Fiber-based Artwork: Connections Between Environment, Perception, and Well-being.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE HAPPINESS YOU DESERVE Art Installation at Glendale’s Adams Square Mini Park Gas Station

GLENDALE, CA – Artist Renae Barnard’s installation, The Happiness You Deserve, will be on display at the Adams Square Mini Park Gas Station from August 23 – October 1, 2021. “The Happiness You Deserve" is a temporary, fiber-based installation considering the unique location of this historic structure: a 1936 Streamline Moderne Gas Station that exists in a small and unexpectedly green, nature-abundant park within the city. Renae is known for her fiber-based work using upcycled and found materials to explore the network of interactions between environment, perception, and well-being. For this project, she is considering the ways in which the sculpture might engage with the space, contemplating illumination in the evening hours to draw continuous attention to the nature-rich site.

The artist harvested bamboo poles from her garden to use as the structural support of her current work.

Through the process of creating the work, Renae will be working through ideas surrounding the connection of well-being and nature. The mission of the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission is to enrich the human experience, reinforce Glendale’s identity and civic pride through arts and culture, and to recognize the importance of arts to our quality of life and to the local economy. This is accomplished by consciously integrating arts and culture into the daily life of the people of Glendale through urban design, planning, economic development, and education.

For more information about the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission see the website: https://www.glendaleartsandculture.org/

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About Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department (GLAC) includes six neighborhood libraries as well as the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. Now on the web at www.eGlendaleLAC.org, GLAC also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts and culture destination. For more information contact Library, Arts & Culture at 818-548-2021 or via email at LibraryInfo@glendaleca.gov.

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About the City of Glendale & its Arts and Culture Commission Known as the “Jewel City,” Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of more than 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks, and easy access to a municipal airport. It is home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking. Its Arts and Culture Commission administers a developer-funded program which is working to transform Glendale into an arts and culture destination for the Southern California region. The mission of the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission is to enrich the human experience, reinforce Glendale’s identity and civic pride through arts and culture, and to recognize the importance of arts to our quality of life and to the local economy. This is accomplished by consciously integrating arts and culture into the daily life of the people of Glendale through urban design, planning, economic development, and education. For more information about the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission see the website: https://www.glendaleartsandculture.org/ @myglendaleLAC #myglendaleLAC www.eGlendaleLAC.org

Photos by Renae Barnard

Media Contact: Jennifer Fukutomi-Jones, Principal Arts & Culture Administrator Glendale Library, Arts & Culture 222 E. Harvard St. Glendale, CA 91205

Email: jfjones@glendaleca.gov

Office: 818-937-7808

Mindful and Meaningful Preview at Textile Arts Final 2019 Textile Slam

Textile Arts Los Angeles held the final installment of their Textile Slam Series at the Helms Bakery Design Center in Culver City. Renae Barnard presented a preview of her program, Mindful and Meaningful: Exploring the Synergetic Relationship of Textile Waste and Fine Art Practice with artists + panelist Chuck Hohng and Aneesa Shami.

A transcript of Renae’s presentation follows here.

Hello, my name is Renae Barnard.

 This evening we will be discussing the critical relationship, between art practice and the ever evolving and pre and post-consumer waste stream.

In this brief presentation, Aneesa Shami, Chuck Hohng and I will share a bit about our process and practice in the hopes that you may be inspired to join us in creating a more sustainable future. 

 Like most artists, I came to using recycled materials from financial necessity, supplemented by my personal commitment to environmental responsibility and a willingness to embrace unlikely possibilities.

Looking to my surroundings for materials has been a long-standing part of my practice.

During my undergraduate studies I attempted (usually successfully) to stitch together any and all fibrous materials I could get my hands on.

 Yesterday’s newsprint, a failing electric blanket, photocopied chapter notes, and discarded tracing paper all found new purpose.

Biblical tracts thrust into my hand by a stranger became garments for Precious moments dolls, allowing the interaction, and its triggering of childhood memories, to prompt a re-contemplation of what it meant to be an unwilling juvenile member of an evangelical church.

In graduate school I began drawing on the waste of others.

 Bits and bobs of ribbon, yarn, thread and elastics from friends and family members projects became foundational materials for my soft sculptures.

At present, I’m utilizing the waste of the furniture manufacturing industry to create the sculptural foundations of my work.

 This material is otherwise unusable, too small of scraps to be repurposed within the mills directly.

 Foam supplemented with cotton and polyester fiberfill scraps is built up on a wood panel with wheat paste with weeks and sometimes months of waiting between layers.

A completed 4’x 6’ sculpture utilizes more than 50 pounds of furniture manufacturing waste material, reducing the ever-growing stress on our landfills.

 While there are many avenues to responsible art practice, Aneesa, Chuck and I have found that regularly partnering with designers of textiles and furniture, manufacturers and consumers is a best practice in building mutually beneficial relationships that support our art practices and our environmental commitments.

 Please join us for a full-length presentation exploring our sourcing practices, studio life and in-depth project details on January 29, 2020. A formal announcement from Textile Arts LA is forthcoming! Thank you

Love > Shelter: S.C.R.A.P. Gallery's Art of the Shack + Smithsonian Museum Day

There’s No Place Like Home

So said Dorothy Gale, famously, in The Wizard of Oz. Nothing could be truer.

No matter the address, from mansion to humble dwelling - urban to rural, it’s more about individuality, determination and soul. The Art of the Shack, explores and celebrates the concept of home and is inspired by the work of American artist Beverly Buchanan (1940-2015) who was influenced by the sharecropper shacks she experienced in the Deep South and the do-it-yourself builders and architects around the globe.

Opening on Smithsonian Museum Day and developed by the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery and the Coachella Valley Art Center, The Art of the Shack showcases work incorporating reused and recycled materials.

Love > Shelter. 14”W x 16”L x 8”D. Found Alderwood scrap, wire hangers, yarn, water based paint, magnesium sulfate (2019).

Renae Barnard’s sculpture, Love > Shelter will be on view in The Art of the Shack exhibition at S.C.R.A.P. Gallery. This work was inspired by the Bowerbird’s use of construction and ornamentation as courtship and considers the ways in which beauty, presentation, and perception influence romance, opportunity, and acceptance. Recycled and found materials such as Alderwood scrap, wire hangers, and yarn are used to create the structural form. A combination of water-based paint and magnesium sulfate creates the colorful crystalline covered surface texture.

A detailed look at the crystalline textured surfaces in Love > Shelter.

The S.C.R.A.P. Gallery is an innovative program that addresses two of today’s most urgent issues – the environment and the education of our youth. Conservation and reuse through hands-on exploration with discarded materials is promoted at the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery. Arts and science workshops help students understand complex environmental issues. Materials donated by local businesses and manufacturers are available for reuse by teachers, artists and community programs.

Renae Barnard Artist Talk at Mindful Materials Textile Summit

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Renae Barnard, MFA will share images and insight into her recent sculptural installations as part of Textile Arts Los Angeles's upcoming inaugural summit Mindful Materials. The highly anticipated event will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 15th - 16th at the historic Helms Bakery Design Center in Culver City, CA. The summit will explore "mindful materials, and the concept of sustainability, the power of innovation, the role of technology, and how collaboration rather than competition can be a path forward."

Recently featured by The Woven Tale Press, Renae Barnard's studio practice includes painting, sculpture, and fiber artworks. Her latest works incorporate recycled materials from the furniture manufacturing industry to create sculptural foundations for painting. The organic formations and layered paint textures reference natural earthen elements and minerals. "Many of my sculptures are worked within inches of collapse and reflect my attraction to the imperfect and aged," says Barnard. This is a recurring theme seen throughout the artist's body of work.

Secret Eating. Renae Barnard. 48" x 21" x 14". Electric Blankets.

Barnard has created site specific, socially engaged works and exhibited at local and international galleries/film festivals including Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Rutgers University, Towson University, Drake University, Harriet & Charles Luckman Gallery, SOMArts Gallery, Pete & Susan Barrett Gallery, LGBT Film Festival Boston, Long Beach LGBTQ Film Festival, Tampa International LGBTQ Film Festival, and the Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica among others.

Barnard has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Claremont Graduate University and is a recipient of the Sue Arlen Walker and Harvey M. ParkerMemorial Fellowship, the Armory Center for the Arts Teaching Artist Fellowship, the Ahmanson Annual Fellowship, the Lincoln Fellowship Award and the Christopher Street West Art & Culture Grant.

The summit's focus will be on innovation, accessibility, collaboration, and exploring our impact on the industry, the global economy, and our legacy as artists and as individuals. Simply, "Mindful Materials should be of interest to practicing artists, emerging artists, designers, decision-makers, people working in the design, art, architecture, and apparel industries, active members of the LA community, the curious, the engaged, and the hopeful."

The artist talk begins at 3:15pm on Saturday and immediately follows the seminar "Recycling and Upcycling" with Jessica Schrieber of Fab Scrap. The summit will be held at the Helms Design Center located at 8745 Washington Blvd, Culver City. Free parking is available, see website for details.

Renae Barnard www.renaebarnard.com

Textile Arts Summit https://textileartsla.org/textile-summit-new/

Originally Posted: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/renae-barnard-artist-talk-at-mindful-materials-textile-summit-300710609.html?tc=eml_cleartime

Open Studio Showcase Review

Open Studio Showcase Review

Fine artist Renae Barnard opened the doors to her private studio location in Los Angeles for an exclusive showcase Sunday, May 27th. Invitees were the first to preview recently completed works by the artist.

Working through a variety of mediums, Barnard's studio is thoughtfully curated with paintings, sculptures, and installations. Her latest work includes paintings and sculptures made with salt. This mineral inclusion creates natural formations and crystalline surface qualities when combined with paint.

Throughout the event, Barnard generously shares insights into her artistic process and material explorations with guests.

Her multi-media works incorporate recycled materials from the furniture manufacturing industry to create sculptural foundations for painting. The organic formations and layered textures reference natural earthen elements and minerals. A gem-like color palette of low-VOC paints was specially provided by Dunn-Edwards in support of this eco-conscious project.

The artist displays her collection of gemstones; a personal vignette of inspiration for these new works.

"Many of my sculptures are worked within inches of collapse and reflect my attraction to the imperfect and aged" says Barnard. This is a recurring theme seen throughout the artist's body of work. Her latest sculptures also experiment with paint and salt, and are displayed in crumbling volcanic formations. The fractured surfaces reveal saturated colors and tectonic layering.

Illuminated installations by Renae Barnard add ambiance to the intimate studio space. Made from recycled plastic sheeting, the artist knots and drapes the materials into cloud-like sculptures. The lightweight material floats above guests heads with a soft glow.

The event was well attended by private collectors, local journalists and close colleagues of the artist. A quick walk-through of the studio showcase featured artworks at every turn. The diversity of media and artistic process reveal Barnard's pleasure of the hand-made.

Mauveine State a paper sculpture on display by the artist was meticulously dip dyed by hand to reveal the delicacy of each layer. Barnard often pushes the limits of materials in her own works to reveal their delicacy and transience. Her intrinsic approach delights in the tactility and decadence of making in a way that viewer's are immediately drawn to.

Barnard has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Claremont Graduate University and is a recipient of the Sue Arlen Walker and Harvey M. Parker Memorial Fellowship, the Armory Center for the Arts Teaching Artist Fellowship, the Ahmanson Annual Fellowship, the Lincoln Fellowship Award and the Christopher Street West Art & Culture Grant.

Barnard has created site specific, socially engaged works and exhibited at local and international galleries/film festivals including Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Rutgers University, Towson University, Drake University, Harriet & Charles Luckman Gallery, SOMArts Gallery, Pete & Susan Barrett Gallery, LGBT Film Festival Boston, Long Beach LGBTQ Film Festival, Tampa International LGBTQ Film Festival, and the Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica among others. To learn more about Renae Barnard, please visit:

www.renaebarnard.com

.

PRNewswire: Renae Barnard Open Studio - May 27th, 2018

LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fine artist Renae Barnard opens the doors to her private studio location in Los Angeles for an exclusive showcase Sunday, May 27th from 12 - 3pm. Invitees will be the first to preview recently completed works by the artist.

Mauveine State. 13”W x 26”L x 4”D. Paper, Dye.

Recently featured by The Woven Tale Press, Selvedge Magazine and Art Blitz Los Angeles, Renae Barnard's studio practice includes sculpture, painting and textile artworks. Her latest works incorporate recycled materials from the furniture manufacturing industry to create sculptural foundations for painting. The organic formations and layered textures reference natural earthen elements and minerals. A gem-like color palette of low-VOC paints was specially provided by Dunn-Edwards in support of this eco-conscious project.

Renae Barnard, Untitled 2018.

Indulging in the pleasure and tactility of making, these folded, twisted, and sewn objects are both destroyed by and reinforced with the repetitive gestures by which they are made. "Many of my sculptures are worked within inches of collapse and reflect my attraction to the imperfect and the aged," says Barnard. The time consuming and ritualistic processes of braiding, weaving, stitching and hand-dying textiles highlights the delicacy and transience of the material. 'Why are attributes like softness and delicacy deemed "feminine"? And why are such qualities considered indicators of weakness?' These are just a few of the questions surrounding Barnard's artwork.

Creating a material language to explore these nuanced precepts, Barnard combines her hand-made craft technique with elements of playful divergence and social commentary. "I allow myself the sensitivity to make work that reveals both wounds and strengths, wrangling material out of an emotional response to feelings of tension. And so, my reason for making art is so that they might speak in my place, referencing issues that are uncomfortable and difficult to express in words."

Barnard has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Claremont Graduate University and is a recipient of the Sue Arlen Walker and Harvey M. Parker Memorial Fellowship, the Armory Center for the Arts Teaching Artist Fellowship, the Ahmanson Annual Fellowship, the Lincoln Fellowship Award and the Christopher Street West Art & Culture Grant.

Barnard has created site specific, socially engaged works and exhibited at local and international galleries/film festivals including Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Rutgers University, Towson University, Drake University, Harriet & Charles Luckman Gallery, SOMArts Gallery, Pete & Susan Barrett Gallery, LGBT Film Festival Boston, Long Beach LGBTQ Film Festival, Tampa International LGBTQ Film Festival, and the Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica among others. To learn more about Renae Barnard, please visit: www.renaebarnard.com

The Woven Tale Press Vol. VI #4

The Woven Tale Press magazine featured artwork by Renae Barnard in their recent issue.

You can view the full issue online at:  

http://online.flipbuilder.com/eovs/uske/

Print copies are also available for purchase from: 

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1423039

The Woven Tale Press exhibits monthly the literary, artful, and innovative. The WTP mission is to grow the online presence of noteworthy writers, photographers, and artists, both emerging and established.

In our online magazine, published ten times a year, we credit our contributors with interactive urls back to their websites. By growing this Web presence, WTP also aspires to garner the interest of collectors, galleries, and literary agents who may turn to its pages seeking new talents. Our monthly magazine has featured multiple Pushcart Prize nominees, poet laureates, and internationally acclaimed artists.

While our magazine showcases talents across the Web, features on WTPCentral offer behind-­the­-scene peeks into the creative process with interviews, reviews of indie books, gallery exhibitions, and noteworthy websites, and now gallery profiles.

https://www.thewoventalepress.net

The Woven Tale Press Art Spotlight: Renae Barnard

Art Spotlight: Renae Barnard

Cleanse

See Renae Barnard’s work in WTP 

Vol. VI #4

Cleanse

by Renae Barnard

paper and thread

9” x 13” x 6”

Renae Barnard is interested in exploring the network of interactions between perception, time, and the inadequacy of language. Much of her work grapples with what progress means, including changes in our environment, as well as changes in equality for women, LGBTQ people, and people of color. Barnard tries to propagate her own visions of “progress” by enabling others to connect and contribute to a collective commitment of kindness and compassion.

To see more of Renae Barnard's work visit:

www.renaebarnard.com

WTP Central Studio Tour: Renae Barnard

Studio Tour: Renae Barnard

The Studio Tour series offers an inside peek into the work environments of WTP artists, as well as insight into their creative process within these resonate spaces.

By Jennifer Nelson, WTP Feature Writer

Renae Barnard is recognized by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as a Leadership in Energy Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and by the International Institute for Bau-biologie® & Ecology as a Building Biologie Practitioner. She has recently completed projects in cooperation with the National Immigration Law Center and the City of Santa Monica Department of Cultural Affairs. She is a recipient of the Sue Arlen Walker and Harvey M. Parker Memorial Fellowship, the Armory Center for the Arts Teaching Artist Fellowship, The Ahmanson Annual Fellowship, Lincoln Fellowship Award, and Christopher Street West Art and Culture Grant.

For Renae Barnard, her studio is on the go. She weaves in her lap; bowls of salt mixture are evaporating on her front porch; she may rent out temporary spaces around Los Angeles as her projects require. For her most recent public work, at Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, California, she shared space with other artists in a large commercial building in Boyle Heights. “Sharing space with other artists on a short-term basis allows me the access to equipment I may need,” she says, “like a spray room, wood shop, or kiln without the financial burden of permanent overhead.”

Nevertheless, she faces challenges when sharing space, the main one in Los Angeles, not having a parking space. This meant that Barnard had to haul sculpture materials down a sidewalk to a metered parking space. “It’s not always the most convenient, but it’s manageable,” she says.

For two years, her studio was a tiny white box in Claremont, a city thirty miles east of Los Angeles, where she kept weaving and sewing materials, as well as tripods for her photography. Many of the materials were incorporated into works such as “Displaced Tinder,” a sculpture of twisted medical exam paper wound around school chairs.

With time, she has realized form through repetitive movements like weaving, sewing, and twisting motions. Now she is experimenting with other modes of accumulating form, including a series of fiber sculptures of cotton batting, upholstery foam, and polyester fiberfill scraps discarded by furniture manufacturers. These materials are supplemented with water-based paints by Dunn Edwards, salt, water-based glues, and vinegar. “I’m interested in the ways in which basic chemistry might create form beyond those achievable with my hands,” says Barnard.

To work, Barnard requires silence and solitude. She doesn’t want music, visitors, or lingering clutter. Her process is generally exploratory, allowing room for discovery along the path and at the finish. There’s an undercurrent of chaos that she’s always wrestling with. The outcome is not a literal display of the problem, nor is it offering a solution. It is a record of the thought process and the struggle: “I’m interested in examining our situations and hopefully moving beyond the place where we stand now.”

See Renae Barnard’s work in 

Vol. VI #4

. 

Copyright 2018 Woven Tale Press LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Renae Barnard Open Studio - May 27, 2018

You are cordially invited to attend my upcoming open studio on Sunday May 27, 2018 from 12pm to 3pm. For address, please send your RSVP to renaebarnard@gmail.com. I look forward to sharing my recent artwork with you!

Special thank you to Dunn Edwards

"Material World" Renae Barnard featured in Selvedge

Material World

April 28, 2018

Guest post by Abby Sin

At times language cannot adequately express the intricacies of our thoughts and desires. Artist 

Renae Barnard

 explore the poetics of materiality through handmade objects and ephemeral installations. Working with a range of fabrics and reclaimed materials such as blankets, jute and hemp rope, medical bed paper, rags, ribbon and lace scrap, Barnard’s compositions make a connection between materiality, perception, and time.

Indulging in the pleasure and tactility of making, these folded, twisted, and sewn objects are both destroyed by and reinforced with the repetitive gestures by which they are made. 'Many of my sculptures are worked within inches of collapse and reflect my attraction to the imperfect and the aged' says Barnard. The time consuming and ritualistic processes of braiding, weaving, stitching and hand-dying textiles highlights the delicacy and transience of the material. 'Why are attributes like softness and delicacy deemed “feminine”? And why are such qualities considered indicators of weakness?' These are just a few of the questions surrounding Barnard’s artwork.

Creating a material language to explore these nuanced precepts, Barnard combines her hand-made craft technique with elements of playful divergence and social commentary. 'I allow myself the sensitivity to make work that reveals both wounds and strengths, wrangling material out of an emotional response to feelings of tension. And so, my reason for making art is so that they might speak in my place, referencing issues that are uncomfortable and difficult to express in words.'

www.renaebarnard.com

Selvedge is a magazine that acknowledges the significance of textiles as a part of everyone’s story.  We are surrounded by cloth from the cradle to the grave and by exploring our universal emotional connection to fibre we share the stories and values that mean the most to us. 

Featuring exhibitions, people, adventures and opinion, the blog is a meeting point for the Selvedge community and an entry point into the world of textiles for those looking for an original and broadening perspective.

Selvedge Magazine, 14 Milton Park Highgate London N6 5QA United Kingdom

"Renae Barnard: Promises of Progress" ArtBlitz Los Angeles

RENAE BARNARD : PROMISES OF PROGRESS

POSTED BY 

MEGAN ST. CLAIR

 - MARCH 7, 2017 - 

ARTIST PROFILE

Socially conscious Los Angeles artist, Renae Barnard opens up with me for an interview regarding her most recent public installation at Bergamot station. Her installation brings us in visually with its tactile presence and keeps us intellectually with her powerful conceptual engagement with social justice and women’s rights issues.

Tell me a little about your background leading up to Claremont Graduate University and living and working in Los Angeles, how do you feel like these decisions helped shape your career?

I studied studio art at California State University Los Angeles and focused on mixed-media installation with elements of photography, ceramic sculpture and video. I was chosen from a select group of students to exhibit my installation,  Almost Lovers Always Do, during a special exhibition, Infinite Encores at the Harriet and Charles Luckman Gallery in Los Angeles, CA (2012).

It was during my last year at CSULA that I began working on my first socially engaged project,  How Do You Know?

“What is a woman?” “What is a man?” “How do you know if you are one?” Despite how simple these questions may seem, they are often difficult and complicated to answer. It is the broad range of responses that emphasizes this. This work invites viewers to consider the social and psychological dynamics that charge the simplest of questions. Visitors have the opportunity to contribute their own responses both during the exhibition and afterwards by email or postal mail. The installation is ultimately fueled, created, and received by the community at large—not just those who attend, but also those who responded to the prompts initially, and those who provide additional responses after viewing the project.

Since its inception How Do You Know? has been installed at the San Francisco Center and the West Hollywood Public Library (as part of the Christopher Street West Pride Celebration), shown at the CSULA COMA Gallery and the LA Municipal Gallery, as well been installed inside of a U-Haul truck (as part of Install Weho) and in an East Los Angeles underground tunnel as part of This Magnificent World. The video documenting the installation was shown in 2013 as part of the Sick Exhibition in San Francisco and the Fargo-Moorhead Film Festival, and screened in 2014 at the Queens Museum, NY, the Women and Minority Film Festival, Tampa International LGBT Film Festival, Long Beach LGBTQ Film Festival, Park Circle Film Society Festival and the Boston LGBT Film Festival.

 Throughout my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to show my work at galleries and film festivals internationally. This gave me the opportunity to work with international curators and art professionals expanding my interest in social engagement and public practice.

Tell me about your artistic goals within your practice and how the materials you use have influenced this practice.

 I’m interested in indulging in the pleasure and tactility of making while exploring the network of interactions between perception, time and the inadequacy of language. Many of my sculptures are worked within inches of collapse and reflect my attraction to the imperfect and the aged. My work considers the ways in which identity is crafted and regulated by repetitive language and how realities are shaped through social ideologies. I am deeply invested in community-building, environmental issues, and social justice.

Tell me about this current piece at Bergamot Station and what your artistic vision was for installing it.

Propagate Progress began as a participatory community-building event that culminated with a temporary sculptural installation. On May 21,2016 the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) trains opened to public passengers for the first time at 26th St/ Bergamot Station. Supported by a team of artists (friends) and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), I invited Bergamot Gallery visitors, train passengers and the public at large to discuss their visions for progress and to contribute their promises to the future by writing or drawing on large-scale paper rolls. What are the promises that we are willing to make to ourselves and each other? In what ways, small and large, can we contribute to a sustainable future?

By manually twisting together the shared community promises, a rope-like form was created and ultimately used as the primary building material of the sculpture. In the same way that our will to achieve progress strengthens when we come together, the frail paper became more substantive with every twist. The completed sculpture served as an ephemeral symbol of our collective commitment to progress. However, the sculpture is not intended as a permanent monument. In the same way “progress” today becomes history tomorrow, this work is about transformation and change.

How did you become interested in public artwork versus traditional gallery settings, and how does your practice benefit from this public outdoor exposure?

I’m especially interested in the effects of human and environmental forces as a component of the installations development. For example, Propagate Progress was installed at Bergamot Station’s “People Park” where the community originally gathered (May 2016) to discuss our hopes, fears and promises. A variety of pigments, mark making techniques and conditions were applied by the participants who created results substantially different from what might have occurred in a controlled studio environment. The personal connection to the forming of the work allowed us the opportunity to know one another, connecting our personal challenges to global and local social/ environmental/ political problems.

Exposure to wind, sun and rain accelerated the sculptures destruction, rapidly shifting our vibrant promises for a better tomorrow into faded, decomposing pulp.

What do you think about the timeliness of the work in the state of the world today?

Notions of progress can be riddled with judgment based on differing points of view. For example, developers often view gentrification as “progress” because it will improve building standards and/or introduce new services while long-time residents of a gentrifying area may view it as “regress” because it would change or eliminate the culture of their neighborhood.

 When I first engaged the community in May 2016 we were in the primary stages of the presidential election process. By the time the work was installed on December 15th, many Americans were frightened of the changes that were promised (threatened) under the guise of progress. Today, the installation is gone, but more than ever before our challenges remain.

 Much of my artwork wrestles with what progress means, including changes in our environment, as well as changes in equality for women, LGBTQs and people of color. I try to affect my own vision for progress through making and exhibiting artwork about these issues.

Renae Barnard’s work is layered with meaning and consciousness that allows everyone to engage on their own unique level. She is making political work that is powerful and strong without hitting you over the head with it, rather you get to let it sink in as you spend time with her and the work she is making. Her poetic gestures within her practice symbolize a larger community and struggle that is both singular and shared. You can find more of Renae’s work here:

www.renaebarnard.com

renaebarnard@gmail.com

By: Megan St. Clair

3/7/17

"Paper is Part of the Picture" at The Anderson Gallery

Paper is Part of the Picture

Posted on January 25, 2018

 by theandersongallery

Join us on Friday, Feb. 2, from 5-7pm for the public reception for 

Paper is Part of the Picture: Contemporary Paper and Book Arts.

Curated by Drake University’s Sarah McCoy, Paper is Part of the Picture explores the different substrates, approaches, materiality and meanings revealed through artists’ interactions on and with paper.

This exhibit features artwork made of or on paper by artists from across the US.  Join us at the public reception Friday, Feb. 2, 5-7pm or visit the gallery during regular hours!  Tues – Sunday, noon-4pm.

Participating artists include:

Joanna Anos (Chicago, IL)

Penelope Anstruther (Oakland, CA)

Renae Barnard (Los Angeles, CA)

Jessica Barness (Kent, OH)

Melanie Bohrer (Chicago, IL)

Ben Calvert (Villa Park, IL)

John Chang (Pasadena, CA)

Sage Dawson (St. Louis, MO)

Cristina deAlmeida (Bellingham, WA)

Andrew DeCaen (Denton, TX)

Sue Carrie Drummond (Jackson, MS)

Erin Elizabeth (Chicago, IL)

Maureen Fritchen (Racine, WI)

Tatiana Ginsberg (Brooklyn, NY)

Reni Gower (Mechanicsville, VA)

Jessie Horning (Columbus, OH)

Andrew Huot (Montrose, GA)

Peggy Johnston (Des Moines, IA)

DongKyu Kim (Fort Lee, NJ)

Lenka Konopasek (Salt Lake City, UT)

Karen Kunc (Lincoln, NE)

Jihae Kwon (Laie, HI)

Laurie LeBreton (Chicago, IL)

Amy Leners (Chicago, IL)

Erin Mickelson (Santa Fe, NM)

Lisa Miles (Cleveland, OH)

Zeinab Saab (DeKalb, IL)

Michael Scheef (Papillion, NE)

Tess Mosko Scherer (Peoria, AZ)

Christian Schmit (Lakeside Park, KY)

Maria Welch (Brandon, MS)

See more photos from the exhibition here:

Paper is Part of the Picture

“Propagate Progress” by Artist Renae Barnard – Final Installation of Bergamot Station’s NEA Our Town Project

“Propagate Progress” by Artist Renae Barnard – Final Installation of Bergamot Station’s NEA Our Town Project

The City of Santa Monica with support from the NEA Our Town program, will debut a temporary artwork installation by local artist Renae Barnard at Bergamot Station on December 15th, 2016. The artwork is located within People’s Park at Bergamot Station Arts Center, and will be on view daily until January 15th, 2017. People’s Park will not be accessible to the public for the duration of the installation, though the artwork remains visible and activates the park space. This project is the last of a series of six temporary projects funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Santa Monica as part of the City’s Our Town program grant received in 2013.

Propagate Progress is a participatory community-building event that culminated with this sculptural installation. Barnard states that “the project explores and memorializes our community’s diverse visions for society's future progress.” According to Barnard, much of her work grapples with what progress means, including changes in our environment, as well as changes in equality for women, LGBTQs and people of color. This paper sculpture is not intended as a permanent monument.  Rather, it is a “progressive” and, therefore, ephemeral gesture of community and will deteriorate with time and weather.  In the same way “progress” today becomes history tomorrow, this sculpture is about transformation and change.

The NEA Our Town grant, which the City received in 2013, supports temporary public art interventions in and around the Bergamot Station Arts Center in celebration of the arrival of the Expo Line – a new, multimodal transit hub. Previous activities for the program included Amir H. Fallah’s Perfect Strangers Art and Performance Festival and Kate Johnson’s Everywhere in Between, an all-encompassing installation of video and light projections with live dance and music. Both projects were curated by 18th Street Arts Center. Two additional components of the Our Town program were Ed Moses, an installation by John Cerney, P2S, a projection piece by local artist Alia Malley, and most recently Because It Has A Peel, a sculptural installation by Joy Taylor.

Renae Barnard is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Los Angeles. Barnard’s work has been shown at Harriet & Charles Luckman Gallery, Annenberg Community Beach House Gallery, Berkeley Art Center, SOMArts Gallery, Pete & Susan Barrett Gallery, Grace Albrecht Gallery, Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, Peggy Phelps Gallery as well as screened at U.S. and international film festivals. Barnard has been the recipient of many awards including but not limited to Outstanding Experimental Film,

Sue Arlen Walker and Harvey M. Parker Memorial Fellowship, Armory Center for the Arts Teaching Artist Fellowship, Ahmanson Annual Fellowship, Christopher Street West Art & Culture Grant, Lincoln Fellowship Award and the Pasadena Arts Council Fiscal Sponsorship.  Barnard has spoken about her work at the Open Engagement Conference at the Queens Museum, NY, The Long Beach LGTBQ Film Festival, Shoshana Wayne Gallery and Los Angeles Municipal Gallery.

ABOUT THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIVISION

The Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division brings the City’s art scene to life for residents and visitors each year by supporting engaging and accessible cultural events for all ages throughout the year. Cultural Affairs nurtures local arts organizations, promotes artist involvement in the community, manages the landmark Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and presents and produces innovative programs citywide at the Annenberg Community Beach House, the historic Miles Playhouse, 1450 Ocean and in the city’s parks, enriching Santa Monica’s reputation as an international cultural destination. For more info visit smgov.net/arts.

Image Captions

Renae Barnard

Propagate Progress

at Bergamot Station, 2016. Photo courtesy of Abby Sin.

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Laura Elizabeth Becker

| Cultural Affairs Supervisor | Cultural Affairs Division

City of Santa Monica |

310.458.2220 x5622

Defend & Advance: A Special Exhibition for the National Immigration Law Center

For Immediate Release: 04.22.16

Contact: Renae Barnard, Curator

310.823.7331

renaebarnard@gmail.com

www.renaebarnard.com

Defend & Advance: A Special Exhibition for the National Immigration Law Center

Date: April 1, 2016- March 31st 2017

Opening Reception: Thursday May 26 2016 6-9pm (Free Admission)

Location: NILC 3435 Wilshire Blvd 16th Floor Los Angeles CA 90010

Defend & Advance is a temporary exhibit of 39 original artworks by 17 artists that celebrates the establishment of the National Immigration Law Center’s permanent art collection. With broadly varied approaches and narratives, the artists in this exhibition explore current conditions of immigration and migration, displacement and labor, and struggle against collective amnesia. The artists are from a diverse range of geographic, political and social backgrounds. Considering their work in dialogue allows us not only to reflect on their differences but also to consider their shared concerns. The exhibit offers new perspectives on issues we may have previously thought familiar. The curation seeks to discover shared experiences that can be explored in conversation and used to promote intellectual and emotional engagement with the subjects being presented.

Artists: Anna Stump, Arturo Cambron, Cintia Segovia, Diane Williams, Dohnbi Kim & Oshri Hakak, Hyunji Lee, Joseph Muchina Mwangi, Jose Ramirez, Kuniko Ruch, Lori Dorn, Mahsan Ghazianzad, Michael Fischerkeller, Miggie Wong, Mona Nicole Sfeir, Narsiso C. Martinez, Paige Emery, Xilomen Rios.

Established in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading organizations in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants.

NILC believes that all people who live in the U.S.—regardless of their race, gender, immigration and/or economic status—should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Over the years NILC has been at the forefront of many of the country’s greatest challenges when it comes to immigration issues, and plays a major leadership role in addressing the real-life impact of polices that affect the ability of low-income immigrants to prosper and thrive.

Renae Barnard is a multidisciplinary artist and curator.

She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Claremont Graduate University. Barnard’s work has been shown at Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Harriet & Charles Luckman Gallery, Berkeley Art Center, Los Angeles Municipal Gallery and SOMArts Gallery. Recent curatorial projects include From Her, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. (March 2015). Almost Home, Claremont City Hall. (March 2015). Pathway Analysis, Claremont City Hall. (October 2014). Home Makers? Underground Tunnel, Los Angeles, CA (July 2014). Hamartia, Claremont City Hall. (April 2014). Barnard has been the recipient of the Armory Center for the Arts Teaching Artist Fellowship, Ahmanson Annual Fellowship, Christopher Street West Art & Culture Grant and the Lincoln Fellowship Award.

Temporary Shelter

Temporary Shelter: Renae Barnard's MFA Exhibition

For Immediate Release: April 8, 2015

Contact: Jennifer Gracia

(909) 621-8071

jennifer.gracia@cgu.edu

http://cgu.edu/art

www.renaebarnard.com

Exhibition:

Temporary Shelter: MFA Thesis Exhibition of Artist Renae Barnard

Dates: April 27- May 1, 2015, 10am-5pm

Opening Reception: Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 6-8pm

Location: Claremont Graduate University, East Gallery 251 E. Tenth Street, Claremont, CA 91711

Temporary Shelter: MFA Thesis Exhibition of Artist Renae Barnard

Claremont, CA

Claremont Graduate University presents Temporary Shelter: MFA Thesis Exhibition of Artist Renae Barnard, a solo exhibition of sculpture and installation. Many of Barnard’s sculptures are worked within inches of collapse. The meticulously folded, twisted and sewn objects are both destroyed by and reinforced with the repetitive gestures by which they are made.

Renae Barnard

is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Los Angeles. Barnard’s work has been shown at Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Harriet & Charles Luckman Gallery, Annenberg Community Beach House Gallery, Berkeley Art Center, SOMArts Gallery, Pete & Susan Barrett Gallery, Grace Albrecht Gallery, Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, Peggy Phelps Gallery as well as screened at U.S. and international film festivals.

Barnard has been the recipient of many awards including but not limited to Outstanding Experimental Film, Sue Arlen Walker and Harvey M. Parker Memorial Fellowship, Armory Center for the Arts Teaching Artist Fellowship, Ahmanson Annual Fellowship, Christopher Street West Art & Culture Grant, Lincoln Fellowship Award and the Pasadena Arts Council Fiscal Sponsorship.

Barnard has spoken about her work at the Open Engagement Conference at the Queens Museum, NY, The Long Beach LGTBQ Film Festival, Shoshana Wayne Gallery and Los Angeles Municipal Gallery.

About Claremont Graduate University

The MFA program at Claremont Graduate University begins with the conviction that art is an enterprise that is intimately linked to the individuals who make it, often in ways that are not yet known to themselves or others. CGU is one of the seven members of the Claremont Consortium, which includes the five Claremont Colleges (Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Pomona, and Scripps) as well as the Keck Graduate Institute. The faculty, facilities and resources of these world-class institutions are available to MFA students.

Claremont Graduate University's 2015 Open Studios

Join us at Claremont Graduate University's 2015 Open Studios Event. Sunday May 3rd, 2015 from 11am-5pm. Art Studios are located in the CGU Art Department building at 251 E. 10th Street Claremont, CA 91711. For more information visit www.cgu.edu/art or call 909-607-3631.

Open to the Public. Free of charge.

Almost Home: An Exhibition of Paintings by Emerging Claremont Artists

Almost Home: An Exhibition of Paintings by Emerging Claremont Artists

Free art exhibit to take place at City Hall from March 23rd 2015 – September 11th 2015.

Almost Home presents fourteen works by ten emerging artists currently enrolled in Claremont Graduate University’s MFA Program. This exhibition continues a long tradition of highlighting MFA candidates in the galleries of Claremont City Hall.

Almost Home was curated by Renae Barnard and Jonathan Elder. It will be on display from March 23rd 2015 – September 11th 2015.

Almost Home celebrates the process of exploration and recognizes the intricacies involved in the movement from the conceptual to the physical. These experimental practices and open-ended methods of discovery allow viewers the opportunity to engage with a broad range of materials and artistic approaches. Abstract paintings by Hazzar Samman, Devin Johnson, Lara Salmon, Jonathan Elder, Lei Shen, Elizabeth Hoffman, Hessah Alajaji, Lana Duong and Alana Medina are in quiet conversation with representational works by Raheem Fadul and Yehsiming Jue.

General Information:

Claremont City Hall

207 N Harvard Ave, Claremont, CA 91711

Telephone:

(909) 399-5444

Monday –Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Admission: Free of charge

Contact:

Email:

renaebarnard@gmail.com

jonathan.elder@cgu.edu

Web:

www.renaebarnard.com

www.jonnyelder.com

Les Femmes Folles: The Women, 2014

Happy Women’s History Month! Available March 1 on

Blurb.com: Les Femmes Folles: The Women, 2014, is the fourth annual anthology including art, interview excerpts, poetry and short-form writing by women in all forms, levels and styles of art from around the world. Cover art by Christine Stoddard.

Writes author Cat Dixon (catdix.com): "Again Les Femmes Folles (now in its fourth year) delivers powerful poetry and inspiring art from some of the finest women producing creative work. From Laura Carlson's studio shot that begins the book to Susan Bee's bright collage and oil on canvas to Selima Dawson's powerful black, gray and red painting to the raw poetry of Andrea Potos…every page vibrates with intensity and vulnerability. Make no mistake: these women are proud, strong and fierce. The end of the book features a quote from beloved artist Wanda Ewing that says "You be you." Here each artist is herself and the book embraces the individual styles of the artists and writers. When these different artists are combined in one collection, the result is passionate and memorable."

Writes poet Sara Henning (sarahenning.net): "In Les Femmes Folles: The Women, 2014, expect to encounter a literary feast of feminism, a cornucopia of works and interviews from female artists and writers, a soirée of the divine feminine spirit that has always surged from patriarchy’s confining thumb-hold. Here, the fourth annual edition continues a lineage of female empowerment vetted in the previous editions, drawing on the sage guidance that women have shared with each other, words that have kept us alive. ‘Resist that anxious feeling that time is running out,’ Stephanie Kadel Taras tells us in one interview, ‘your artistic life lasts your whole life.’ Or as Ayn Frances dela Cruz tells us, ‘If art does things to you, makes you see and feel things, makes your heart beat you know, if you live it and breathe it, then maybe you could have a fuller, happier life in pursuing it.’"

Contributors include: Linda Adato, Beatriz Albuquerque, Renae Barnard, Sharon Louise Barnes, Susan Bee, Sandra Bouguerch, Tracy Brown, Jessica Burke, Laura Carlson, Amy Cerra, Olivia Ciummo, Tusia Dabrowska, Andrea Davis, Selima Dawson, Ayn Frances dela Cruz, Aster V. Delgado, Karen Fitzgerald, Sheila Grabarsky, Zoe Hawk, Megan Hildebrandt, Cindy Hinant, Breanne Holden, Patricia Izzo, Nugent Kos, Alinta Krauth, Melissa Ann Lambert, Erin Leland, Robin Little, Amelia Marzec, Rachel Mindrup, Mother Art Collective, Ellen Mueller, Christie Neptune, Christy Nicholas, Jane Odartey, Cathleen Parra, Stacey Piwinski, Joyce Polance, Caroline Record, Cindy Rehm, Martha Rial, Lauren Rinaldi, Elizabeth Ross, Marisol Salanova, Asia Scudder, Evelin Stermitz, Christine Stoddard, Simone Stoll, Brenda Stumpf, Bonnie MacAllister, Katrin Talbot, Cendres Lavy, Isabel Perez del Pulgar, Susana Amundaraín, Marlana Adele Vassar, Amy Gigi Alexander, Liz Axelrod, Tanaz Bhathena, Susana H. Case, Sarah A. Chavez, Carol Ciavonne, Kirsten Clodfelter, SuzAnne C. Cole, Julie Schwietert Collazo, Sally Cooper, Kate Falvey, Jamie Feldman, Sherese Francis, Sara Henning, Fran Higgins, Patrina Jones, Stephanie Kadel Taras, Kelli Stevens Kane, Sandra Gail Lambert, M. Mack, Mariana McDonald, L.Nahay, Andrea Potos, Nicole Provencher-Natale, Vanessa Raney, Gabrielle Selz, Emma Jo Stankiewicz, Donna Steiner, Jennifer MacBain Stephens, Judith Gold Stitzel, Nicole Tong, Joanna Valente, Deb Vanasse, Saira Viola, Amy Schriebman Walter, Phyllis Wax, Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Allison Wilkins, Laura Madeline Wiseman, Sara Landas and Holli Rae, Muriel Louveau, Mary Carrick and Maia Kumari Gilman.

Les Femmes Folles is a volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art from around the world with the online journal, print annuals, exhibitions and events; originally inspired by artist Wanda Ewing and her curated exhibit by the name Les Femmes Folles (Wild Women). LFF Books is a micro-feminist press that publishes 1-2 books per year by the creators of Les Femmes Folles including Intimates & Fools (Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2014) and The Hunger of the Cheeky Sisters: Ten Tales (Laura Madeline Wiseman/Lauren Rinaldi, 2015). Other titles include Les Femmes Folles: The Women 2011, 2012 and 2013, available on blurb.com, including art, poetry and interview excerpts from women artists. A portion of the proceeds from LFF books and products benefit the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Wanda Ewing Scholarship Fund.

Femmesfollesnebraska.tumblr.com; Facebook.com/femmesfolles; Twitter.com/lffsallydeskins Lesfemmesfollesbooks.tumblr.com; Facebook.com/bookslesfemmesfolles; Twitter.com/lffbooks