[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”]I am honored and so very excited to take the position as curator of the Studio Artists Gallery at the Compound! I have been a Compound studio artist myself for over two years and I am always inspired by the creative process and spirit of community that goes on “behind the scenes” here, so, curating this space is a great way for me to share the talent and ideas of my colleagues and generate fun and innovative projects for us to participate in together. [/pullquote]

We are super excited to announce that the talented and exceptional Compound Studio artist Toni Gentilli will be curating our Artist Gallery! The Artist Gallery is adjacent to our main gallery and features the work of our studio artists. Toni Gentilli is a recent MFA Graduate from the San Francisco Art Institute and a visual artist, educator, and curator whose work incorporates experimental and historic photographic processes with printmaking, illustration, sculpture, and installation. Drawing on her former career as an archaeologist, she combines anachronistic materials and techniques to explore the interrelationships between science, technology, history, and the environment. Her process-oriented practice embraces the chaotic, serendipitous, and generative qualities of the creative act and through it she strives to cultivate and share a sense of wonderment at the complexities and entwinement of the natural and cultural phenomena that shape our world.

The first show will open August 3rd, 2013 and is titled “Return to the Art of Craft” Please join us for the opening reception 6-9pm.

“The Compound and its community of artists is like a modern-day creative guild, a truly unique space of production and collaboration reminiscent of the late Nineteenth- and early Twentieth-century Arts & Crafts Movement. At this time, there was far reaching social, cultural, and artistic backlash against the homogenizing effects of the Industrial Revolution and the large-scale manufacturing of commercial goods. The movement embraced diversity in design and creative expression in its many forms, but remained unified by a philosophy of social change that celebrated traditional skills and sought to improve the lives and homes of ordinary people by infusing them with works of art. Today, Oakland is at the forefront of similar social trends in the post-digital age. Come see the latest handmade, one-of-a-kind, small batch, and limited edition works in a range of media by the Compound Studio Artists.”