With more than 25 years working as a full-time artist, Jeff Myers’ authenticity is both provocative and pioneering, showing that an artist can be multidisciplinary by interlacing new and old media and still retain one’s original voice.
It’s only when you sit down to write a book about your life that you realize you didn’t take enough pictures.
“In the 40 years since undergrad, I have photos of almost nothing,” says celebrated ceramic sculptor Tony Natsoulas. “I have no photos of me and (Robert) Arneson, none of me and Wayne Thiebaud. Manuel Neri and I were good friends—I have no photos of that.
“These people coming up now are so lucky that they’ve taken so many pictures of everything. They’ll be able to put books and movies together easily.”
Natsoulas has spent almost two years putting together a book about his life and art. The inspiration came as he approached his 63rd birthday—the age at which his mentor Arneson died in 1992.
Robert Regis Dvorak is an artist’s artist. He paints, draws, writes and sings. He teaches. He works in watercolor, oil, acrylic, ink, etching, woodcuts and silk screen. He’s filled more than 300 sketchbooks, many during trips abroad. Even after decades as a professional artist, he has ideas that will keep him busy for years.
“When you’re an artist, you do what your heart leads you to do,” Dvorak says. “If I had any sense about me, I would have gone into music—the path was there. But I really didn’t want to. I enjoyed drawing.”
Dvorak hails from a musical family (yes, he’s related to Antonin Dvorak, the Czech composer), but knew from an early age he wanted to be a visual artist. His parents were concerned he wouldn’t make enough money. They convinced him to try architecture.
The Crocker Art Museum’s “Wayne Thiebaud 100: Paintings, Prints, and Drawings,” a retrospective of Thiebaud’s achievements—coinciding with his 100th birthday— returns to the Crocker through Aug. 7.
In 2015, the Sacramento City Council created the Sacramento Community Police Commission to make recommendations on policing.
The original commission consisted of 11 members. Community groups and advocates held the majority of seats, along with a retired police captain. I was there to represent the interests of police officers and other SPD employees.
While most commission members lacked law enforcement backgrounds, the presence of two trained and experienced police professionals gave the commission credibility. We helped the group root its recommendations in reality.
