TUBAC, AZ.- Artist Christina Spann announced the inclusion of her abstract paintings in a four-person exhibit. The exhibit titled, “Four Takes," will be held at the K. Newby Gallery and Sculpture Garden, 15 Tubac Rd, Tubac, AZ 85646. This new exhibit opens on Friday, November 8th, with an opening reception from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. It opens during the Tubac Fall Art- walk. The artist will be in attendance at the opening and will be sharing insights about her art. The exhibit runs through January 3, 2025. Christina will also be participating in the Tucson Open Studio event on November 9-10.

Christina is one of only four artists invited to be featured in this informative exhibit. The intention of the "Four Takes" exhibit at K. Newby Art Gallery is to showcase an evocative exploration of abstract art that brings together four distinct voices that challenge, inspire, and redefine the boundaries of per- ception. Each artist offers a unique lens, or a different "take" on abstraction resulting in a dynamic and diverse visual dialogue that speaks to the power of imagination and form.

Christina is originally from the Southwest and lives and works from her studio in Tucson, AZ. She holds a BFA in Fine Arts Drawing and Painting from Arizona State University and Masters work in Printmaking from UC Santa Barbara. Christina began as a painter and taught art. She later discovered and explored glass arts, ultimately founding a company that created unique handmade glass and metal light fixtures for high-end commercial and residential clients. Those years of working with handmade glass have had an important influence on her paintings. As the artist describes, “In making fluid and fiery marks, sometimes using nature as a guidepost, my artwork has evolved into abstract emo- tional expression. It feels musical to me, like jazz; improvising and depicting movement in unex- pected directions by layering, erasing, and exposing a composition. This is a multi-sensory physical dialogue with the various art media within my reach, and often feels like I am conducting a symphony.”


Melange 3. Acrylic and plaster on canvas. 24” x 30”.


Christina will have six pieces featured in the exhibit, including four impressive paintings, Melange 1, 2, 3, and 4, that will be installed together as one grouping to create a quadriptych. The intent of this artist's work is to stir the soul through the depiction of emotions and her response to nature. She explains that by saying, “My paintings lay bare the breadth and depth of human emotion sometimes thunderous and sometimes subtle. Applications of paint, brush, and line create two and three dimensional de- pictions of my soul responding to nature. A tension is created between the quiet, close-up drawings and the bold abstract forms that float in and out of a single space, resulting in an expressive yet precarious balance.”

Christina also exhibits her work locally in Tucson where she has three paintings on display in the lobby gallery of the Miraval Resort. She will also be participating in the Tucson Open Studio event which runs from November 9 - 10. Those two days are an opportunity to meet Christina at her studio from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Visit artsfoundtucson.org to learn more or visit the artist’s website www.pumphousestudios.com

The opening reception for “Four Takes” is on Friday, November 8 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. There is a “Meet the Artist” event on that day and Christina will be available to discuss her art with the public. The public is invited to attend. The exhibit continues through January 3, 2025, and is open to the public during regular gallery hours. She will also exhibit during the Tucson Open Studio event from November 9 - 10 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.


Melange 4. Acrylic and plaster on canvas. 24” x 30”.

CHRISTINA SPANN

I was raised in the Southwest in a large single-parent family with a lot of ambition and few re- sources. Exploration of art and movement were a “crazy” daily existence to entertain ourselves. In school, the visual and theatre arts were a natural path and I explored them all, eventually mak- ing my way to California and then San Francisco. Here I used my painting, drawing, and leader- ship skills to make a place for myself. After exhibiting paintings in galleries and teaching, I soon discovered the glass arts, formed a company, and for the next 23 years Lightspann Illumination Design produced decorative hand made glass and metal light fixtures for restaurants, hotels, casi- nos, and high end residential clients. My design illustration drawings were the primary marketing tools to procuring these projects. The transference of line and form into art-making is natural to me, so after selling Lightspann I returned to that focus. In making fluid and fiery marks, some- times using nature as a guidepost, my artwork has evolved into abstract emotional expression. It feels musical to me, like jazz; improvising and depicting movement in unexpected directions by layering, erasing, and exposing a composition. This is a multi-sensory physical dialogue with the various art media within my reach, and often feels like I am conducting a symphony. I hold a BFA in Fine Arts Drawing and Painting from Arizona State University and Masters work in Print- making from UC Santa Barbara. I reside in Tucson, Arizona as of early 2022.