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Juror Scott A. Shields, Ph.D., Ted and Melza Barr Chief Curator and Associate Director, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, selected 50 pieces from a remarkable group of more than 1,000 entries by artists from all five states that rim the Pacific Ocean (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). Reflecting on the submissions, Shields noted, "We are, at this moment, experiencing a period of profound insecurity, one in which intersecting crises ranging from war, pandemics, environmental degradation, and intense political polarization have left many both literally and figuratively displaced and destabilized. Because art reflects its time, many of these realities are manifest in the pieces I reviewed for the 2026 Left Coast Annual at the Sanchez Art Center."
His further thoughts highlight how, "Political views are prevalent though not always overt, many of the best submissions presenting their messages with cleverness and subtlety. Overall, what this exhibition makes most clear is that upheaval can serve as a catalyst for creativity. It can also challenge us to redefine our values, cultivate resilience, and maintain a sense of hope for a more stable future."
The result of the juror's thoughtful consideration is an exhibition of textures, a stimulating array of materials, subtle tones, black, white and silver mixed with pops of color, and poignant themes. Doug McCune explores our fraught relationship with modern technology. Working in bronze, his "Planned Obsolescence" depicts discarded phones piling up, and asks viewers to contemplate their own relationships with the devices that increasingly mediate their experience of the world. Another piece in the exhibition, similarly reflecting on technology, is "311 Megabytes" by Alan Grinberg. The digital photography piece contrasts strict geometric order with printed and handwritten labels, evoking personal memory embedded in an obsolete technology. Memories also shaped the work of Gretchen Telzrow, who reflects what it feels like to live with the loss of her mother. "In the Depths of Memory", a short video installation with images of water and movement, follows how grief shows up with the discovery of everyday life through the objects left behind, memories that surface unexpectedly, and moments where the artist feels pulled under and then comes back up again.
Olena Kuznetsova works through the personal and community grief of the Ukrainian Diaspora, with "The First Day of the War", a photographic work. Olga Bologo's piece, "Dreams as They Pass By" created with watercolors, depicts a dreamlike industrial landscape dissolving into sky. The artist notes, "Like childhood visions found in passing shapes, the scene hovers between imagination and reality, allowing smoke to read as both industrial pollution and fleeting forms shaped by memory and perception." Ruth Tabancay, focuses our attention on global warming resulting from the burning of fossil fuels that are also used to manufacture plastics. Her "Plastic Reef" is an assemblage of crocheted pieces and all colors of plastic used to create an assemblage highlighting human consumption.
Within this rich variety, each work stands alone, without a singular thematic though with a through line that connects humanity within the context of shared environment and practices.
Don't miss the in person Juror's Talk and Artists Gallery Walk the afternoon following the opening, beginning at 1:30 pm on Saturday, April 11. Juror Scott Shields will share about his work, experience jurying the show and his selections, with the artists in the show who are available to speak to their selected works.
SPECIAL EVENTS DURING THE LEFT COAST ANNUAL.
SVOS Open Studios Coastside Weekend, during the Left Coast Annual:
Thirty Sanchez Art Center and Art Guild of Pacifica artists (site 268) will be participating in Silicon Valley Open Studios coastside weekend on Sat May 2 and Sun May 3. Extended gallery hours of 11am — 5pm, both days.
Art x Nature x Art, a celebration of art and spring:
Art x Nature x Art is Sanchez Art Center's spring fundraiser. This annual event, held in partnership with Shelldance Gardens in Pacifica, is by advance ticket purchase available now on Eventbrite for a special evening reception on Fri, May 8. Attendees will have the first opportunity to view this years natural floral creations inspired by art in the 2026 Left Coast Annual. Live music, floral mocktails, and more add to the enjoyment of this special opening reception. The spring fundraising event will continue for drop-in visitors on Sat, May 9 and Sun, May 10, for $10.00 at the door supporting the Center's exhibition program.
Sanchez Art Center is located at 1220 Linda Mar Boulevard in Pacifica, about a mile east of Highway 1. Following opening night – and on weekends when special events aren't occurring -- regular gallery hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1–5 pm. Sanchez Art Center also welcomes visitors during the week by emailing (info@SanchezArtCenter.org) or by calling in advance to set a time. Shows run through May 10.
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