For jpg images please contact: mpaoletti@asifstudios.com

Asif Gallery Establishes New Ground...
The Studio is thrilled by the community's response to this exciting new gallery venue. Created for the sole purpose of promoting Nevada County visual artists, Asif Studios is becoming a well known and respected arts resource, garnering great support by the county's multi-faceted and talented community of artists and art patrons. Now entering its second year, the Artist's Studio in the Foothills is fulfilling its mission to become The Visual Arts Center of Nevada County!

Asif Studios Anniversary Show & Celebration - June 26th, 5 - 8pm!

The Artist's Studio in the Foothills is celebrating its first anniversary this month! To commemorate the event, the gallery will feature its 30 resident artist's paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, ceramics and other media. The celebratory show opens Friday, June 26th with a reception for the artists from 5 - 8pm. Wine and refreshments will be served, and a studio art class & month long studio membership will be raffled off during the opening reception. The exhibit is open to the public and will hang through July 25th.

Now entering it's second year, Asif Studios is a living testament to the positive spirit of the artist! Home to over 30 residents, and becoming a well known and respected arts resource, the studio is fulfilling it's mission to become The Visual Arts Center of Nevada County.

"We are very happy and proud to present the works of this talented growing community of visual artists! The community aspect of the place seems to be what local artists value most about the studio, many of whom are scattered throughout the rural areas of the county... Visual artists finally have a center whose sole purpose is to grow and foster a connection between artists, other artists, and art patrons in the community!"

General Info:
As if Studios is a fully equipped studio arts facility offering private studio space, a community ceramic & 2D studio, a gallery to promote participating artists, private mentoring and drop in studio use, instruction in painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramic sculpture, wheel throwing, and glaze chemistry.

The gallery's month long shows feature local artists of the Nevada County area.
Open Studio & Gallery hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm.

Asif Studios is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road in Grass Valley, CA. For more information call or email Amanda Paoletti at 530-274-7000 - mpaoletti@asifstudios.com


2009 Summer, Fall & Winter Shows:
Anniversary Show - June 26th - July 25th
Figurative Works Show - July 31st - August 22nd
Tea Pot Show - August 28th - October 2nd
Open Studio Art Tour - October 9th - November 13th
Small Works in the Foothills Holiday Show - November 20th - January 9th

Asif Artist's on the Wine Trail this weekend!

Coufos Cellars in Rough & Ready
is hosting a show for several As if artists for this event...

Featuring live entertainment, food pairings & more! Each ticket holder will receive a commemorative wine glass and access to all thirteen participating wineries & their Wine Trail festivities!
$40 Two days
$25 Sunday only
Tickets can be purchased by visiting or
calling any participating winery,
or online at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=cwboz8cab.0.0.nxpdgucab.0&ts=S0404&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nswinecountry.com%2F&id=preview


Coufos Cellars
10065 Rough & Ready RoadRough & Ready, CA 95975
530-274-2923

Coufos Cellars, is located in the historic town of Rough & Ready on a former 20 acre dairy.
Today the farm is dotted with hillside vineyards, and old dairy buildings, now converted into wine making facilities. Specializing in Rhone style wines, Coufos Cellars features wine blends crafted from estate and locally grown, organically farmed grapes.

Come enjoy a variety of tasty hours-d'oeuvres, and sample some of their delicious Rhone style wines, such as as their popular red blend "Ghatti Rouge," their white blend "Buffo Blanc," a Viognier, Syrah, and Petite Sirah.

Owners Henry Coufos and Janet Wheeling look forward to welcoming you to their winery!

Featured Artists:
Lauren Drutz, Ceramics
Kathryn Wronski, Oil Paintings
Amanda Paoletti, Ceramic Sculpture
Eileen Blodgett, Paintings & Prints
Josh Unterman, Ceramics
Joanne Wohlfeld, Ceramics

Small Works Show Opening Reception a BIG success!

Four hundred people, armed with umbrellas, braved the rainy roadways on Friday, May 1st to attend As if Studio's opening reception for the Small Works in the Foothills gallery show. The show will hang through the end of May, featuring over four hundred works by more than fifty local artists in the Nevada County area. This show has a great variety of exceptional artist's works, at very affordable prices.

The gallery is thrilled to report sales of more than forty pieces during the reception, raising over $200 for the Nevada County Foodbank. Old and new fans continue to stop in daily to browse the show, and enjoy the beautiful gallery space. Literally filled to the brim, the gallery is overflowing with energy... the irony of these small, intimate works creating such a huge impact on the space is really quite something!

Studio & Gallery Hours - Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm.

Small Works in the Foothills Show Makes Front Page News!

As if Studio's upcoming show made front page news in the Union this week! We also enjoyed an excellent radio spot with Jerianne Van Dijk at KVMR! We have over fifty artists participating in this show... take a look at this list!

Paul Honatke, Jennifer Long, Viv Kane, Jeanine Christman, Kara Gridley, Stacy Lamothe, Douglas Truth, Karen Faulk, Lill McGill, RC Trice, Susan Michalski, Laura Morton, Rebecca Casey, Benjamin Vierling, David Mooney, David McKay, Irene Nicholas, Mary Russel, Ruth Chase, Janet Lemette, Yvon Dockter, Ruth Mazur, Marsha Rafter, Mary Trethewey, Dirk Dusharme, Molly Fisk, Carmen Lang, Katie Wolf, Kathleen Kershaw, Tricia Burbank, Denia Pearson, William Wilson, Cindy Barry, Carin Brooks, Robin Wallace, John Hoft, Liz Collins, Brooke Mayfield, Thomas Devine, Leeanne Brooks, Peggy Wright, Margaret McDermott, Eileen Blodgett, Jane Swan, Amanda Paoletti, Kathryn Wronski, Josh Unterman, Lauren Drutz, Cory Norris, Rebecca Bleau, Sarah Hendrickson, Randy Rigg, Deborah Bridges, Phil Brown, Stephanie Adams, Sharon Griffiths, Clay Platner, Irene Nicholas, Risa Roseman

Phil Brown Teaching at As if Studios...

Resident member, Phil Brown and his students are enjoying their new home at As if Studios. Most every Monday you'll see cars lining the front of the building during his morning pastel, and afternoon oil & acrylic painting classes. We're very happy and proud to have you here Phil!

Small Works in the Foothills Show, May 1st - 30th...

Resident and guest artists at the Artist’s Studio in the Foothills, are getting excited about their upcoming “Small Works in the Foothills” gallery show, May 1st – 30th. The show will include the works of over forty local artists in the Nevada County area. Many creating paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and sculpture especially for the show... due to the size limit of under twelve inches. These are “small works” with big plans to surprise and inspire art lovers in our community!

“We’ve had an amazing response from local artists… Our goal is to cover every square inch of our walls, every shelf and pedestal with art!” says Amanda Paoletti, Studio Manager and Ceramics program Director. The original goal was to bring art to the community in a more affordable way, but an interesting side effect has occurred… working small has opened creative doors and inspired artists in new and exciting ways. “We’re thrilled by the positive energy this is show is creating for artists, and the community!”

Join the artists for an opening reception with wine and refreshments: Friday, May 1st from 5 - 8pm. The Artist’s Studio in the Foothills is located at 940 Idaho Maryland Road in Grass Valley. For more information call 530-274-7000, email :mpaoletti@asifstudios.com or go to http://web.mac.com/rrigg