2011 Events:

Gwen Cates Shows Unexpected New Work at The C Gallery

The C Gallery in Los Alamos is offering the unexpected in its upcoming show "Interior Monologues," opening September 10th and running through November 16th. The show features the paintings of Gwen Cates and sculptures of Albert McCurdy. Both artists from the Santa Ynez Valley will be exhibiting some surprises.

Traditionally, Gwen Cates creates landscapes, somewhat stylized, often with a "fauve" palette. However, in this show she will be exhibiting her abstract work." Interior Monologues" is a series of abstract acrylic and oil paintings, and collage. Cates describes them as "Winged figures, abstract shapes, horses, a cheetah, and other images...layered with swatches of fabric. "

"One theme of these experimental and playful paintings is the veil....in several paintings (my) wedding veil from fifty-one years ago is embedded in the composition...," says Cates. Gwen includes vortexes of light in the collection of paintings. She was inspired by a vision of light in the shape of a vortex on her living room wall in Virginia. Never sure where it came from, she interpreted it as an archetypal image, a cage built of streams of light. Gwen says, "The act of painting helps me to see the world in a new way. I can say things with paint that I cannot even imagine otherwise."

Gwen has been painting professionally for over two decades. Her list of over twenty solo exhibits range from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. to Virginia, and back to Los Angeles, California. Her juried group exhibitions fill pages of resume sheets, and her work stands in many private collections across the country. Her work was recently selected for purchase by the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital new addition. The C Gallery is honored to exhibit her contemporary and abstract body of work.

The C Gallery will be hosting a series of events during the exhibition of "Interior Monologues." September 10th, Saturday, 4-6pm: Opening reception for the artists, with wine by Tantara Winery. On September 30th, Friday, from 5-7 there will be a book signing by Bill Cates of his newly released book, "To Ride A Fine Horse." There will also be a Tantara Wine Tasting.

October 22, Saturday, from 4-6pm both Gwen Cates and Albert McCurdy will be available to talk about their new visions at an Artists Talk. Tantara Winery will be offering a wine tasting for this event as well. For more information about "Interior Monologues" or any of the accompanying events, call Connie at 805-344-3807, or drop a note, connie@thecgallery.com or visit the website www.thecgallery.com.

Shaw Galleries in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania exhibited a collection of Gwen's vineyard paintings with a reception featuring wines from Tantara Winery.

Gwen's Hollister Ranch Paintings were exhibited at Gallery 113 on the Mezzanine.

2009 Events

Gwen opened her studio to visitors for the Santa Ynez Valley Studio Artists' Tour and exhibited a painting in the Wildling Art Museum Artists' Tour Exhibit.

A one person exhibit of Gwen Cates landscapes are on view at the Ballard Inn and Restaurant throughout the downstairs rooms.

Gwen exhibited a collection of paintings from her Hollister Ranch Series at the Tantara Winery Spring Open House in April. She also exhibited paintings at the Faulkner Gallery and at Gallery 113 in Santa Barbara.

In March, Gwen joined AGSYV artists for an exhibit at Cabrillo Pavillion in Santa Barbara.

SOLO EXHIBITS:

Gwen Cates was the March 2008 Artist of the Month in Gallery 113 in Santa Barbara. The Ballard Inn currently has an exhibit of landscapes throughout the downstairs rooms.

Gwen has had solo exhibits at the Edith Grove Gallery in London followed by one person shows at Alex Gallery in the Du Pont Circle area of Washington D.C. as well as numerous exhibits in Virginia and California Galleries. She has been exhibiting professionally for over two decades.

2008 EVENTS:
Gallery 113, La Arcada Court, October 2008
Santa Cruz Island Paintings
Plein air oil paintings

Also, Gwen's Santa Cruz Island paintings were on view at the Meisel Gallery AGSYV show at the Rehabilitation Institute in Santa Barbara. Gwen's painting, Dawn, Prisoner's Wharf, is the cover Painting for Once Upon a Time at Loch Ness, a collection of short stories by her husband, William Cates.

2007 EVENTS:

In January, Gwen won a cash award at the SBAA Faulker Exhibit. She painted on Santa Cruz Island and showed paintings at the Tantara Winery Open House. She had two pieces, a charcoal drawing and a monoprint in the Body of Work group show at the Elverhoj Museum in Solvang. Gwen gave a short presentation and exhibit of her Sedgwick Ranch landscapes at Sedgwick Ranch. Nymph with Grapes appeared on the cover of Just the Right Woman, a collection of short stories by William Cates.

Gwen opened her studio for the 6th annual Santa Barbara Studio Artists Open Studio Tour and for the Wildling Art Museum Open Studio Tour for Santa Ynez Valley artists.

2001 - 2006 EXHIBITS:

2006 events included Colorscapes, a solo exhibit of paintings at the Elverhoj Museum in Solvang and Painting the Bell, a Painting Demonstration in the Elverhoj Garden. Corridan Gallery held a kickoff exhibit of paintings by Santa Barbara Studio Artists for the Studio Tour. Tantara Open House featured exhibits in the spring and fall.

During 2005, Gwen had an exhibit of Santa Ynez Valley Scenes at Art at Grand Tales. Once again she was a featured artist for the Santa Barbara County Vintner's Association Spring Festival. She exhibited at Café Zack in Ventura.

In 2004, the Santa Barbara County Vintner's Association invited Gwen to exhibit vineyard scenes at the Spring Festival, and Fox Searchlight asked her to display her Santa Barbara County landscapes at the Gala Premier of "Sideways."

2003 California solo shows included Artist of the Month at the San Luis Obispo Artists' Gallery and exhibits of vineyard paintings at Tantara Winery's spring and fall Open Houses.

2002 events included a solo exhibit at the Faulkner Gallery East in Santa Barbara. Los Olivos Wines and Spirits Emporium hosted "An Evening of Tantara Wines and Gwen Cates' Art."

In 2001, Gwen had a solo exhibit at ArtBrut in Los Alamos.

SPECIAL PROJECTS:

A new major California hotel commissioned and purchased five giclee prints on canvas of Gwen's landscapes. Gwen was commissioned by Los Olivos Wines and Spirits Emporium to do a painting of the Emporium that appears on their Vin Gris wine label. The William Morris Agency sponsored Gwen to paint 3 angel sculptures, "Zodiac Angel", "Angelscape" and "Guardian of Small Creatures" for the for the Community of Angels project. Gwen painted a life-sized colt sculpture for the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center. "The Santa Ynez Valley Colt" was sold at a gala auction at Sunstone Winery and is on display at Dennee's in Santa Ynez.

COLLECTIONS:

Gwen's paintings are in collections in England, Europe and the United States including Linda Foster Moves, Personal Training Center, Rome, Italy; Radford University, president's executive office suite, Radford, Virginia; Patrick A. Feiner private collection, Amsterdam, Netherlands; General Motors - Fanuc, Detroit, Michigan; and the City of Roanoke Permanent Collection, Roanoke Civic Center Auditorium.

EDUCATION:

Gwen studied Fine Art at Virginia Commonwealth University and later at Hollins University where she graduated with honors.

Copyright© 2008 Gwen Cates All Rights Reserved