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FOR APRIL THE Contemporary Arts Collective's 17th annual juried show continues. The awards for this show include:
- Best in Show — Yo Fukui
- Best in Show Painting — Carlos De Las Heras
- Best in Show Sculpture — Kim Hoffman
- Best in Show Ceramics — Miguel Rodriguez
- Best in Show Photography — Kim Hoffman
- Best in Show Mixed Media — Jorge Catoni and KD Matheson
This juried show continues through April at the present CAC location which is 101 E Charleston Blvd., Suite 101, Las Vegas, Nevada.
On May 5th the Contemporary Arts Collective will feature a new exhibition titled "Those were the 2000's." This exhibition will serve to dismantle outdated stereotypes of what it means to make ceramic art. While each artist exhibits their own truly unique approach, the combination of high skill level and socio-political narrative throughout will result in an extravaganza of color, style and wit. The location for this exhibition will be 101 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 101, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Finally, we want to announce that the Contemporary Arts Center will be moving to the Holsum Lofts (Holsum Bread Building), 231 W. Charleston, Suite 120, Las Vegas, Nevada. This move reflects the growth that CAC has experienced in the past few years. Its membership has now increased to over 650 members and more room is needed to carry out its mission of providing its membership with opportunities to exhibit. We expect to be in our new location the first of June with a grand opening on July 28th. Everyone is invited!
The two artists featured in this month's column include Jennifer Gilbert and Rick Metzler. Both artists have spent a large number of years exploring their medium and developing their techniques. Their art is exhibited in several parts of the country.
 Jennifer Gilbert
When Jennifer initially started working with metal; her focus was on furniture. She built furniture for some fine furniture designers primarily in New York and New Mexico.
 As time went on she moved into making her own furniture and developed an interest in new methods and techniques in working with metal. She describes her initial work as being crude and unrefined. She focused primarily on function. Over time her work with furniture continued as a means to make a living but in terms of her art, she started to create urns, vessels and boxes. This evolutionary process has continued to the point that now, her art has become more sculptural in nature and there is less focus on function and more  concentration on shape, texture, line and movement. This evolutionary process has also been with her selection of materials. Initially it was steel; however, she has developed skills and techniques with other metals although steel remain her metal of choice. "Steel is much more amenable to change than other metals," comments Gilbert.
What does her sculptural work focus on? Gilbert comments, "…texture, lines, shapes and movement." But she also adds that much of her work does not involve color. For her color most of the time takes away from what she is trying to achieve and express. "There is incredible beauty in just the metal."
Does Gilbert see her art changing in the future? "Of course, as with most artists, change is constant. It's a dynamic process. As I do more and learn more about my medium, my art improves." Jennifer Gilbert's work is presently being exhibited at the L Maynard Galleries in Las Vegas, Nevada and can also be viewed on her web site at www.urbaniron.com.
 Rick Metzler
Metzler was a student at Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. His first major influence came from Matsumi "Mike" Kanemitsu, an instructor and mentor. "He taught me how to move with paint. He helped me to see differently—simply—and appreciate calligraphy as art." From there he spent a number of years in New York City where he was exposed to the different genres and approaches to art.
When asked how he wants his art to be seen by others, Metzler comments, "I want my work to be viewed by the observer as honest, sincere and not commercial. It should not be interpreted as political in nature. Instead it should evoke a more spiritual  sense." In fact Metzler has been described by one, in the Las Vegas arts community, that Metzler is one of the last of the purist abstract painters with no pretension in his work.
Initially he focused on murals and calligraphy. He was "in love with everything" and his art reflected this feeling. His work however evolved into a focus on color, form and impressionism; Metzler says he was painting for designers. Now his art speaks to a change in heart; his works are more spiritual.
 His present paintings utilize oil on tin, paper or canvas. His attention to the process includes mixing his own oils, stretching his own canvases and doing his own framing. The paintings often utilize geometric shapes with calligraphic backgrounds or foregrounds and earth tones. "An ever-important element of my paintings is movement and action," comments Metzler. Another important element in some of his paintings is the environment in which Metzler finds himself such as the desert, ocean or mountains. Finally, the observer notices in many of his paintings a division into four equal squares. Metzler believes that this division creates a sense of stability and eternity. Rick Metzler's work is presently being exhibited at Gallery P in Las Vegas as well as on his web site at www.coolcollected.com.
We hope that you will visit our juried show and attend our new exhibition "Those were the 2000's" in May. If you can't attend we hope that you will consider joining the Contemporary Arts Collective. For more information about joining the Contemporary Arts Collective you can go to www.cac-lasvegas.org or call Natalia Ortiz at 382-3886.
Natalia and Ed
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