To champion art as essential to life and give our community
a creative voice
From the President’s Desk
There is no demo this month. Instead, the annual MBAA Board Installation and Holiday dinner party will be at Windows on the Water Restaurant, Thursday, December 12, 5-8:30pm. Due to illness, the Morro Bay High School Choir will be unable to perform this year. We are working on a replacement and hope the choir teacher feels better soon.
MBAA will be celebrating the Winter Bird Festival with Pacific Wildlife Care. Join us during the opening reception of, For the Birds, January 12, 2-4pm. Pacific Wildlife Care will be there with at least one or more of their fascinating, rescued birds! This exhibit is a collection of fine art paintings and photography depicting Morro Bay’s vast array of indigenous species of birds and all things bird-related. Exchange day is January 8, 10am-2pm. For more information about Pacific Wildlife Care and their mission, visit their site: https://www.pacificwildlifecare.org
The People’s Choice Award for the juried show goes to Ascension Nelson for his “Memories of Chibok”. Typically, we wave a future take-in fee for the winner. Ascension found his dream home in Idaho recently! We congratulate you Ascension, for receiving this fun award and hope you find a gallery worthy of your beautiful artwork in your new home town!
Looking ahead, this year we submitted a grant application to the City of Morro Bay’s, finance department. MBAA was granted $4,250 that is specifically available to help pay for an extra teacher for the children’s summer art program. This grant was made possible by the help of Janet Hillson, MBAA Secretary, Bob Azevedo, MBAA Treasurer, Jennifer Callaway, Morro Bay Finance, Scott Collins, MB City Manager, MB Mayor Heading and the entire MB City Council. I’m appreciative of the support for our local youth!
It takes a village! Michael Costa leads a dedicated team of gallery docents who are an integral part of the MBAA team. Our volunteer docents have kept the art center doors open for us every single day this year, with the exception of three major holidays! They are the face of Art Center Morro Bay! They help guide new members, answer general questions, help our customers find and take home treasured artwork and more. A big Thank-You, to Michael, Alice Isaac, Bob Rodger, Charlotte Berney, Charmaine Henderson, Tom Franklin, Janet Hillson, Jo Swanberg, Joan Fee, Nancy Johnson, Sharon Westray, Sue Rutledge, Kim Ramos, Joy Chambers, Colleen Ray, Anne Grannis, and Brian Ross.
In behalf of myself and the MBAA Board of Directors, we wish you all a joyous holiday with the love of family and friends for a very Happy Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Patricia Newton
CALL TO ARTISTS
We are looking for images to use to promote our upcoming
BEYOND THE SEA exhibit in 2020.
Inspired by our magnificent oceans and our compelling desire to understand and protect them, this exhibit goes far beyond the fragile beauty of our planet. Among the world’s most immediate and biggest environmental problems is plastic finding its way into the ocean, washed ashore and fibers reportedly finding its way into rain water.
This exhibit celebrates artistic expression in all media to include textile, encaustic, mixed media, oil, watercolor, acrylic and photography. This theme extends itself to anything above and below water! Rain, drippy faucets, icebergs, sea life and the effects of our changing planet.
Send your impactful images of plastic and other garbage that effects the sea and the shore to Pat Newton at artbypatricianewton@gmail.com
WEEKLY LIFE DRAWING CLASSES
every Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm
at the Morro Bay Recreation Center
1001 Kennedy Way
Tom Dale Dakota Pitts
No registration or sign-up is necessary! Just come and bring your own materials. We provide a live model tables, coffee, lighting and music. It is open to all skill levels, and (almost) any media. The cost is $10.00 per session.
Len Boyle Ardella Swanberg
For further info Call Bob Rodger at 805-528-4248
SLO County Child Welfare Services requested that MBAA partner with them to provide families a fun, family style art class. Joan Fee provided a class decorating tiles and ornaments with alcohol inks. Joan purchased all of the food items and set the room up in a party like atmosphere. The families were treated to a tour of the gallery and this was the first time many of the children had been in an art gallery. They loved seeing all of the artwork, enjoyed the class decorating ornaments and tiles and partook of the party snacks. Everyone had a great time. Thanks Joan Fee!
California State Parks in the San Luis Obispo Coast District, is working on a project to revamp the Morro Bay Natural History Museum. They are developing a cozy corner (an area where children can play) for a fun and educational way for children to get to know Morro Bay a little more.
In doing so, they are seeking a local artist who could make puzzles from wood or wood blocks, possibly in the design of the Central Coast.
2020 is right around the corner! Why not consider purchasing a yearly MBAA membership as a holiday present! Perhaps it's a present to yourself. Your membership dollars keep the gallery doors open, provide for scholarships, children's art classes, free community demos and more.
Click here and renew your membership for 2020 now!
NOVEMBER DEMO
Finding Inspiration in Whatever You Love
with Giselle Massey
Inspirational. Fun! The two words that summed up our November 11th demo. Giselle Massey, ceramicist, potter, and artist started the 2-hour demo with an inspirational message renewing our creative spirit and encouraging expression, and the love of making art. We were given cards to write a few of our “favorite things” to fuel our creativity. She discussed the observations on the perils and rewards of art making, topics found in the book Art & Fear by David Bayles. Giselle then showed us, her thought processes and the steps she takes in creating her ceramic pieces and talked about techniques she uses to bring her visualizations to life. After, that we were all given a lump of clay to play with. Spring boarding from our “favorite things” done earlier, we were given time to create. Of the approximate 15 attendees, no 2 clay pieces were alike. Some made pinch pots, palm tree décor, teabag holders supporting the queen’s teapot shaped in the bottom. There were sculpted TV sets including the TV guide to go with it. Birds, fish, eagles, and elephants all showed up in clay form. Some carved designs into the clay, some added clay for a contoured look. Along with all this fun was, of course, laughter, cookies, coffee, and camaraderie.
The winner of the raffle was Gigi Roark. She won a ceramic snail for a flower pot or garden.
Our next demo will be on January 13th when Dr. Greg Trombly will be showing us the beautiful look of pastel painting.
ONGOING CLASSES
Old World Drawing and Painting
with Jason Mayr
Mondays, 9:00am - 1:00p
Jason Mayr’s oil painting class meets twice a month, usually the 1st and 3rd Mondays 9am - 1pm, and runs in a cyclical cycle so that it is easy to jump in and out of class as needed. Each class is accompanied by 3 videos e-mailed out over the two week period. The three videos are a Lesson, Friday Feedback and Monday Morning Inspiration. A topic will be covered in the Lesson. For Friday Feedback I will look at and digitally work on a student’s work showing ways to incorporate the lesson into the work. Monday Morning Inspiration we take a look at some works by the masters and see how they employed our topic of conversation. In class we paint and I guide each student according to their needs and desires. If you simply want to show up and paint 2 Mondays a month that is fine. Or if you would really like to learn and practice the craft of painting, or take your work to the next level either way you are in the right place.
Cost $35 per class (includes the 3 videos) www.JasonMayr.com
805-234-6941
Creativity Day
Wednesdays, 10:30am - 3:00pm
Join fellow artists in a safe environment to create, to be inspired and to critique each other's work, plus, it's FREE!
Watercolor - Wet and Wild
Thursdays, 9:00am - 12:00pm
A new watercolor class designed for beginner to advanced students. Classes will be ongoing and feature various instructors.
Adult Coloring and
Zen Doodle Group
Fridays, 10:00 - 11:30am
Relax and unwind in the adult coloring group! Anyone can do it, no experience necessary! Bring your own coloring books or get started with a page from ours. It's FREE!
Classes & Workshops
2020 - Beaches and Birds
January 17 - January 19
1:00pm - 4:00pm
An Introduction to Soft Pastels and the Art of Pastel Painting –
Beaches and Birds
3 Day Workshop
This workshop is designed to provide plenty of hands on guidance, allowing students to work from reference photos of their choice. Students from beginner to advanced are welcome. Learn more ...
COST: $165. Members; $175. Non-Members for the 3-day workshop.
Welcome to our newest members!
Liz & Mike Derivan, Morro Bay
Emily Emanuel, Los Osos
Blaire Kilbey, San Luis Obispo
Susan Kotler, Los Osos
Tess McGuire, Little River
Richard Ristine, Santa Maria
Martha Sparta, Los Osos
Karen Varela, San Luis Obispo
Janice Verity, Los Osos
Patrick Watson
Kim Winberry, Valencia
Next Board Meeting is January 14, 2020 12:00 - 3:00pm
December 2019 Newsletter
Creativity Day 
Adult Coloring and
