Español
January 12, 2025
by Linda Kunik
I've always had a love of art. With a wealth of art history under my belt, I became a docent in the Beverly Hills school system and at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. One day, after seven years there, I said to myself, "I'm tired of talking about art, I want to make art." So, at the age of 52, I enrolled at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.
I had a very fruitful life before going to art school. After graduating, in addition to launching a very successful artistic career, I created O Salon. The group, which in Los Angeles, has met every two to three months for the last 18 years, started out as an artist critique group. Featured artists came in and presented their work, and then the group would offer its critique.
Over time the critique faded out and O Salon became two artists coming in and presenting their works, each being given a period of time to take about and show their work and process. It also became a social gathering. It now encompasses not only visual artists, but filmmakers, performing artists, poets, writers, museum directors—every type of genre that you can think of.
It's become very popular and well-known. Every month sees 15-20 artist requesting permission to show at the salon There's a strong vetting process, as we are always trying to show the best and the newest of talents. With over 400 members and some 800 people on the mailing list, it just keeps growing and growing. It's now very well known in California and throughout the U.S.
The session is about three hours long. There's a little meet and greet for the first 45 minutes. People normally bring food or drink to share. Then, the first scheduled artist presents from 35 to 40 minutes, normally showing some physical artwork and then a slideshow with their artistic arc and journey—their process. Then, there's a little break and again people socialize. After the break, the next artist presents their work in the same format.
A gathering place for artists, one of the more interesting things that results from it is that different types of artists begin to collaborate. They meet at O Salon and six months later they'll say, "You know, I'm doing something with somebody that I met at the salon." They might be a writer and the other person might be a visual artist or visual performing artist and they start working together. While networking wasn't the intent, O Salon has turned into a great networking opportunity.
In LA the attendance is sometimes 80 people. Then, it's standing room only. And it's getting bigger all the time. It's absolutely fabulous.
San Miguel is not LA, but we have a lot of artists here. So Rodney Millar, the founder of Yambu Gallery Privada, and I got the idea of bringing O Salon to SMA, calling it O Salon Sur. San Miguel has such a diverse group of artists covering all genres. There are many writers, filmmakers, dancers. Practically everyone is a visual artist. I'll be shepherding O Salon Sur with the help of Rodney Millar.
O Salon Sur is about dialogue, a serious dialogue, not just showing work, but talking about the arc and the process for the work, how you arrived, what it was like, what happened, what it's like now, what it might become. It's beautiful. After their presentation, every artist has always told me how much they've enjoyed the experience.
Starting and guiding O Salon in LA has been terrifically rewarding. And it's been very valuable to the many people who present and attend. I look forward to O Salon Sur taking root here in San Miguel.
***
Linda Kunik will be showing her work along with another California artist, Karen Daly Swan at Yambu Gallery Privada, Las Palmas 11, Colonia San Antonio, Thursday, January 16, 5-8pm
Read the article
***
O Salon Sur, inauguration
Linda Kunik & Karen Daly Swan, presenting
Yambu Gallery Privada, Saturday, January 18, 3-6pm
(doors open 2:30)
**************
Linda Kunik: I grew up in an unincorporated area near Bloomingdale, Illinois, where I went to school, graduated Salutatorian of my high school graduating class, while helping raise my 5 younger siblings, helping my mother clean the house, do the laundry, start dinner, cut the lawn. There was some time for play, but there was a lot of work. At 17, I went off to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to become a high school Spanish teacher.
When I graduated, there was actually a surplus of teachers. Knowing I needed a job I became a Playboy bunny at the Chicago club. Fortunately, a couple of teaching jobs came through, but people at both schools found out I was a bunny. Oh well, what could I do?
I became an artist late in life. When my daughters were young, I became an art docent in the Beverly Hills school system. After seven years there I became a docent at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, but then realized I wanted to make art more than just talk about it. I started drawing and studied watercolor in France and Italy. Wanting to explore conceptual art, I went to Otis College of Art and Design, where I received my degree in 2006, starting my professional artistic career.
I joined Los Angeles Art Association soon after and started exhibiting my work. Thanks to Peter Mays, the Director, who liked and believed in my work, I started showing my work at Gallery 825 and many other venues in southern California. I applied to many many shows. I didn't get into all of them. I knew it was a numbers game. The more places you apply to, the more chances of being seen and accepted. It worked.
Then at one point, I felt stuck. I would get an idea and make a piece of work, but it wasn't going to be a body of work. What to do? I decided to buy the book The Artist's Way and started doing the lessons, including making a list of my goals and what I wanted out of my art career. To this day, I have accomplished all but one goal. I'm still working on it. But all the other goals, to make interesting work, to travel and exhibit in New York and internationally, to do Art Basel, and Art Basel Miami, to take part in international residencies, to make friends through these residencies and art exhibitions. I'm doing it all. I have a very full, stimulating life. I am very thankful.
**************
*****
Please contribute to Lokkal,
SMA's online collective:
***
Discover Lokkal:
Watch the two-minute video below.
Then, just below that, scroll down SMA's Community Wall.
Mission
Visit SMA's Social Network
Contact / Contactar
