Shizu Saldamando courtesy of Pasadena City College
Momento, a solo exhibition by Shizu Saldamando, a Los Angeles-based painter who depicts American social spaces through portraiture, will open at the Galleries at Pasadena City College (PCC) on March 1 and run until April 7*. The opening reception will take place on Thursday, March 2 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Boone Family Gallery.
Saldamando is also the current Artist in Residence (AiR) at PCC, a program that has hosted world-class artists such as William Wegman, Wayne Thiebaud and Faith Ringgold to work with PCC students and create new work for exhibition. Saldamando will share her artistic practice with the public in a lecture on Thursday, March 2 at 5 p.m. in Westerbeck Hall.
In Momento, Saldamando presents portraits of established artists who are part of creative cultural communities in Los Angeles and beyond. She captures them in candid moments that show their personalities and identities beyond race, gender and ethnicity. Her work challenges the stereotypes and assumptions that often marginalize these scenes and celebrates their diversity and vitality.
Saldamando works with various media such as oil paint, colored pencil, glitter and collage. She draws inspiration from her own experiences as a Japanese-Mexican-American artist who grew up in San Francisco’s Mission District and attended UCLA’s School of Arts and Architecture.
The Galleries at PCC provide a dynamic platform for contemporary art and visual culture that engages students and the public through exhibitions, lectures and workshops. The AiR program is funded by the Pasadena Art Alliance.
*The gallery will be closed for Spring Break from March 6 to March 12 and on March 31. Parking for the exhibition and event are located off Bonnie Ave in Parking Lot 5. A semester permit or $2 daily permit is required. For more information, please contact Gallery Coordinator Jeff Cain at jcain4@pasadena.edu or follow @galleries.at.pcc on Instagram.”
The Galleries at PCC Proudly Present “Momento” by Shizu Saldamando
The Galleries at Pasadena City College are excited to showcase the latest work from renowned painter Shizu Saldamando. Her newest exhibition, “Momento,” will be on display from March 1st until April 7th in the Boone Family Gallery. The exhibition is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please note that the gallery will be closed for Spring Break on March 6th through the 12th and March 31st.
Saldamando’s work highlights the representation of American social spaces through portraiture. Her creative style explores how race, gender, and ethnicity can be malleable and act as an unnamed background in cultural communities. “Momento” is a continuation of her work with visual biographies, featuring established artists in candid moments within the subtle context of the creative scenes they help to create. The exhibition promises to be a thoughtful and introspective look at the intersections of identity, culture, and community.
As part of the exhibition, PCC is proud to host an Artist in Residence (AiR) program with a lecture from Shizu Saldamando on Thursday, March 2nd, at 5 p.m. in Westerbeck Hall. Saldamando’s lecture is an opportunity to hear from the artist firsthand about her process, inspiration, and vision for “Momento.” Following the lecture, the gallery will host an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., giving guests a chance to meet the artist and explore the exhibition.
The Artist in Residence program has been a tradition at PCC for over 35 years, and the Galleries at PCC have expanded the program to include two annual AiR, representing the broad media of the Visual Arts and Media Studies curriculum. The program is made possible through the support of the Pasadena Art Alliance.
For those interested in attending, parking is available in Parking Lot 5, located off Bonnie Ave. A semester permit or $2 daily permit is required. For more information about the exhibition, please contact Gallery Coordinator Jeff Cain at jcain4@pasadena.edu.
