5 picks for November ArtHop, including a nude option

If it’s November, it’s time to get nude.

For the 14th year, the Chris Sorensen Studio presents its popular “Nudes in November” exhibition, with this year’s event featuring more than 80 works of art. It’s my top pick for ArtHop, the monthly open house of studios and galleries in the downtown and Tower District neighborhoods. It runs from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at most venues.

November might seem an odd time to proclaim an artistic theme of nudity – fog and bare skin don’t seem a natural fit – but alliteration rules. That, and tradition. “Nudes in November” has been around so long that it is hard to imagine the Sorensen Studio clothed for Thanksgiving.

Curator Amy Kohl says there’s lots of variety this year among the entries for the juried, all-media exhibition.

“Some of the pieces are traditional nude paintings and drawings, but we have many artists who stepped out of the box and have taken a different approach to the nude theme,” she says.

Among them, she says: Amy Morgan’s entry is a beautifully dyed image on silk of Eve in the Orchard. Mac Mechem’s entry this year is an oil painting of a “Closet Klansman,” while Rick Horowitz presented a sensual detail of a seated nude. Caleb Henderson’s two works are both titled “Twins,” and he changes them when they are shown, with the intention that the two may go to different locations at some time, as his twin brothers did when they grew up.

Details: Chris Sorensen Studio, 2223 S. Van Ness Ave. www.chrissorensenartstudio.com.

Studio 74

If you’ve never visited the charming Studio 74 in the Tower District, it has a lot of homespun charm. This month’s featured artist is Sandy Kowallis, who lives in the foothills east of Clovis. She’s known widely for her watercolors, but she’s moved recently into working more with oils. Also at the gallery this month is Ken Pope, whose “Catch and Release” show features his handcrafted and hand-painted woodcarvings of colorful fish, one of his favorite subjects.

Details: Studio 74, 1274 N. Van Ness Ave. www.studio-74.org.

Gallery 25

Valerie Runningwolf is the featured artist at Gallery 25 with her mixed-media show “The Four Elements.” She offers her visual interpretation of the elements of earth, water, air and fire that have been shaped by various ancient cultures through stories, art, dance and writings.

Details: Gallery 25, M Street Arts Complex, 1419 M St. www.gallery25.org, 559-264-4092.

Arthouse

If you’re looking to skew a little younger, don’t miss this month’s big show at the Arthouse. “Skate and Create” is a skateboard art show created by the gallery. The evening’s festivities (which run from 5-10 p.m.) include food trucks and music by Le Wolves.

Details: Arthouse, 1612 H St. www.hstreetarthouse.com, 559-248-6942.

News you can use

Here’s something you can’t do with the digital edition of The Fresno Bee: make artwork out of it. For The Bee’s sixth annual “News You Can Use” contest, people were asked to use newsprint and other art materials to create their works. Wait till you see the entire papier mache swingset.

Details: You can visit The Bee’s ArtHop exhibition at the paper’s main office, 1626 E St.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 1:36 PM with the headline "5 picks for November ArtHop, including a nude option."