Montalvo artists open studios
By Shari Kaplan
For the second time this spring, Villa Montalvo invites the public to attend its Artists' Open Studios, a free event in which artists in residence welcome visitors to their studios or offer performances and presentations.
On April 23, visual artists Cheryl Coon and Cheryl Dietz will open their studios between noon and 2 p.m. Beginning at 2 p.m. in the Carriage House Theatre, composer Michael Twomey and poets Glori Simmons and Brian Komei Dempster will present some of their works. A reception follows.
San Franciscan Coon holds a master's of fine arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her works focus on the structure of living organisms with a particular interest in the process of decay and deterioration.
Coon uses natural materials mentioned in ancient medical journals, or that have elaborate cultural myths surrounding their healing properties.
Dietz, a sculptor from Albuquerque, N.M., holds a master's of fine arts degree from the University of New Mexico, where she also taught art classes. She participated in downtown Albuquerque's "Route 66" window installation project as well as in several solo and group shows in New Mexico, Illinois and Colorado. While at Montalvo, she is working on soft sculptural components for a future installation titled "Body Score," which revolves around sports.
Pennsylvania resident Twomey holds degrees from the University of Montana, Northwestern University and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. He has performed and premiered his music throughout the United States. He also holds many grants, commissions and awards in both composition and performance.
Dempster, a San Franciscan, holds a master's of fine arts in creative writing from the University of Michigan. His poems have appeared in Ploughshares, Green Mountain Review, Quarterly West, Crab Orchard Review and The Asian Pacific Journal, the latter earning him a nomination for the Pushcart Prize. During his time at Montalvo, Dempster is working on poems centered on his grandparents' homeland, Japan, and his recent visits to temples, landmarks and cemeteries. He is also composing poems focused on the Holocaust and the Vietnam War.
Simmons is also a poet and San Franciscan who earned her M.F.A. from the same university as Dempster. Her poems have appeared in nine literary publications. She was a co-writer and production manager for Brown, an experimental short film shown at three international film festivals.
For more information, call 408.961.5818.
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