“Convergence” Annual Ukiah High School Photography Show
Art Center Ukiah
Corner Gallery Front Windows
sponsored by Philip Gary and Donna Mecca
Michael Eich
guest artist Mendocino County Art Association
Patrick Graeme, Sylvan Arts Revival
guest artist in the Corner Gallery
1000 Chickens
guest artist William Shi
Patience MakePeace Gruey
Corner Gallery Young Artist
And all the members of the Corner Gallery bring in new work each month.
Thank you Laura Fogg for the excellent articles on the exhibits each month, also found in the Ukiah Daily Journal and on our website.
We have included in this email, each complete article to help you better know our artists.
at Art Center Ukiah
High School Photography Show
Art Center Ukiah and
Corner Gallery Front Windows – May 2026
sponsored by Philip Gary and Donna Mecca
articles by Laura Fogg
‘Convergence’ is the title of this year’s High School Student Photography show at Art Center Ukiah and the Corner Gallery. Lech Slocinski, the photography teacher at Ukiah High School, explains the idea behind the title… “We start with a digital photograph, we process the image in Photoshop, and then enhance it even more with AI,” he says. “This is the point where techniques and technologies blend together, and students have been working exploring these three different aspects of photography.”
Lech continues, “Often times, unenhanced digital photos can’t convey everything you want because of technical limitations like, for instance, a camera’s dynamic range that is not able to match human vision. You can fix your image in Photoshop, and then go even further by creating a stylistic look stroke by stroke, a time-consuming process. Or you can create an AI filter by writing a prompt that will allow you, almost instantaneously, to alter your image into an endless variety of styles and adjustments that you can choose from.”
“So…,” Lech elaborates, “with the incorporation of AI, is the image still called a photograph? That is the question that we have been dealing with all year. I see ‘convergence’ as art merging with technology, a sort of a hybrid form. Photographers have been manipulating images since the beginning of darkrooms, with dodging and burning, and a variety of other techniques. Now we just use a keyboard to manipulate pixels instead of chemicals. So for the most part, it’s still photography.”
“Where is the line between the domain of photography and AI-enhanced art?” Lech asks his students. “A digital photo can be altered pixel by pixel to correct or remove certain parts… like power lines that you don’t want in your photo. Is it still a photo? Most people say yes. How about if you replace a building, or even the whole sky, with AI? And with AI you can also do generative work… putting things in that weren’t there before. A person who doesn’t know anything about the process wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Is it a photo then… or something else?”
On the spectrum between purists and open approach photographers, Lech definitely leans towards the ones who explore the options. “Why,” he asks, “would you limit yourself to one ‘accurate’ image… since every moment in real life is unique? The second you see something, it changes. The way I capture the light in one photo will be different, gone forever, from the next. Photography and electronic processing are all about transmission of light. One may argue that using AI is light painting with the keyboard instead of the camera lens. So how do you define photography in today’s world? I think it depends on the intention. If you intend to create something… if you’re in control of choosing the elements… then I think it’s the art of photography. If the outcomes are machine generated from the start, maybe it’s a different form of art. To me, art is an unpredictable journey where creativity and tools guide one’s vision.”
The high school photography students vary in their response to AI and Lech’s challenges. Some of them have more life exposure to art, while many are taking an art class for the first time in their lives. Some of the kids can run with the challenges, but in general most high school students don’t yet have the level of maturity or sophistication to embrace all of the philosophical concepts… they are young and still developing their ideas and personalities. That doesn’t stop Lech, however, because he is feels that it’s important that all of his students be challenged with time in front of the computer to experiment with digital art. He requires each student to make a portfolio that addresses personal issues such as ‘what is your inspiration’ or ‘what is your message?’ Even though it’s hard for the kids, it’s a valuable and challenging experience for them to think about what might be their passion and their voice. Lech knows that being a kid is confusing, but he believes in his students’ ability to dig deep and address the challenge. The results of their hard work are obvious in the ‘Convergence’ show.
The First Friday opening celebration of ‘Convergence’ will be on May 1 from 5-8pm. The work will be displayed in both the front windows of the Corner Gallery, as well as in the Art Center Ukiah space in the rear of the gallery. Live music will be presented throughout the evening by Teddy Keez. The Corner Gallery is located at 201 S State
Mendocino County Art Association Guest Artist Michael Eich
Redwood Valley artist Michael Eich is a faithful exhibitor at the Corner Gallery. Each time he brings in new work for our viewing pleasure, with interesting color choices and a variety of subjects and styles.. As a new member of MCAA he’s taking advantage of their monthly exhibit for members.
Corner Gallery Guest Artist Patrick Graeme, Sylvan Arts Revival
Patrick Graeme is an avid ecologist, tree restoration specialist, fire practitioner, and wood worker. Sylvan Arts Revival is a cross-section of these endeavors. Most of Patrick’s work in the forests of Northern California is working with chainsaw and other tools to bring fire resilience back to the land and make it possible for Good Fire to become more a prominent management tool. Good Fire is the name the indigenous peoples use to describe their ancient practice of putting fire in the ecosystem for regeneration and cleansing purposes. It also makes them less prone to catastrophic wildfire. Along the way however, Patrick also happens to collect a wide diversity of types of wood that eventually find their way onto his lathe to be turned into beautiful bowls cups, plates or other round objects. Patrick also practices ebonizing and pyrography—fire burning with a blow torch or a heat pen—to make beautiful patterns, reflecting the Good Fire in the landscape. Many of the themes reflect Patrick’s passion for his Celtic and Nordic ancestry, as well as the sacred geometry of the Golden Ratio found throughout nature.
All of the bowls, cups and plates are treated with a food grade mineral oil and beeswax finish, safe for contact with food products. They are not suitable for hot liquids however. The vases are treated internally with a synthetic lacquer so they hold water for live plants. Like all wood products, they will last longer with an occasional oiling with a food-safe wood oil like Howards or other natural wood oils.
Patrick’s maker’s mark on the bottom or back of his pieces is a bindrune consisting of the Elder Futhark runes Eiwaz, Gebo and Kenaz, representing Good Fire (Kenaz) being in reciprocity (Gebo) with the forest/trees (Eiwaz).
1000 Chickens guest artist Willam Shi
Former Corner Gallery young artist, William is showing his mural, !000 Chickens, which he started in our gallery last year. H3e set out to paint the many chickens he observed in his garden during the Covid lockdown. After graduation from Instilling Goodness Developing Virtue School at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, William will head to college at Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University in tandem. He continues to create in both the Chinese tradition as well as in the Western tradition in many mediums. You may have seen his recent exhibit at Medium Gallery.
Corner Gallery Young Artist Patience MakePeace Gruey
April 2026-May 2026
The gallery’s new Young Artist is Patience MakePeace Gruey, who was raised and home schooled in Covelo. Homeless with her mother for the past seven years, she is now housed in Ukiah and attending Mendocino College, where she is taking a heavy load of mostly art-related classes.
“I’ve been making art all my life,” says Gruey, “just about since I could hold a crayon. My family, and especially my mother, are all artistic and my home was always a place of creativity even when we were living in a tent where there wasn’t enough light to see what color we were painting with.”
When asked about what medium she likes best, Gruey waxed eloquent. “My very favorite medium is colored pencils,” she began. “It’s super fun to play around with the colors and they can be so nice and soft, or super hard and clear. Then, there’s the Ticonderoga pencil. I love sketching faces with those and smudging the lines for the shadows. And then acrylic is my favorite medium for painting… it’s so forgiving since after it dries I can go back over it with another color as much as I want till it’s just right. I want to try oils eventually when I have a real studio. And I would like to do more with watercolor but generally I get too impatient and ruin it. I also love working with clay and am so happy with my class at the college, where I finally get to work with real clay that is going to be fired and glazed and everything. Oh… and I also love paper machè, I’ve done a bit with that but have lots of ideas and plans to do more.”
Gruey’s plans for her future are to become a college level art teacher, write books and make lots of art, plus to put on plays and make movies (mostly stop motion but also just beautiful animation) of her stories. “I want to start my family as soon as possible,” she says, “and to live a very enriching life and do as much good in the world as I can.”
The First Friday opening celebration for all of these new shows will be on April 3 from 5-8pm. Live music will be provided throughout the evening by Michael Oberg. The Corner Gallery and Art Center Ukiah are located at 201 S State Street in Ukiah. Normal gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm.
Art Center Ukiah, your Community Gallery announces upcoming exhibits in 2025
We’d love to have you sponsor an exhibit
May 2026 Ukiah High School Photography Show – a tradition for 17 years,
again sponsored by Philip Gary and Donna Mecca
June 2026 We All Belong – How does your art express DEIA, (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility)
July 2026 Standing Strong – July 4th of this year will be the 250th anniversary of United States as a nation. What does that mean to you? sponsored by Norman and Karen Rosen
August 2026 Portals – Windows, doors and gates are the physical portals through which we enter another space or realm.
September 2026 Iconic Mendocino County – Mendocino County is known world-wide for its iconic views of the ocean, its majestic redwoods and its scrappy little towns….
October 2026 Texture – Texture can be an end unto itself, or an aspect of a work that embraces multiple mediums and any variety of subject matter.
November 2026 Quick Draw – Quick Draw is by invitation only. Participating artists set up their easels on First Friday and draw live models throughout the evening.
December 2026 Gifts of Art – Join the local artists who create special works for holiday giving.
Any ideas for future exhibits you’d like to offer? Tell us at acuentries@yahoo.com
For information and entry forms write acuentries@yahoo.com
