around town Art Scene Dixon currently shows her artwork at Gallery 621 in Benicia. She has been a guest artist/member at numerous studios, most recently at Happy Life Pottery in Benicia, the Sacramento Art Foundry, the Epperson Gallery in Crockett, Tony Natsoulas’ Sacramento studio, and the Berkeley Pot Studio. She developed the bronze foundry at the Benicia Camel Barns with Jerry Goss. She has been represented by the John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis and the Gregory Ghent Gallery in San Francisco. Her many exhibitions throughout California include retrospectives at the Richmond Art Center and San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. Keeping the legacy of Benicia art alive through the “Museum of Art” project is an idea Dixon has been championing for some time. She was a driving force in bringing an exhibition of outstanding ceramic talent to Gallery 621 in 2014, in Transmigrational: Ceramics from the Corridor. “So many wonderful artists have come of age in Benicia, and we need to make certain this local history is preserved through their art.” She credits mayor Elizabeth Patterson with helping to create City of Benicia Lifetime Achievement awards, presented to Neri and Arneson at a Gallery 621 ceremony in 2014. Other project goals, such as acquiring a property for installing outdoor sculpture, have not yet come to pass. She continues to advocate for artists and for bringing exceptional art to Benicia. “That’s who I am, what I am about.” Dixon found ways to continue her art practice during the past two years without access to a ceramic studio. While
She continues to advocate for artists and for bringing exceptional art to Benicia. “That’s who I am, what I am about.” sheltering in place at home, she used surfaces in her kitchen and dining room to work, using coldprocessing with oils, stains, and dry pigments. “I had to wait on some pieces for an opportunity to use a kiln, but otherwise, I’ve never stopped working,” she notes. Arts Benicia is located at 1 Commandant’s Lane, in the Commanding Officer’s Quarters in the Benicia Arsenal. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 pm. To learn more about Arts Benicia’s exhibitions and about Pam Dixon, please visit artsbenicia.org and pamdixon.net. B
W A G N E R AT T H E E M P R E S S
The Show Goes On! n Genevieve Hand In January, we ran an article about the Empress Theatre reopening and hosting an evening of music by the composer Richard Wagner. Unfortunately, Covid restrictions prevented that show from taking place. Now, however, it has been rescheduled and the show will go on, Saturday, July 9th. The program features Canadian-American soprano, Othalie Graham, whose star has been quickly rising in the world of opera. Known for her commitment to Wagnerian repertoire, she is consistently recognized not only for her powerful voice, but also her musicality and interpretive imagination. The Vallejo Festival Orchestra will accompany Ms. Graham. The conductor for this program is the Grammy award-winning Thomas Conlin, whose symphonic and operatic leading work has spanned five continents and accumulated much praise. The concert will include excerpts from Tannhaeuser, Tristan und Isolde, Die Walkuere, Lohengrin, The Flying Dutchman and Die Meistersinger von Nuremberg. Further details about the concert, Othalie Graham, and Thomas Conlin can be found in our January 2022 issue, or at empresstheatre.org. B
July 9, 2022 at 7:30pm | Reserved seating only
Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia Street, Vallejo, CA 94590 Tel: 707.552.2400 | Tix: https://www.ticketfairy.com/event/ the-greatest-wagner-concert-ever-15jan2022
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