Every two years in April, the Tulare-Sequoia Gourd Patch presents Containers of Our Culture, a weekend series of workshops and demonstrations offered by some of the leading artists in the fields basket weaving and gourd art. Artists from throughout the United States descend upon Visalia in order to study the techniques of these contemporary masters of gourd art and basketry.
In coordination with the conference activities, Arts Visalia is proud to host an exhibition of works by each of the workshop instructors affiliated with the conference, including some of the most widely recognized practitioners of these traditional art forms.
The craftsmanship displayed in the works on display is stunning, to say the least. While overall the artworks represent a direct connection to a variety of historically significant, traditional methods of art, they also demonstrate a contemporary approach in many of the pieces. Of course, these are living art forms and, the individual artists continue to adopt and employ new materials into their traditional techniques. Utilitarian objects remain a product and are well-represented, but so too many of the artworks are made strictly with aesthetic concerns in mind. In all, it amounts to a stunning exhibition with much to offer viewers.
The exhibition will be on display at Arts Visalia from April 2nd through April 26th, 2014. For this exhibition, two public receptions will be held. Our usual First Friday opening reception will be held on Friday, April 4th from 6 to 8pm. A second reception will be held on Friday, April 25th to kick off the actual weekend of the conference. As always, attendance to all events is free and open to the public.
This exhibition has been supported by a grant
from the City of Visalia’s Community Arts Grant Program
Additional support has been provided by the following businesses and organizations:
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