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Join CURA Contemporary on Saturday, March 1, from 4 to 6 pm for the opening reception of Backyard Dreams, a solo exhibition by Samantha Buller.
CURA Contemporary in Morgan Hill opened in the fall of 2024 as an art gallery and community space that hosts exhibitions, workshops, and art classes. The building, a work of art itself, was the brainchild of owners and longtime South County residents Dan and Kathy McCranie, who also own Colibri Art and Framing just across the street. The McCranies worked closely with Ellie Honl-Herman, the current Gallery Director, to develop CURA Contemporary’s design and offerings.
Growing up in the Midwest and coming from a long line of educators, CURA Contemporary’s Gallery Director Ellie Honl-Herman studied studio art and printmaking at St. Olaf College in Minnesota before earning an MFA in printmaking intermedia at the University of Iowa. As a student, Ellie worked at The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art and was a graduate teaching assistant before becoming a professor at multiple institutions, including Arizona State University, Indiana University, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Points, and the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Ellie’s first time visiting California came when she was accepted for an artist residency at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley.
Ellie’s personal art practice includes printmaking, photography, and photogravure. Before pursuing art at university, she was interested in psychology and architecture, themes she would later explore in her artwork. Her works often feature precise geometric forms juxtaposed against unpredictable cyanotype backgrounds. The contrast of order and chaos in these prints explores human psychology, coping mechanisms, and situational emotional responses.
After her husband’s career brought Ellie back to California, they stayed in San Jose before settling down in Morgan Hill. At the time, Ellie was doing freelance photography and was seeking a more steady nine-to-five job. She found a job as a part-time framer at Colibri Art and Framing. Ellie’s background in art, combined with the fortuitous job posting, allowed her to get her foot in the door at the frame shop. This opened up the opportunity to start Colibri Gallery and eventually develop her role as a thought partner and gallery director of CURA Contemporary.
Since its opening, CURA Contemporary has hosted art exhibitions, workshops, and youth classes. The gallery’s goals are to be a welcoming and inclusive space for the community, provide educational opportunities that build an appreciation for the arts, be a hub for the local and regional arts community, and be a multifaceted arts destination with its unique combination of an art gallery, wine bar, restaurant, and event space.
In this conversation, we discuss Ellie’s art practice, her journey to becoming gallery director of CURA Contemporary, and her spirit of experimentation.
Follow CURA Contemporary on Instagram @CURA_contemporary.
Follow Ellie on Instagram @elliehonl and @elliehonlphoto.
Mattie Scariot became Director of PJIFF in 2018 and grew the festival to an 8-day regional festival including Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister, and San Juan Bautista.
In our conversation, Mattie explains her vision for the festival, focusing on diverse, inclusive, and women-empowering films and seven educational programs. We talk about her journey to be the director and some of the highlights of this year’s festival, which returns to in-person events and screenings.
Find out more about PJIFF programs, events, and purchase tickets at PJIFF.org
This year’s festival begins on April 6th and runs through April 13th.
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This episode’s music is “408” by Jack Pavlina. Read more about Jack in Issue 14.1 Winter 2022 — release date: Dec. 9, 2021: https://bit.ly/Discover141
Follow Jack at @jackpavlinamusic
Spotify: https://bit.ly/jackpavlina