Visual Arts, Fireside Galleries showcase artists

MHCC’s Fireplace Gallery is currently showcasing the artwork of a jazz musician turned visual artist.

Jesa Townsend’s featured collection is titled, “Of Not, Distinction through Color.” Townsend’s artwork has been featured in many publications and is currently shown in art galleries across the United States and internationally. She has lived in both Italy and Scotland over the course of three years but she is now based in the U.S.

Townsend, nicknamed “sweetheart with a plan”, has been involved in humanitarian work that has helped influence her artwork. She is involved in several foundations and nonprofits. She has given speeches on self-motivation, art vs. adversity, and business entrepreneurship.

In December 2011, she was honored at the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation’s Heroes & Hearts celebration for being one of the “Large Heart Artists,” which has generated a lot of buzz for her.

While looking at Townsend’s collection at MHCC, first-year student Prisma Flores said the artwork “made me want to put on a nice dress, some heels, go out with the girls and dance.”

Townsend’s artist statement declares, “I use strong colors as a catalyst to convey those bridging transitions to complete thoughts.”
Flores said her favorite art piece by Townsend was “She Sings.”

“It stood out to me because of the deep blues and bright reds. The shoes were triangles,” Flores said. She has taken a drawing class at MHCC and enjoyed Townsend’s collection.

MHCC student Julliet Madrid also liked the collection. Townsend’s artwork is “very vibrant, very playful,” she said. “I feel like I could relate to her.”
Townsend strives to relate to viewers. Her artist statement says, “It is very important for me to create art work that is as visually strong as it is conceptually developed.”

Her collection will be displayed in the Fireplace Gallery, located in the College Center (AC 1051), until Oct. 25.

MHCC is showcasing another artist, Miles Browne, and his collection “Conversing with the Architect” in the Visual Arts Gallery. Browne graduated from MHCC in 2005 with an Associates of Arts degree. He later transferred to Pacific Northwest College of Art in which he earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts in 2010.

Browne said he has done arts and crafts since childhood, but “it wasn’t until I came here until I realized that (art is) what I wanted to do” as a vocation.
After graduating from Pacific Northwest College of Art, Browne eventually was hired at MHCC’s Visual Arts Gallery. The staff was already familiar with Browne, and his name came up when a position opened. “It was a natural fit for me,” he said.

A year and a half later, Browne is showcasing 20 large-scale paintings he started in January. “I stopped in June to do a project with ‘Helping Hands’ during the summer. I also was involved in some other projects,” he said.
Browne has really enjoyed working in the spacious area given him in the Gallery. “I wanted to bring that quality to the space,” Browne said.

While a lot of artist prefer to work on their art alone, Browne said he likes the idea of working on the paintings while other people are watching. “When they see me work they can come up to me and ask me questions.”

Asked if he liked working in public over working in private, he said, “it depends on the work. For the most part I’m pretty open to share that [experience] in an open space.”

The Visual Arts Gallery will exhibit Miles Browne’s collection, “Conversing with the Architect” until Oct. 18. The Gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

For more Gallery information, call (503) 491-7309. For more information about the Fireplace Gallery, reach Pam Kuretich at [email protected] or (503) 491-7260.