Sanchez Art Center celebrates spring and nature with three new exhibitions.   Forever Spring, an exhibition of work by San Francisco artist Gary Bukovnik, is a celebration of exuberant flowers, showing in the Main Gallery.

Opening concurrently are: Canopy, The Sheltering Trees, by members of the Burlingame Plein Air Painters, and a group show with members of the Art Guild of Pacifica, themed The Four Seasons.

The opening reception is on Friday, February 23rd, 2024 from 7 to 9 pm, with live music by Blue City Jazz.

Gary Bukovnik’s Forever Spring gathers the artist’s floral artwork into a bouquet that exude freshness and vitality.  Clean lines bring each flower to life in both an elegant and joyful way.  The exhibition combines works from the artist’s iconic Symphony series with newer pieces that reflect flowers and vases merrily tumbling about created in watercolor, woven in tapestries, on screens and metal sculpture.

A master watercolorist, Bukovnik infuses each work with fluid authentic coloration that brings a natural and intense beauty to each piece.    “It is not often that beauty is the primary focus when I curate a show,” stated Sanchez Art Center artistic director and exhibition curator, Jerry Ross Barrish.  “I am more interested in content and unique artistic expression. With Gary Bukovnik, I cannot separate the subject matter and beauty. This is one of the most breathtakingly exquisite shows I have curated in over twenty years.”

Gary Bukovnik was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.  When he was young, his grandmother moved out of town and operated a general store; the township that the store was located in was surrounded by nursery fields of flowering plants and trees.  When visiting, Gary regularly took his paint box out and did what felt like the most natural thing, painting the flowers.   His works continue to be painted from life, though often with florals from the San Francisco flower mart.  Taking an idea and arranging the floral material, he creates a pencil sketch with simplicity of line to begin.  From there the painting tells him how it will evolve and the work grows into itself.   While still life painting has been with us for centuries, Bukovnik’s works show a sense of modernity that brings currency to the genre.

Bukovnik studied at The Cleveland Institute of Art.  Residencies include: Visiting Artist, American Academy in Rome, 2003, 2005; Michigan Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI 2010.  Associated for decades with the San Francisco Symphony, his paintings have graced the walls of Davies Symphony Hall.

Forever Spring will conclude with an artist’s talk on Sunday, Mar 24, beginning at 3:30 pm.

The East Gallery is presenting Burlingame Plein Air Painters, Canopy, The Sheltering Trees.  Group and exhibition coordinator Bart Charlow notes, “Though we’ve left the trees, they never left us.  They shelter us, they provide food, and they feed our souls!”  Trees are nobly honored in pigments with an expansive show of paintings in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, gauche, and ink on silk.

“En plein air” is the art term for painting from life outdoors. Sometimes it’s a panoramic view, others just a vignette, but always full of light. Capturing light and shadow, as well as the breadth of color in a scene, is a challenge. With the movement of the sun and changes in the weather, though the trees stand still, the light is always moving and effects can be fleeting.     The paintings in “Canopy” were composed outdoors in local settings on the Peninsula; viewers will likely recognize several of the sites.

More than 150 members of Burlingame Plein Air Painters (BPAP) have taken part in over 200 outings all across the Bay Area and Northern California.  BPAP is dedicated to the proposition that art made together is enriching and enlightening, and sharing that with others is a way to spread the joy and the wonder. Members fill the spectrum of experience from those who are just beginning through professional artists and art instructors, painting in all manner of mediums and styles.  The public is invited to a Gallery Walk and Conversation with the artists on Sunday, March 10, from 1:30 – 3:00 pm.

The Art Guild of Pacifica presents The Four Seasons, a group show in the West Gallery.  Nature, environment, seasonal colors and moods are all reflected in the exhibition.  Pieces include paintings in acrylic, oil and watercolor, jewelry, pen and ink, mixed media, textiles and more.  The Art Guild will also offer small artworks and art cards for purchase (cash/check).

Sanchez Art Center is located at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd in Pacifica, about a mile east of Highway 1. Following opening night, the galleries are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1–5 pm, and by appointment, through March 24.  For more information call 650.355.1894 or visit SanchezArtCenter.org.