You Go Girls! Opening Tonight: The Project-Fine Art Zone

Talk about girl power! Creative Director Tracy Smith Reed and I got a sneak peak at The Project-Fine Art Zone yesterday and came out wishing we could be a part of this powerhouse of talent.  You’ll definitely want to check out the opening during tonight’s First Thursday celebration in downtown Santa Barbara.

Nine very talented female artists have teamed together to create a collaborative non-profit art gallery. The artists–ERIKA CARTER, SUSAN TIBBLES, LIZ BRADYLISA PEDERSEN, VIRGINIA McCRACKEN, DONNA ASYCOUGH, ASHLEY DART, THERESA CARTER and LLOYD DALLETT–will own and operate the gallery themselves and donate 20 percent of all art sales to Girls Inc.

The work runs the gamut, from Erika’s colorful layered paintings invoking the spirit of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuanto, to Susan’s fascinating mixed media assemblage pieces, Liz’s organic and botanical form explorations, Lisa’s dreamy landscapes, Virginia’s miniature paper mache mouse house shadow boxes, Donna’s vibrant florals, Ashley’s whimsical ironic juxtapositions, Theresa’s stunning color combinations and Lloyd’s Asian-accented creations.

My on-the-fly photography doesn’t do the work justice–you’ll have to go see it.

In addition to a variety of work on sale from each artist, each of the women has created a unique 8 x 8″ collectible square piece on sale for the unbelievable price of $200 each. What a terrific way to start a local art collection, support local artists and Girls Inc. at the same time.

Speaking of support, the space–a gorgeous site at 740 State Street, Suite 1, overlooking De La Guerra Plaza–is being provided by Montesanto Group. Erika wanted to make sure to give a special thanks to Gene Montesanto and John Bennett for their generosity in providing the space and helping to get this fabulous project going.

After tonight’s grand opening, the gallery will be open Thursday through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays noon to 6 p.m. and by appointment. For more information contact Erika@ErikaCarter.com or call 805/452-6127.

–Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on June 2, 2011.

Lloyd Dallett

Lloyd Dallett

Theresa Carter

Theresa Carter

Ashley Dart

Ashley Dart

Works by all nine of The Project artists

Works by all nine of The Project artists