SAN DIEGO, CA.- The San Diego Visual Arts Network in a joint collaboration of 40 venues from Fallbrook to Coronado has challenged almost 100 local artists, both sculptors and jewelers, to work in both mediums in homage to Alexander Calder. Calder is famous for his mobile sculptures but he also created 1800 pieces of jewelry. One hundred of these will be on display at the SDMA starting July 25. Our local artists will each be displaying at least one work of sculpture and a related piece of jewelry. The individual venues will be setting criteria suitable for their spaces, but we are hoping to see some large jewelry and small sculpture included in every possible medium.

Patricia Frischer, coordinator of SDVAN and this promotion, says, “We are thrilled the arts community has come together, especially at this time of economic stress to show how creative they can be not only with the production of these fantastic, unusual art works but with this collaborative effort.”

Venues include the Bonita Museum (the most southern venue), Taboo (the pre-eminent art jewelry gallery in SD) along with 8 other central SD venues, seven North/South Park galleries, 6 El Cajon galleries, 5 galleries in La Jolla, 9 venues from the Solana Beach City Hall to the Oceanside Museum of Art (featuring the work of James Hubbell) in the North County coastal area and 4 North County Inland venues including the most northern, the Fallbrook Art Center.

Benefits abound with this promotion. Artists have found new venues for their work. Jewelers are being validated as artists. Many sculptors are welcoming this opportunity to make smaller wearable works.

The venues are getting greater exposure and the possibility of a new audience because of the cross pollination affect of 40 venues. SDVAN with its 3-4000 visitors a month and over one million hits a year gives additional coverage. Last but perhaps most important is this opportunity for the art patrons who might be happy to buy a piece of jewelry but needing a way to relate to sculpture to expand their concept of art. And for those feeling the pinch right now, hasn’t artful jewelry always been reasonably affordable portable sculpture? Art buyers will find it easy to find these creations close by and hard to resist these tempting displays.