Museum Exhibits, Sells 450 5X5 Art Pieces

The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art celebrates its 10th anniversary with a fundraising exhibition, “5x5: Celebrating Ten Years,” which features about 450, five-inch-square works of art from Dec. 3-18. The art will be available for purchase through an online auction at westmont.edu/museum/5x5 that ends Friday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m.

The exhibition, which benefits the museum’s art programs, features renowned artists Charles Arnoldi, Jessica Stockholder, Chakaia Booker, Lesley Dill, Barry McGee and Billy Al Bengston.

“I’ve been overjoyed by the generous response to our fundraiser from Santa Barbara artists as well as nationally known artists,” says Judy L. Larson, Askew professor of art history and museum director. “We are grateful for their willingness to support the museum’s educational outreach efforts, especially during such challenging and uncertain times.”

The exhibition features artwork in a variety of media, including oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, ink, printmaking, drawing, photography and collage. Pieces range from abstraction to figurative works featuring landscapes, still life, animal subjects and more.

“The quality and creativity of these small works have delighted me, and I believe visitors to the virtual exhibition will be impressed as well,” says Chris Rupp, museum curator and coordinator of the online auction.

The museum opened during the 2010-11 season with an art collection of 453 objects valued at $2 million, which has now grown to 1,545, valued at more than $15 million. The most noteworthy gift came from Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, who donated works from her collection of Barbizon artists, including nine paintings by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. The Berger family from Los Angeles donated 22 Rembrandt prints of Old Testament subjects.

The museum is open by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule a visit, please email museum@westmont.edu, or for more information, please visit westmont.edu/museum.