Art on the theme of flags by Peter Foley and Jeremy Dean at the Floating Museum in Alameda, CA. Photos – courtesy of Hall Art and Technology Foundation ©
On June 8th, 2024, the Hall Art and Technology Foundation (HAT) unveils its “Rising Tides” exhibition at the Floating Museum in Alameda, CA. This unique art experience, set on a river barge, showcases contemporary paintings, sculptures, and installations themed around the cycles of change.
The Floating Museum, perfectly situated on a river barge, offers a unique perspective for viewing both the art and the surrounding water. The exhibition title, “Rising Tides,” reflects the ever-changing nature of the tides in Alameda and the Pacific Ocean, serving as a metaphor for environmental and social transformations. The hopeful message behind the rising tide suggests that, despite challenging times, improvement is on the horizon.
Memory Garden 1 by Mildred Howard at the Floating Art Museum, Alameda CA ©
“Rising Tides” explores how we navigate difficult periods marked by climate change and social-political polarization. Featuring works from thirty artists, the exhibition delves into these themes through sections titled “Rising Tides,” “Threads,” and “Seaworthiness.”
Highlighted pieces include Peter Foley’s “Bandana,” an expressive, flag-like painting on raw canvas, and Jeremy Dean’s reimagined American flag stitched with rainbow colours to represent the LGBTQ community. Julia Couzens’ “Off the Grid” uses yarn, rope, and tule to challenge traditional materials. Legendary Bay Area artists Mildred Howard and M. Louise Stanley also feature prominently. Howard’s “Memory Garden House” is a miniature house constructed from 450 bottles, while Stanley’s “Melancholia,” inspired by Durer, reflects on contemporary issues like the Covid pandemic with a self-portrait of the artist dancing to uplift a weary angel.
On the Line, painting by Ana Theresa Fernandez, 2023, at the Floating Art Museum in Alameda, California ©
About David Hall and Marta Thoma Hall
The Hall Art and Technology Foundation is spearheaded by visionary Bay Area leaders Marta Thoma Hall and David Hall. David Hall, an inventor and entrepreneur, founded Velodyne Acoustics LLC and Velodyne Lidar Inc., receiving the Smithsonian Inventor of the Year Award in 2018. Marta Thoma Hall, who established the World Safety Summit for Autonomous Cars in 2017, manages the HAT Foundation while continuing her artistic endeavours.
The foundation aims to merge futuristic technology and art, promoting future exhibitions, events, and public education to inspire and engage the community.
In the Forest, collage and oil by Marta Thoma Hall at Gallery 2, Floating Art Museum in Alameda, CA ©
Artists featured: Chie Aoki, Whitney Bradshaw, Rolando Castellon, Enrique Chagoya, Carl Cheng, Julia Couzens, Dewey Crumpler, Jeremy Dean, Kathryn Dunlevie, Ana Teresa Fernandez, Pete Foley, Marta Thoma Hall, Jud Hart, Valerie Hegarty, Archana Horsting, Mildred Howard, Kazuo Kadonaga, Carol Law, Carrie Lederer, Linda MacDonald, Kara Maria, Tony May, Blessing Ngobeni, Pat Perry, Maria Porges, Michele Pred, Lucy Puls, Gregory Rick, M. Louise Stanley, Masami Teraoka, Watchery, Archana Horsting, Carol Benioff, Kim Thoman
Artists represented in the exhibition hail from Japan, South Africa, Costa Rica, Mexico, New York, Chicago, Hawaii, as well as from cities in California.
Art with rope, yarn, tule, and stitchery by Julia Couzens on the left and Watchery with yarn and oil on art print, on the right at the Floating Art Museum, Alameda, CA ©
