By ANNE GELHAUS
Be they done in oils, acrylics or watercolors, flowers dominate Sunburst '96, the annual exhibit of paintings by members of the Sunnyvale Art Club. Images of sunflowers, roses and the like line the walls of the Creative Arts Center Gallery at the Sunnyvale Community Center.
Art-club members also submitted portraits and abstract paintings for the show, which runs through Aug. 3. About 25 of the club's 80-plus members have works in the exhibit, including co-president Pat Howard, whose own two paintings are in the heavily subscribed floral category.
Howard says she first joined the club in the early '70s to enhance her artistic skills. The club holds monthly meetings at the community center, where professional artists demonstrate a variety of media. Club members also tour area galleries and attend art-related lectures.
"It's lovely to be among people who are all interested in the same thing," says Howard, who runs the club with co-president Pat Blum.
Founded in 1959, the club is designed to stimulate public interest and appreciation in fine art and to further its development. Though the club is based in Sunnyvale, many members are from other Peninsula cities. When Howard first joined the club, she says, membership was at its peak at about 150.
At the monthly meetings, club members show paintings in various categories to their peers, who choose the best of the lot among themselves. For the Sunburst show, however, they brought in San Jose artist Marta Szoboslay, who judged Barbara Ackerman's watercolor "Rose Pastel" as best in show.
Community members also have the chance to vote on the work they like the best: Those who view the show can cast their ballot for a "People's Choice" award, to be presented after the exhibit has closed.
Sunburst '96 runs through Aug. 3 at the Creative Arts Center Gallery, 550 E. Remington Ave. Gallery hours are Tue., Wed. and Fri., 1-5 p.m., Thu., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m.-noon. For more information about the exhibit or the art club, call 730-7731.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, July 17, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.