ADRIANNA OBERG’S ARTWORK FEATURED AT CORNER GALLERY
Ukiah’s vibrant identity thrives because of its talented artistic community. From downtown murals to Sundays in the Park, Ukiah is always brimming with creative expression and genius.
Corner Gallery’s new project, the Young Artist Wall, is a welcome addition to the flourishing artistic culture. Every month or so, the wall will display the work of a new young artist.
“The idea for the Young Artist Wall came about because of a donation by an anonymous local artist along with a suggestion that it could be used to feature young artists,” says Corner Gallery artist and member Linda Wolfhard. “We have always tried to include young artists in our shows in the past and have been frequently surprised by the quality of the art and the inspiration it has provided, both to Gallery memebers and the public. By having a dedicated wall space we will be able to better highlight and encourage talented young individuals.”
The Young Artist Wall is a great way for aspiring painters, photographers, and other artists to receive recognition for their efforts. Thanks to the donation, these artists can feature and sell their work without the cost of renting the wall space. Typically, showing art in a gallery can be time-consuming and expensive.
“This will be a place where they can have a place to shine,” explains Wolhard. “I know that it can be nerve wracking to approach a gallery.”
This month, the work of local artist Adrianna Oberg is on display. She is the second artist to participate thus far, following Olivia Consterdine. Oberg had entered a show in December of last year, and at that point, the gallery started talking with her about the possibility of participating in the Young Artist Wall project. She happily accepted the offer.
For the pieces displayed at the gallery, Oberg decided to step out of her comfort zone as an artist. Rather than using her usual vibrant colors, she opted for dimmer hues.
“I was really trying to get a nostalgic, feel-good feeling with all of those ,” Oberg describes. “It was a series of paintings more focused on recreating memories and impressions, which is slightly different from what I’ve done before. My older pieces have brighter colors, and
they’re more vivid, and these pieces are more subtle. I was also trying to capture more of a sense of space, focusing less on portraiture, as I have in the past. I wanted to capture a place and a time.”
The subjects of these paintings include a girl holding a lamb, a couple laying in the back of a car, a skateboarder zooming down the street, and more. They are all beautifully emotional and sincere. The inspiration for them, says Oberg, partially came from the experiences of living during the time of coronavirus.
“I made them during COVID, during the shutdown, so I think the nostalgic feeling is really affected by that.”
As a lifelong artist, Oberg understands and emphasizes the importance of giving young artists a place to begin their artistic journey.
“I can’t remember not being into art, honestly. I’ve been doing gallery shows since I was 23, or even before that.
“When I was first trying to get into galleries… it was so hard. It’s expensive. When you’re first starting out and you’re young, you don’t have a lot of time and you don’t have a lot of money. I really didn’t know what to do.”
Showing at a gallery is a great way to boost the confidence of young artists as well, she says.
“There’s a neat feeling as a young person to be accepted among an older crowd. It feels good. It feels really nice to be acknowledged. You’re among these already established artists, even though you’re still young and figuring stuff out, and just feeling that is very validating. Especially for me, being in that gallery as much as I have, it’s very validating — and I think, ‘Yeah, I’m an artist.’”
Oberg’s pieces will be available to view and purchase at Corner Gallery Ukiah until April, when photographer Amanda Reardan will begin displaying her work on the Young Artist Wall.
Though the last year has been difficult for the gallery, it has overcome the challenges of the pandemic.
“At this point, we are just trying to survive and keep art alive in our community,” says Wolfhard. “We welcome donations so that we could develop our Young Artist Wall into a longer term project.”
Anyone interested in donating to the project or showcasing their work can contact the gallery by emailing cornergalleryukiah201@gmail.com or by visiting 201 S State Street.