“Untitled” by Marcos Hernandez, pencil on paper, Collection of the artist

SANTA PAULA, CA – Inspired by Rose Frantzen's acclaimed “Portrait of Maquoketa”, two artists in Santa Paula, California decided to take on a similar adventure in their own town, calling it the “Santa Paula Portrait Project”. Photographer John Nichols and painter Gail Pidduck have spent part of the past three years making portraits of the people in their community. Since January of 2011, the two have produced over 60 works which will be on display at the Santa Paula Art Museum from February 23 until June 23, 2013. An opening reception will be held Saturday, February 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. Admission to the reception is $10 for SPAM members and $15 for non-members.

Like Frantzen, Nichols and Pidduck desired to capture a collective portrait of a community and of humanity rather than isolated images. “The goal in these portraits,” says Nichols, “is to reveal as much of myself, the artist, as I reveal of the sitter.” The project encouraged both artists to open their hearts to their neighbors and strangers on the streets of Santa Paula, the final product of which illustrates both the ordinary and the extraordinary facets of everyday life in a small town.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Santa Paula Art Museum also invited elementary and high school students to try their hand at a number of art projects in portraiture. Students from Santa Clara Elementary School, including Seamus Arentz, Ull Rosten, Patrick and Gregory Haggard, and Mark Goyette, chose an homage project, a technique of copying an artwork to focus on details and gain a fuller appreciation of its visual qualities. The painting they focused on was “Pamela” by Marjorie Murphy, from the Santa Paula Art Collection.

Jasmin Ruiz and Marcos Hernandez, students from Santa Paula High School, chose to create portraits that capture the physical likeness of a subject, and explore the potential of hand drawing to capture the distinctive character of both the subject and the artist. The students considered not only physical details, but also light and shadow, gesture, pose, and setting in an attempt to represent the individual. These “Student Portrait Projects” will also be unveiled at the opening of the Santa Paula Portrait Project.

Reservations for the opening reception are recommended. Please contact the Museum at (805) 525-5554, or email info@santapaulaartmuseum.org. The Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060. The Museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM, and Sundays, 12 PM – 4 PM.