The 53rd Annual Members Exhibition of the Art Guild of Pacifica opens Friday, October 14, with a reception from 7 to 9 pm, in the Main and West Galleries at Sanchez Art Center. The awards juror is Shannon Trimble, Gallery Director of Braunstein/Quay Gallery in San Francisco. Four of the artists receiving awards from Trimble this year will share an exhibition in 2012. Music for the reception will be provided by Vivace and the Jazz Cats. A Closing Party will be held on Sunday, November 20, from 4 to 5 pm.

Concurrently, the 52nd Annual Awards Exhibit will be presented in the East Gallery. Both exhibits run through November 20. Last year’s award winners were: Bill Gallo, Myles Kleinfeld, Deanna Taubman, and M. Victoria Vargas. These four artists were selected by 2010 awards juror Paul Bridenbaugh, Art Professor and Gallery Director at Skyline College. Gallo, Kleinfeld, and Taubman will be exhibiting in the 52nd Awards Annual.

Bill Gallo’s award-winning sculpture is entitled Tea Bag. This sculpture is made from brown paper bags, using the Mexican method of papier-mâché, in which the artwork is built around a mold that is removed when the layers of paper and paste are nearly dry. The handle of the "teapot" is, of course, the handle of the erstwhile brown paper bag. It is charming, whimsical, and beautifully done. (Gallo will teach a class in papier-mâché at the Sanchez Art Center in January 2012.) In this exhibit Gallo will show both oil paintings and papier-mâché sculpture, including his new piece, Silhouette, an expressive, entirely black-painted sculpture of a rabbit, a real tour de force in papier-mâché.

Myles Kleinfeld is part of a growing "New Minimalist" movement, but his work is anything but minimal in its impact. In his award-winning photograph, 9 Dots, we see mysterious lights in the dark that could be floating, moving in the night sky, or falling. Almost everything is left to the imagination, but the meaning is in the feelings evoked by the image, and the beauty is in its utter simplicity. Kleinfeld’s new works reject any notions of symbolism, mood, or allusion to history, politics, or religion.

Deanna Taubman’s award-winning mixed media piece, Body of Water, takes the well-known fact that human beings are made of about 70 percent water, and makes it both real and magical. The artist added illuminated text to the image using gold and aluminum leaf that heighten and accent the flowing brilliant blue color. The posture of the figure leads viewers to focus on the heart region of the body. This piece is an eye-catching balance of warm (heart) and cool (water) that mysteriously softens and strengthens us. Taubman’s theme for this exhibit is "Letters Home," and many pieces include some English or Hebrew text, illustrating her life-long love affair with language as well as visual art.

M. Victoria Vargas received the juror’s award for her lovely textile piece entitled Hanging by a Thread. Its soft blues create a mood of nostalgia and possibilities, somewhat wistful and also hopeful. The juxtaposition of rounded, organic shapes set against the plaid background sets up an intriguing textural dialogue. Vargas is a gifted textile artist whose works vary from bright abstractions to this more meditative mode.

Sanchez Art Center is located at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd. in Pacifica, CA. The nonprofit center fulfills its mission to "create community through art" by providing free art exhibitions and lectures, an arts education program, and affordable artist studios. Galleries are staffed by volunteers and are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm during exhibitions. The office is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1 to 5 pm. For more information, call 650-355-1894 or email info@sanchezartcenter.org.