Portola Art Gallery

California Beauty, pastel paintings by artist Jan Prisco, is the featured exhibit at the Portola Art Gallery in December. While there will be no formal reception due to COVID-19 safety precautions, Jan will be at the gallery on December 12, 17, and 18, as well as by appointment. Known for her vibrant, colorful paintings of California scenes, Jan paints at locations that range from the oak covered hills of the San Francisco Peninsula, to the flower fields of Half Moon Bay, to ...the breathtaking vistas of Pescadero, Monterey, Big Sur, and beyond. Enjoying nature personally whether listening to the breaking waves of the Pacific, watching the light play on the leaves of an oak tree, or savoring the warmth of the sun on her shoulders while she paints Jan creates feelings of connection and contentment. Painting onsite, in the open air, is challenging and dynamic: the light changes, the sea moves, the trees sway in the wind. In addition to exhibiting her work at the Portola Art Gallery in Menlo Park, Jan teaches plein air workshops, conducts classes at University Art and Atherton Art Foundation, and has taught plein air workshops for Filoli. More information about Jan’s work is available at her website: www.janprisco.com For All Seasons (912, pastel) is one of the featured artworks in Jan Prisco’s December exhibit California Beauty at the Portola Art Gallery located in the Allied Arts, 75 Arbor Road.

The Portola Art Gallery presents "Eclectic Works" paintings by Palo Alto artist Jerry Peters. While Jerry is best known for his paintings of old trucks and tractors in nature, this exhibition will include a wide range of artwork from the past 20 years, including paintings from photographs taken on his travels through Europe, Canada, and the U.S. While there will be no formal reception due to COVID-19 safety precautions, Jerry will be at the gallery on November 5 and 13 to a...nswer questions in person. Jerry's love of painting began after retiring from the fire service in 1996. He spent 30 years as a firefighter, the last ten as a Battalion Chief in the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. His career drove his early work in acrylics, which featured fire engines, fire helmets and fire scenes. For the past 20-plus years, Jerry has specialized in portraits, landscapes and still life paintings. He has a special fondness for painting old trucks and tractors in rural settings, blending the beauty of nature with the character and history of battered vehicles. In addition to his vintage trucks, Jerry often paints from photographs taken during his travels. His work includes scenes from France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Egypt, Greece, England and Turkey, as well as from across the U.S. and Canada. Jerry explains that painting from photographs has allowed him to explore new challenges and work on different techniques. Throughout his artistic career, he has accepted numerous commissions for portraiture and landscapes. Jerry's work can be viewed online at www.jppetersart.com About Portola Art Gallery The Portola Art Gallery exhibits high quality, representational art by 17 award-winning Bay Area artists. Painting, pastel, photography and ceramics can be viewed at the gallery, located at the Historic Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, CA. www.portolaartgallery.com Photos: High-resolution scans (JPEGs) of the artists’ work are available. For more information, please contact Jerry Peters at (650)325-0692 or www.jppetersart.com.

More of Misako Kambe’s beautiful ceramics from her Shelter In Place portfolio. Stop by the gallery to see her aesthetic & functional pieces.

Portola Art Gallery Presents Misako Kambe's "Shelter-in-Place Portfolio" of her beautiful ceramic works. The exhibition includes Misako's most recent ceramic artworks produced during the pandemic. During the pandemic, Misako has had limited access to her wood kilns, so she expanded her collection by working with crystals formed on the ceramic surface, as well as new tableware using a regular gas kiln. This exhibit includes two series of tableware: "Shinogi" and "Rinka-bachi."... "Shinogi," with ridge lines carved on the surface, is named for the appearance of ridges on Japanese swords. "Rinka-bachi" means "flower petal shaped bowls." Due to safety precautions, an artist reception will not be held. Please contact Misako directly via her website (www.misakokambearts.com) or by phone at (650) 465-5290 with any questions and to see more of her ceramic creations.

Handmade sustainable three layered cotton mask

The Portola Art Gallery presents "Beautiful Blossoms Benefit", an exhibit of colorful floral photography by Frances Freyberg to support local nonprofit Mission Hospice & Home Care. August 24-September 30, 2020. The exhibit features vibrant flower photos from gardens and hikes around the world, with many local scenes from Allied Arts, Filoli, and San Francisco Bay Area open spaces. In addition to signed and framed photographs, there are a variety of floral and travel photo car...ds for sale. For more information about her photography, visit www.francesfreyberg.com or contact Frances at [email protected] Freyberg will be donating all profits from the exhibit to Mission Hospice & Home Care - the first nonprofit hospice in San Mateo County. Founded in 1979, Mission Hospice has provided more than 15,000 patients and families with quality, compassionate end-of-life care and education. Donations from the community help Mission Hospice serve people regardless of their medical coverage or ability to pay. More information is available at www.missionhospice.org.

Bringing a bit of artistic spirit to dealing with Covid-19, one of our industrious artists, Marsha Heimbecker, has produced a variety of hand-made masks for purchase. The masks are cotton with 3-layers and decorated with Marsha's creative whimsy. They sell for $35 and your purchase helps Marsha continue donating masks to frontline workers. Bring some color and humor to your masking protocol and help frontline workers as well!

We are open as of July 1, 2020 but are monitoring county wide protocols and will respond accordingly. Currently we are open Monday-Saturday, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. We are adhering to social distancing & masking protocols for gallery visitors with hand sanitizer available. In the meantime, our artists have been busy as this pandemic has allowed more focused time to work on our paintings, photos, & ceramics. Jerry Peters works in acrylic on large canvasses capturing rustic sce...nes & moments from his travel experiences. In particular, he has a fondness for old cars & trucks rusting where they were left in fields, testaments to a bygone era. Stop by our gallery to see the work of our vibrant group of artists!

We are OPEN as of July 1, 2020. Our hours are slightly reduced to 11:00am to 3:00pm, and social distancing protocols are in place. Our artists have been busy, so please stop by to see new works and to fill your cup with the Art Spirit! Robin Scholl paints watercolors with a bit of pastel for a finishing touch. Her signature layered technique builds up the media creating depth uncommon in watercolors.

The Portola Art Gallery will be reopening officially on July 1, 2020 with "social distancing"protocols in place. We look forward to seeing you again on the beautiful Allied Arts grounds! In the meantime, our artists have remained focused on their work. Larry Calof is an exceptional wildlife photographer and finds ways to zoom in close, capturing great detail and expression in the animals he photographs. His prints are very crisp & clear, some of which are printed on metallic surfaces which give an extra brightness to his images. Stop in to see some of Larry's stunning wildlife photographs.

We will officially be reopening on July 1, 2020 in conjunction with the official reopening of the Allied Arts Guild complex. Social distancing protocols will be in place in our gallery as well as around the grounds and in the other shops. We look forward to seeing you all again!

We hope to be opening again soon as we learn more about Allied Arts Guild’s reopening plans that are in collaboration with the Governor’s and the County’s recommendations. In the meantime, it’s time to start showing our featured artists again. Jan Prisco is one of our accomplished pastel artists specializing in California landscapes & seascapes. Her Pacific seascapes are rich in the aquamarine colors and dynamic movement of the Bay Area coastal surf.

In an effort to minimize the risk of the current Coronavirus, the Portola Art Gallery will be closed until April 7, 2020, at which time we will re-evaluate the situation and decide to reopen or remain closed. Stay safe, everyone!

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- The Portola Art Gallery presents "Brilliant ColorBold Design" - paintings by Terry McMahon. The exhibition of acrylic paintings includes a new collection of vibrant and colorful abstract paintings, as well as a series of paintings featuring women in art. Terry McMahon, of Palo Alto, is a retired art teacher from the Menlo Park school district. She has traveled and lived around the world. Her art work is influenced by her collection and love of folk art ...from the places she has visited and lived. She combines a strong sense of design with a bold use of color, and she gravitates toward sculptural shapes and forms. She enjoys rearranging or redefining forms, whether in architecture, plants, animals, or people. Most of her work is imaginative, while some is decorative and even fanciful. More information about her work, as well as giclees available for purchase, can be found on her website: terrymcmahonfineart.com A reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, March 28, from 1-4pm. About Portola Art Gallery Portola Art Gallery exhibits high quality, representational art by 16 award-winning Bay Area artists. Painting, pastel, photography and ceramics can be viewed at the gallery, located at the Historic Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, CA. Photos: High-resolution scans (JPEGs) of the artists’ work are available. For more information, please contact Terry McMahon at [email protected]