2012 Visions Artists

Marnia Johnston
Sculptor
Concord

"The gift of time and a place to continue to develop ones' art practice is invaluable to an emerging artist like me. I need time to develop the work and a culturally nourishing setting with the lively discussion of other, focused artists. A residency will enable me to devote all of my time and mental energies to that development and exploration."

marniajohnston.com

Bessma Khalaf
Interdisciplinary Artist
Oakland

"Participating in a residency will allow me to pursue my current body of work, meet new artists and continue my dialog with various communities. This opportunity will allow me to realize my concepts with proper funding and facilities, to create a world where things are not what they seem and where magic and fantasy collide with everyday normalcy."

Justin Lowman
Installation Artist
Northridge

“One of my current long-term projects is the material excavation and light investigation of an old two-stall horse barn in the midst of an otherwise quite suburban San Fernando Valley. How my initial attractions to the barn's ruinous, ephemeral beauty-fading colors and rotting materials - qualities achieved only in time - has led me to wonder about other spaces with similar potential and historical significance. This residency constitutes my first attempt at such an idea.”

John Ruszel
Installation Artist
Benicia

“I find volume inspiring. Open spaces, empty walls. Places where an idea can expand and fill that void, where the structures that are my art could exist as I envision them. The chance to work - uninterrupted - is the hope of any emerging artist and what my residency experience offers is a more productive period than I have seen since leaving school.”

Suné Woods
Photography-based Artist
San Francisco

“The rhythm of my art practice comes with many interruptions having to do with the realities of family responsibilities and earning a living. Every week I carve out time to continue working, to keep my momentum, and to make the work that is crucial to me. Having a residency away from what is familiar to me, as well as sharing dialogue with a community of creators, will be stimulating to my intellectual process.”

Michiko Yao
Interdisciplinary Artist
Santa Monica

“My spouse and I are both from Japan; and because of this I tend to work in an isolated environment. I will benefit from the opportunity during my residency to associate with others within an artistic community. Being a part of an ethnically diverse artistic community will also provide a valuable setting in which I can discuss Japanese stereotypes through my work.”