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Published on 07/31/1995 All articles from this issue

Artists have historically made strong statements in city's big picture

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By Clyde Noel / Town Crier Staff Writer

Don't just paint - make a statement. Helene Barber gives that advice to her students in every class. "I encourage each of my art students to develop their own creativity so they don't all look like clones," she said.

Barber, a Los Altos resident, has been highly visible on the local art scene since the early 1960s and has been instrumental in making Los Altos the art center it is today. She has taught hundreds of young and older artists at the Los Altos Senior Center and the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto. A number of Los Altos residents include her paintings in their collections.

Even a casual observer could conclude that artists have been making some noticeable statements all over Los Altos. Downtown, there are wall murals, decorated concrete benches, sculptures and galleries. In addition, there are hundreds of artists who live in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills who have found local subject matter that inspired their artistic endeavors.

Artists have figured quite significantly in the development of the city. Name a downtown visitor who hasn't noticed Jan Meyer's "painted illusions" of pharmacists at Kahn's Pharmacy and Colonel Sanders himself appearing on the Kentucky Fried Chicken building. Who hasn't seen the large bronze bust of the late business pioneer Walter Singer, the centerpiece of the Community Plaza, created by renowned local artist Ingrid MacDonald?

Art has even abated controversy. The white concrete benches, deemed cold and ugly by some detractors, were warmed up considerably under Meyer's artistic touch. She added checkerboards, vines, flowers, even a folded Town Crier newspaper, and suddenly, the benches were OK.

The number of practicing artists and art outlets are many and varied. Art committees, art clubs, studios and galleries offer expression for the amateur and the professional. Exhibitions range from traditional landscapes to photographic abstracts.

The city still boasts many artists who have been creating here for decades. Jeane Kluga, a past president of the Los Altos Art Club, started to paint Los Altos scenes 30 years ago. She started a "Local Scenes" competition to give exposure to local artists.

"I love art and I love to paint," Kluga said. "Artists are the luckiest people in the world because they see what non-artists can't see. They are never bored and because they can analyze the situation from an art standpoint. They can appreciate life more fully."

Los Altos artist Gay Porter, also a past president of the art club, said club members aren't professional artists but people who like order, discipline and dedication through art.

The 120-member Los Altos Art Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month at Hillview Center. Members' works can be found on the walls of banks, beauty parlors, offices and restaurants.

Presently, area artists Carol Hake, Carrol Morrow, Carolyn Hoffstetter, Jim Munnell and Larraine Hughes have their works on display at the Los Altos Main Library. The space is provided by the library for "Expressions from Local Gallery Artists." The exhibit is rotated quarterly with new artists and the art is available for purchase.

"The club offers critiques, demonstrations and instruction, but most importantly, it offers the sharing of ideas with other artists," Porter said.

Another Los Altos Hills artist, Jean McCandless, continues to pursue art with fervor after many years of painting. She spends her time in a well-equipped home studio and works in various media, including paint and sculpture.

MacDonald, who now operates Sunbird Gallery out of her home, is also an artist who has her work on display at Gallery Michael. MacDonald is a firm believer that Los Altos is strong on art.

"Art is appreciated in families that have family values," MacDonald said. "That's Los Altos. It's a little conservative and a little old fashioned, and (residents) can appreciate art. It's also why we have so many studios in Los Altos. Look at the other cities around us, they don't even have a gallery.

"There are a lot of artists in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills because the wives have the time and the money to be creative. In some of those other cities, the wives have to work and don't have time to appreciate art," MacDonald said. "Los Altos has a downtown and people like to browse, and that is why we have galleries in Los Altos."

Over the past couple of years, local galleries have started to specialize in exclusive artist shows and varied art mediums.

Ralph Doer, owner of ZYT Galerie, said his gallery has always worked with artists in the community. But the trend, he said, is becoming international and the gallery is now highlighting artists from China, Russia and Poland.

ZYT curator Agnes Derbin explained the attraction to exhibitions involving artists from other countries. "People from Los Altos travel and see things in other parts of the world and then they come to ZYT to see what we have to offer from those countries." Derbin said.

"An example of this is the Kasimir etchings," Derbin said. "We have carried them for more than 20 years and the people in Los Altos have collected them over the years and ask for more."

ZYT Galerie also displays local artists like Christina Romano, whose paintings of open space beyond Los Altos Hills and Palo Alto invite a close examination.

Gallery 9, started 25 years ago by nine artists, has been located at 143 Main St. the past 23 years and is populated with local artists. Hake, of Los Altos Hills, exhibits in oils, Elaine Rothwell, of Los Altos exhibits her etchings and Los Altos artist Charles Halleck dabbles in photography art.

"Photography is not like painting with acrylic," Halleck said. "What you take is what you get and you have to do your painting through a viewfinder. You may have to get up before sunrise to get the picture you want, but the basic negative is the end result."

Michael Shoffner, owner of Gallery Michael, said art buyers seem to be more selective and know what they want.

"I tell people to visit galleries, museums, studios and exhibits to see art because the more they are exposed to art the more they can appreciate art," Shoffner said.

"Los Altos residents come in the gallery to look and listen," he said. "They want that one special piece of art that talks to them. It tells them something or it involves them into art by capturing their interest. There are no rules in art that make it a good or bad piece of art. If you enjoy it, it's a good piece of art."

Gallery Michael is having three fall shows involving artists that have been proven favorites among Los Altos collectors: Jack Terry, H. Leung and son and Joe Jaqua.

Not all local artists exhibit in local galleries. Los Altos artist Dorothy Spangler paints cafes and flowers, and is represented exclusively by a gallery in San Francisco.

Marketing of art in Los Altos changes according to design changes of interior decorators. According to MacDonald, interior designers used to rely on abstractions during a time Picasso was trendy. Then came Chinese and Asian backgrounds, and interior decorating styles changed again. Next came Southwest and Western colors. Today, impressionists like Monet are popular among designers, MacDonald said.

Artists claim the Los Altos environment itself has inspired many works. The area, with its nearby foothills, the oaks, orchards, old barns and water towers and downtown streets offers plenty of subject matter. The fountain of creativity continues to flow at a furious pace in Los Altos.

"As an artist, if you play the piano for 30 years you still only have one piano. On the other hand, as a working artist after 30 years, you have a tremendous inventory of art," Kluga said.