April Cambero
Editor-in-Chief
Art fanatics, families and friends all joined various artists to view their work and hear their thoughts at the Claremont Art Walk on Saturday at various art galleries in the Claremont Village.
The artists that showcased their work seemed joyous, as guests floated through the studios to view the whimsical pieces that were displayed. Various studios in Claremont Village, such as Bunny Gunner, Ahmad Shariff Art Gallery, Claremont Lewis Museum of Art and the Claremont Forum all displayed the art of many local artists.
The hot summer night kept guests out of the heat and in the studios. The only moments that guests were outside was to enjoy some dynamic music by groups playing in front of some of the studios to help invite guests in.
Pianist Bobby Rennie played original and cover pieces in front of the Ahmad Shariff Art Gallery. Rennie often plays in Claremont Village for events like the Wine Walk and the Art Walk.
“My favorite part is being outside and seeing people just being out and about and everyone is here for a good time,” Rennie said.
His method when playing in public is reading the room for the type of people that are around and what he thinks they would like to hear. Rennie enjoys playing piano covers of bands like System of a Down, Pixies and Tame Impala.
Artist Andrew Bentson showcased his oil paint layered canvases at the Ahmad Shariff Art Gallery. Bentson started painting recently and found himself needing a change in his life. He is inspired by his line of work in landscape contracting and paints in an unorganized way that makes sense to him.
“My landscape paintings are not only about landscape, but the human experience and what I go through in life as well,” Bentson said. “Turning 40 years old was a good time to start painting and I think it’s all inspired by simply wanting to get the most out of life.”
Bentson created his pieces in the span of seven months and used different techniques to create his unrefined pieces. One of the methods he mentioned that he uses often is painting with a squeegee to create certain lines and layering on the canvas.
The Claremont Lewis Museum of Art displayed the art of Phil Dike, a local artist from Redlands, who noticed the beauty and energy of the environment, elements and people all around him.
About 15 people danced around the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art discussing the pieces of Dike while enjoying their light bites and refreshments that were offered by the museum.
The Bunny Gunner art gallery was filled with guests who had some sort of connection to the artist and adjunct professor of art at Mt. San Antonio Community College, Thomas Stubbs.
Stubbs created pieces that he no longer wants to look at because the more he looks at them the more he wants to critique them. Stubbs went into great detail of the pieces and described them in a way that was relevant to current culture and social issues.
“Some of them are kind of off the wall,” said Stubbs. “I thought it was whimsical and funny.”
Stubbs discussed the interesting piece that was produced from a figure drawing class that he turned into a piece that included some pop culture references. The painting depicted Trix cereal on the floor while a figure pointed a ray gun to the television set that a rabbit was jumping out of.
At the Claremont Forum, Artist Aimee Spriggs had set up about eight of her pieces that revolved around social justice and her time at a southern pilgrimage she recently participated in. The collection showcases her experience and is in efforts to have her viewers have discussions about social justice and what it means to them.
“I felt like it was really just an opportune moment to honor all that I was learning in community and engage with people in this way,” Spriggs said.
Spriggs sat with her thoughts and feelings about her experience on the pilgrimage and gave herself a few months to gather her inspiration for the collection. Spriggs spent two and half months bouncing around from canvas to canvas to finalize her pieces for the art walk.
April Cambero can be reached at april.cambero@laverne.edu.
April Cambero is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is the Fall 2024 editor-in-chief for the Campus Times and has also served as social media editor and staff writer.
Vicente Rodriguez is a senior photography major with a marketing minor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times. He has previously served as photography editor of the Campus Times and a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine.
