December News: Mega Edition
Open studios this weekend, a new public art commission opens, exhibitions, and new work available in Portland and San Francisco
New Public Art Commission at CLT Airport
There is a lot to share! This summer and fall have flown by. I’ve been contentedly focusing on new work in the studio after a busy season of completing my latest public art commission, Where Earth Meets Sky, which opened to the public in September at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Below are more photos of the piece, a panoramic 950 sf collage translated to gessoed, printed, and gold-leafed panels that span two walls on the mezzanine level of the new terminal. It was fabricated by the phenomenal folks at Magnolia Editions in Oakland, California, and installed by the tenacious and hard-working Cricket Forge crew from Durham, North Carolina. Huge thanks to these talented artisans for the problem-solving know-how and expertise.
You can view more images of Where Earth Meets Sky on my website and watch a short video. I’m so grateful to the Arts & Science Council and CLT for being such supportive partners in realizing this project, about 5 years in the making. I could not be more proud of how the work has turned out and honored to have it at CLT.
Watch CLT Airport: Art in the Airport - Where Earth Meets Sky.
Watch Queen City News: Concourse A expansion debuts at CLT Airport.
Open Studios + Holiday Market this Saturday, December 7th
I’ll be opening up my studio at NW Marine Artworks this Saturday, December 7th, 10am-4pm. The event is both Saturday and Sunday 12/7-12/8, but I will only be able to participate on Saturday. My studio is upstairs, #320. There will be maps.
We have 75+ artists and artisans producing fine art, painting, ceramics, stationery, apparel, and more, plus food and warm drinks— it will be chilly!
More info including a list of artists and vendors, location, parking, etc. can be found here. This is always a fun event and a great place to buy local and unique gifts for the holidays.
I will have new works available including small collages from my Eastport and Jarman Notes series, framed and unframed. Please join me on Saturday!
Exhibitions and Available Work on View
I am delighted to have a selection of large framed collages and new works on paper on consignment at Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco. Please stop by to see In the Half Light, on view in the downstairs gallery, or get in touch with these kind folks, Melanie Ross and Lindsay Salamon.
In San Francisco, three of my pieces are included in Gather, curated by Erik Otto’s seed gallery at Andreessen Horowitz, 180 Townsend Street. The show runs until February 7, 2025. You can make arrangements to visit by emailing or via this link.
Looking at, listening to, and reading
For the past few years, as I recover more capacity after the prolonged sleep deprivation of early parenthood, I have been getting back into reading for pleasure. I’ve started keeping a list of the books I’ve read, with the goal of increasing the number of books per year (and reading in bed rather than doom scrolling). 12 at first, then 24 for a few years, and I’m up to 40 this year. Living a few blocks from the public library is a joy.
Here are a some of my favorite books that I read in 2024:
Real Americans by Rachel Khong (perhaps my favorite book of the year)
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Matrix by Lauren Groff
North Woods by Daniel Mason
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
State of Paradise by Laura Van Den Berg
Death Valley by Melissa Border (went through ALL her books and I need more)
With My Back to the World: Poems by Victoria Chang
Splinters by Leslie Jamison
The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers (A love letter to San Francisco, great to read together with a cool kid)
I devour anything by Rachel Cusk, but gotta say, Parade was not my favorite. Alas.
I hope to see local friends at open studios on Saturday.
Wishing you a warm, healthy, and peaceful holiday season —
Val
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⋰ Email : val@valbritton.com (or respond to this email)