Scott Hess Photography

El Dia de Los Muertos—Rio de las Vidas—Petaluma Art Center

Rio de las Vidas, the current show at the Northbay's Petaluma Art Center is a glowing river of transcendant imagination. This "river" was curated by Israel Escudero with assistant Gloria McCallister in the context of the El Dia de las Muertos celebration held each year in Petaluma.

The celebration of El Dia de los Muertos is a powerful blessing here. It has changed the community though creative cultural mixing and the channeling of the thoughts and emotions that run so intensely within the heart of life and death. There are few places I encounter where the Latino and Anglo cultures share so well and so deeply. This weeks-long event was initiated here ten years ago by Arts Council board member and ongoing organizer Marjorie Helm after the tragic loss of her son Trey, with co founders Abraham Solar and Teresa Froeschel.  Celebrated on November 1 and 2 in Latin America and South America, El Día is a ritual time to honor loved ones who have died and to acknowledge death as a part of life.

Above—I bask in the warmth and comfort emanating from this altar centered on the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Above- the gallery ripples with waves of meaning and connection from deep past to cosmic time.

Below - Outside on the plaza a mixed crowd enjoys fabulous Mexican cuisine and a pleasant fall evening.

The Petaluma Art Center , located in the past and future railroad depot area, has an energy of movement and connection.  The art plays very well in this context 

We all walk into the present with layers of memory and archetypal imagery.

Awake at the gateway of life and death.

 

above- curator Israel Escudero

below-co-founder Marjorie Helm addressing an overflowing crowd on 10-31-10.  Drums, music , dancing, art and vibrant song filled the air.

below- an altar for Trey at Copperfields bookstore

 

For more photos of this show go to http://bit.ly/cnway3

For more information on Petaluma's Dia de los Muertos city wide events go to their Facebook page and http://www.PetalumaArtsCenter.org

Rivertown Revival 2010

Petaluma's Rivertown Revival fired up for the first time yesterday.
Over 3000 souls poured onto the McNear Peninsula for art boats, the kinetic destructions of the Survival Research Lab; funky, bluesy, brassy music; and local food and drink. The old Livery has never heard such joyful noise.

Plant Ideas—Art and Ecology meet in Petaluma

Petaluma is fine tuning its new water treatment/recycling plant located along the farm and marshland surrounding the tidal Petaluma River.  I've been out there photographing the last couple of days and the place is awesome.  There are natural treatment ponds and graceful berms designed by internationally renowned eco artist/designer Patricia Johanson with an eye to key species from birds to microbes.  Johanson is here in town working on interpretive media for the expansive, visionary plant striving to blend art with infrastructure. The public is about to receive a stunning new piece of eco architecture/infrastructure - a hopeful sign of things to come.

Take me to the River

It's early May and I was out this morning down by the Petaluma River. I always love to tune in to the midriver at Gilhardi's Landing near Cloudy Bend. I feel as if I am an expansive natural mansion that spreads its wings north and south with the river's natural flow being met by the pulse of the ocean.

Cows on Sonoma Mountain

Cows on Sonoma Mountain
Originally uploaded by Scott Hess

These cows are keeping the open space of the mountain. If they weren't here there would be rampant development. The dairy industry holds the space for this beautiful mountain.