ART OnSite lecture series with artist Daniel Brickman on February 9

On Sunday, February 9, ART OnSite will host an intimate evening with sculptor Daniel Brickman in conversation with Center for the Arts Executive Director Julie Baker.

Brickman is one of eight professional artists selected by the ART OnSite jury to create a work of art along the Deer Creek Tribute Trail in Nevada City. His much discussed piece “Nevada City Alchemy” sought inspiration from Nevada County’s rich mining history and our four-legged friends by drawing a correlation between the two and the notion of dealing responsibly with the environment.

Last Fall shortly after installation, Brickman’s sculptures were the target of vandalism, which resulted in four of five sculptures being destroyed. Brickman and Baker will discuss the inspiration behind his work, the community’s reaction to the work, and what we all learned from this experience.

“I wouldn’t actually say I was surprised by public reception of the work,” says Brickman. Brickman hopes this talk will help establish the context for the installation by discussing some related previous works, along with concepts and inspiration for Nevada City Alchemy.

“I hope to provide a wider understanding of the work and my ideas behind it than might be gleaned upon initial observation,” explains Brickman.

Brickman grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He spent two years in the school of Architecture at Auburn University before deciding on Studio Art as a lifelong dedication. After undergraduate work, he lived in Zagreb, Croatia for a couple of years. Now, having earned his MFA from The University of California, Davis, he lives and works in Oakland, CA.

“Not all art is necessarily meant to be aesthetically pleasing, but rather to provoke and create a reaction and emotion,” says ART OnSite vice chair Nancy Nelson. “Daniel’s installation Nevada City Alchemy has done just what good public art should do – raise awareness, controversy, and dialog.”

The mission of ART OnSite is to strengthen the ties between the community, the environment and the arts through outdoor art installations along Nevada City’s Deer Creek Tribute Trail. The project is a collaborative effort between Nevada City, Nevada County, Nevada County Arts and The Sierra Fund. The project received a two-year matching grant of $25,000 in July 2012 from the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Initiative.

“I am continually inspired by the ability of art to communicate information succinctly and intimately,” says Brickman. “As an artist, to have the chance to work with a location such as Nevada City that is so rich in history and visual phenomena was a wonderful opportunity.”

Joining Brickman is Julie Baker who began her career working in several prominent art galleries and the international auction house Christie’s before becoming the President of her family’s art marketing agency. After selling the business in 1998 and moving to Nevada City, she worked as an Executive Producer for Tristream Group, a web development firm.

In 2001, she opened her own business Julie Baker Fine Art and for two years co-produced and founded an art fair in Miami. She brings over twenty years of experience in arts marketing and management to her current position as Executive Director of The Center for the Arts.

February 9th is the second event in the ART OnSite Lecture Series. The first event was held in November with poet Jared Stanley. The next talk will be March 20th, with Bill Fox, Director of the Center for Art + Environment at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno.

KNOW & GO
WHAT: ART OnSite Presents Sculptor Daniel Brickman In Conversation with Julie Baker
WHEN: Sunday, February 9
WHERE: Elixart Art Tasting Room 408 Broad Street Nevada City, CA
TICKETS: $10 GA, www.artonsite.org

—Jesse Locks