Event report - SAA show & the Champion of the Arts Gala

Hello friends! I wanted to share with you a couple recent art events I attended/participated in so far in 2018. The first is a show I participated in with the Seaside Art Association. Under the direction of Sandra Gray, we exhibited at the Avery Gallery located inside Seaside City Hall. The second event was the Arts Council for Monterey County's annual Champion of the Arts Gala. Amazing artist & my friend/coworker at YAC Andrew Jackson was honored as this year's Champion fine arts professional.

image description: Meheen Ruby poses in front of a display of her recent abstract work on paper.

I had a wonderful time at the Avery Gallery on Jan 19! It became a bit of a party for members of the Seaside Art Association.

I especially enjoyed a long chat with Jim Lambert, whose surreal photography is a delight. 

image description: JC Gonzales, Meheen Ruby, Marcia Perry, and Janet Myer at the Arts Council Champion of the Arts Gala.

The Champion of the Arts Gala was a delightful evening of great company, great food, and an incredible gathering of Monterey County's most prominent arts folks.

JC Gonzales heads Urban Arts Collaborative, an innovative art program in its fledgling years that serves students in East Salinas.

Marcia Perry is the executive director of my employer, Youth Arts Collective. Andrew Jackson, the Champion, is also a mentor there. Janet Myer also works with YAC in support as our grant writer. Janet and I are working on a special YAC event that you will see a recap of soon... so stay tuned.

I must mention Shawn Anderson, without whom the YAC staff attendance at this event would not have been possible. I have to be honest - Shawn is one of the most amazing women I have ever met. She not only is an incredibly fun human being, but also works so selflessly and tirelessly for projects she believes in & her family. Her lovely daughter Barbara is part of the YAC program, and is a total joy & blessing to work with.

Andrew is a cornerstone of the arts community here on the Central Coast and it was wonderful to be able to celebrate him in such a big way.

I have some new shows and events coming up, so keep up on my social media to make sure you get each new blog post as it goes up!

Much love,

Meheen.

Join me for my first exhibit of the New Year, Seaside Art Association @ the Avery Gallery!

I currently have 4 pieces on display in this group show with the Seaside Art Association!

The Walter Lee Avery Gallery is located inside Seaside City Hall. The show runs December 18 - February 1, 2018. We are having an artist's reception on January 19, 2018 from 7:00-8:30 pm. The exhibit is free and open to the public Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00 pm.

Seaside City Hall is at 440 Harcourt Ave, Seaside, CA, 93955

I hope to see you there!

2018 is shaping up to be a good year for me & my art and I can't wait to share more with you!

Thanks for supporting my music & art!

Last Friday, during my Third Friday ArtWalk at my studio, I did something pretty scary. Well, to me. I recruited several talented friends to accompany me in a musical endeavor, providing live music for the event!

I have been singing all my life, did my share of high school choir, but never took myself more seriously until lately. I took the leap and enrolled in voice lessons at my community college at the start of this year and have made conscious efforts to increase my range and control. It has been really cathartic to have a creative release aside from visual art, and I finally was ready to share it with the world!

I want to say a HUGE thank you to my talented musician friends, Gabe De Vera, Justin Huang, Eric Wobbles, and my lovely handsome boyfriend James Koenig for being my band for the evening. We got a lot of compliments and even tip money!

Also, a huge thanks to my friends & all the beautiful community members who came out to look at the art & listen in!

For everyone who missed it, my dear friend Lesley took this video of our last song of the night. Enjoy!