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Orland gallery: Sculptor and painter create in Western, ag themes
Orland Art Center is open from 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is located at 732 Fourth St.
Two renowned artists return to the Orland Art Center this October for their second showing.
Napa sculptor Carl Ciliax and his partner, Beverly Wilson, are featuring a variety of Western and agriculturally themed works in the show.
Titled "Hearts of the West," the exhibit runs through Oct. 27.
It includes 17 of Ciliax's sculptures of cowboys, horses and wildlife, which are of particular interest to him because he grew up in Arizona.
Wilson has 25 paintings and prints in the show reflecting life in the Napa Valley and places beyond, filled with colorful landscapes, farm hands and buildings.
They include oils, watercolors and more.
The couple held a similar show in Orland last year, but have some new pieces in this event.
Ciliax is also working on a large sculpture called "Sagebrush and Silence" commissioned by the Orland Arts Commission.
Once completed, the large statue of a cowboy on his horse will be placed on Fourth Street for the public and tourists to see.
"I feel I am right on schedule," Ciliax said Thursday. "I should get it to the foundry by December."
The project is being paid for by donations from individuals and groups, according to Orland Art Commissioner Rae Turnbull.
"In Napa, we have a lot of trouble getting any public art commissioned," Wilson said. "Everybody who visited our gallery was impressed by Orland's commitment to art projects."
That is particularly important, she said, because of community support for the bronze statue.
Turnbull said it is unusual these days to get communities behind art projects that are not funded by cities.
"People visiting Carl's studio during a tour in Napa wanted to know where Orland was," Turnbull added. "Once 'Sagebrush and Silence' is on Fourth Street downtown, many more people will know where Orland is."
In the meantime, Orland Art Center visitors can view Ciliax's work and look at a photo of him working on the large downtown sculpture.
Wilson's paintings are done in the expressionist or colorist styles covered in vibrant hues of red, green, blue and and other colors.
They are inspired not only by her subjects, but changes in the seasons, temperature and light. The focus is on the rural countryside and agriculture, she said.
