‘Arts Salon’ Sparks Compelling Discussions of Arts and Society

Gertrude Stein would be proud of Pleasanton.

Stein, the American-born, enigmatic art dealer, was known for hosting early 20th Century arts “salons” in Paris, where complete strangers would gather to reflect on themes and messages represented in the arts.

Frequented by the likes of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, her salons provided intimate settings for provocative discussions of art and society.

Seeing a need to start such dialogues in Pleasanton, longtime resident Claudia Hess wanted to transfer the philosophies of Stein to arts discussions in her own community.

So Hess, an independent fine art curator and personal property appraiser, teamed up with Pleasanton-based artist Kim Pace to start a regular arts salon here.

Partnering with Kevin Carey, who co-owns the new Studio Unfiltered gallery in Pleasanton, they held their first salon Monday evening, Oct. 24.

The small but brightly lit Studio Unfiltered, which opened in August, is located in a space adjoining the building in the Hopyard Village Shopping Center on Valley at Hopyard.

Hess told attendees at the first salon that she wants to see people in Pleasanton open up and talk about the relationship between the arts and the world.

“I mean, your new granite counter tops are nice,” she said. “But I don’t really care about them!”

Following a brief meet-and-greet over snacks and beverages donated by attendees, participants launched a compelling, 90 minute, free-form discussion ranging in subject matter from appreciation of visual arts and mythological interpretations of astronomy to the topic of child prostitution in Thailand.

When one attendee, Cheryl Clements, mentioned having recently seen the film “The Way,” starring Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen, the topic turned to people sharing their reflections on the concept of primitive and modern pilgrimages.

Intertwined with the social and artistic topics was a repeated theme of how to promote art appreciation and arts involvement in a suburban, family-centered community like Pleasanton.

“How do we make suburbia feel not so culturally absent?” Hess asked the group.

“In places like San Francisco and Berkeley, that sense of the arts is so intense. But here you have to work for it.”

Studio 7 Fine Arts gallery curator and gallery director, Jan Mahood, and Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council president, Jill Vellinger, both suggested that educating the public about art in its many forms would be a logical first step.

“We need to create a dialogue,” said Vellinger.

“We have the ability to do this if we involve people who have the passion, the energy and the bandwidth to do so.”

Monday’s salon may have been the ideal conversation starter.

Each of the 12 people in attendance contributed personal anecdotes and compelling observations about society, peace, justice, creativity and their own past and current involvement in the arts.

Gallery owners Kevin and Rachel Carey are examples of the individuals who have the "bandwidth" to start and continue a dialogue in Pleasanton about the arts.

“We opened this gallery in August because we believe in the intersection between art and justice,” said Kevin Carey.

“It’s both of our desires to see justice put into action.”

Kevin, a musician and freelance writer, told the salon participants that he and Rachel, a photographer, saw a “need within the East Bay, especially the Tri- Valley, for justice to be a component of the art world.”

Explaining the studio’s involvement in social justice issues, Carey said that Studio Unfiltered donates a percentage of every sale to The Sold Project, a Pleasanton-based non-profit that provides education scholarships for Thai girls who would end up as prostitutes if not for private groups funding their education and advancement.

“There are justice issues prevalent in every circle,” Carey told salon attendees.

“And that circle expands from this room outward.”

Each exhibit at the gallery displays pieces containing messages. Their first exhibit, “Kids and Cameras” featured photography of children in Ciang Rai, Thailand, and ran for five weeks with greater-than-anticipated attendance and sales.

The current exhibit features photographic art created by nine artists in response to the question, “Why Hope?”

Studio Unfiltered operates public gallery hours only on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for its full calendar of exhibits. Until gallery hours are expanded, private showings are available by request.

The Pleasanton arts salons will continue, according to Hess, who hopes to plan a second salon in November before trying monthly salons beginning in January, 2012.