PAL President’s November 2022 Message:
2022 Paint Pleasanton Committee.
Alka Vaidya, Rebecca Davies, Lorraine Wells, Ritu Ahluwalia, Marion Huff
RAIN or SHINE, everything turned out super fine at 2022 Paint Pleasanton! The last thing we needed was rain, and it just had to happen that one Sunday! An easy way out could have been just to cancel the event altogether. But committee members Lorraine Wells, Alka Vaidya, Rebecca Davies, Marion Huff and Ritu Ahluwalia, along with the staff at Pleasanton’s Museum on Main were determined to go ahead with this event against all odds. Big thanks to this incredible team! Thanks to Arnie Heller for taking photographs during the art show. Heartfelt thanks to all the artists who not only came out in support of this event, but also for constantly sharing painting progress and vlogs over social media. We’re grateful to the Pleasanton Weekly for publishing a great article that includes comments from a couple of new artists. Read it here https://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/2022/10/02/city-in-the-spotlight-for-paint-pleasanton-2022
Thanks to all the artists that have entered PAL’s 15th Annual Fall Members’ Show at the Firehouse. Everyone is invited to the reception and awards on Saturday, November 12 at 1:00. The reception will include a special performance by the Cantabella Children’s Chorus, an award-winning group that we are thrilled to partner with. The group’s Honors Choir and Chamber Choir will be in attendance for the event. The Honors Choir is composed of selected treble voices who have demonstrated the highest quality of musicianship and vocal abilities. Its ensemble is composed of 7th to 12th grade students dedicated to intensive past and present rehearsals. In addition, the Chamber Choir is comprised of advanced singers in the 7th through 12th grades.
Best Wishes, Meghana Mitragotri
PAL Recognized and Received Art Proclamation
PAL Recognized and Received Art Proclamation at City Council Meeting for the second time in 2022! It was an honor to represent the Pleasanton Art League and accept an Art Proclamation to recognize October 2022 as National Arts and Humanities Month at the Pleasanton City Council meeting with Mayor Karla Brown and City Council members on October 18; this Proclamation was shared with the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council (PCAC) . A big THANK YOU to the PAL Board, members, volunteers, and partners for all the support. Heartfelt thanks to the Alameda County Arts Commission for initiating art advocacy at all City Levels. The meeting was broadcast live on Channel 29 and YouTube. Watch PAL President Meghana Mitragotri’s acceptance speech (49 minutes 52 seconds into the meeting) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOBErZMkse4&t=2996s
Photo credit: Chuck Deckert. From the left: Councilmember Kathy Narum, Vice Mayor Valerie Arkin, Councilmember Julie Testa, PAL President Meghana Mitragotri, PCAC President Kelly Cousins, Mayor Karla Brown, and Councilmember Jack Balch.
PAL Booth at ArtWalk:
This year, four PAL member artists shared a booth at ArtWalk with PAL liaison, Treasurer & artist John DeVilliers. We had quite the varied group in experience, artistic styles and even media, which demonstrated the breadth and variety of PAL’s membership. While John spoke to attendees about the advantages of joining PAL, Elani Scott (one of the recipients of the 2022 PAL Scholarship Award), Ashley Chase (3-D artist) Sandra Myers (painter) and I, Rhonda Chase (jewelry artist and painter) showed recent works. The five artists got to know each other over the course of the day; learning about Ashley’s origami and sculpture, Elani’s impassioned drawings, my path through art media, and enjoying Sandra’s painting demonstrations.
The PAL booth was located at the new Livermorium Plaza, where visitors could find other art organizations as well, making for a fun day filled with many artists, and a vast sea of amazing artwork.
A big thank you to PAL Vice president George Garbarino for arranging the art panels.
– Rhonda Chase
Paint Pleasanton 2022
Twenty nine artists from far and wide gathered again this year to paint plein air the many historic and beautiful locations in and around the City of Pleasanton during Paint Pleasanton 2022. Starting at the Museum on Main (MOM), 603 Main Street, Pleasanton, on Saturday, Sept. 17 for sign in and ending back inside MOM (due to rain) on Sunday afternoon Sept. 18 for judging, awards and the viewing and purchasing of art. PAL is especially grateful to MOM not only for hosting the event but especially for opening up to the public on Sunday and allowing judging, viewing and awards to proceed inside. The open museum was greeted enthusiastically by everyone. Many attendees had not been inside the museum before.
Inklings Coffee donated a Peoples Choice Award and Primrose Bakery wonderful cookies to add to the festivities. Let’s show our appreciation for their contribution by shopping at their businesses.
Many persons helped make this event memorable.The artists themselves; Sarah Schaefer and Ken MacLennan of the Museum on Main; Paint Pleasanton committee members Lorraine Wells, Alka Vaidya, Rebecca Davies, and Marion Huff; PAL president Meghana Mitragotri and family; PAL hospitality chair Ritu Ahluwalia; Linda and George Garbarino and Arnie Heller for taking photos; many of those already mentioned for publicizing the event before and after.
View many of the beautiful paintings created HERE.
Read about the event in Pleasanton Weekly HERE.
Thanks especially to our judge Georganne Zaro who shared insights from her long career regarding plein air painting. Georganne presented the following awards:
- Best of Show: Rolando Barrero – “Firehouse”
- Merit Awards:
- Birgit Spaulding – “Sycamore Sky”
- Malavika Oak – “Coffee at Inklings”
- Honorable Mentions:
- Tuan Karsevar – “Red Chairs”
- Shrey Purohit – “Bernal Landscape”
- Jenna Hobbs – “Arroyo del Valle”
- Alka Vaidya presented the People’s Choice Award to: Rolando Barrero – “Firehouse”
PAL President’s Fall 2022 Message:
As we are entering the last quarter of 2022, I just want to thank everyone for a fantastic year thus far.
Many thanks to PAL’s Membership Chair Emelie Rogers for leading the PAL Awareness project during First Weekends in Downtown Pleasanton and all the volunteers that supported her in this effort in spite of extreme weather conditions. A big thank you to Georgia Jacobs and Ritu Ahluwalia (LAA & PAL Hospitality Chairs respectively) for arranging the super successful Potluck and to everyone who came. Our PAL Fall Members’ Show Committee is working really hard to get everything organized for this last members’ show of the year. I hope all PAL Members will participate and avail the opportunity to proudly display a favorite piece of artwork at the awesome Harrington Gallery of the Firehouse Arts Center. Please don’t let anything come in the way; we have a wonderful pool of volunteers that will help anyone who needs help with registration, framing, pick-up & drop-off of artwork and anything else that we can help with. Just let the Show Chairs know and let us help you. Have a blast creating!
Meghana Mitragotri
PAL General Meeting Chairperson Needed
This is one of the most fun positions because of meeting artists through recruiting them for our General Meetings and meeting all the LAA and PAL and DAC members who attend. As PAL has all four artists lined up for 2023, this will help the new chairperson move into the position. If interested, please contact Lisa Rigge at 925-846-8149 or lbrigs202@gmail.com.
The PAL Art Circuit is Back On
George Garbarino filling out the circuit inventory form at Bagel Street Cafe, Pleasanton.
A rotation was done on September 15th. Five teams participated with a total of 28 active participants. The next rotation will be in December.
Following is the list of businesses participating. Businesses where P AL Circuit work hangs:
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- Sallman, Yang, & Alameda CPA’s —- SECTION “A”, Pleasanton.
- Sallman, Yang, & Alameda CPA’s —- SECTION “B”, Pleasanton.
- Bagel Street Café, Dublin.
- Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, Pleasanton.
- The Bagel Street Café, Pleasanton.
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Usha Shukla, PAL Circuit Chair
More on the PAL Art Circuit HERE.
PAL Info Table in front of Studio Seven Arts
PAL members manned a PAL information table in front of Studio Seven Arts gallery from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm during Pleasanton’s First Weekends on Main.
- Friday August 5 – Alka Vaidya and Emelie Rogers
- Saturday August 6 – Lorraine Wells and Wei Ting Chuang
- Friday September 3 – John DeVilliers and Bill Potter
- Saturday September 4 – Jessica Copeman and Emelie Rogers
PAL-John Muir Health 2022 Show “Healing Spaces!”
Merit awards:
Ron Rigge, “Vineyard and Truck”
Honorable mentions:
Amy Leung, “Concentration for Perfection”
Usha Shukala, “Achillea 02”
Claudette McDermott, “Field of Dreams”
PAL President’s Summer 2022 Message
PAL-John Muir Health Show judge Jody Mattison during the virtual reception on June 8 said, “What a beautiful show this has been with such varied artworks!”, and I can’t agree more! Thanks so much to all the amazing artists who entered their healing works of art in this debut show. From speaking to many artists, I gather that this show was an emotional experience and an opportunity to comfort self through art. Heartfelt thanks to our hard-working committee members and John Muir Auxiliary Board (all listed in John’s report) for all the help, guidance, and passion towards this project. I want to thank Show Chair John DeVilliers immensely for his dedication and time. This was John’s first time chairing a show, and he executed his role so diligently. His kind nature makes him extremely approachable and wonderful to work with. You are such a natural, John! Thanks so much for all that you and Charron (his wife) do. It’s not easy being Treasurer and Show Chair at the same time!
We were so happy that JMH Auxiliary Board’s Co-chair Rosemary Therkelsen was able to join us at the reception to share her journey with us. A big thank you to our webmaster Marion Huff for creating a beautiful virtual gallery and giving us a tour; click here to enjoy the gallery https://www.pal- art.com/pal-jmh-judging-gallery/. We were glad to record the segment of the virtual reception in which Jody shares her comments about the winning pieces. It was like sitting in a classroom and listening intently to an instructor! Jody annotated the artworks on the screen and explained what appealed to her and what she learnt throughout the process. Her comments were truly educational and inspiring.
This segment with Judge’s comments has now been uploaded to YouTube. Click here and enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H22yOhkRKoU&t=347s
Special thanks to Linda Garbarino for promoting every artist in this show on PAL’s Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/pleasantonartleague/
Up next is PAL’s Plein Air event Paint Pleasanton 2022 in September followed by PAL’s Members’ Show at the Firehouse in October! Let’s gear up and get more brush mileage!
Best wishes, Meghana Mitragotri
Honor for Linda Garbarino
Pleasanton’s Mayor, Karla Brown, recently presented an award to Linda Garbarino for Community Service to the City of Pleasanton! Linda has been a member of several organizations for years and currently is the President of the Heritage Association, President of the Museum on Main, and of course a very busy member of the Board of the Pleasanton Art League. Congratulations Linda! It is so nice to have you recognized for the work you do!
“Missing You Already” by Rita Sklar (watercolor)
Rita Sklar was awarded “Best of Show” at the Alameda County Fair! Congratulations Rita! The painting, “Missing You Already” can be seen on http://www.ritasklar.com
Report on 2022 PAL-John Muir Health Show “Healing Spaces”
By the time you read this our inaugural John Muir Hospital (JMH) show “Healing Spaces” will be wrapping up over at the Aspen Surgery Center in Walnut Creek, however, you can still enjoy the show until July 14th. You can also see the artwork HERE.
I feel confident in saying it was an unqualified success for everyone involved. We had 88 pieces by 33 artists entered into this Juried and Judged show and the final selections were a testament to the talent and expertise of our members.
I’d like to thank Rosemary and Peter Therkelsen, our John Muir contacts, for inviting us to participate in the ongoing efforts of the John Muir Health Medical Center Auxiliary to bring beautiful, healing, works of art into their Aspen Surgery Center. Everyday hundreds of patients, their families, and staff members can come to work and be greeted by a touch of beauty to start their often-challenging day. I also want to send a big shout out to our committee members; Linda and George Garbarino, Lisa Rigge, Marion Huff and Lorraine Wells. You all made me look like I knew what I was doing!
Our wonderful, patient Judge, Jody Mattison, picked out seven beautiful and varied pieces to represent the best our show had to offer. The choices were difficult for her, and she said that she could have easily given out another 4 or 5 awards, there were so many good pieces to choose from. She was also sorry she couldn’t have put more pieces into the show as there were many other excellent pieces entered.
Congratulations to all our winning artists and to all the PAL members who made this show such a success!
John DeVilliers, JMH Show Chair
Farewell to Beth & Peter Okurowski
The PAL Board organized a little Farewell to PAL past president Beth Okurowski & PAL past treasurer Peter Okurowski who recently moved to Prescott, Arizona. We thank them immensely for their services and especially steering the ship so gracefully during the two years of the pandemic. Their contributions to the art community will always be trea- sured. Beth is our Parliamentarian and continues to provide guidance on various matters based on her tenure & experience. We will miss you Beth & Peter! Have a good life ahead and keep visiting!
PAL MOM Show, Imagination Expressed 2022
This year’s PAL MOM Show was held from January 12 to March 26, 2022 at Museum on Main, 503 Main Street, Pleasanton. Local California artist, John Tullis, judged the show. Listen to his comments HERE. View this year’s winners below. Click on thumbnail to view in gallery mode.
- “Coming Through” by Usha Shukla (oil on canvas), Merit Award
- “Missing You Already” by Rita Sklar (watercolor), Merit Award
- “Night Flight” by Lisa Rigge (color photography), Merit Award
- “Prendi il Coltello” by Janeen Heath (acrylic on canvas), Merit Award
- “Nature’s Balance” by Deepti Saraswat (acrylic on paper), Honorable Mention
- “Cathedral Shadows” by Carole Hilton (digital photography), Honorable Mention
- “China Camp” by Nancy Roberts (acrylic on canvas), Honorable Mention
- “Dream Land” by Tejal Shah (resin), Honorable Mention
- “Graylodge” by Ron Rigge (archival photography), Honorable Mention
- Julie’s Kite by Christine Bourg (colored pencil), Honorable Mention
- “Kegnaes Lighthouse” by Karen Barry (linocut), Honorable Mention
- “Tulips #3” by Buffy Davis (photography), Honorable Mention
- “Waiting” by John DeVilliers (colored pencil), Honorable Mention
- “Without a Trace” by Robert Nicolosi (acrylic), Honorable Mention
PAL Recognized at Pleasanton City Council Meeting!
It was an honor to represent the Pleasanton Art League and accept an Art Proclamation to recognize March 2022 as Art is Education Month and April 2022 as Art, Culture and Creativity Month at the Pleasanton City Council meeting with Mayor Karla Brown and City Council members on March 15. This was a first for PAL! Thank you so much to the PAL Board, members, volunteers, city staff, officials, local business, institutions and other nonprofit organizations for all the support. Heartfelt thanks to the Alameda County Art Commission for encouraging and initiating art advocacy at all City Levels. We’re so happy to share this Proclamation with the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council (PCAC) and looking forward to our partnership. The virtual meeting was broadcast live on Channel 29 and at https://www.tri-valleytv.org or https://youtu.be/wz4MDYJ-TIw?t=708
Hearty Congratulations to the Dublin Arts Collective for receiving this proclamation at Dublin’s City Council Meeting at the same time! – Meghana Mitragotri
New PAL President’s Message
Dear Members,
Bravo! What an incredible couple of years we’ve had! I am so proud of our achievements & innovations to engage with our members. It seemed an insurmountable task to come together when we were forced to distance and time stood still. Yet, we managed to keep art relevant as we persevered through joyful collaboration.
At PAL, it is a privilege to work with creative minds everyday, and a Board that always guides and encourages new ideas. With utmost gratitude to LAA and DAC, our partnerships have made us stronger, together!
I am truly honored to take on this new role and serve alongside brilliant officers, chairpersons, volunteers, and partners. Our unique skills will help us lead the way into exciting opportunities as we continue to build on existing processes focused on efficiency and inclusiveness. Our goal is to create an engaging environment across ages to establish artist connections by exchanging best practices. It is an honor to volunteer for an organization that has been catalytic in building my art career from a hobbyist to a professional. This can be a reality for other aspiring artists too!
I have very big shoes to fill! I am incredibly grateful to Beth Okurowski and her leadership team. Beth is an asset and has been a perfect mentor.
Thank you all for your continued support and participation. Kindly renew your memberships with PAL and invite fellow enthusiasts to join us. Let’s make scope for art abundant and accessible, irrespective of the times ahead!
My best wishes to you all for an exciting 2022
Meghana Mitragotri, 2022 President, Pleasanton Art League
PAL and LAA in the News
Retiring PAL President’s Message
It is my last month as PAL’s President, and I just want to say a heart-felt word of thanks. It really has been an enormous growing opportunity for me, and I want to thank you for entrusting me with taking a turn at the helm. Having a strong team at your side makes all the difference, and I’d like to thank the PAL board, Show Chairs, Committee Chairs, and all who have volunteered in large or small ways over the past three years. It really does take a village to make it all happen, and I am so proud of all that we’ve accomplished! I would also like to thank LAA and DAC leadership, who through cooperative efforts have made each organization stronger. New and valuable friendships have been forged, which has made my journey all the richer. Our world is changing quickly, and together we’ve managed to propel forward, thrive, and achieve milestones that I could not have imagined when I started. Stay healthy, nurture your creative and unique self, and I’ll see you all next year!
With Gratitude, Beth Okurowski
2022 PAL Executive Board Elections
The following Artists were elected to the PAL Executive Board at the November General Meeting on Monday, November 8, 2021. They will begin their terms on January 1, 2022. Meghana Mitragotri will serve as President, George Garbarino will serve as Vice-President, John DeVillers will serve as Treasurer, and Jan Loomis will serve as Secretary. Thank you to the PAL Nominating Committee: Lisa Rigge, Lorraine Wells, Linda Garbarino and George Garbarino.
PAL Twelfth Annual Members Show at the Firehouse
Theme Award “Above It All”:
- Robin Leimer “Canyonlands”
Merit Awards:
- Lynda Briggs “Beyond The Surface”
- Wei-Ting Chuang “A Peaceful Corner”
- Annette Mack “The Park On Bluebell”
- Ron Rigge “The Letter”
- Alka Vaidya “Piled up Summer Shoes”
Honorable Mention:
- Barbara Blissert “Venice Evening”
- Glenyse Henschel “100% Wool”
- Amy D. Leung “Bustling Downtown After Rain”
- Meghana Mitragotri “Bavarian Country Side”
- Bill Potter “Pre-COVID-Post Anxiety”
- Nancy Roberts “Diablo Foothills, October”
- Diane Rodriguez “Waiting For Hoppers”
- Tejal Shah “A Bucket Full Of Memories”
- Charlotte Severin “Conquering The Corona Virus “
- Chandana Srinath “Mother”
- Eugenia Zobel “Bountiful Harvest”
TVAST 2021 – Tri Valley Artists Studio Tour
The TVAST – Tri Valley Artists Studio Tour – was a successful and inspiring event for all the art associations and individual artists in the Tri Valley. Local people met and were introduced to local artists and art venues for the arts in our area, in some cases for the first time. Many people arrived on their bicycles via the art tour of venues created by Jennifer Huber. It was a successful art event that featured live demos by local artists, painting, sculpting and even creating gorgeous Henna art for free on visitors hands!
Many Artists displayed their work collectively at the Bothwell Art Center in Livermore, the Firehouse Art Center in Pleasanton and the Frame Company in Dublin. Several high school and college students exhibited at Art Process in Dublin. Many artists opened their own studios to show their work.
PAL TVAST Artists at the Firehouse: What an awesome weekend of the TVAST event! The team of nine PAL artists at the Firehouse Arts Center had a blast setting up and decorating studio spaces. They had constant traffic on both days with friends, family, patrons, art lovers, seniors and students visiting from and beyond the valley. We were excited to perform jewelry and painting demonstrations for people of all ages including a big group of Scouts that tried their hand on traditional watercolor and Asian brush painting techniques. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support the event which resulted in a record number of sales too! At the end of the event, artists enjoyed exchanging art and souvenirs.
PAL artists at Firehouse were: Dave Peterson, Usha Shukla, Jan Loomis, Charlotte Severin, Deepti Saraswat, Marion Huff, Wei-Ting Chuang, Rhonda Chase and Meghana Mitragotri.
Thank you to the staff at the Firehouse and to Lynda Briggs for their incredible support and having PAL artwork up on the PAL Wall upstairs during the event and until December 18. Student volunteers from Foothill and Amador High Schools in Pleasanton, and Granada High School in Livermore did a flawless job at the register with credit card, cash and check payments. PAL will sign off volunteer/service hours for these students. Thanks to fellow artists from other venues who came to the Firehouse. Our sincere thanks to Dennis Baker and Anne Giancola for their vision and work on this project. A big thank you to PAL for all the help and support including getting us this incredible venue, supplying flats and sign boards and arranging the PAL Members’ Show reception to coincide with TVAST weekend. We would love to do this again next year!
Report on PAL’s Paint Pleasanton 2021
Artists enjoyed the beautiful sunny weekend of September 25 and 26 painting in the Pleasanton Art League’s fourth annual plein air competition, “Paint Pleasanton”. If you were in Pleasanton over that weekend you may have seen some of our many participants out painting Pleasanton’s historic landmarks, buildings and vineyards. The event attracted widely recognized artists such as Carolyn Lord and Nancy Roberts.
Most artists arrived with the sun on Saturday morning and stayed until sunset to capture the charm of our local area. After a day and a half of painting the painters returned to the Museum On Main, on Main Street to set up their easels for the entire community to enjoy. It was an enjoyable and unique show of our valley and village through the artist’s eyes.
The Sunday afternoon show was enhanced by the generous donation of an impressive selection of mouthwatering cookies from our local Primrose Bakery. Inklings Coffee & Tea, also an avid supporter of our community, donated our first time “Peoples Choice Award”, won by Leta Eydelberg. Our “Best of Show” award was won by Nancy Roberts, a local resident known for her exciting depictions of our local hills, valleys, orchards and historic buildings. Judge Jody Mattison also gave out Awards of Merit to Meghana Mitragothi and Leta Eydelberg and Honorable Mention awards went to Carolyn Lord, Jennifer Huber, Brian Fulmer and Srivani Ward. It was a very enjoyable event, thanks to the Museum on Main’s generous loan of their frontage.
Paint Pleasanton Winner’s Gallery – Click on thumbnail to view full size.
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- Nancy Roberts – Best in Show – “Montrose Place Vineyard” – Acrylic
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- Meghana Mitragoti – Merit Award – “Hometown History” – Watercolor
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- Leta Eydelberg – Merit and People’s Choice Award – “Inklings” – Oil
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- Carolyn Lord – Honorable Mention – “Specialty Swamp Cooler” – Oil
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- Jennifer Huber – Honorable Mention – “Trailer at VA Park” – Acrylic
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- Srivani Ward – Honorable Mention -“View from Laurel Creek Park” – Watercolor
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- Brian Fulmer – Honorable Mention – “403 St. Marys” – Guache
PAL President Beth Okurowski’s 2021 Summer Message
Since there won’t be another Portfolio until September, here is a look ahead for PAL:
- PAL members will be manning a PAL information table in front of Studio Seven Arts gallery in Pleasanton on Saturdays between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm during the summer months. If you are at the farmers market, stop by and say “hi”!
- We have worked with the Museum on Main to nail down dates for Paint Pleasanton, PAL’s annual Plein Air event and show. It will be September 25 and 26. Please check Call for Artists on the PAL website for updates as the time approaches.
- The first annual TVAST (Tri Valley Artist Studio Tour) will be on November 13th and 14th., with a Preview Show on November 11th (5:00 to 8:00 pm) at the Darcie Kent Wine Lounge. Spaces at the Bothwell Art Center, Alden Lane Nursery, and the Pleasanton Firehouse are filling up quickly. Artists are also gathering in collectives to show in the homes of artists. PAL is offering free rental space at the Firehouse to its members (over $100 value), but there are only two spaces left. Contact Usha Shukla (ushaartmail@yahoo.com) if you are interested or want to learn more. Please visit https://www.allianceforthevisualarts.org/tri-valley-artist-studio-tour for information about the tour.
- The annual PAL members’ Show will be held November 6th through December 18th in the Harrington Gallery at the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton. This year’s theme is Above It All. As a supplement to the show this year, the TVAST event will be happening in the upstairs classrooms in the Firehouse during the same time, which creates a great synergy! Visitors can view the show in the gallery then head upstairs to watch TVAST artists demo and show their work!
- Communications volunteer needed – We are in need of someone to work with our publicity team to create and disseminate Constant Contact bulletins that go out to PAL, LAA, and DAC members. Some technical skills are required. Other similar email programs could be used instead of Constant Contact (like Mail Chimp). If you think you might be interested, please contact me at bokurowski@comcast.net
Have a wonderful Summer!
PAL’s Pals 2021 Virtual Show
PAL’s Pals High School and Middle School Virtual Show was found on this website from May 1 – May 31, 2021. A total of 52 entries were received (25 Middle School + 27 High School students) from 26 schools (13 Middle + 13 High Schools) in a variety of media including acrylic, oil, watercolor, alcoholic markers, colored pencils, mixed media, pencil drawing, charcoal, gouache and digital art.
View High School awards HERE. View Middle School awards HERE.
PAL’s Pals in the News
Vanessa Thomas wrote a wonderful article about PAL’s Pals for the Dublin Patch. Read it HERE.
Dolores Fox Ciadelli wrote a piece for the Pleasanton Weekly. Read it HERE.
An article also appears in The Independent. Read it HERE.
Winners of PAL’s Thirteenth Museum on Main Show
Wednesday, January 13 – Saturday, March 6, 2021
David Wagner, an art instructor at Las Positas College, judged the show awarding ribbons and Gift Cards to Way Up Art and Frame.
Winner’s Gallery – Click on thumbnail to view full size.
- Chloe by Tejal Shah (acrylic)
- Portrait of a Woman by John DeVilliers (pastel/colored pencil)
- Serenity by Chandana Srinath (acrylic)
- Waiting by Maria Grazia Romeo (oil)
- The Admiralty by Helene Marie Roylance (watercolor)
- Bristlecone Bark by Ron Rigge (photo)
- The Gardeners by Marie Pascal (watercolor)
- Heron at Morro Bay by Joanne Spurr (colored pencil)
- Historic Napa Vineyard by David Gates (oil)
- Mask with Flowers by Robert Nicolosi (mixed media)
- Mid-Life, Bishop CA by Lisa Rigge (photo)
- Nasturtiums by Meghana Mitragotri (watercolor)
- Spring by Wei Ting Chuang (ink and watercolor)
New Group Being Formed
Optimizing Strategies for Social Media (Catchy Title TBD): Now that PAL, LAA and DAC have Facebook, Instagram, Zoom, and Youtube accounts, we would like to form a group to spearhead the effort toward optimizing the use of these powerful social media tools. We’ve seen the benefits of working together to bring our monthly members’ meetings into our homes via Zoom. Our next step is to use our combined brain power to develop coordinated strategies for promoting our shows and events. Topics that we will be digging into include: developing content, frequency of posting, boosting and leveraging, and other methods for getting maximum exposure. Also, establishing posting standards to achieve a cohesive approach, and security. We are seeking your ideas and may also bring in outside expertise. If you are interested in being a part of this exciting group, please send an email to Beth Okurowski bokurowski@comcast.net with “social media” in the subject line.
PAL President’s January 2021 Message
“My friend, Irving Lavin, A Renaissance scholar at Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study, confessed that he had a horrible time writing because he never knew the beginning. Then he figured out that the paper’s beginning was not the same as beginning to write. So he just started writing about an important point in the paper and trusted that he’d find the beginning eventually. Chekhov, when asked by a nephew how he knew where to start, replied, ‘Take your blue book and tear it in half. Begin there.” There’s a difference between a work’s beginning and starting to work.
“I learned this with one of my earliest dances, The Fugue. Being a novice choreographer, I didn’t know how to begin. So I stood up in the center of the room, took a deep breath, stamped my foot, and shouted, “Begin!” Stamping the foot led me to think of the piece as tap dancing. The sound of my shoe against the floor gave me the idea of performing the piece in silence on an electronically amplified stage. To this day that’s how The Fugue starts out – with a stomp that rings in my mind “Begin!”
I guess that’s the real secret to creative preparation. If you’re at a dead end, take a deep breath, stamp your foot, and shout “Begin!” You never know where it will take you.” (From “Begin!” (Quoted from Pg. 91, Chapter 10, The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp)
With traveling curtailed, I find myself looking over some of my old paintings and wondering if they might be improved. Have I grown enough as a painter to see what went wrong in a piece from years ago? It is always satisfying to finally notice where the painting went ‘off the rails’. Sometimes, it is just an excuse to play with an image that I am not invested in. Other times, there is no saving it, and I sand it down for a new painting.
As Ms. Tharp queried, “Where to begin?” Looking at my painting through a mirror gives me a fresh look at its composition. Viewing the painting through a transparent, red plexiglass reveals where my values missed their target. Sometimes, it’s remixing the colors in a more harmonious way. Other times, cropping is the key. How do you ‘restart’ a work of art?
From Hacienda Pulse, the newsletter serving Hacienda Business Park. The Pleasanton Art League (PAL) is the only nonprofit group dedicated to the visual arts in Pleasanton. PAL’s mission is to make the visual arts an integral part of the fabric of life in the Tri-Valley by encouraging an environment that embraces creativity and its expression. Toward that end, PAL supports facilities, education programs, and events.
Beth Okurowski
Interested in leading an art interest group via Zoom?
The PAL/LAA/DAC Tech Group is reaching out to members who might have an interest in leading an art interest group via Zoom. It could be in any media, or any subject. The Tech Group is happy to help with any/all technical aspects. All you need to do is come up with the idea, set a schedule, and lead the group. Your group will be featured on all three websites and social media outlets. Let’s get a few groups going! For more information, please contact Lorraine Wells at dingbats@comcast.net
Looking for Demo Artists
The P AL/ LAA/DAC Tech Group is looking for demo artists to be featured in our monthly, joint- Members’ Meetings on Zoom. While experience in your subject is (of course) required, experience with creating on-line content is not. The Tech Group is ready to help you with video, sound, lighting, and take you through a practice Zoom demo. Please contact Meghana Mitragotri at meghana.ms@gmail.com
The Winners of PAL’s Eleventh Annual Members’ Show
Four Seasons Award (Theme)
- Chandana Srinath—“RUTHU-Life Cycle In Seasons”
Merit Awards
- Marie Pascal—“Rain For Christmas”
- Lynda Briggs—“Wanderland”
- Emelie Rogers—“California Poppies”
- Vanessa Thomas—“Morning Revival”
- Wei Ting Chuang—“The Words of West Wind”
Honorable Mention Awards
- Mark Mertens—“Reflections of Diablo”
- Robyn Leimer—“Winter’s Wonderland”
- Ron Rigge—“Sunol Respite”
- Susan Helmer—“Big Boy”
- Eugenia Zobel—“Mr. & Mrs. Hot Chocolate Mugs”
Click MemberShowWinners for a Gallery view of the winning entries!
A Word About the Meeting Tech Team
This team consists of Vanessa Thomas, Christine Watters, Lorraine Wells, Meghana Mitragotri and Joyce Moulden. It is currently focused on learning how to use Zoom and other online resources to host online events for our three organizations. Anyone wishing to join in the fun please contact Christine Watters at programs@livermoreart.org or any team member. The only qualification is the willingness to learn.
Zoom Meeting Information will be e-mailed prior to the meeting date. Zoom is being provided by DAC (sponsored by Keypoint Credit Union and the City of Dublin).
Usha Shukla, Leadership Award
Usha has been selected to receive a 2020 Alameda County Arts Leadership Award from the Alameda County Arts Commission to recognize individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions impacting the arts community and the residents of Alameda County. Nominations were submitted by community members. The goal of the program is celebrate and highlight the important work of our arts community leaders throughout the whole County. Award recipients represent the five district areas of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Awards will be made on October 6.
A PAL Board member, Usha is a full-time professional artist who works out of her studio in Pleasanton. She creates vibrant, nature-inspired abstract paintings. Usha also serves as the Treasurer of the National League of American Pen Women, Diablo/Alameda Branch. For the last two years, she has served as a juror for the National Congressional High School Art Competition for Congressional District 15, represented by Eric Swalwell. In 2019, Usha started a new Pleasanton chapter of Dining For Women, a global charitable organization and is the Co-Chapter Leader. Her artwork has been featured in solo and group shows at various locations. Her work is collected nationally including at Sutter Hospital in San Francisco and at Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA. She is a member of San Francisco Women Artists, and Global Art Project, an international art collaborative across sixteen countries. She was an invitational artist at the “East on West ” Art Exhibit at the Office of State Senator Scott Weiner, San Francisco.
PAL Contributes to Pleasanton School
Every year, Pleasanton Art League tries to make an effort to encourage and support art programs in various segments in our communities. Especially, at a time like this, when the pandemic has taken away so much from so many, PAL would like to support those who are most in need of art supplies. I am happy to share that PAL was able to contribute close to $350 to Valley View Elementary School, Pleasanton, towards glue sticks and crayons that will be used by 650 students as part of remote learning – a new way of life for us all! A big thank you to Lawrie and Leon (Beth’s Parents-in-law) for making a sizable donation towards PAL’s Scholarship funds; their contribution will make a difference to many budding artists! We truly appreciate the art teacher, Irma Grant, and her efforts in making sure that in no way are the students’ learning paths compromised, and art being an integral part of this important up-bringing.
Meghana Mitragotri PAL Scholarship Chairperson
PAL Receives 501(c)3 Status!
PAL is happy to report that we have received our long-awaited 501(c)3 status! It’s been a long and tricky road, and I want to thank Diana Hostetter, George and Linda Garbarino, and Peter Okurowski who have been instrumental in making this happen. The biggest benefit for PAL is that donations to PAL will now be tax deductible for donors. We have already changed the language on our membership forms to reflect this update.
Beth Okurowski