My latest mixed media piece involves lines, implied movement, and sound — jet trails, a flock of birds flying in formation, a lone Verbena bonariensis, string suspended between rocks, and real string that form a facsimile of an Aeolian Harp.

My first exposure to classical music was a concert by the Oakland Symphony which featured two works that stayed with me forever: Mahler’s First Symphony and a work by Henry Cowell, which was full of dissonance—notes that seemed wrong but resolved into something so right. Some years later while studying multimedia at Mills College, I took a class in 20th Century Music from Nathan Rubin—the concertmaster of the Oakland Symphony from that very same evening!

An Aeolian Harp is a type of box zither on which sounds are produced by the movement pitch of wind over its strings. The strings are all tuned to the same pitch. In the wind they vibrate in equal parts (i.e., in halves, thirds, fourths…), so that the strings produce the natural overtones (harmonics). In this work, I am conceptually suggesting the sound of the wind, the Verbena bending in that wind as the birds fly by. There is a lot of movement and sound being suggested in this frozen moment.

The 2020 Left Coast Exhibition was scheduled to open at Sanchez Art Center on Friday, April 10, 2020.  As the world turned upside down with the spread of COVID-19, it became clear that the exhibition would not be able to take place in-person as communities responded to shelter-in-place orders to protect public health.  ​​​​

​In response, artists and Sanchez Art Center staff quickly pivoted to present the show in a newly created virtual gallery.

This year's juror is Carin Adams, Curator of Art at the Oakland Museum of California. Carin will be having a virtual Juror's Talk and Artist Gallery Walk on Sunday, April 26, 3 -5pm. CLICK HERE to sign up for this event at the bottom of the page. 

The opening reception for Left Coast will be held on Friday, April 10, 7–9pm. Closing the show will be a juror's talk and a gallery walk on Sunday, May 17, 3pm. 

The Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery, located in Lafayette, CA, has an ongoing pop-up in a commercial building formerly occupied by a Wells Fargo bank. JPG@TheBank is a large, dynamic space that showcases museum quality art across all disciplines.

San Francisco Bay Area artist, Tom Gehrig, has works featured at the pop-up—all available for purchase through the gallery. All three pieces are stunning oil paintings that incorporate mixed-media elements. Anchored as nocturne landscapes, the compositions are punctuated with celestial mapping, lunar illumination, and intrigue. ​

JPG @ The Bank serves to amplify our cultural and artistic voice. A hub where artists, fans, and collectors will come together for culture, community, and commerce. Located at 3525 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, the JPG pop-up is open Thursday – Saturday 2-6pm and Wednesdays & Sundays 12-4pm.

​For more information, visit JPG@TheBank or call the gallery: 925-284-1485

​Bay Area artist, Tom Gehrig, was one of 8 speakers that presented at the inaugural Tiny Talks event, "People Connecting with Place", held at Scout Hall in Mill Valley, CA on April 26, 2019. Co-produced by Linda Graf and Lucinda Otto, the mission of Tiny Talks is to provide a platform for passionate speakers to share their wisdom, stories and perspectives.

The theme of Gehrig's presentation was "What Lies Within: Inside the Mind of an Artist". His presentation provides an insight into his inspirations, artistic process, and how the world and events influence his artwork.

Tom Gehrig artwork featured in the Tiny Talks presentation:

Two of Tom Gehrig's pieces have been selected for The 2019 Left Coast Annual Juried Exhibit at Sanchez Art Center: Suspended Apparatus with Water Collection Cistern and Reconnoitering Confusion Hill. Both pieces are oil paintings that incorporate mixed media elements. ​​

Sanchez Art Center
​Exhibit: April 12 - May 19, 2019
Opening Reception: April 12, 7–9 pm
​Juror's Talk and Gallery Walk: April 13 at 2 pm

​Scott Shields, Associate Director and Chief Curator of the Crocker Art Museum, served as juror for Left Coast Annual this year. Shields selected 50 artworks from the nearly 900 entries by artists from the left coast states of California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. The works chosen span a variety of media, from painting, photography, etchings, and archival inkjet prints to mixed media and installations, both large and small. ​

The opening reception for the 79th Crocker-Kingsley Exhibit on January 19th at Blue Line Arts was a great time had by all! It was a very well-attended event, celebrating and enjoying the work of California artists.

It's always an honor to be included in the biennial Crocker-Kingsley. My recent work, Reconnoitering Deception Pass, was selected this year. I was also invited to give an artist's lecture as part of the reception. Thanks to everyone who attended to hear more about my artistic process and to learn more about my  body of work – including my early years doing performance and installation pieces. 

If you weren't able to make it to the reception, there's still plenty of time to go see this exceptional show. The exhibit closes on February 23, 2019.