ButterflyRain, 48"w x 96"hA 5 year-old girl cannot stop drawing.  A 10-year old girl gets in trouble for doodling on her schoolwork.  A 12 year-old girl is compelled to do ART!  A 15 year-old girl sells her first drawing to another artist who reproduces it into something else!  An 18 year-old girl is urged to do something practical with her life…not just art.  Funny thing:  They’re all the same girl:  Corey Overholtzer West, one of Tuolumne County’s best known young and emerging artists.

Finally, at 23ish, Corey begged her family to let her do what she had always done, what she was inspired and driven to do.  Her grandfather agreed to send her to California College of the Arts. 

Now married to Will West with a 21-month old son, Corey paints full-time.  Well, not just paints…She sews…She sculpts…She builds…She makes jewelry.  This woman is a creation machine!  It is her life.

Currently Corey is showing at Banny’s Café & Wine Bar in the “Food for Thought” show where she took a First Place for Mixed Media.  Next week she opens in “The Returning Show II,” a showcase for young and emerging artists who grew up in Tuolumne County.  But THIS week, I interviewed Corey for yet ANOTHER SHOW…”ArtPrize” in Grand Rapids, MI.  Here is the article I wrote…

Sonora artist Corey West loves to push edges, to discover new ways of expressing herself through her art.  Now she has taken on a whole new challenge by entering an international art competition with over 1200 other artists showing in 159 different locations.  This week Corey crated and shipped Butterfly Rain to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for “ArtPrize,” a highly competitive show sponsored by the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation.

 “When we first heard of ‘ArtPrize,’ my husband urged me to compete,” explained Corey. “He wanted me to create my ultimate masterpiece.”  She reminded her husband that their son Joel, 21 months old, is that ultimate masterpiece. 

That is when Corey decided to paint a portrait of Joel for her entry. Butterfly Rain, a mixed media painting that measures 48” wide by 96” tall, depicts Joel’s face looking up at a butterfly.  “The theme of my painting is childhood’s innocence and the sublime wonder of our earliest experiences with nature.  In this case, I painted Joel transfixed by the image of a butterfly in flight.”

To heighten the impression Corey created a three-dimensional butterfly sculpture that is fixed to the painting in line with her baby’s gaze, eyes mesmerized by the dramatic focal point.  The 14” by 12” butterfly is composed from heavy-gauge wire, wrapped in delicate silver wire, then adorned with gemstones, jade, recycled glass, shells and ceramic shards.  It pops off of the painting, suspended in air.  Corey paints with a strong mark using a series of textural layers of acrylic paint, various high quality art papers, beads and artist-rendered stencils of ghost-like iridescent butterflies that float across the image. 

In its first year, “ArtPrize” is taking a radical approach by eliminating traditional judges and curators.  This art show’s mission is “to reboot the conversation between artists and audiences on a grand scale” (http://www.artprize.org/mission). The winners are selected by popular vote, rather than by judges with the stated intention to create an open dialogue and exchange between the public and artists. 

There will be at least two rounds of voting as competitors move up the ranks toward the final first prize of $250,000.  The final ten competitors will all receive significant cash awards. The sponsors and organizers realize that their method may generate discussion and perhaps dissent because of this non-traditional format, but they welcome that dialogue as a way to bring art to the general public on a level that engages action and response.

“This is a major step for me to push out my career and expand my audience,” stated Corey.  “Plus, I’ll be traveling to Grand Rapids to participate in this huge art reception.” Indoor and outdoor venues include The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, The Gillett Bridge, The Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, plus hotels, restaurants and churches.  Corey’s work will be on display at Monroe Community Church, a progressive new church, located in a downtown warehouse.

“This has been one of the most challenging tasks I’ve ever taken on in my career.  I hope the people of Grand Rapids appreciate my work.  I’m going forward with the knowledge that many fine artists will be competing with me,” Corey shared, then quickly added, “If any Tuolumne County people have friends and family in Grand Rapids, encourage them to attend.  I hope they’ll vote for my painting.”

 Corey has participated in many local and regional art shows, including Sonora Art Trails.  She has shown her work in New York City’s Chelsea District at The Agora Gallery.  Currently she exhibits in downtown Sonora at Backspace, 67 S. Washington Street and at The Ventana Gallery, 19 W. Bradford Avenue.

She paints at Studio West, 19312 Industrial Drive in East Sonora, where Corey also does high-end matting and framing.  To visit her studio, call for an appointment at (209)533-4278.  Corey’s website address is www.coreywest.artspan.com.

 

UPDATE:  In the interest of transparency and full disclosure, I’ve been reminded that I should let all readers know that I am helping Corey with art promotion.   We have also discussed that I work as her art representative, along with one other artist, Geoff Wynne Fine Art Photography www.geoffwynne.com.   That said, I’m just learning how to do this kind of work and I’m not very good at it (yet).