Art Exhibit

This year, the Yucca Valley Film Festival will offer an art exhibit for the first time.

This showing will include local artists, out of state artists, and international artists, alongside with a selection of film posters in competition for “best movie poster”.

Some pieces will presented in person, some will be showing digitally.

The opening of the art exhibit is Friday, Nov 11, at 6:30pm, at the Community Center in Yucca Valley.

ART PHOTOGRAPHY

SERIES “Desert Memory Of Water” by GILLYAN THORBURN

Gillyan Thorburn has been exploring Joshua Tree
National Park since she moved to the High Desert at
the end of 2012.

Her late grandmother introduced her to shapes, colors and textures through the traditional Sabunese (Indonesia) sarongs, which express their connection to their ancestors and to the land as well as Oral Traditions.

In the past 5 years she has blended her love and curiosity about the desert and her love for photography to tell nature-telling stories.

Her late grandmother’s
influence can be seen in her photography.

DESERT ENCHANTMENT

A rare occasion when thick fog blanketed the desert floor.

WISDOM

This is an important site in our desert where desert animal will come for food and drink.

DESERT REFLECTIONS

The historical Barker Dam in early 2022.

WINTER BOULDERS

After a rare snowstorm in January 2021.

SERIES BY DENISE VASQUEZ

Denise Vasquez is a published photographer and pluri-dimensional artist, based in Yucca Valley, CA.

Born and raised in New York City, Denise left home at the age of seventeen and has been traveling the world since. Having lived in Scotland, London, the US Virgin Islands, and California, her experiences have led her to share her journey through art, writing, music and photography.

Denise’s photography features colorful moments as they really occur and her Photos have been published in Big bear guide, National Geographic Yourshot, Canon Photo Plus magazine, Fine Art America, and many more.

More of her work on Instagram and on her website.

“Sunset Stroll” Photography by Denise Vasquez

“Blooming In The Snowl” Photography by Denise Vasquez

SERIES BY TOM WINDEKNECHT

Tom Windeknecht creates colorful and vivid photographic images inspired by his experiences in the California desert.

Residing in Yucca Valley, he uses a vibrant palette of hues, mainly in pinks and blues, to transform his photos into polychromatic works of art.

His images are then fused onto glossy acrylic.

Tom has a strong presence on his Instagram account at @TomWindeknecht and is a Google Ambassador for their award-winning Google Pixel phones and a member of Google’s #teampixel.

His website.

Joshua Tree with Pink Sky

Magenta Saguaro

SERIES BY ART MORTIMER

I grew up in San Diego County and spent much of my adult life in Santa Monica and Los Angeles.

I am considered one of the originators of the mural movement in Los Angeles that started in the 1970s. Since then I have painted murals all over California as well as in other parts of the country. I have created well over 100 murals in my career.

I moved to Twentynine Palms and the Morongo Basin in January, 2013, and have come to love the desert, its majesty, and its energy. In my paintings I work to
capture and express that majesty and energy. I currently have 5 murals in Twentynine Palms as part of the Twentynine Palms Mural Program.

My paintings have always been focused on expressing what to me is the essence of my subject matter, whether it is landscape, people, wildlife, or anything else.

Website: artmortimer.com

Joshua Tree Fantasy

Roy’s Place

Desert Refresher

Desert Barrels

Bighorn Ram 2

SERIES BY RANDY ALAN WOODS

“I live in Phoenix, AZ and have enjoyed capturing the magic that the desert has to offer. I didn’t always consider myself an artist but I started to connect myself and my camera to the beautiful seasons of the desert and haven’t looked back since.”

See more of his work on @randalf and randywoods.smugmug.com.

Cacti, Bolt, Bow.

Lightning Superstitions

Monsoon Carefree Highway Rainbow

Supes and bolt

ANDREA GLUCKMAN

Andrea is an international award-winning photographer and writer who uses her platforms of academics, activism, and art to witness and leverage the stories of communities devastated by mass violence through the power and function of art.

Her work has been recognized by and exhibited in Photographer’s Forum, World Organization of Photography Awards, the International Photography Awards, the Los Angeles Photo Awards as well as in Bulgaria, Greece and Slovenia.

She works collaboratively with artists specializing in different modalities, particularly through the Remnants project, based in New York.

Desert Shaft

SERIES CATALINA ISLAND BY JULIA MOMTAZEE

Julia Momtazee has been practicing photography since she was 14 years old, with a focus on wildlife, history, and nature.

Most of her shots are taken on her travels, though she is based in Los Angeles, California. Through her photography, she hopes to communicate the beauty in all aspects of the world.

Catalina Island has year-round hot temperatures, with little rain gracing the island.

Not only has the wildlife there adapted to live in these dry conditions, but the landscape correlates with the hot temperatures. In this photography series, I hoped to encompass the landscape and animals of Catalina Island.

SERIES “DESERT” BY OLGA TREHUB, UKRAINE

Olga Trehub is a professional storyteller and photographer from Ukraine.

She finds inspiration in sincere human emotions and the atmosphere of the moment, which always tell viewers a true story.

She came to the U.S. with her daughter a few months ago, they fled the war, and after a cold, painful Ukrainian February, the California desert gave them a warm embrace and beautiful sunny pictures.

More of her work on Instagram.

Hot and passion desert meets everyone with hugs (but you can only take a breath early morning or late evening).

JEN SHAKTI

Jen Shakti has been painting and making art her whole life. She was raised in an artistic family of at least 4 generations.

Jen’s earliest memory was the smell of oil paint and turpentine, watching from her crib as her mother painted. Jen’s father shared with her his love of the desert.

Through camping trips and hikes, the Mojave desert has always been a place of peace and comfort.

“Nature is the foundation of my spiritual path. I paint the unusual details of plants and animals, history and geology that sparks my imagination. My artwork showcases the personality of the desert and has a feminine quality. I bring the viewer into mystical, playful and often humorous experiences with nature to share the feeling of support and rejuvenation that I get from nature that is available to everyone.”

MOVIE POSTERS

SNOW GLOBE is a movie in competition this year, screening Sat Nov 12.

It tells the tale of a fed up housewife at the edge of reality is planning to murder her husband on Christmas Eve.

The poster cleverly shows the two realities playing in the movie, without spoiling anything.

Alex Sarabia is a graphic artist based out of Chihuahua, Mexico. In addition to the artwork for DWELLERS, he is also responsible for the artwork for the debut album from The Lucid which also features Drew Fortier along with Grammy Award winning Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, Sponge vocalist Vinnie Dombroski, and Fear Factory/Raven drummer Mike Heller.

BOMBAY BEACH is a movie in competition this year, screening Sat Nov 12.

Set in the remote town of Bombay Beach, this coming-of-age story follows a naive young girl who dreams of leaving her trailer park to reunite with her estranged father in Los Angeles.

While she fantasizes, her older and wiser sister grapples with protecting her from their bleak reality.