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Artist Spotlight: Kathy Bustamante Bolinas-based

Artist Spotlight: Kathy Bustamante

Bolinas-based artist Kathy Bustamante has nurtured creativity in children and adults for 47 years. Yet, she has rarely exhibited her work, which exudes boundless imagination and skill. After moving to Bolinas in 1974, she began teaching ceramics at Full Circle. In 1984, she joined the award-winning Bolinas-Stinson School’s Art Shops Program staff and taught ceramics for 38 years.

“Kathy Bustamante: Thinking With My Hands” is on view through December 29th. The exhibition, which features her wildly whimsical figures and functional objects, is based on a term she uses to describe her creative discovery process.

Q. When did art come into your life?

A. I acquired a respect for art from my mother as I grew up. Our house had lots of art. I liked art, so I looked through many books and visited local art galleries and museums. Still, I didn’t connect with my own hands until I was out of college years later. In the early 1970s, I apprenticed with Ida Gray, a fiber artist in Mill Valley. Several years later, I was drawn to ceramics.

Q. Who has been instrumental in supporting you?

A. My mother was the first person to teach me the value of art and the process of making art. She fostered a talent for drawing and sculpting and introduced me to clay. Family, friends, and colleagues have supported me, while other artists have surprised me with their encouragement, most importantly Richard Shaw and Carl Dern, whose work has influenced mine.

Q. How does Coastal Marin or the Bay Area influence you as an artist?

A. In the 1970s, the Bay Area was a mecca for ceramic artists. I met many people in Peter Voulkos’s circle. We went to exhibit openings, watched his demos, and became acquainted with the works of Viola Frey, Ron Nagel, Richard Arneson, and David Gilhooley.

Q. What is one of the lessons you’ve learned from life?

A. I came across this quote by George Bernard Shaw about ten years ago. It has remained on my refrigerator since. “We don’t stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing.” Life is meaningless without a sense of wonder, humor, generosity of spirit, and forgiveness.

Captions in comments. ⬇️

“Jenny Sampson: Skaters” is on view in the Pho

“Jenny Sampson: Skaters” is on view in the Photography Gallery through December 29.

Berkeley-based photographer Jenny Sampson has spent many years photographing the Bay Area and West Coast skater communities. Skaters have long been seen as rebellious, marked by their fashion, the noise they make rolling down the streets, and their unconventional use of urban spaces. This non-conformist image reflects the depth and determination of skate culture, where skaters fall, rise, and persevere with resilience. Working with the 173-year-old photographic process of wet collodion or tintype, Sampson captures the beauty and spirit of the thoroughly contemporary skating culture.

Creating these intimate portraits requires time, interaction, and collaboration, mirroring the inclusive nature of skater culture. Each portrait reveals a unique honesty, offering a glimpse into the skater or sitter’s true character. Sampson's portraits contribute to a movement of inclusion and reshaping skateboarding's cultural landscape. She recognizes the underrepresentation of women, LGBTQ+, and other diverse voices in skating culture. This evolution is particularly evident in the current SFMOMA exhibition Unity Through Skateboarding (on view through May 4, 2025). Portraits of Jeff Cheung and Gabriel Ramirez, who curated the SFMOMA exhibition, as well as those of other pioneering figures in the queer, trans, BIPOC, and women's skating communities, are included in this exhibition.

Sampson was born and raised in San Francisco. She earned a B.A. in Psychobiology at Pitzer College and has since dedicated her time to her photographic endeavors. She teaches high school darkroom photography, writes and photographs for WithitGirl, is a Rolls and Tubes Collective member, and is the Board President of the East Bay Photo Collective. Daylight Books published her monographs, “Skaters” and “Skater Girls,” in 2017 and 2020, respectively (these titles are available for purchase at our front desk during the exhibition).

Image captions in comments. ⬇️

#SkateCulture #TintypePhotography #WetPlateCollodion #BayAreaSkaters #SkaterPortraits #AnalogPhotography

Please join us today at 3 p.m. for a fascinating g

Please join us today at 3 p.m. for a fascinating gallery conversation with Lloyd Kahn and Joseph Becker, Curator of Architecture and Design at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, concurrent with the exhibition “Lloyd Kahn: There Are Walls That Want To Prowl.” There is a lot to consider in Kahn’s wide-ranging life as an innovator, author, editor, photographer, builder, activist, traveler, athlete, homesteader, neighbor, influencer, pioneer of green building, and, for 50 years, owner of Shelter Publications, Inc. in Bolinas. He grew up in San Francisco, earned a BA from Stanford University in 1957, ran a base newspaper in the military, dropped out of the business world, and joined the unbridled creativity of the 1960s counterculture and back-to-the-land movement. His first writing was as an editor for the iconic Whole Earth Catalog. He then became a leading innovator in building and documenting handmade homes and lifestyles. His early book, “Shelter,” presented structural designs worldwide, followed by books of wildly imaginative hand-built contemporary structures.

Free and open to all; space is limited, please be prompt.

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to be a star an

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to be a star and join the constellation of individuals who support the Bolinas Museum. Your generosity helps us fulfill our mission to collect, preserve, and showcase the art and history of coastal Marin. It also enables us to host inspiring exhibitions and events that enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike. With your support, we can keep admission free and accessible to everyone. Thank you for making a difference!

Donate at the link in the bio. ⬆️

Image: MIYA ANDO, “Engessō Cygnus (Moon Ensō) The Swan Above The Yard Bolinas, CA November 25 2019 8:32 PM, 2022,” Pure silver, graphite, natural indigo dye, and washi, 47 x 47 inches, Bolinas Museum Collection, Gift of the artist, 2023.9.1. This artwork is currently on view in our Permanent Collection Gallery.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: 1960s & 70s Driftwood Cabins in

FROM THE ARCHIVES: 1960s & 70s Driftwood Cabins in Bolinas

No matter where you plan to spend the holidays—we hope you can gather with friends and family under the roof of a place you love.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a small community of like-minded individuals came together in Bolinas to build their very own driftwood homes on RCA Beach. All of the shelters were strikingly original and often downright marvelous. With new building materials washing up on the shore every day, these mavericks built homes that were deeply informed by chance finds and the whims of the weather. As so many locals know, structures built upon the ocean’s coastlines are ephemeral by nature—these driftwood houses were even more so. Consequently, there are very few historic images documenting their short-lived tenure. So we were thrilled to find a small stash of color photos of these rarely seen driftwood shelters in the Bolinas Museum History Archives!

This week, in particular, we’d also like to honor the Indigenous Coast Miwok people, who were the first in the history of handmade shelters to build homes made from redwood timber and bark along these coastlines. In coastal Marin, the Coast Miwok were the earliest builders of sustainable handmade shelters. Snug houses were made of layers of tule mats over round bent branch frames or slabs of redwood bark over conical frames.

If you’d like to learn more about people who decided to create different households, reimagining a way of life in a more conscious relation with the environment, come see our current Main Gallery exhibition curated by Joseph Becker—”Lloyd Kahn: There Are Walls That Want to Prowl," on view through December 29. Pioneer, renegade, optimist, publisher, editor, photographer, carpenter, self-taught architect, doyen of the DIY movement, and Bolinas resident @lloyd.kahn has worn many hats throughout his lifelong architectural quest. This exhibition focuses on his iconic counterculture Shelter Publications.

Images: Driftwood Houses at RCA Beach, 1970, C-Prints, Bolinas Museum History Archives, 2000.43

#bolinas #bolinashistory #driftwood #sustainableliving #beachlife #beachvibes

“Lloyd Kahn: There Are Walls That Want To Prowl,

“Lloyd Kahn: There Are Walls That Want To Prowl," curated by Joseph Becker, Curator of Architecture and Design, SFMOMA, is on view in the Main Gallery through December 29. Pioneer, renegade, optimist, publisher, editor, photographer, carpenter, self-taught architect, and doyen of the DIY movement, Lloyd Kahn has worn many hats throughout his lifelong architectural quest. Kahn was the original editor of the Shelter section of the “Whole Earth Catalog” and the founding editor-in-chief of Shelter Publications, Inc. These compendiums were instrumental in an era of radical independence and sustainable “de-growth” thinking. Kahn’s personal approach and guidebooks have influenced builders and homesteaders worldwide, functioning as comprehensive resources for intrepid self-builders.

This exhibition, inspired by a line from Richard Brautigan’s 1968 poem “Let’s Voyage Into The New American House,” focuses on Kahn’s iconic counterculture publications, including “Domebook One” (1970), Domebook 2 (1971) and “Shelter” (1973). The various models presented in these books are crucial reminders and provocations of alternatives to conventional forms of building and living. They tell beautiful tales of the people who decided to create different households, reimagining a way of life in a more conscious relation with the environment, liberated from capital and its alienating production methods. The installation was first presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2021 by Berlin-based curator Lukas Feireiss and Geneva-based architect Leopold Banchini, who published an accompanying publication, Shelter Cookbook, which complements the presentation.

Come in and browse various Shelter Publications in the gallery, view architectural models, and experience a short video. Mark your calendar for an artist talk with Lloyd Kahn on Saturday, December 7, at 3 p.m. Be sure to visit the other exhibitions, “Kathy Bustamante: Thinking With My Hands,” "Jenny Sampson: Skaters,” and a new selection of works in our permanent collection. Museum hours are Friday, 1 - 5 pm, and Saturday - Sunday, 12 - 5 pm; admission is free.

Learn more about our exhibitions and programs at the link in bio. ⬆️

Saturday, November 16: Opening Reception for New E

Saturday, November 16: Opening Reception for New Exhibitions
3-4 pm Artist/Curator Talks, 4-5 pm Reception
Free and Open to All

LLOYD KAHN: THERE ARE WALLS THAT WANT TO PROWL
Curated by Joseph Becker, Curator of Architecture and Design, SFMOMA

Lloyd Kahn, a pioneer in architecture and publishing, has influenced self-builders and homesteaders globally. As the original editor of the Shelter section of the “Whole Earth Catalog” and founding editor-in-chief of Shelter Publications, Kahn’s work embodies a radical independence and sustainable “de-growth” ethos. His guidebooks have empowered individuals to build self-sufficient homes and lifestyles, fostering alternatives to mainstream architecture. This exhibition highlights Kahn’s counterculture publications, celebrating a conscious, eco-friendly way of life. Initially shown at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale, the installation was curated by Lukas Feireiss and Leopold Banchini.

KATHY BUSTAMANTE: THINKING WITH MY HANDS
Curated by Elia Haworth

This delightful exhibition invites you into Bolinas artist and educator Kathy Bustamante’s world of small, witty ceramic characters, each expressing a distinct attitude. She works with mid-range temperature clay, stains and glazes, and an electric kiln. During her 38 years teaching ceramics to nearly every student of two generations at Bolinas-Stinson School, she also nurtured boundless imagination and creative confidence in her students.

JENNY SAMPSON: SKATERS
Curated by Louisa Gloger & Marialidia Marcotulli

Photographer Jenny Sampson captures the spirit of West Coast skater culture through the tintype process. Often viewed as rebellious and resilient, Sampson’s intimate portraits of skaters celebrate their determination. Raised in San Francisco, Sampson earned a B.A. in psychobiology at Pitzer College before focusing on photography. She teaches darkroom photography and contributes to WithitGirl, among other roles. Her monographs “Skaters” and “Skater Girls” were published by Daylight Books, and “A History of Photography” by Rolls and Tubes Collective.

Learn more at the link in the bio. ⬆️ Image captions in comments. ⬇️

It's the last weekend to see our current exhibitio

It's the last weekend to see our current exhibitions. Swing by today until 5 p.m., or Saturday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Admission is always free!

Main Gallery / Wayne Campbell: Residuum

Coastal Marin Artists Gallery / Harriet Kossman: Bead by Bead

Photography Gallery / Altered Earth: Rosie Clements, Terri Loewenthal, Damien Maloney, Gabriel Esteban Molina, Eric Ruby, and Aubrey Trinnaman · Curated by Noelle Hiam

In the History Room: Getting Here From There is on view through December 29.

Bolinas Community Center is hosting a moving and b

Bolinas Community Center is hosting a moving and beautiful Día de Los Muertos altar. At this time, when the veil is thin between physical and spiritual realms, a group of locals led by Mirta fills the space with special oferendas (offerings), honoring ancestors and the dearly departed. Aztecs, the indigenous people who inhabited Mexico in the 14th to 16th centuries, started this tradition, and it is related to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, also known as the “Lady of the Dead.” Photos of the deceased are surrounded by food and objects intended to provide comfort in their journey on the other side. Brightly painted skulls and renditions of skeletons carrying on their activities as in life convey a playful connection to the spirit world. Decorated sugar skulls symbolize the sweetness of life. The distinct aroma of marigolds and copal is believed to attract souls to the altar. The intricately cut paper flags, Papel Picado, are meant to allow the spirits to flow through them. It all comes together in a beautiful and vibrant display—a lovely way to pay tribute to those who have gone before us.

Image: Día de Los Muertos altar at the Bolinas Community Center. Photo by Elia Haworth.

#diadelosmuertos

Altered Earth curated by Noelle Hiam is on view in

Altered Earth curated by Noelle Hiam is on view in the Photography Gallery through November 10. Museum hours are Friday 1 - 5 pm, and Saturday - Sunday, 12 - 5 pm. Admission is always free.

Artists: Rosie Clements, Terri Loewenthal, Damien Maloney, Gabriel Esteban Molina, Eric Ruby, and Aubrey Trinnaman

This group exhibition features work by contemporary photographers in dialogue with a dynamic natural world. It highlights the surreal in our realities, makes us question our position in time and place, and captures the world-bridging power and beauty of spaceship Earth. With altered landscapes, ethereal light, and overlays of digital and analog techniques and manipulations, the artists present a vision that is at once familiar and foreign. A new visual language emerges to ask us how we want to proceed. With it, we can imagine a nature-based utopian present that is ancient and futuristic, rooted and reaching, and simultaneously celebratory and yearning.

These artists work with various photographic mediums and techniques, including incorporating natural materials to manipulate two-dimensional works, photo sculpture, scanography, and collage. Together, these selected pieces awaken and expand our photographic imaginations.

Images:
AUBREY TRINNAMAN, Snow Woman, 2022, Color photograph, alt, mixed media, 20 x 24 inches, courtesy of the artist.
ERIC RUBY, Agate Beach, 2022, Archival Pigment Print, fabric, 20x24 inches, courtesy of the artist.
ROSIE CLEMENTS, Eucalyptus at Sunrise, 2020, Archival pigment print, 24 x 36 inches (framed), courtesy of the artist.

#ContemporaryPhotography #SurrealLandscapes #SpaceshipEarth #VisualLanguage #PhotoSculpture #EtherealLight #AlteredRealities #AnalogArt #PhotoCollage #Scanography

We are excited to announce that Executive Director

We are excited to announce that Executive Director Louisa Gloger is taking the helm at the Headlands Center for the Arts. During her nearly three years here, she brought so much to Bolinas Museum, including building capacity by increasing staff, engaging new donors, securing a grant to support educational outreach, enhancing our permanent collection with high-quality, contemporary acquisitions, and partnering with organizations such as MoAD San Francisco, YBCA, and Stanford. Gloger's keen eye and deep connections to the Bay Area arts community resulted in fresh and relevant exhibitions; curatorial highlights include "Helina Metaferia: All Put Together" and "Arleene Correa Valencia: Llévanos Contigo / Take Us With You." While she will be missed, we are excited to see what she will accomplish in her next endeavor and know that she will remain connected to the museum and the Bolinas community.

Gloger spent her formative years in Bolinas. Inspired early on by the flourishing arts program at the Bolinas-Stinson School, she graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in Art History. She worked at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco, and she founded a cancer awareness non-profit and a fine art consulting business, among other pursuits. Gloger is passionate about art and education and serves on the board of the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art.

Leah Vermulen, Board of Directors President, will temporarily assume a paid operational role as Director of Operations. During this time, Board Vice President Marialidia Marcotulli will step in as Interim President of the Board to ensure continued governance and leadership. We are grateful for their dedication and commitment to supporting our organization during this transition. The board remains fully aligned with our mission.

Please visit the link in the bio to learn more about the open Executive Director position. ⬆️

Artist Spotlight: Harriet Kossman Bolinas artist

Artist Spotlight: Harriet Kossman

Bolinas artist, educator, and community activist, Harriet Kossman has dedicated her life to nurturing arts education locally and with nationwide leadership. Her creativity is expressed in many mediums, such as painting, printmaking, collage, and assemblage. The Bolinas Museum’s current exhibition, "Harriet Kossman: Bead by Bead," is an astonishing collection of her meticulously bead-encrusted cups and saucers. She delights in transforming ordinary vintage cups and saucers into extraordinary artwork using tweezers, white glue, beads, and inspired patience.

Kossman earned her MFA at the University of Miami, then moved to Bolinas, where, in 1972, she co-founded the still Bolinas-Stinson School’s award-winning Art Shops Program and taught nearly every student of two generations. She has also involved hundreds of community members in projects such as the iconic mural on the side of Bolinas Market.

Kossman’s passion for education led to her national prominence as a multi-award-winning art educator. She led the organization statewide and nationally and was selected as the lead art teacher for the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Yet, through all this, she has always found time to continue her artistic practice.

When did art come into your life?
Art has always been in my life, as far back as I can remember. My parents were “makers.” I grew up in a home where there were always projects going on.

What role does community play in your art practice?
I have lived in Bolinas for decades; this richly creative community understands the value the arts play in nourishing our lives.

What artwork inspires you?
Pablo Picasso's, how he gathered new ideas and incorporated them into his art, fearless and unafraid to break boundaries set by the art world.

What is a lesson you’ve learned?
Here’s a poem that I carry with me:
"Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can"
-John Wesley, 1700’s

The life lesson is simple: be kind and be creative.

Image captions in comments. ⬇️ Full text in bio link. ⬆️

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