Craftmakers from across the state display pieces at SLO Museum of Art

Craftmakers from the Central Coast hold their own among artists from around the state in “Dimensions,” the biennial exhibition at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. This round was juried by Carol Sauvion, a potter and owner of Freehand Gallery in Los Angeles.

She selected 81 works from 219 entries including the first-place pewter submission by Templeton’s Randy Stromsoe. Second place went to Demetra Theofanous of Mountain View for a flame-worked glass piece. Trent Burkett of Grover Beach earned a third place award for a porcelain and wood piece called “Bottle with Spear Head.”

The variety, as always, is a pleasure from $10,000 rebozos, or Mexican shawls, to more affordable ceramic pieces, to a life-size dog fash ioned from recycled hangers.

A few that especially caught my attention include a paper sculpture called “Monarch Migration” by Robert Nichols of San Diego; Kathleen DePalma’s “Adam, Eve and the Serpent,” a paper mache and fimo clay piece; and a piece made from hand-forged spring steel that Dennis Kehoe of Los Osos calls “Pick Up Tongs.”

The show includes four additional works to honor the memory of four Central Coast Craftmakers who died recently: Los Osos artists Barbara Flynn and Ken Ray, Arroyo Grande artist Ina Mae Overman, and Templeton artist Janine Kirkpatrick.

The show runs through Oct. 12

SLOMA is also showing a collection of paintings by Atascadero artist Pat Cairns. “Faces and Facets” takes the visitor on a tour through Cairns’ watercolors of children to abstract mixed media art.

“Where my paintings once whispered, they now shout,” says the retired teacher.

She will discuss the exhibit at 2 p.m. on the closing day, Sept. 28.

The Painters Group, which meets on the third Tuesday of every month at the museum, has a new show through Sept. 28 in the McMeen Gallery upstairs.

“Spirit Animals” is an exhibit of animal paintings inspired by mythology, literature, song or imagination.

Gregory S. McIntosh was awarded first place for “Shaman,” using gouache and powdered pigments.

Children will also get a kick out of this exhibit, which includes a painting by Daniel Huitron featuring the Muppets ogre character, Sweetums.

This story was originally published September 15, 2014 at 6:21 AM with the headline "Craftmakers from across the state display pieces at SLO Museum of Art."