Rainey Fine Art Gallery Opens In Balboa’s Landmark “Bubbles” Building
Award-winning Southern California plein air artists featured in opening exhibition
Grand Opening Celebration: August 2nd 6:00–9:00 pm
(Wednesday, July 30th; Balboa CA) This Saturday, August 2nd Rainey Fine Art Gallery
will open the doors of Balboa’s landmark “Bubbles” building to
celebrate its opening with a showcase of four award-winning, plein air artists:
Greg LaRock, Carolyn Hesse-Low, Jeff Sewell, and Jeff Yeomans. The local subject
matter featured in these artist’s paintings depict views of the coast, Newport
Harbor, the Back Bay as well as Southern California still lifes and landscapes.
“I think people will be attracted to the familiar subject matter and impressed
by the skill level of these artists’ works.,” notes gallery co-owner
Lisa Rainey. “People seem to naturally connect with these scenes that mirror
their own experiences living or visiting here in Newport.” The group exhibition
will be on view through October 16th.
By painting on location, this group of contemporary plein air artists capture the
essence of today’s coastal California; inspired and influenced by the way
the early California Impressionists documented their surroundings. LaRock and Sewell,
(a Newport Beach native), both grew up and currently live in Orange County. Yeomans
is also a Californian and Hesse-Low resides in the San Diego area. Last weekend,
at SOCALPAPA’s (Southern California Plein Air Painters’ Assn) Paints
the Back Bay annual art show and sale, Greg LaRock’s “Shadowed Bluffs”
was selected as the winning painting which will become the entrance mural at the
Peter & Mary Muth Interpretative Center.
Gallery owners, Lisa Rainey and Brock Morrison, both residents of Balboa, have an
additional goal in developing the gallery as a community hub of activity. Quarterly
exhibitions are scheduled for which they have contracted the local Balboa restaurant,
Ala Carte. Plans are in currently in development for future collaborative events
with other local business and art associations such as the Newport Harbor Nautical
Museum and SOCAL PAPA. (more…) (Rainey Fine Art Gallery Opens in Balboa’s
Landmark “Bubbles” Building continued…)
For over 20 years the distinctive art deco architecture of the “Bubbles”
building has been a standout presence in down town Balboa. However, over recent
years, the space has been mainly vacant. “There’s been lots of interest
and curiosity from people in the area about what we are planning to do here and
we’ve had such positive feedback welcoming what the gallery has to offer to
the atmosphere of downtown Balboa.” says Morrison.
About Rainey Fine Art Gallery: With a focus on merging the vision of early
California painters and the current talents of artists working in the present, Rainey
Fine Art Gallery’s purpose is to offer connections with art, artists and the
creative process. The gallery functions as a working studio for artists in residence,
Lisa Rainey and Jenny Shaw, because we believe the process should be shared as well
as the finished piece of art. In addition to selling exhibited works, the studio
also offers commissions of original art, murals and faux finishing services. Rainey
Fine Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibitions and events will encompass all of the
arts, ranging from the traditional observances of still life and landscape to more
the more contemporary interpretations of established themes including abstract and
non-representational genres.
Grand Opening Event :
Saturday, August 2nd, 6-9pm
Rainey Fine Art Gallery
515 Balboa Blvd.
Newport Beach, CA 92661
Phone: (949) 673-1382
Open 11:00 am to 7:00 pm; Tuesday through Saturday