Duo, by Pamela Merory Dernham, 2005, Painted steel wire.
Submitted Photo
Two new exhibits will be on display at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA), opening Saturday, Jan. 19 and running through Sunday Mar. 2. SVMA members are invited to a special preview of both exhibitions on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
“Butabu: Adobe Architecture of West Africa” is an exhibition of photos by British photographer James Morris. The term “butabu,” which has its origin in the Batammaliba language of Togo and Benin, describes the process of moistening earth with water in preparation for construction and emphasizes the human effort required to create and maintain the buildings. Fifty images reveal that many of the most spectacular buildings in Africa are made of the humblest materials – earth and water. The exhibition was made possible with the help of a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts and is organized and toured by Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions (CATE) of Pasadena.
On Friday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m., SVMA will host a lecture by Simone Swan, founder of the Adobe Alliance, a Texas-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping desert communities build low-cost, healthful, energy-efficient, and sustainable housing. Entitled “Adobe: From the Nile to the Rio Grande,” her talk will highlight environmental projects that re-examine and promote traditional adobe. Admission is free for museum members and $10 for non-members. To make reservations or buy tickets, call the museum at 707.939.7862, write admin@svma.org, or visit www.svma.org/store.
Appearing concurrently in the LaHaye Sculpture Gallery will be “Go Figure,” an exhibition of abstract wire sculpture by Oakland artist Pamela Merory Dernham. Exhibited nationally and collected internationally, Dernham’s work is inspired by the human figure and probes the subtleties of human relationships. “I have always been particularly attracted to making figurative work because of my love of the human form and my fascination with the physical, intellectual and emotional forces in human interactions,” says Dernham. On Sunday, Feb. 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dernham will demonstrate her art at the museum’s free family day.
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art is located at 551 Broadway, Sonoma, and is open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for individuals, $8 for families, and free to members, with admission free to the public on Sundays. Memberships may be acquired or renewed at the door. Membership fees and donations to SVMA are tax-exempt.
