January Artist of The Month at BIW: Eric Ahnmark "Wonder of Rock" An exhibit of fourteen photos depicting landscape photography across the United States, "Wonder of Rock: Images of the West" will be displayed on the walls of Berkeley Ironworks for the month of January. The exhibit is Eric Ahnmark's second showing at the gym.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Ahnmark became obsessed with the western United States taking many spring and summer trips to the desert southwest. Ahnmark spent two years working for the National Park Service in Tuscon, where his passion for the desert mixed with a new found desire to photograph. Ahnmark worked to capture the silhouettes of Saguaro cacti, the colors of the rock, and the beauty of the Grand Canyon State.



Stop by Berkeley Ironworks to see Ahnmark's wonderful pictures.
To see more of his work, check out Ahnmark's website.

Labels: Artist of the Month, Berkeley Ironworks, Eric Ahnmark

  ¶ Thursday, January 13, 2011 0 Comments

  Ironworks Artist of the Month: Sam Miller The Berkeley Ironworks artist of the month for March is Sam Miller. Check out her piece and a little about her.



Sam Miller has spent her entire life creating art. For the past 15 years, she has been honored by local communities and private institutions for her murals, painting, sculpture, and photography. She has taught thousands of elementary school students how to unleash the artist in themselves while teaching teachers how to make art a powerful tool for change. Sam fervently believes that everything is “artable.” Much to her mother’s chagrin, Sam even turned her car into a mobile canvas.

Currently, she devotes her time working closely with clients who commission personalized wall hangings. Each piece is tailored to the heart and aesthetic of each client. Clients choose from a variety of techniques and media such as realistic portraiture, layered fabric, abstract painting, digital photography, linoleum block printing, etching, embroidery, hand-beading, and/or quilting. Clients also decide their level of involvement in their piece. Some wish to take part in each step of the process; others want to know the broad strokes, and there are those who seek to be surprised at the unveiling of their piece.

It is Sam’s gift to make art which honors what people deeply love; it is her passion to make art that also heals. Each commissioned piece centers around what one loves – family, pets, memories, experiences, nature. This love creates a connection between one’s heart and the art. Simply looking at the wall hanging can open and soften one’s heart. Globally, the connection transmits loving energy that has the power to restore the balance of our planet.

Love lives in our hearts and is the fabric that holds us together. Sam Miller‘s gift is give this love a visual home.

Labels: Artist of the Month, Berkeley Ironworks, Sam Miller

  ¶ Tuesday, March 09, 2010 0 Comments

  Artist of the Month at Berkeley Ironworks

From an article in the Oakland Tribune, July 2008 - Topo is a little bear who dreams of grand adventures. He makes elaborate plans, collects the necessary gear, but never actually embarks on any of these adventures. Topo is a character in Mike Dutton's new comic strip,"One Swoop Fell."

"It's kind of autobiographical," Dutton says.

For the past year, I've been publishing an online comic called One Swoop Fell. Although the main characters are anthropomorphic and the story is slightly fantasy-based, you'll probably recognize locations from around Berkeley, like Marmot Mountain Works, Joshu-Ya, or the Homemade Cafe. And while the story is lighthearted, the themes might hit close to home as well, as I explore restlessness, the ever-present travel bug, and the difference between escapism and the active pursuit of happiness. I hope you'll enjoy these few pages on display along with my other illustrations, and be inspired to take on that adventure you've been daydreaming about, whether it's a weekend trip, tackling the garden, or taking a moment to slow down and just enjoy where you are.

To see Mike's illustrations, visit his website at www.DuttonArt.net. His online comic can be found at www.OneSwoopFell.com. It is updated on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Labels: Artist of the Month, Mike Dutton, One Swoop Fell

  ¶ Thursday, July 02, 2009 0 Comments

  Featured Artist @ Berkeley Ironworks
Here's a heads up about an art installation at our Berkeley Ironworks gym that will be up for the entire month of April. If you're anywhere in or around the area, do stop in and check out our Featured Artist for the month of April, Luke Keegan.

Luke takes brilliant photographs and recently was kind enough to give us his own artist's statement that accompanies his April showing. Here's what he had to say:

The many possible approaches to photography allow one to capture or create, to represent or reflect, to tell a story or omit the unwanted details. I make it my goal to record the feeling of a moment, to find the image that will evoke a universal sense of appreciation that exists within the individual uniqueness of each viewer. Famous photographers have referred to 'the decisive moment', when the light, perspective, composition, and subject come together to create an extra dimension within the frame. This synergy, though elusive, is ever present in even the most ordinary moments, and is hunted by photographers across the globe. Perhaps the most hackneyed of all genres of photography, landscapes are often devoid of this momentary spirit. It is a difficult genre to approach with not much room for novelty in this digital age. I believe the images that I've chosen to hang for you portray an extra dimension, and hope that they also evoke some spirit within you.

See my photos at: Vá ver as minhas fótos lá no site: www.pbase.com/locolukas

So, stop in, check out the great art, and enjoy a day of climbing and fitness at Berkeley Ironworks. Hope to see you in soon.

Labels: Artist of the Month, Arts, Berkeley Ironworks, Events, Featured Artist

  ¶ Tuesday, March 31, 2009 0 Comments

  DRG's New Artist of the Month for April
April is right around the corner and with that, our Diablo Rock Gym is going to have a brand new Artist of the Month that will be featured for the entire month. If her name, or her work sounds familiar, it should, she was actually one of our featured artists at Mission Cliffs. We loved her work so much we asked her back to Diablo Rock Gym for April.

Here's a bit about the artist, Leila Chirayath Janah, and what you can expect to see throughout April at DRG:

"Leila Chirayath Janah hails from a family of artists. Her uncle, the Bengali photographer Sunil Janah, documented the people’s struggles against colonialism and the emergence of independent India after 1947. Her grandparents, Christiane Zeebroek and Ashis Janah, founded one of the India’s most respected pottery houses and produced commercial work from the 1950s to the 1980s in their Calcutta studio.

Janah began taking photographs in her teens during her travels in over fifty countries, mainly in the developing world. She developed a passion for photography after living and teaching in a small village in Ghana, where she learned the importance of images in forming personal narratives, particularly among people whose stories are often overlooked by history books and mainstream media.

After receiving a BA in African Development Studies from Harvard, Janah founded Samasource, a social enterprise that helps marginalized small business owners in Africa and rural Asia connect to clients. She lives in San Francisco and continues to photograph boxers."

Stop in, check it out and enjoy the show.

Labels: Artist of the Month, Arts, Diablo Rock Gym, Featured Artist, Photographer, Photography

  ¶ Friday, March 27, 2009 0 Comments

  Art Exhibit At Mission Cliffs This Friday I wanted to give you all a heads up for an art exhibition that we currently have going on at our Mission Cliffs gym. It started Wednesday, and features photography from Leila Chirayath Janah.

Here is a brief bio and Artists Statement, if you're in the area, take a few minutes to stop in and check out the photography.

"Leila Chirayath Janah is a boxing enthusiast, amateur photographer, and former travel writer for the Let's Go guidebook series in Brazil, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa. She has lived, worked, and traveled in over 50 countries. Leila currently resides in San Francisco and works at Samasource, a startup social enterprise that helps small technology firms in marginalized communities."

Have a great weekend, don't forget to send us in some of your very own climbing videos. We want to see all of the great climbing our members are doing in and out of the gym.

Labels: Artist of the Month, Arts, Featured Artist, mission cliffs

  ¶ Friday, February 20, 2009 0 Comments

  Measure Your Ape Index @ Diablo Rock Gym
Did you know that in climbing, the more Ape you are, the better? That's right, your ape index actually says a lot. If you've never heard of an ape index, don't worry, you're not the first, and you certainly won't be the last. Here's a quick update to let you know that for the entire month of February at Diablo Rock Gym we have an interactive art project going on that helps you measure your ape index.

Now, a quick primer:

"Ever wondered what your Ape Index is? Well this month at the DRG you can find out what it is and see how you compare to other climbers. The Ape Index is an informal measure of one's armspan relative to height. Among rock climbers it is seen as desirable to have an arm span that exceeds one's height. Your ape index can be calculated by the subtracting your height from your armspan. The greater the number, the higher your ape index. So come on down and measure yours today - While you still can! "

So if you're in the area head in and get measured, if you're a member, take a few minutes after your next climb or workout and log your ape index. See how you all stack up.

Labels: Ape Index, Artist of the Month, climbing, Diablo Rock Gym, Interactive Project

  ¶ Monday, February 16, 2009 1 Comments

  A Few Days Left For Art Showing @ Diablo Rock Gym
Just a quick note and a big thank you to Danny Grace for all of his art he had up at Diablo Rock Gym! He had to take the art down the other day and we just wanted to say Thank You for the showing. In case you didn't know, or were some of the unfortunate few that didn't get a chance to check it out, we were featuring photography from an amazingly talented photographer, Danny Grace.

Here is his artist bio and note, it's great to get a little insight into the man behind the lens. If you missed out, don't worry, February will feature some amazing interactive art from our very own Patti Phillips!:

"Photography has been life long passion of mine. I have always enjoyed having beautiful photo’s to remember the place’s we have been. Only recently with retirement have I been able to take this passion of mine to another level and accomplish a dream to share beautiful moments in time with more than just my family and friends. I have been published in magazines, books, newspapers and a calendar. I also have had the privilege to have an art show and have a photo shown on the news for channel 5. You may have already seen my photo’s as they are displayed at several different businesses. I hope that when you look at my work you can have fond memories of time spend in these places or have dreams of going there yourself. I want to inspire people to dream and live their dreams. I hope that you will enjoy the work and maybe want to share it with your family and friends as well."

Labels: Artist of the Month, Arts, Diablo Rock Gym, Featured Artist, Photography

  ¶ Wednesday, January 28, 2009 0 Comments

  Artist of the Month @ Berkeley Ironworks
In case you haven't stopped into our Berkeley Ironworks gym for a little while, I want to fill you in on some awesome news you just might have overlooked! As you know, all of our gyms here at Touchstone Climbing are dedicated to not only helping our communities get into amazing shape, and providing them with the Best climbing walls and exercise facilities possible, we're also here to help promote and publicize some of our local artists that show exceptional talent.

This month, at Berkeley Ironworks, we're proud and pleased to feature the art of Vanda Rotkovska, an amazingly talented photographer. Here is a little bit about Vanda, so you'll know where she is coming from when you stop in to check out her art:

My artistic training in the very early years was mostly born out of absolute boredom. My parents would drop me off at someone’s house on many a weekend, TV was a rarity, books were often left at home or already read and re-read, but a pencil and paper could always be scrounged up. Since my mid teens I have often used photography as a reference point for the imagery incessantly floating around my head waiting to be transferred to canvas or paper. This particular collection of photographs is my reflection on going home. As a child raised during the communist regime in the former Czechoslovakia, my memories of those years and places were tinged with certain grayness. Although my childhood was not a terribly unhappy one, there was always a sense of hopelessness and deterioration in the places we lived, and the people we knew. After leaving the city for the countryside I also soon had to put away my B&W film camera in order to try and capture some of the colour that had obviously faded from my recollections. Though I still very much gravitate to the quiet places that remind me of a different time, they now seem a little brighter even with all their imperfections. To contact Vanda, email her at: orchidmedusa@yahoo.com

Stop in, say hello, check out the amazing art work and do some climbing while you're at it!

Labels: Artist of the Month, Berkeley Ironworks, Featured Artist, Photography

  ¶ Thursday, January 15, 2009 0 Comments