Humboldt State University First Street Gallery is pleased to announce "A Holiday Invitational Exhibition", which will open on December 1st and will continue through December 23rd. Featured in the show will be artwork by more than sixteen artists from California's North Coast, who work in diverse styles and mediums.
  
The participating artists will display works on paper, ceramics, sculpture, and paintings.  “We're very excited to bring together these artists, many of them HSU alumni, during this holiday season," says First Street Gallery Director Jack Bentley. "This exhibition will remind those of us who live here, how fortunate we are to live in a community that is also the home of so many wonderful artists."

Participants include: James Crawford, Nancy Frazier, Nina Groth, David Jordan, Tom Klapproth, Malia Landis, Peggy Loudon, Louis Marak, Justin Mitman, Scott North, Theresa Oats, Eric Pawloski, Stock Schleuter, Rachel Schleuter, Keith Schneider and some surprise guest artists.

Of special note, the exhibition will introduce the sculptor Eric Pawloski, who is new to the region. Mr. Pawloski is currently lecturing in the Art Department at HSU.  His life-sized sculpture of a stag, titled “Pursuing Eyes”, is prominently featured in the gallery.  The sculpture employs a conventional depiction of a deer, re-contextualized into a startling image through the use of unexpected additional sculptural elements. 

“A Holiday Invitational Exhibition” is produced by Humboldt State students. Students enrolled in the Art Museum and Gallery Practices Program participate in the daily management and planning of shows at the gallery.  The gallery provides real-life opportunities for the students to develop their gallery and museum skills, which in turn provides them with experience that will help them to enter the job market. Many students who have participated in the program have gone on to careers in museums and galleries throughout the nation. 

There will be an opening reception for the Invitational artists that will coincide with Arts Alive on Saturday December 1st from 6-9pm. For more information call (707) 826-3424.