Arts Benicia Artists in Residence (ABAiR) Project Opening Reception at Arts Benicia

ABAiR (Arts Benicia Artists in Residence) Project: Debra Stuckgold + Warmbaby

Activities in conjunction with the show: June 7 �" June 27: Installation Phase June 28 �" July 15: Exhibition Phase June 30, 2012 7:00 �" 9:00 PM Opening Reception , 2012 1:00 �" 3:00 PM Family Art Day , 2012 1:00 �" 3:00 PM Artists’ Talk

Now in its third year, the ABAiR project (Arts Benicia Artists in Residence) continues to provide a rare opportunity for artists working in the field of site-specific installation to have extended time to work out concepts in a gallery space. There are two phases in this project. The first phase is the installation and residency phase, June 7 - June 27, and the second phase is the exhibition phase, June 28 - July 15. During the first phase the public is able to observe the artists at work and engage with them and their art making processes. During the second phase the public is invited to view the finished installations.

This year the ABAiR artists are Debra Stuckgold and Warmbaby. Stuckgold is a Benicia based mixed media artist whose work has been recognized and funded by the Marcus Foster Education Fund and the Puffin Foundation; her installation will be an amalgam of suspended sculpture, light and sound. This installation will reflect environmental crisis, and the cycles of nature as seen through the seasons. Not nostalgic or dualistic, Stuckgold’s work leads viewers to marvel at the natural wonders of our world and reflect on what is at risk of being lost. Stuckgold’s work can be viewed at Stuckgold.com .

Warmbaby is an architectural design collaborative based in London + San Francisco that engage audiences through interactive art pieces; through their work, they seek to develop environments that forge a relationship between community and space, and encourage people to participate and marvel in their surroundings. During their residency, Warmbaby will create a three dimensional woven map that will be installed throughout the Arts Benicia gallery. This work will examine the history, evolution and memory of the historic Benicia Arsenal district. Once the installation is completed, Warmbaby will invite members of the community to contribute to it, allowing the installation to change and grow throughout the entire duration of the ABAiR project. Warmbaby’s work can be viewed at warmbaby.org and http://warmbaby-benicia.tumblr.com/ .

Arts Benicia, a non-profit visual arts organization, gallery and arts education center, is located at 991 Tyler St., #114 in Benicia’s historic Arsenal district. For more information regarding this exhibit and other Arts Benicia events, please call 707-747-0131, e-mail info@artsbenicia.org, or visit www.artsbenicia.org.