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