The second installment of Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times continues the exhibition’s experimental blend of new art commissions and works from the di Rosa collection with four new projects by Bay Area artists, each responding to the evolving social and political climate through a topic of their choice. In Gallery 1, Lexa Walsh explores the topic of assembly through her guest-curated presentation of works from di Rosa’s rich collection of Northern California art. In Gallery 2, Victor Cartagena, Ranu Mukherjee, and Lava Thomas address immigration, societal health, and solidarity, respectively, through large-scale commissioned installations. The dialogue of the exhibition is furthered through an extensive programs and partnerships component that uses the artist projects and the exhibition’s themes as a platform for engagement and inquiry.
Presented in two parts throughout 2018, Be Not Still is an institution-wide initiative to support the production of new work. The exhibition brings new dynamism to the permanent collection and initiates exchanges about ideas that matter.
View information about Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times (Part 1)
Be Not Still is organized by Curator Amy Owen and Assistant Curator Kara Q. Smith, with Andrea Saenz Williams, Director of Education and Civic Engagement. Major support for Part 2 is provided by Wanda Kownacki and Nion McEvoy. Additional support is provided by Barry Murphy and Rosemary Dunbar, Larry S. Goldfarb, Phil Schlein, and di Rosa’s Patrons Circle.
Artists & Projects
Victor Cartagena addresses immigration through a multimedia installation referencing the lives of those who live in the shadows and the oppression their communities face. Lending them visibility as an act of protest, Cartagena highlights their resilience and courage amidst contemporary politics.
Ranu Mukherjee explores the topic of health and how societal events impact our wellbeing—including the relationship between humans and the planet as a whole—through a multi-faceted installation combining choreography, animation, line, and color. Mukherjee’s project includes the production of a new film shot at di Rosa in collaboration with Hope Mohr Dance responding to the recent wildfires.
Lava Thomas engages the topic of solidarity through a dynamic installation comprised of hundreds of suspended pink tambourines covered with various media. The instruments serve as a metaphor for praise and protest while their immersive tethering is emblematic of the power of collective resilience and hope.
Lexa Walsh responds to the notion of assembly through a presentation of works from di Rosa’s collection. Focusing largely on figurative pieces, Walsh references events like marches, vigils, rituals, and protests through creative groupings of the objects on the walls and gallery floor.
Related Programs & Events:
Saturday, June 30, 5-7 PM
Opening Reception
Free and open to the public
Galleries 1 + 2
Thursday, July 19, 5-8 PM
Third Thursdays / Sew-in with Lexa Walsh
$5 / Free for members
Gallery 1
Saturday, July 28, 3-4 PM
The In-Between: Tea Talk with Lexa Walsh
Free
Offsite: Sonoma Valley Regional Library
Saturday, October 6th, 3-5 PM
In Conversation:
Victor Cartagena with Guests
$10 general / $5 members
Gallery 2
Select Tuesdays (Sept-Oct), 5:30-7:30 PM
interACTIVE
Free
Offsite: Napa County Library
Saturday, October 13, 2:30 – 5:30 PM
An Afternoon of Conversation and Performance: Ranu Mukherjee, Judy Dater and Hope Mohr Dance
$10 general / $5 members
Gallery 2
Saturday, November 3, 3-5 PM
In Conversation:
Lava Thomas + Solidarity Button Making
$10 general / $5 members
Gallery 2
Saturday, December 1, 12:30-2:30 PM
Napa Valley College Theater Performing Arts Presents A Muse of Fire: A Performative Response
$10 general / free for members
Gallery 2
Learn more:
Read the press release
View the exhibition brochure
Explore Be Not Still (Part 1)