ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I read somewhere that to
evaluate and artist one must examine the art knowledge and sophistication
of that artist's audience.
Good advice, but I say,
"Look at the work."
My hope in painting is
to discover what lies beneath and find heat and pulse and viscera beneath
skin.
Paintings are mute
things. They must do their dance without words.
Watercolor is the medium
I know best and it's tricky stuff. One cannot simply lay paint on paper
and think that the job is done. The colors need to be played with and
coaxed, even coerced into being. Mixing a palette-full of a righteous red
is no guarantee that one will end up with a red that works. A painting
must be persuaded into being. It's as if a deal must be struck.
There is a zone in
making art where time stops and there is no ceiling or floor. Nothing and
no one exists beyond artist and tool. This is where the magic happens.
In this place there are no words. And something new gets born.
For myself I have yet to
do the perfect painting. Sometimes I do get very close. In this last
year I've stumbled into this zone more often than in previous times. It's
as if I'm being pulled ahead by an unstoppable equine force. Paint seems
to gush from nowhere onto the page. I'm there but I'm not controlling the
tide.
I think this might be
the reason I paint.
Sari
Staggs
BORN 1941, Los Angeles,
CA
EDUCATED El Camino
College, UCLA Otis/Parsons
BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY
In 1617, my family came
to this country with a charter from the king allowing them to govern. Two
hundred years later they loaded up their linens and their Lomoges and
headed West. It took them twenty years to go from New York to California.
Along the way, towns were lived in, elections were held, and babies were
born. They continued west until they reached Visalia, a small verdant
California town, then the capitol of the State. They homesteaded there
and started a sheep and cattle ranch. My grandfather and my mother were
both born in Visalia. The ranch is still in the family.
The West is in my
blood. As a kid I lived mostly in rural places. My mother had a gypsy
heart and we moved often. Much of the time my schoolmates were farm boys,
picker's children, and Native Americans.
When I was two my
mother decided that I was an artist. For years I never went anywhere
without a box of crayons and a coloring book.
When I reached college
age I was thirsty to learn everything there was to learn about Art. I
still am.
I've been painting for
real now for close to fifty years. I have four children, all grown. I
raised them on what I could earn as an artist. It wasn't hard. My
paintings have usually sold well and my kids are great.
I've been passionate
about the West pretty much my whole life. Wherever I go I seem to connect
with people who have lived the Western Life. We talk. These days I
follow my instincts. When it feels right I ask if I can take their
pictures. My portfolio is growing with paintings done from photographs of
people I meet who seem to embody the American Spirit. Independent.
Fearless. Loyal. Hard-bitten. Hard-working. Determined. Ikons of the
American West.
The house I live in now
was built as a boarding house in nineteen hundred two. It sits atop a
hill just up from the Pacific Ocean and looks like it belongs on a Western
Movie Set. Only it doesn't.
It's the real thing.
Sari
Staggs
ONE PERSON SHOWS
2005 - Winter EOS
Gallery, Redlands, CA
2002 - Summer Center
Street Gallery, Jackson, WY
2002 - Spring Kneeland
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2001 - Summer Center
Street Gallery, Jackson, WY
1999 - Fall Center
Street Gallery, Jackson, WY
1999 - Spring Rogoway
Gallery, La Conner, WA
1999 - Spring Kneeland
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1998 - Fall Center
Street Gallery, Jackson, WY
1998 - Summer Icaan
Gallery, Manhattan Beach, CA,
1997 - Summer Icaan
Gallery, Manhattan Beach, CA
1996 - Winter Martin
Harris Gallery, Jackson, WA
1995 - Fall Downtown
Artists Development Agency (DADA) Studio Tour,
Los Angeles, CA
1995 - Fall Paula
Poundstone Comic Relief, Open Studio Tour,
Los Angeles, CA
1995 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1995 - Spring Downtown
Artists Development Agency (DADA) Studio Tour,
Los Angeles, CA
1994 - Winter River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1993 - Summer Martin
Harris Gallery, Jackson, WY
1993 - Winter Kneeland
Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
1992 - Summer Martin
Harris Gallery, Jackson, WY
1991 - Fall Featured
Artist, Fall Art Festival
Art West Gallery,
Jackson, WY
1991 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1991 - Summer Gallery of
the West, Jackson, WY
1990 - Fall Tumbleweed
Gallery, Manhattan Beach, CA
1990 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1990 - Winter Hillcrest
Congregational Church, Art Festival, Whittier, CA
1989 - Fall Manhattan
Beach Country Club, Manhattan Beach, CA
1989 - Summer Gallery of
the West, Jackson, WY
1989 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1989 - Winter Barclay
Simpson Gallery, Lafayette, CA
Sari Staggs Résumé: page
2 of 4
1988 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1988 - Summer Gallery of
the West, Jackson, WY
1987 - Fall
International Art Festival, Los Angeles, CA
1987 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1987 - Summer Gallery
of the West, Jackson, WY
1987 - Spring Agoura
City Hall Gallery, Agoura, CA
1987 - Winter River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1986 - Fall Barclay
Simpson Gallery, Lafayette, CA
1986 - Fall
International Art Festival, Los Angeles, CA
1986 - Summer Gallery of
the West, Jackson, WY
1985 - Summer Gallery of
the West, Jackson, WY
1985 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1985 - Spring Orr’s
Gallery, San Diego, CA
1985 - Spring Barclay
Simpson Gallery, Lafayette, CA
1984 - Summer Artwest
Gallery, Jackson, WY
1984 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1983 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1983 - Summer Two Grey
Hills Gallery, Jackson, WY
1983 - Winter Suzanne
Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1982 - Fall Double
Rocking “G” Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1982 - Summer Two Grey
Hills Gallery, Jackson, WY
1982 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1982 - Winter River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1982 - Fall Horizon
Gallery, Manhattan Beach, CA
1981 - Summer River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1981 - Spring Suzanne
Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1981 - Winter River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1980 - Fall Judith Stern
Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
1980 - Fall Contract
Design, Jackson, WY
1980 - Spring Suzanne
Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
TWO PERSON SHOWS
1986 - Spring St.
Estephe Restaurant, Manhattan Beach, CA
1986 - Winter St.
Estephe Restaurant, Manhattan Beach, CA
1985 - Fall St. Estephe
Restaurant, Manhattan Beach, CA
1984 - Spring Judith
Stern Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
1984 - Winter River Run
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
GROUP SHOWS
2008 - Spring Cowgirl
Up! Show Desert Caballeros Western Museum,
Wickenburg, AZ
2008 - Winter Manhattan
Beach Creative Arts Center, Manhattan Beach, CA
2007 - Fall Alvin Miles
Gallery Palos Verdes Estates, CA
2007 - Winter Legacy
Contemporary Gallery Scottsdale, AZ
Sari Staggs Résumé: page
3 of 4
2006 - Spring Cowgirl
Up! Show Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
2004 - Fall EOS Gallery,
Redlands, CA
2003 - Summer Kneeland
Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1990 - Winter Adagio
Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
1987 - Summer Gallery of
the West, Jackson, WY
1986 - Spring White-Tops
Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
1984 - Fall Orr’s
Gallery, San Diego, CA
1984 - Fall Beyond
Horizon Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1984 - Fall Artwest
Gallery, Jackson, WY
1981 - Fall Suzanne
Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1980 - Fall Art Spirit
Gallery, Boulder, CO
1980 - Fall Suzanne
Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
COLLECTIONS
(SELECTED)
Ahmanson Collection Los
Angeles, CA
Former Governor Jerry
Brown Los Angeles, CA
Peter Cetera Los
Angeles, CA
Cher Los Angeles, CA
Clocktower Inn Ventura,
CA
Lorraine & George Cohen
New York, NY
Cota de Caza Equestrian
Center Irvine, CA
Dorothy & Bob Courtney
Manhattan Beach, CA
Bonnie Franklin Sherman
Oaks, CA
Carol & Lester Goldsmith
Tucson, AZ
Rick & Fabianne Guerin
Los Angeles, CA
Buddy & Sherry Hackett
Los Angeles, CA
Bill Hertel Santa Ana,
CA
Halton Tractor Company
Portland, OR
Erivan & Helga Haub
Black Forest, Germany and Big Piney, WY
Bland & Liza Hoke
Jackson Hole, WY
Alan King Los Angeles,
CA
Hal & Frances Linden Los
Angeles, CA
Jim Little Jackson Hole,
WY
Ann & Tom Martin
Manhattan Beach, CA
Dick Martin Los Angeles,
CA
Maggie Moir Hermosa
Beach, CA
Ron Nelson Long Beach,
CA
Porsche/Audi Phoenix, AZ
Lisa Ridgway Jackson
Hole, WY
Mary Alice & Mike
Sellett Jackson Hole, WY
Adrienne & Carl Short
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Abby Singer Los Angeles,
CA
Gerry & Imaging Spence
Jackson Hole, WY
Connie Stevens Palm
Springs, CA
Viva Stroyke Manhattan
Beach, CA
Sari Staggs Résumé: page
4 of 4
Keiffer Sutherland Los
Angeles, CA
Sweetwater Memorial
Hospital Rock Springs, WY
Brad & Lynn Toles Palm
Springs, CA
Lynn & Larry Wolff
Manhattan Beach, CA
AWARDS (SELECTED)
Hillcrest Invitational
1990
International Arts
Competition 1984
Hillcrest Art Festival
1980
Pacific Art Guild 1979
Pacific Art Guild 1978
Hillcrest Art Festival
1976
Hillcrest Art Festival
1975
Downey Museum 1968
Los Angeles All-City Art
Festival 1968
PUBLICATIONS
Erivan & Helga Haub
Family Collection of Western Art by Christine Mollring
Idaho Mountain Express
Jackson Hole News
L.A. Style Magazine
Los Angeles Times
Rendezvous Magazine
South Bay Lifestyles
Magazine
Southwest Art Magazine
PRIVATE CLASSES &
WORKSHOPS
Alvin Miles Gallery,
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Community Visual Arts
Association, Jackson, WY
La Conner Workshops, La
Conner, WA
Mas des Graviers,
Pourriere, Provence, France