Finding inspiration at Creativity Explored's "Finders Keepers"
Making it: Car Factory by Walter Kresnik
By Amy Glasenapp
What first struck me at the opening reception of "Finders Keepers" at Creativity Explored on Jan. 10 was the sheer volume of the crowd. By 7:30 p.m., an hour after the reception began, the show looked like a success. Sculptures and prints were being sold left and right, and at the front counter, lines of enthusiastic visitors eager to know more about the art were becoming labyrinthine. People had to push through gaps in the mass to reach the art in the back room.
Since 1983, Creativity Explored has provided a positive environment for adults with developmental disabilities to explore self-expression through different artistic mediums - in this case, recycled objects. Many of the studio artists have sold work and achieved some renown: James Montgomery, who has a show coming up this week at CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies), is among them. His subjects consist mainly of clock faces and San Francisco landmarks, and in this exhibition you will find these themes in his sculpture, a break from his usual canvas medium.
Another artist whose work I had seen before, Walter Kresnik, surprised me with his Car Factory piece, which is made from wood, fabric, cotton, and a rusty piece of pipe. A whimsical arrangement of multicolored cars unfettered by roads, with thick cotton smog rising from a pipe that looms disproportionately above the compact “factory,” the work makes a clear political statement about pollution and industry.
Kelly Clark told me she sold a sculpture, Water Sink, earlier that night and explained the purpose of this unique gallery: it’s not all about marketing, commerce, or achieving celebrity. Selling art is merely one of many incentives for getting it out there. She felt successful because she knew viewers appreciated her work. However, when she told me how much her piece sold for, I couldn’t help but think she must have felt pretty good about that, too.
"Finders Keepers" runs through Feb. 28 at Creativity Explored, 3245 16th St., SF. (415) 863-2108.
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