In the course of this story, I will first seemingly dissuade you from seeing “The Art of Mt. Shasta,” opening today at Turtle Bay, and then wholeheartedly persuade you to see it, even if I have to pick you up and drive you there. I would advise you to see it as soon as you can and as many times as you can.
First, the bit that shouldn’t really dissuade you: The show and its presentation, from my not-expert-at-all opinion, is a bit disjointed, could have been better organized either thematically or chronologically, is a bit austere for North State audiences and does not accurately portray the richness and sincerity of “Sudden and Solitary: Mt. Shasta and its Artistic Legacy,” the book, authored by the show’s guest curators, on which the show is based.
Now for the big, huge persuasion tactic: This is a mind-blowing collection of art, books, travel brochures, even a fun pair of skis, poles and winter clothes circa 1945, that was a gift to Turtle Bay from Ann Hunt. It is a collection of work that spans 160 years, represents an era of grand, European-style art, artists as chroniclers of history, a golden age of travel and most importantly, the historical, emotional and spiritual significance of the mountain we all live in the shadow of. Hang out with the individual pieces of this show, and the austerity of the gallery and the show’s presentation will shed away.
“Mt. Shasta is wonderfully big. In the winter, it’s completely white and snowy, in summer dry and brown with a cap of white. In all seasons its presence stretches the imagination because something that big doesn’t seem to belong to our normal frame of reference. Artists notice this grand scale better than others, and try to capture it.”
Use this excerpt from “Sudden and Solitary” by William C. Miesse with Robyn G. Peterson, the show’s guest-curators as your frame of reference when you visit “The Art of Mt. Shasta.” The collection of paintings, prints, lithographs and memorabilia celebrating our majestic mountain represents work by artists depicting Mt. Shasta in a spectrum of traditions. The show was assembled from the art collection at Turtle Bay and from private collections across the country.
Mt. Shasta was a symbol for California long before many of our most celebrated national parks, and attracted Bay Area artists of national caliber. Alfred Thomas Agate created the earliest piece in the collection, an 1841 ink wash on paper, as he journeyed overland from the Columbia River to Sutter’s Fort as part of the Wilkes Expedition. (Sorry, no time for a history lesson. Google it.) Most early explorations included artists to chronicle the journey and a steel engraving of the original ink wash on paper, used for the Wilkes Expedition report is the earliest known published image of Mt. Shasta. It is exhibited with the original and is just one example of a reproduction created for reports, promotional publications, newspapers and periodicals. Other interesting reproductions include illustrated articles from Harper’s Weekly, Scribners and a medley of colorful, graphic travel brochures.
The exhibit hall is eclipsed by a 6′ x 10′ 1879 master work, “Mt. Shasta and Spirit Lake,” on loan from the collection from the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles. But equally impressive are smaller works, including an 1869 oil on canvas and its steel engraving by Robert Swain Gifford that was included in Picturesque America, an 1872 publication designed to use art as a medium to bring American nature into homes. It hangs in juxtaposition to “We Are All Sacred,” a 2001 lithograph, the most modern piece in the show, among a group of works by Frank La Pena. La Pena’s work represents the combined experiences of native artists and Mt. Shasta’s status as a place with immense spiritual significance.
In the end, I will say once again: If you live in the North State or have experienced the power and majesty of Mt. Shasta, you should not miss this show. But I will leave it up to William Miesse, author and guest curator to describe the essence of “The Art of Mt. Shasta:”
“Mt. Shasta’s grandeur has been part of Californians’ process of defining themselves, who they are and where they live. To understand the way artists have portrayed the mountain is to rediscover the value of the place itself. Perhaps the present study will give both newcomers to the subject and those who know the Mt. Shasta region well a chance to see and feel it as others before them have.”
What: The Art of Mt. Shasta
Where: Koenig Family Art Gallery, Turtle Bay Exploration Park
When: Jan. 16 to May 2
Cost: Free with park admission
Adam Mankoski is a recent North State transplant who feels completely at home here. He enjoys experiencing and writing about the people, places and things that embody the free spirit of the State of Jefferson. He and his partner own HawkMan Studios and are the creators of Redding’s 2nd Saturday ArtHop. Email your Norths State events to adamm.anewscafe@gmail.com.
