Metrov’s Fine Art Group Exhibit Pops-Up

In the desert of vacant store-fronts, at last comes the oasis. Spawned and curated by multi-media artist Metrov, a popup fine art exhibit of six of the leading Santa Barbara artists is on at the Paseo Nuevo Mall, with the grand opening scheduled for this Saturday, September 13, from 5 to 9 pm. Here we find, through the wonderful generosity of the mall’s leasing manager, Mary Lynn Harms-Romo, a vacant store space transformed into a welcoming entrée by imperative, compelling, and pro-level art, and all works are available for purchase directly from the artist. 

I spoke with Metrov, who shared, “We feel extremely fortunate that we were able to negotiate for such a perfect gallery space in the heart of Santa Barbara’s most trafficked venue, and a big thank you to mall leasing manager Mary Lynn Harms-Romo. This pop-up venture has allowed us total freedom to show the works of our choosing, to create the ambience of our choosing, to be original and creative in how we present the work, all without the constraints and costs of a traditional gallery. The artists and the works I curated from them are five of the most accomplished artists in our town: Peggy Ferris, Madeline Garrett, Michael Irwin, Dug Uyesaka, and Susan Venable. 

“I so love it, now all I want to do is have a gallery and continue showing great art. We hoped to have the space longer, but could only rent it for a month, so come by for the opening and visit us during the month of September!” 

He is exhibiting seven new, mixed-media portrait paintings and six new concrete and mixed-media sculptures. For the portraits, he is clear: “I took the photograph of the celebrity and printed it on canvas; from there I did what Warhol did – painted over it and taped it.” The more jarring works are the sculptures, made from repurposed materials, which bode a post-apoplectic take of the famed Venus. Art to encourage thinking.

Ferris is showing 21 new works, each a serious upscale graphic, her palate a bit more abstract with strong line and color statements, done in acrylic and mixed media on panel and board. Ferris said, “The idea of a pop-up gallery is as much an event as it is an art exhibition. The short-term nature of such exhibitions makes them dynamic, exciting events combining different artists with new spaces. In our show, each artist is seen in a new context, that being the combination of the other artists and this new space. Overall, it refreshes the experience of viewing a familiar artist’s work. I’m sure I speak for all pop-up groups when I say how grateful we are, in this case to the managers and owners of Paseo Nuevo, for making these spaces available to us. It’s a wonderful community collaboration where everyone benefits.”

Garrett’s works are whimsical and interplayed with self-expressionism. Top choice of her works is Superheros, her commentary on the underlying input of women in society. She does this by the interjection of actual comic strips of female heroes placed strategically on the ethereally painted over-sized canvas. Her smaller works are acrylics on environmentally friendly yupo paper, the 100-percent recyclable, waterproof, tree-free synthetic paper. With 26 works total of mixed media (acrylic, spray paint, graphite, collage) created in 2018, Madeline said, “The best thing about this collaboration was the freedom to create edgy work and push our artistic visions. It was empowering to create a cohesive show that has a lot of life and attitude.”

Irwin has clearly outdone himself with a large-scale 144″ x 44″ aluminum sculpture titled Sushi. It is remarkably well-balanced with two chop sticks and one piece of sushi in-between them. Other sculptures titled San Andreas Hibernaculum, Spirit Guide, and a selection of paintings are on display for the more practical art purveyor.

Uyesaka’s more than 21 miniature to medium-sized assemblage sculptures are displayed in the center of the gallery along the countertop area and other niches. As if holding court, each work seems to be speaking to the one on either side of it. That would be a secret intent of this artist, known for his quick wit and the cheeky humor embedded in his art. Uyesaka said, “Metrov has worked very hard to see this project come to light in one of the many empty spaces here in SB that are not being utilized. He hopes it will help pave the way for more opportunities for artists and the community to collaborate on the unused spaces here in town. Truly a win-win situation.”

Venable’s 13 works of art are detailed intricate weaving of thousands of hand-cut copper wires on a cage-like steel grid base, all fabricated from recycled materials and found objects – her inspiration – ancient art, and sometimes mixed the caged worked in triptych with acrylic paintings. She shared, “I was honored to be asked to join the group of artists curated by Metrov and completed my works in the last two weeks. The concept of working outside the usual exhibition space was challenging but provides an opportunity for the public to discover art in an unexpected way. A bonus, of course, is to make creative use of space that might otherwise be a reminder of economic issues. It’s a win-win-win for the artist, the public, and the landlord! We would love to see more! Perhaps a trend!”

While I was reviewing the art, it was wonderful to watch passers-by be surprised to see the vacant store lit up with art and happy guests commenting, “I’m coming back for more!”

Indeed.

411: PopUp Fine Art Exhibit Grand Opening on Saturday, September 15, 5 to 9 pm;

September 6-30 at the 651 Paseo Nuevo Mall