Half Moon Bay’s newest art gallery is opening Sunday in downtown Half Moon Bay, with M. Stark Gallery hosting an exhibition showcasing sculptor and Pacifica resident Jerry Ross Barrish.
Marianna Stark, a leader in the contemporary fine art scene in the Bay Area, is opening the new space at 727 Main St. after many years in the art industry. Over the last decade, Stark has served as director for various art centers and associations, working with emerging artists. From 2013 to 2017, she served as the Berkeley Art Center president. Stark also was on the board of directors from 2012 to 2016 with Oakland Art Murmur, according to her website. She majored in art history in college and joined different community groups to get to know the business of art, but she always dreamed of opening a gallery one day.
“I feel like this is a culmination of many decades of participating in the art world,” Stark said of opening the gallery.
Stark said the 500-foot gallery would curate solo and group exhibitions primarily around painting and sculpture. It will also offer receptions and educational events like talks, readings, children’s workshops, a book club and writing contests. Stark also plans to start an invitational artist’s residency called the Stark/Perry Coastside Artists Retreat. The opportunity will allow artists to stay at the gallery to get to know Half Moon Bay and recharge.
“Marianna Stark is a wonderful community partner, and watching her dream for the gallery come to life has been a true delight,” Krystlyn Giedt, CEO of the Coastside Chamber, said in a press release. “Half Moon Bay has a strong love and appreciation for arts and culture, so the addition of Marianna’s gallery with such a heartfelt community vision is fantastic.”
Recommended for you
A ribbon-cutting ceremony starts at 1 p.m. Jan. 22 with the Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce. The gallery opening reception will open immediately after and feature the work of Barrish, an assemblage artist who takes existing objects and turns them into art, often using upcycled plastic junk. He started collecting his waste from the beaches in Pacifica but switched to other places in the Bay Area after Pacifica beaches ran out of junk. Stark sees his work as taking castoffs from society and telling human stories. His work will be on display until March 26.
“I think there are many layers of Jerry’s work that are worth investigation,” Stark said.
Stark and her husband had been interested in opening a gallery in Half Moon Bay and found the space in November 2020. Her family grew up going to Stinson Beach, and she always wanted a gallery in a beach town. She was drawn to Half Moon Bay because of its proximity to major Bay Area cities and the charming retail core downtown, along with its surfing locations her husband enjoyed. She hopes that people interested in contemporary art from around the Bay Area will visit and get to know the coast.
“I thought my gallery would be a great addition to the stores that are already there,” Stark said.
The next upcoming exhibit after the opening is Sneaker Wave, a group show featuring work with themes related to capitalism’s lack of respect for nature and how it will survive climate change even if humans do not. It will open in April. Christina Conklin: When We Were Ocean, features drawings, maps and 3D work about the climate change crises and will start in May.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.