LOOKOUT: An outside look at inside art.
Joshua Tree Art Gallery 61607 Twentynine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
June Artists: Rose Cefalu, Sharon Davis and Philippe Jestin

On view: June 5 – June 30 | Open Hours: Ongoing (Gallery is closed but visible FROM OUTSIDE.)

As we reflect and shift with the daily changes and effects of COVID-19, the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council is committed to the health and safety of our community. During this time art has the power to connect, uplift and inspire everyone. While most residents are staying at home and reevaluating the new normal, the downtown Joshua Tree commercial strip remains active as our neighbors and the farmer’s market remain open.

To continue our mission to inspire and enliven the community through the arts we present LOOKOUT, an exhibition series in the front window of the Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Artists Rose Cefalu, Sharon Davis and Philippe Jestin continue the series showcasing a rotating lineup of bold and colorful paintings and camera-less photography. Featured artists will change monthly and the window display will change weekly as long as our galleries remain closed.

We aim to catch the eye of passersby and shift their current outlook to one of inspiration and intrigue. Stay positive, stay safe and continue to make and appreciate art.

CALL FOR WORK: We are soliciting submissions for June, July and August. The storefront windows at JTAG are made of three 48-inch-wide panes with some horizontal supports at the top and bottom. Each artist will get one pane for viewing. Please email Aimee Buyea gallery-director@mbcac.org with images and dimensions of the work. Artists can submit up to eight (8) works for selection. Please understand space is limited and our goal is to achieve a strong and cohesive presentation. In addition to the physical viewing space, the art and artists' information will be promoted on the MBCAC websites and social media. Artists are also encouraged to promote their work and the show on their own social media channels as well since it helps us all reach a maximum audience.

GUIDELINES:
1. Artists must be a current member of the MBCAC.
2. Each artist must have 4-6 pieces ready to show.
3. Work should be bold, graphic, and not dependent on details as we want eye-catching work to attract attention as viewers will not be able to see the work up close.
4. Pieces should be rigid as 2-D work will be displayed on easels and 3-D work will be displayed on the floor or pedestals.  2-D work should be 24-48 inches in width. 3-D work must stand alone or fit on approx. 12 inch square pedestals and be 24-48 inches wide when arranged. The MBCAC will provide easels and pedestals. Other mediums and hanging methods can be discussed as no one should feel discouraged from submitting.
5. Artists will need to provide quality images of the selected work, (JPEG, TIFF or PNG. RGB format. Minumum 1200 ppi on any side)
6. Work can be for sale. MBCAC will process sales and will receive a 15% commission.
7.  The Gallery Director will schedule a one on one appointment for monthly drop off and pick up of the work.

SERIES 2: JUNE

June Artists: Rose Cefalu, Sharon Davis and Philippe Jestin

Rose Cefalu’s “blue prints” are part of an ongoing series dedicated to her love of the high desert landscape and the cyanotype process. These unusual trees paired with the vintage process allow this unique handmade view of Joshua Tree National Park. The process is done by creating a light sensitive emulsion to cold press watercolor paper and contact printing an enlarged negative onto the surface. In conjunction also creating photograms with this process where she is contact printing pieces of high desert nature to the emulsion.  The process includes harnessing the suns power as the images are left in the UV light to develop and rinsed with water to clear the image. The singular and duo tone colors are the same process but done with a technique referred to as “gum printing”.

Every day you can find Rose obsessing over her iPhone photos and over-posting on Instagram @joshuatreedesertrose and @rosecefaluphoto. In her spare time, she thinks about traveling, printing imagery, making candles, and mixing new colors. In 2019 Rose launched a cyanotype workshop to get her “hands dirty” again and reintroduce this vintage art form to a new audience interested in becoming skilled with alternative photographic processes. She is also producing award-winning content at a variety of outlets. Currently Rose is the Photography Director at Emmy magazine and you can find her photography work
at rosecefaluphoto.com

Sharon Davis is the artist and founder of Earth House Studios. Her primary medium is acrylic painting but she loves experimenting with different styles and different mediums.

After many years in and out of the desert, Sharon planted her roots in Morongo Valley and is fortunate enough to be able to live the lifestyle she has always had in her heart. Sharon is a self-taught artist who loves color. Art has been a major part of her entire life, now it is her way of life.

She is a member of the La Quinta Art Association, MBCAC, and President of the Art Colony of Morongo Valley.

Earth House Studio -emphasis on the letters A-R-T- is a growing work of art in itself with paper bag floors and broken CD backsplash, tables covered with tin can lids and belts and a mosaic wall made out of beer caps. This is a studio featuring installation and repurposed art as part of the landscape and home. Several installation pieces to explore on the property including two Memorials to Native Americans.

Philippe Jestin’s work is inspired by the human figure and finding ways to create an object visually ambiguous, offering different lectures between figurative and abstract, going back and forth and open to the potential of a fluid perception. His Initial interest in the representation of fabric designs over the body led him to create drawings of the human figure with stripes and subtracted spaces. Through the craft, the cast of resin on the panel creates a relief on the surface interacting with the white background. These “positive” and “negative” spaces can be seen as completing and/or competing with each other, depending on how the translucent reliefs of resin interact with the light and the viewer’s physical and/or emotional stance.

Over the years Philippe produced works with wood, metal, paper, wire and charcoal. One material constant in his practice is resin that has been applied with different casting techniques, often born out of experimentation and necessity to bring forth the initial idea.

Originally from France, Philippe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Paris-Sorbonne University. He has had solo exhibitions in France and the US, notably with Michael Martin Gallery, Hang, Ampersand and Sylvia White Gallery and participated in international exhibits and fairs including AAFair in NYC and SF International Art Fair. His work is in the collections of Microsoft and the diRosa Preserve.
Artist Website: philippejestin.com

Please email gallery-director@mbcac.org if interested in purchasing work.

VIEW SERIES 1 | May Artists: Marcia Geiger, Ben Allanoff and Anna Stump