Fort Bragg Artist Featured in Ukiah Gallery
Fort Bragg artist Allison Tuomala is the latest featured Young Artist at the Corner Gallery in Ukiah and with a good recommendation — James Earl Jones once called them a “gifted artist,” and it’s easy to see why.
Recently returned home to Fort Bragg after spending six years going to college and studying art in New York City, this talented collage artist explains that they are “looking for new and creative ways to communicate social and political viewpoints.” They are currently perusing new subjects and themes, hoping to “establish my identity as an artist and develop my style.”
The work on display at the Corner Gallery is an evolution in progress. Tuomala notes that “My work has taken many different forms over the years. From mixed media collage to block prints and paintings. Every time I discover a new way to express myself, I immerse myself in it. Collage is my latest interest because it allows me to repurpose materials and minimize waste, things I try to remain conscious of in my art.”
There have been many influences in Tuomala’s artistic development. During college, they were exposed to works by fabric artist Bisa Butler and collage artist Jesse Lappin, “both of which would later be my influences as I explored mixed media collage.”
Tuomala continues, “The time I spent in New York City informs all of my work. In the city I fondly call ”home,” I was exposed to a greater world than existed beyond my small hometown on the West Coast. I frequented art galleries and museums, attended theatrical productions, and participated in protests that advocated for political and social change. I had mentors who encouraged my artistic endeavors, and made friends who were accepting and supportive. My life was changed from the time I spent in New York City.”
When asked what motivated them to do art, Tuomala explains, “My father is largely responsible for my interest in art, both as an artist and a patron to the arts. He is a retired art dealer and collector, so I grew up around art. I honestly can’t remember when I started creating myself.
I do know that it was at a very young age, and that my preferred medium was simple pencil and paper (I detested crayons).”
Tuomala’s favorite piece on their Young Artists Wall is an intense self-portrait called “Mourning News,” which they note is their only self-portrait. Tuomala reflects, “In 2016, I had attended Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Taping, and this piece was born from the collective dread and disappointment that filled the Ed Sullivan Theater that night. I traveled home (on the quietest train ride I ever experienced) and planned the piece. It represents my fears and uncertainties regarding our social and political future.”
Tuomala’s work will be up on the wall at the Corner Gallery for two months, beginning on First Friday, October 1. The gallery is located at 201 S State St, in Ukiah, and the hours are 11-5, Tuesday through Saturday. First Friday hours are 5-8 pm. For more information, visit www.cornergalleryukiah.com.