IN THE THOMAS GALLERY
After many years of service stewarding the Thomas Gallery, outgoing Curatorial Director Johanna McCormick has passed the torch and opened the field for each exhibit in 2027 to have its own curator. We start the year with a short pop-up exhibit, Art With Heart, an opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day with heart-themed work. In March, we celebrate Women’s Month with Radical, curator Jen Hennig’s invitation for women to express what matters most to them. Next we Spring Into Art with our annual showcase of youth creations, curated by Rae Rodriguez and Cindy Laurin. June brings us to the first of two featured artist exhibits, Opening the Door for Spirit, a very special retrospective by painter, weaver, writer, and founding patron of SCMAC, Barbara Thomas, who will be celebrating her 100th birthday this year. For the first time in many years, we dedicate an exhibit to the medium of photography with Moment in Time, curated by Susan Archibald. Curator Janet Silverglate invites the unexpected and experimental in a mixed-media exhibit, Fragments & Fusion. Then we reach our second featured artist exhibit featuring painter and ceramic artist, Johanna McCormick. And of course, we round out the year with the annual Gift of Art, our holiday-themed show. Curated by Judy Person and Bela Ravikumar, this will also be our members-only exhibit for the year.
If you have questions please contact info@mountainartcenter.org.
| 2027 Exhibit Schedule | Online Entry Deadline / Take In | Exhibit Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Art With Heart Themed exhibit / open invitational | January 21 / January 24 | January 28 – February 20 |
| Radical Themed exhibit / open invitational | February 25 / February 28 | March 4 – April 10 |
| Spring Into Art Youth art exhibit / open to ages 1 – 20 | No online entry / April 18 | April 22 – May 22 |
| Opening the Door for Spirit Featured Artist: Barbara Thomas | June 3 – July 4 | |
| Moment in Time: Photography Themed exhibit / open invitational | July 8 / July 11 | July 15 – August 14 |
| Fragments & Fusion: Mixed Media Themed exhibit / open invitational | August 19 / August 21 | August 26 – Sept 25 |
| Featured Artist: Johanna McCormick | October 7 – November 7 | |
| The Gift of Art Holiday gift show / members-only | October 29 / November 1 | November 5 – Dec 22 |
2027 Exhibit Themes
Art With Heart: Valentines Pop-up
Curator: Johanna McCormick
February is coming up, and love is in the air! And now more than ever, our world needs to see what love looks like. Love doesn’t just come in the romantic form, it comes in many ways that we all can relate to. Love is all around us, but each one of us experiences it differently. In relationships, friendships, or acts of kindness, love isn’t going to be the same for everyone, and that’s okay. We need to bring this awareness to our world, and we can—through art. For this short exhibit, we ask artists to bring in heart-themed work that would make a perfect Valentine’s gift for someone you love… including yourself! Reduced entry fee. All work must be for sale.
Radical
Curator: Jen Hennig
A show by and for women to express themselves. Far too long have we been silenced, dismissed and subordinated as speaking out for our equality has been labeled ‘radical’. In one way it is. Delving into the source of our inequalities is radical. Who is deciding and who is being decided about? And history repeats itself over and over as balance is still yet to be. We invite women to express themselves in this exhibit to eliminate our inequalities of existence. It’s time now, more than ever. We may manifest change. Be radical.
Spring into Art: 28th Annual Youth Art Exhibit
Curators: Rae Rodriguez and Cindy Laurin
Big ideas. Wild colors. Tiny details. Giant imaginations. There’s nothing quite like seeing what happens when young artists are given a space to show the world what they see, think, and create. Paint it. Draw it. Build it. Sculpt it. Stitch it. Photograph it. Dream it up and make it your own. Spring into Art brings together young artists up to age 18 from throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Cruz County for a joyful gallery exhibition all their own. No class experience needed, just bring your creativity and the artwork you’re excited to share.
Featured Artist: Barbara Thomas
Celebrate Barbara: Opening the Door for Spirit
Curator: Tina Masciocchi with Barbara Thomas
I am an artist in Life, Color and Words. My service is to awaken consciousness to the spiritual dimension of life, relating with the angelic and elemental world of nature. I will be celebrating my 100th birthday this year. I am excited to share this retrospective of 70 years of paintings and textiles at the Art Center. From the age of 4 I have been playing with color and since I started painting, color has always been the focus. I was once asked, how does God show you that s/he loves you? And the answer surprised me, the answer was Color.
Moment in Time: Photography
Curators: Susan Archibald and Bari Lee
Calling all photographers! Are you a visual storyteller? Santa Cruz Mountain Art Center invites you to bring in your work for an open-themed photography exhibition. All subjects, themes, styles, genres and approaches to photographic craftmanship are welcome. We want to see what inspires you to capture a moment in time through your lens!
Fragments & Fusion: Mixed Media
Curator: Janet Silverglate
We invite artists to explore the limitless possibilities of mixed media in this open invitational exhibit celebrating experimentation, creativity, and the art of combining materials. We are seeking works that incorporate a variety of physical materials, art supplies, and techniques on a single tangible surface or three-dimensional object. From layered collage and intricate assemblage to sculptural forms and experimental combinations of wet and dry media, artists are encouraged to push beyond traditional boundaries and discover unexpected ways to bring materials together.
Whether combining paint, ink, paper, fabric, found objects, natural elements, photography, textiles, or unconventional materials, each work should demonstrate a thoughtful and expressive interplay of textures, forms, and processes. Artists working in all styles and approaches are encouraged to participate. Celebrate the unexpected, embrace experimentation, and share work that reflects the diverse and imaginative world of mixed media.
Featured Artist: Johanna McCormick
Curator: Johanna McCormick
The Gift of Art
Curators: Judy Person and Bela Ravikumar
Once again we will have our popular holiday gift exhibit. For this show we ask artists to submit work that is suitable for gift giving. Framed paintings, crafty wall hangings, functional ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, cards, glass, woodwork, etc! All mediums are welcome. But all submissions must be for sale. Open to artists 18 years and older.