News & Events

News & Events

STORY TORSOS Sculpture Solo
2024.1.15

Story Torsos Opening Reception: January 27, 2024, 2-4pm (Free event. Please join me!)
January 15, 2024 to March 15, 2024. (On view, visit during Library hours)

Fallbrook Branch Library, 124 S Mission Rd, Fallbrook, CA 92028 (760) 731-4650

My ceramic series Story Torsos have a textured outer surface that holds a secret inside. When the torso’s six columns are installed inches apart, the viewer can see tantalizing peeks of the detailed glaze-paintings hidden inside. Separating the outer columns further reveals storied imagery on the columns' inner surfaces. I paint representational images informed by personal experience, historical art, environmental and current events. I apply my years of experience in oil painting to pushing the usual expectations of commercial glazes, layering multiple colors as if I am working with oils. I see the actual results when the ceramic glazes are fired in the kiln. Ahhh! The magic of the kiln!
Ebb and Flow: Giant Kelp Forests through Art, Science and the Archives
2023.12.30

ABC 10 News  Ebb and Flow: new exhibit celebrates rich history of San Diego's giant kelp forests.


Ebb and Flow Opening Reception Thursday, January 25, 2024, 6pm to 7:30pm (Free event. Please join me!)
January 12, 2024 to April 21, 2024. (On view, visit during Library hours) At UC San Diego Library's main gallery and in The Nest. Interpretations of the giant kelp forest by four contemporary artists –

Julia C R Gray, Dwight Hwang, Marie McKenzie and Oriana Poindexter. 

REGISTER 




UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Dr. La Jolla, CA 92093 (858) 534-2230   


"San Diego’s coast is home to iconic underwater forests of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). Towering 100 feet tall from the ocean’s rocky floor to the surface, they create homes for hundreds of animals to live in and can regulate the impacts of climate change. These forests provide many benefits to the ocean, animals and humans." 



Fourth Annual "Save the Ocean" Art & Poetry Exhibit 
2023.12.30

Reception Sunday January 17, 2024 from 12 - 2PM

Front Porch Gallery,  2903 Carlsbad Blvd. California,  92008 

January 17 - February 29, 2024

Surfing Madonna Oceans Project in collaboration with Front Porch Gallery presents the Fourth Annual "Save the Ocean" show highlighting the beautiful ocean environment.

2023.12.30
Bonita Museum national juried exhibition: Contemporary Art: Folklore, Fakelore, Personal Myths Narratives
2023.11.7

Update: First Place Winner: We Are Cyborgs too. 


Saturday, November 11, 2023 4:30 - 6:30pm

You can watch my Artist Talk during the reception on my instagram @artistjcrgray

Bonita Museum and Cultural Center, 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA. 91902, (619) 267-5141, website: www.bonitahistoricalsociety.org 

ART SAN DIEGO 2023
2023.10.19
I've been awarded BEST Sculpture and chosen as a Spotlight Program Recipient!! 

Julia C R Gray booth #229. Hope to see you there!

FIRST LOOK FRIDAY 🔹Friday, Nov. 3 | 12:00PM — 5:00PM
COLLECTORS’ VIP OPENING 🔹Friday, Nov. 3 | 6:00PM — 9:00PM
WEEKEND FAIR HOURS 🔹Saturday, Nov. 4 | 11:00AM — 7:00PM 🔹Sunday, Nov. 5 | 11:00AM — 5:00PM
FREE passes available… https://rwag.ticketspice.com/art-san-diego-2023?t=asd23-collector 

Julia C R Gray Booth #229

SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER
Hall C 111 W Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
2023.10.19
Women In...Black
2023.10.19
RECEPTION: Women in ...Black Group Exhibition at The IN Gallery, Saturday October 21, 2023, 6-9PM 
Looking forward to see you!
The IN Gallery
1878 Main Street, San Diego, CA 92113
619-278-8410
Surfing Madonna presents the 3rd annual “Save The Ocean” Art & Poetry" 
2023.9.30

I am honored and delighted my ceramic sculpture 10” SHE Coral won Best Of Show! 

RECEPTION: Saturday October 14, 2023, 4-6pm with awards presented at 5:00pm. 

Escondido Arts Partnership Municipal Gallery 262 E. Grand Ave., Escondido, California 92025

ABOUT FACE Exhibition & Catalog
2023.7.27

FOUNTAIN STREET’S ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR ART

Exhibition Dates: July 27- August 27, 2023
SoWa First Friday Art Walk: August 4, 2023, 5:00–8:00PM

Fountain Street Gallery

460C Harrison Ave #2, Boston, MA 02118

https://www.fsfaboston.com/

Juried by Michelle May and Payal Thiffault, founders of JUNIPER RAG, an independent visual art and lifestyle magazine.

ARTISTS ON FIRE 
2023.7.27
Krikorian Gallery, Worcester Center for Crafts, 25 Sagamore Rd, Worcester, Massachusetts.  
Show runs July 21- August 12, 2023 




Artists on Fire is an annual exhibition curated by Juniper Rag at the Krikorian Gallery at Worcester Center for Crafts, with an opening reception on Hot Night in the City, their hottest night of the year attracting college aged people, families and festival lovers from all over New England.
Title...
2023.7.27
I Like Your Work 2023 Summer Exhibition Catalog
2023.7.27

The I Like Your Work art catalog, Esprit de l’escalier, is curated by Alicia Puig, and features top emerging artists from around the world. 

"What also made this curation challenging was that unlike in past jurying events, I didn’t see a particular theme or subject matter emerge that felt like it truly connected all of the artists I ended up selecting. So what, then, does unite them? Their voices. When I look at an artist’s body of work for the first time, as much as I value their technical skill and the overall impact of the imagery and composition, what I feel makes them truly stand out is if I can identify their distinct style, their creative hand, and a cohesive narrative that carries through all of the pieces they present. In other words, their artist voice."
- Curator Alicia Puig @pxpcontemporary


https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/product-page/preorder-summer-exhibition-catalog-2023


Studio Visit Artist  https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/post/artist-julia-c-r-gray

Magazine Feature! Women United Art Magazine. HIGHLIGHTING EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN CREATIVES, INSPIRING INDUSTRY LEADERS & REMARKABLE ART ORGANIZATIONS. Spring 2023
2023.5.30

I’m delighted my Sculpture and story is In The Spotlight among many talented international artists!

Purchase printed copy:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6BWWTCF

Download digital version:

https://www.womenunitedartmovement.com/magazine

SIP Art Space presents: TWA Synchronicity ~ Exhibition thru June 9, 2023. 
2023.5.10

May 15 - June 9 



215 S. Pacific Street, Suite 104
San Marcos, CA 92078
Artists' Reception
Saturday, May 20
4-7pm

Have a chat with the artists and enjoy delicious street tacos from Tasty Wheel
available for purchase out back. See you there!

Featured Artists:
Maite Agahnia​​ • Manuelita Brown • Bronle Crosby • Susan Darnall
Theresa Vandenberg Donche • Julia C R Gray • Lori Mitchell • Gillian Moss
Alison Haley Paul • Chris Schwimmer • Gail Titus • Brenda York 


"Twelve visions; twelve styles; twelve imaginations; twelve souls. But there is always meaningful convergence when our work comes together in one place.

The group came together from our need for community and by—well... synchronicity: human souls attract people, places, and events that help us to grow, develop, make meaning, and evolve. Finding people who support and connect brings wonder and delight, the unexpected, and the sense of being looked after. Despite our divergent media, choices, palettes, and ideas, the women of TWA are linked. Our work reflects that link.

This group promotes in each of us a sense of openness, courage, and gratitude. Things and people show up as we need them, and we are in the right place at the right time: Time for Women Artists.

In this exhibition, we explore synchronicity as revelation of the interconnectedness of all things and the purpose behind seemingly random meetings and events. Through our diverse art making, we challenge you to stop, look, and consider the world anew; come along on our journey of exploration and contemplation as we attempt to understand and use the power of synchronicity." - TWA

SURFING MADONNA Ocean-Earth-Air Art & Poetry Exhibition.
2023.4.19
RECEPTION: April 23, 2023 from 1 - 4PM. I will be there!! Come say hi and bring friends!
The Poway Center for the Performing Arts
15498 Espola Rd, Poway, CA 92064 


✨My sculpture SHE Shell Sea Wisdom VS Tar was Awarded 2nd Place. 


✨ Performances by the Mission Bay high school band "The Preservationists". Poetry reading from selected poets and awards ceremony. 
I Like Your Work: Studio Visit Artist 
2023.3.25

I am this week’s Studio Visit Artist @ilikeyourwork. 

https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/post/artist-julia-c-r-gray

I Like Your Work is dedicated to supporting artists, creating community and providing opportunities and resources. Their podcast interviews creative people from painters and artists to collectors and curators. People who are involved in a creative lifestyle and also in building community within the arts. I Like Your Work is hosted by artist and curator Erika b Hess.


Video on the I Like Your Work website by yours truly (Julia C R Gray)

Studio photo: Armondo Silva @armandosilvaphoto 

Women Mind The Water Podcast View my podcast interview with Pam on YouTube.  On the Smithsonian Institution! 
2023.2.12

Smithsonian Institution https://museumonmainstreet.org/content/women-mind-water-podcast-series-julia-cr-gray-california 

Women Mind the Water https://womenmindthewater.com/ podcasts feature inspirational women who share their passion for the ocean. They are artivists (artists and activists) who discuss their connection with the ocean and their ocean-inspired art. Through their stories and art, we hope to inspire YOU and move YOU to take action to protect the ocean.  

Our latest podcast features sculptor Julia CR Gray. Julia uses slip-casting and hand-building methods to mold female forms that represent the strength and vulnerability of women. A dichotomy that Julia believes women’s bodies share with the ocean.


Crocker Kingsley National Art Competition 2022 Dec 3 - Jan 14, 2023
2022.12.10

The biennial Crocker-Kingsley exhibition continues a tradition that began in 1926 through a collaboration between the Crocker Art Museum and the Kingsley Art Club. Established in 1892 by fifteen Sacramento women, the Kingsley Art Club supports arts and culture in the community. Since then, the exhibition has become a national juried competition hosted by Blue Line Arts.

This year marks the 81st Crocker-Kingsley exhibition, a show that attracts emerging and established artists. Past Crocker-Kingsley exhibitors include many of the premier names in California art, including Robert Arneson, Kathryn Uhl Ball, Elmer Bischoff, Fred Dalkey, David Gilhooly, Ralph Goings, Gregory Kondos, Roland Petersen, Mel Ramos, Ruth Rippon, Fritz Scholder, Jerald Silva, and Wayne Thiebaud.

This year, more than 2,428 entries were submitted for consideration, from which juror Emma Saperstein, Chief Curator and Director of Education at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA), selected 134 for display at Blue Line Arts in Roseville. The top five juried selections will receive cash prizes, with a total of $5,500 to be awarded during the opening reception. From this group, a team of Crocker Art Museum jurors will select five pieces—which may or may not have been accorded cash prizes—for display at the Museum between February 5 and April 30, 2022.

JUNIPER RAG   DARKNESS: A VIRTUAL EXHIBITION 
2022.10.27
https://www.juniperrag.com/darkness-exhibition

Curator’s 1st Place Selection

Sunrise Stories by Julia C R Gray

AMANDA KIDD-KESTLER:

“I keep coming back to this piece, and everytime I do, I see something new. This piece shows a mastery of ceramic handbuilding and glazing. The way every surface tells a story makes it read like a book. It is incredibly rich and complex. I love the ties to art history, and the creative use of the modular structure really works to enhance the artist's concept of untold lived experiences.

Absolute knock-out work. Love. Love. Love!"” 


JUNIPER RAG Magazine: Julia C R Gray is one of the most prolific artists in our Juniper Rag community. She was awarded a spot in our Luscious Punch show in May of 2022 at CUSP Gallery in Provincetown, MA. Julia drove across country with over 40 sculptures for the New England show. We are very grateful for discovering artists like Julia C R Gray.

We are so thrilled that Amand Kidd-Kestler chose her work for top placement in this exhibition. Julia is a great example of an artist dedicated to her work and one who constantly evolves, striving to create work that is as intuitive as it is complex. We are so proud to support her as a person and a gifted artist. Many of her pieces found new homes in New England and one ventured all the way to Mumbai, India.

ART SD2022
2022.8.31

ART SD2022 at San Diego Convention Center 👉🏼 Booth 522. 

Tickets: https://rwag.ticketspice.com/art-san-diego-2022-contemporary-art-design-fair?registrants.prefill=rwag22-member-access&utm_source=TicketSpice&utm_medium=Ticket&utm_campaign=ASD22 


My FIRST year exhibiting! Come on by and see my new ocean sculptures.


ART SD2022 at the San Diego Convention Center opens September 9-11, 2022.


San Diego Convention Center

Hall C, BOOTH 522

111 W Harbor Dr.

San Diego, CA 92101

FIRST LOOK FRIDAY
Friday, Sept. 9 | 12:00PM — 5:00PM

COLLECTORS’ VIP OPENING
Friday, Sept. 9 | 6:00PM — 9:00PM

WEEKEND FAIR HOURS
Saturday, Sept. 10 | 11:00AM — 7:00PM
Sunday, Sept. 11 | 11:00AM — 5:00PM 

TURNING TIDES - TWA Group Exhibition
2022.8.11
August 19-September 3, 2022. BFREE STUDIO, 7857 Girard Ave. La Jolla, CA.  

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 20, 5-8pm


September 2, 2022 Clay and Drawing Demo: Julia C R Gray will give a talk titled: Ocean Mystery in Ceramic Language and Clay Demo on building coral details. Lori Mitchell will conduct a drawing demo. 


Talk Schedule: 

4:30 - Lori Mitchell 

5:30- Julia C R Gray 

RSVP


TWA's (Time for Women Artists) newest group show is “Turning Tides”. The group will showcase their individual visions of what the theme means to them: ebb and flow, change, transition, the sea—and more. 

 SHE: Sea Wisdom sold at the ART AUCTION Oceanside Museum of ART. JUNE 25, 2022 7PM VIP Reception. https://oma-online.org/
2022.6.21
ROBIN REYNOLDS solo show at CUSP GALLERY, Provincetown.  Also featured the work of sculptor Julia C R Gray. Co-Curated by Curtis Speer, Michelle May and Payal Thiffault. 
2022.5.11

Opening Saturday, May 28th

— and runs for 2 weeks only —

Closing on Sunday, June 12, 2022 at CUSP Gallery in Provincetown, MA.

https://www.juniperrag.com/cusp-solo-show 

 Dreams and Daylight: OMA Artists Alliance at Sparks Gallery
2022.5.11

Sparks Gallery, San Diego, CA.

Dreams and Daylight: through July 3, 2022. 

Breaking Through: The Rise of American Women Artists
2022.5.11

Customs House Museum, Clarksville, TN. March 5- May 29, 2022 

The Unknown Nature of Being 
2022.4.5

The Unknown Nature of Being 

Opening reception, Friday, April 8, 2022, 5-7pm.

April 8 @ 5:00 pm - May 29 @ 4:30 pm

Artists are invited to explore the connectedness of all living things, the life bond between humans and nature.


Tubac Center of the Arts

9 Plaza Rd, Tubac, AZ 85646

(520) 398-2371 


National Sculpture Society at Bonita Museum thru 3/19/2022
2022.2.16

The Bonita Museum & Cultural Center announces the National Sculpture Society (NSS) California exhibition in February and March of 2022. The exhibition features thirty-eight artworks by master California sculptors, members of the prestigious National Sculpture Society based in New York city. The NSS was founded in 1893 and is the oldest sculpture society in the United States, promoting the work of sculptors and architects who specialize in highlighting our natural world.

2022 Artist Alliance Biennial  Oceanside Museum of Art.
2021.12.10

Reception: February 12, 2022 5:00 to 7:00pm. Limited space, RSVP required. 

https://oma-online.org/open/


December 18, 2021- May 1, 2022. OMA is thrilled to present their fifth biennial, continuing the tradition of elevating the voice of Southern California artists and celebrating the best work from OMA’s Artist Alliance. 

Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, CA 92054

OMA: This exhibition represents only a small cross-section of our remarkable artist members. The competition was fierce— ultimately only 61 artworks were selected from nearly 900 entries by juror Alessandra Moctezuma, Professor of Art and Gallery Director at San Diego Mesa College. Although the exhibition is not themed, visual connections clearly emerge through the juror's choices, reflecting her aesthetic judgment and curatorial eye. When shown together, this broad cross-section of styles, interests, media, and approach reflects the diversity and multi- dimensionality of OMA’s artist community, and illustrates the story of artists in the Southern California region. 


Sowing Seeds of Universal Language at San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA 
2021.11.1

 The female torsos of Julia C R Gray’s sculptural series, SHE-Shell Sea Wisdom, merge gold luster and pearlescent aqua glazes with colorful texturized bases resembling coral. Like a porcelain figure lost at sea and decorated with aquatic growth, her pieces seem fragile yet tempered by time. When given proper protection, our delicate coastal seas can rebound into healthy and vibrant ecosystems. 

November 9 – December 15, 2021
Reception: Friday, November 12, 3 – 7 p.m., Art Gallery FA 103

Free Parking in Lot # 1. Park in STUDENT spaces ONLY. 

Gallery Hours: T, W, TH 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Closed Mondays, Fridays, Weekends & Holidays. Closed Thanksgiving week Nov. 22 – 26, 2021. For additional information, please visit: https://www.sdmesa.edu/art-gallery or contact the gallery at (619) 388-2829.


Participating Artists:

Jenny Armer - Aurora Bewicke - Claudia Cano - Evan Chau - Cloud Club Collective

- David Contreras - Ty and Sam Creighton - Bronle Crosby - Alex DeCosta - Dana Edwards - Francisco Eme - Gabrielle Espina - Scott Gengelbach - Rosario Glezmir - Sofia Gonzalez - Chitra Gopalakrishnan - Julia C R Gray - Steve Harlow - Doug Harvey - Vijay Hingorani - Terri Hughes-Oelrich - Amanda Kachadoorian - Sophie Kamdar - Desiree Lawrence - Elena Lomakin - Santiago Lopez - Isa Medina -Teresa Mill - Michelle Montjoy - Kathy Nida - Elizabeth Parr - Omar Pimienta - Wendy Ponomarenko - Kim Reasor - Josie Rodriguez - Taylour Rudzinski - Elizabeth Salaam - Julia San Román - Sage Serrano - Jennifer Spencer - Elizabeth Tobias - Litzy Torres - Thuyduyen Jenny - Jennifer Vargas.  



Reception October 9, 4 - 7 pm: Save The Ocean Juried Art Show Escondido Municipal Gallery 262 E. Grand Ave., Escondido, CA 92025
2021.9.28
JURIED Exhibition 2021Front Porch Gallery
2021.7.17
TWENTY WOMEN ARTISTS: NOW
2021.3.13

TWENTY WOMEN ARTISTS: NOW

LINK

Curated by Alessandra Moctezuma

March 13-August 1, 2021

Oceanside Museum of Art

704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, California 92054


Watch BEHIND THE EXHIBITION: TWENTY WOMEN ARTISTS: NOW

Watch Behind The Exhibition with curator Alessandra Moctezuma, artist Julia C R Gray, exhibitions manager Katie Dolgov, live streamed Thursday, April 22, 2021.

LINK

New Book Release: MODIFIED Living As A Cyborg
2020.10.14

Modified: Living as a Cyborg 1st Edition

by Chris Hables Gray (Editor) 

Cover: Julia C R Gray


Available on Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/Modified-Living-Chris-Hables-Gray/dp/0815364016/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=book%3A+modified+cyborg&qid=1600306892&sr=8-2 


Building off the highly successful The Cyborg Handbook, this new collection of essays, interviews, and creative pieces brings together a set of compelling personal accounts about what it means to live as a cyborg in the twenty-first century.

Human integration with complex technologies goes back to clothes, cooking, and language, but has accelerated incredibly in the last few centuries, with interest spreading among scientists, coders, people with sophisticated implants, theorists, and artists. This collection includes some of the most articulate of these voices from over 25 countries, including Donna Haraway, Stelarc, Natasha Vita-More, Steve Mann, Amber Case, Michael Chorost, Moon Ribas, Kevin Warwick, Sandy Stone, Dion Farquhar, Angeliki Malakasioti, Elif Ayiter, Heesang Lee, Angel Gordo, and others. Addressing topics including race, gender, sexuality, class, conflict, capitalism, climate change, disability and beyond, this collection also explores the differences between robots, androids, cyborgs, hybrids, post-, trans-, and techno-humans, offering readers a critical vocabulary for understanding and discussing the cyborgification of culture and everyday life.

Compelling, interdisciplinary, and international, the book is a perfect primer for students, researchers, and teachers of cyberculture, media and cultural theory, and science fiction studies, as well as anyone interested in the intersections between human and machine.

California Sculpture SLAM
2020.5.17

Cyborgs Are Us has been juried into the California Sculpture SLAM. The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art is proud the present California Sculpture SLAM, a California-wide juried exhibition featuring contemporary sculpture. This biennial exhibition represents the diversity of sculpture being created by artists across the state. Selections were made by art critic and LA Times Arts Editor Shana Nys Dambrot.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to concerns surrounding Covid-19 and the mandated shelter-in-place, the provisional dates for California Sculpture SLAM have been extended to November 1, 2020. 

Exhibition: 20/20 Women of Vision
2020.2.25

Reception for Exhibition: 20/20 Women of Vision


May 17, 2020


Fresh Paint Gallery

1020-B, Prospect St, La Jolla, California 92037


Exhibition through July 2020.