Santa Maria Sun / Art

A little art, a little beer

Solvang Brewing Company will exhibit the works of artists in its exhibit space for members of the Artists Guild of the Santa Ynez Valley located at the brewery, 1547 Mission Drive, in Solvang. The show will feature the work of photographer Vicki Mitchell and painter Suzanne Huska.

A reception for the artists will be held on Feb. 23 from 5  to 7 p.m., and the public is invited to attend and meet the artists.

Vicki Mitchell, recognized for her landscape photography, will exhibit images of the Santa Ynez Valley. She took a serious interest in photography when she moved to Santa Ynez with her husband and daughter in 1991. She perfected her photography skills under the tutelage of local teachers, like the late Neil Brundidge, and classes at Allan Hancock College, Brooks Institute of Photography, and the Art Center of Pasadena.

Mitchell has shown her work at Gallery Los Olivos, Mission Creek Gallery in Los Olivos, Bank of Montecito, and Westmont College. She has a line of photo cards that are sold in the valley, and her images have been published on numerous covers of the UCSB Economics Forecast Project and The Guest Magazine.

Suzanne Huska uses oils on canvas to paint scenes of the Santa Ynez Valley, including old barns, windmills, and churches. Huska studied art at the University of the Americas in Mexico City, and spent 20 years there before moving to Cabo San Lucas in Baja California. Now as a resident of the Santa Ynez Valley, the warm bright colors in her landscapes evoke the many years she lived in Mexico.

For more information, call the Solvang Brewing Comapny at 688-2337.

Arts Briefs is compiled by Arts Editor Shelly Cone. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.