8th Annual Gualala Salon Opens May 15 North Coast Artists Guild Fills the Exhibit Halls for the Salon and the Salon des Refusés

     "The Gualala Salon and Salon des Refusés has earned a reputation as the top judged and juried fine art exhibit on the Mendonoma coast. It opens Saturday, May 15 from 11:00am to 7:00pm. Members can preview the exhibit on Friday, May 14 from 11:00am to 4:00pm.

      Organized and curated by the North Coast Artists Guild (NCAG), the exhibit is held annually at the Gualala Arts Center and will fill three large gallery spaces with over one hundred pieces of fine art. Prestigious artists, art dealers, academics and collectors are recruited to be judges.

     There is still time to become part of this event. You'll find the registration form at GualalaArts.org, or you can call the Gualala Arts office at 707-884-1138. Registration ends on Monday, May 3, so plan on registering now. In addition, all art will be taken into the art center on Wednesday and Thusday, May 5 and 6. Time is short, so register now.

     Once the call goes out, and the art arrives it will be the judges who decide which artwork will be accepted and shown in the Burnett Gallery, the Salon. The balance of the art work not juried into the Salon by the judges is displayed in the Salon des Refusés, located in the Elaine Jacob Foyer and Coleman Hall. Thus, all artwork submitted into the show is exhibited. Which artists have been selected into the Salon is a tightly held secret until opening night.

     There is no theme for artwork entered in 2021, but the show’s concept is based on the original Paris Salon des Refusés exhibition, which took place in Paris in 1863, showing works that had been rejected by the official Paris Salon judges. These judges represented the French Academy and were advocates of a traditional, orthodox style of painting and sculpture. In 1863, they rejected almost 3,000 pieces of work, including many now considered masterpieces such as Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe (top) and Whistler’s Symphony in White, No. 1 (left). The resulting furor led Emperor Napoleon III to mandate that a second exhibition (dubbed the “Salon des Refusés”) be organized, so that the public might judge the merits of the artwork themselves.

        Many artists save their best new art for this exhibit, which showcases outstanding visual art without regard to type of media. The award prizes are the largest offered on the coast. Accepted work will be eligible for the First [$1000] Second [$750] and Third [$500] Place awards.

     Work not juried into the Salon will be eligible for the People’s Choice Awards of $100, $75, and $50. Additional awards include: a Judges Award of $100 for the best work by an artist under eighteen years of age; a Collage Group Award of $100 for best collage; and a Founders Award of $100 awarded by the three founders of The Salon show.

     In the spirit of the original Paris Salon des Refusés, all visitors to the Gualala Salon des Refusés are able to vote for the “People’s Choice” awards. In fact, many artists prefer to be selected as a “refusé” to receive the public’s opinion. This is a wonderful opportunity for artists to stretch themselves and experiment. 

     Gualala Arts is the jewel for the arts on the Mendonoma Coast. Why not be a part of the 2021 Salon?

Above: Whistler’s Symphony in White, No. 1 .