Enrique Serrato Collection, Collage. Click for magnificent view.
from our friend Stephan Baxter:
January 2014 Downtown Fullerton Art Walk.
Location: The Egan Gallery at the Magoski Arts Colony, 223 W. Santa Fe Ave, Fullerton CA 92832
Press Contact: Stephan Baxter Tel: 714/342-3052, Email: stephanbaxter@me.com
Opening Reception: Friday January 3, From 6 to 10 P.M.
Closing Reception: Saturday February 15, 7 – 10 P.M.
Restrictions: Free and open to the public, all ages are welcome!
On View: January 3 – February , 22, 2014
Other Gallery Hours: By Appointment (We will accommodate all requests for private viewings)
The Egan Gallery will be exhibiting, and listing for purchase, many selected Chicano, folk and other outsider art, ceramic sculpture, assemblage, paintings and rare oddities, which have been acquired by local collector Enrique Serrato over the last 50 years. Enrique is a premiere collector of outsider art having acquired more than six thousand pieces. Enrique’s collection, perhaps the largest private collection of Chicano and outsider art in California, began with a single small bowl by an El Sereno potter which he purchased in 1962 and his passion for art and collecting continues to this day.
(click for larger view)
After spending about 20 minutes in Enrique’s home, I could not help but ask if he would be willing to sell some of his art, he said “Yes”. When I asked if he would be willing to sell enough of his collection so we could have a proper collector’s exhibition? He said “Yes”. When I asked why he has not done such an exhibition at a better known gallery, perhaps in city where they actually buy art, because any number of galleries would love to accommodate his collection he said: “because nobody ever asked.” I smiled.
My friend and in many ways a mentor, Ricardo Gonsalves, is co-curating the exhibit with me, and others, like Alfredo Gutierrez and Michelle Buck & Jeff Middlemiss have been invaluable, as there are 6,000 works of art that we can choose from and we had less than two weeks to narrow the collection down to 100 of the best pieces which work well in the space and which fairly represent the collection. It’s a momentous task. After combing through most of the art we are all in agreement that the following artists from the collection will be among the up to 60 artists represented at this exhibition and we are adding more every day.
by Margaret Garcia. Click for larger image.
- Margaret Garcia
- Gronk
- Lalo Alcaraz
- Esau Andrade
- >David Serano
- Diane Gamboa
- Esau Andrade
- Gilbert “Magu” Lujan
- Yolanda Gonzales
- De Batuc
- Tony deCarlo
- Frank Gutierrez
- Leo Limon
- Steve Schmidt
- Jose Lozano
Enrique Serrato in his Whittier bedroom holding the work of Jose Lozano, a favorite artist.
We have decided to curate the exhibit to give guests a hint of the feeling we first got when we walked into Enrique’s home. Upon our first glimpse of Enrique’ s living room we were thrilled and overwhelmed, as I imagine everyone who has an appreciation of art would be. There was so much art in a small space. It was art, upon art, upon art, and everything I saw was exceptional. In order to reproduce this feeling we plan to stack sculpture and paintings from floor to ceiling.
We will go so far as to enlist the aid of cabinets and shelving similar, to what one might find at Enrique’s house. It will be unlike anything ever exhibited at the Fullerton Art Walk and a rare opportunity for art walkers to benefit from Enrique’s critical eye and to do so at prices which reflect a collector who is motivated to share his art.
Because of the scope of the art and our ability to switch out anything that sells we are for the first time spanning this exhibit over two art walks. The opening reception is Friday January 3rd, from 6 to10 P.M. The closing reception will take place on Saturday February 22nd from 7 to 10 P.M. You will find more information on Enrique’s art and The Egan Gallery www.Artwithanageda.org and at Enrique’s website which is being updated weekly with new images of art www.OASSAC.com. Collectors and buyers who are interested in having a private viewing should contact the gallery by emailing stephanbaxter@me.com or calling 714/342-3052.
in support of the historic chicano art exhibition, are they booking ruben and the jets at the opening reception
I vote for WAR. With or without Eric Burden. Or locally, Manic Hispanic.
WAR – Save the stagecrashing Lee Oskar ROCKS!
great band, used to be signed to dr dream
This looks like it will be a great exhibit. Congratulations to Baxter & friends for making it happen.
Thanks for posting Vern, it was a great night and I met some amazing East L.A. artists.
I am hoping some of these new connections will later help us when we propose that the local arts community take over the responsibility of restoring the Lemon Murals in Fullerton. With the aid of artist volunteering their time and talent, I believe we can do it for $10,000, 1/10th of the cost which has been quoted by the city. Almost all of that money would go to pay professionals to clean the existing murals preserving as much of the original as possible before artists volunteer their skills to bring the images back to life.
The city sat on this project since 2008 when then-Councilman Nelson was at his insensitive best and wanted them all painted over as gang blight. Now the city has shelved restoration indefinitely blaming the end of redevelopment money. It’s not that complicated. These things are crumbling and they will all be a tagged blur if we do nothing and that would never happen to a landmark in my more Anglo Saxon section of town. There is clearly a different urgency when restoration is south of Commonwealth.
Moreover, we will raise the 10k (more if needed) ourselves. All the city officials, and those at the museum who have been assigned the project need to do, is to get approval from the local community leaders and any artists who live around or created the murals, have the city manager sign off, and get out of the way. I will be submitting a proposal to restore the murals, at a cost of ZERO to the tax payer, after we conclude the next big Art With An Agenda exhibit this April. The April exhibit has Art With An Agenda partnering with Fullerton Cares in support of those living with Autism. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Fullerton Cares.
Back to the current Chicano art exhibit: We are not zoned for retail so the art colony has very limited hours where we are open to the public. The next is Saturday the 18th between 7 and 10pm. If anyone would like to schedule a free private tour of the colony and this exhibit in the coming week all you need to do is text me at 714/342-3052 and I will arrange a time. I want as many people to know what we have going on at this space as without exception they are amazed that this exists in a city like Fullerton (quick promo video is attached. My part was taped in my living room where I had to store the art until the walls at the gallery were ready. I only had 160 or pieces at my house and that alone was overwhelming, now imagine Enrique and his 6,000 that he lives with 🙂 http://vimeo.com/83284014. thanks again.
The Enrique Serrato Collection from Jesse La Tour on Vimeo.
Bax, couldn’t you ask the Council to grant a temporary variance if you want to be allowed to stay open longer?