The Beverly Hills artSHOW returns to the city for the 46th year in a row. Taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19 and 20, at Beverly Gardens Park, the upcoming art fair will feature some 250 artists, including three local Beverly Hills artists.
“Our art show is a beloved experience in our city. It brings out what we love most about our communitya sense of family, creativity, connection and fun,” said City Councilwoman Lili Bosse.
Beverly Hills artSHOW manager Karen McLean said she was particularly excited to have seasoned artist, Nick Scalisi, and the youngest artist, Justine Manesh, both from Beverly Hills, join the show for the first time this year.
“We are also happy to have Beverly Hills resident and Jewish-American artist, Judy Zimbert, return this year after being in the show twice before,” she said.
Held each May and October, the free show features original works by artists who exhibit and sell their work in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, watercolor, photography, mixed media, ceramics, jewelry, drawing and printmaking.
Local artist Judy Zimbert (https://judyzimbert.com), who has lived in Beverly Hills since
1995 in a home art studio she converted out of one of the few remaining carriage houses (with stalls) left in the city, is a prolific creator of evocative, colorful works made from the application of multitudinous layers of paint.
“I have spent most of the last twenty-plus years in my studio,” Zimbert notes in her artist’s statement. “Life goes in and out of it, but the tone of the work, the mark-making, as such, doesn’t change that much. It juxtaposes differently, assumes more complex positions in space and shows new colors. She aims to translate the emotional quality of everyday and current events and to weave a visual narrative for her viewer, inviting that viewer to immerse himself or herself into a shared emotional experience.”
Inspired by the post-war angst of such painters as Lucien Freud and Frank Auerbach and the German Expressionist art movement, Zimbert said her paintings use symbolism to evoke meaning and human traits. Through her own complex artistic process of removing and restoring layers of paint, Zimbert attempts to capture the ambiguous nature of existence and infuse each piece with emotion while expressing intensity, place and mood.
Born in Italy, Nick Scalisi (www.saatchiart.com/nistka) travelled extensively across the globe before settling down in Beverly Hills.
“The Beverly Hills artSHOW has been around for a long time and considered one of the premiere art shows,” he says. “What better way for me to connect with art lovers and enthusiasts and other artists. I’m inspired by my connections to people and their stories.”
After studying at the Accademia Di Belle Art and La Sapienza in Rome, Italy and Boston University, in Boston, Massachusetts, in the early 1980s Scalisi moved to Australia where he produced several paintings for private collectors and began work in fashion design. His abstract work, influenced by Australian Aborigine art, was key to his fashion label, Cheap Thrill, which proved to be a hit in the new wave/punk era. Subsequently, Scalisi’s clothing was featured in movies and television shows and worn by stars including Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Adrian Brody, with his line carried by stores including Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom and Fred Segal.
Photographer Justine Manesh (www.justinemanesh.com), the youngest artist in the upcoming show, has been passionate about photography since she purchased her first camera at the age of 12. Her discerning eye enables her to capture powerful portraits and images from the street, along with landscapes.
“My photographs that will be in the Beverly Hills artSHOW were mostly taken in Havana, Cuba, where I traveled to in July and was stunned by the optimism and resilience of the Cuban people, despite their current governmental circumstances,” says Manesh (Beverly Hills High School Class of 2012), noting that she is motivated to bring a voice to humanity and to highlight the preciousness of life itself. “In my work, it was my goal to authentically shed light on the life there without judgement or the biased eyes of an outsider.”
Amid the upcoming artist displays and demonstrations, which will run along Santa Monica Boulevard from Rodeo Drive to Rexford Drive, the free artSHOW will also feature food trucks, a wine garden, a beer garden, family art projects, and live music. Parking is available in city lots just south of Santa Monica Boulevard, adjacent to the show site.
For more information, visit www.beverlyhills.org/artshow.
