Another great month of art kicked off Friday evening downtown and around the county. If you haven’t been out to check out the artistic offerings of Santa Cruz recently, you’re missing out and there is plenty for you to view for the rest of the month. You can check out the variety of exhibitions on the First Friday website.

Madison Wanamaker and Amanda Hess at Studio 105

Nestled into the honeycomb of studios at the tannery, Studio 105 had a fun and forceful exhibition of work by Madison Wanamaker and Amanda Hess. You can also check out the elegant collage work of Bree Karpavage in this studio that she shares with Hess.

Madison Wanamaker showed a series of drawings and digital prints with hand painted sections of accent. This gorgeous series is based around Greek mythology, the lunar eclipse, and Scorpio season. Her work is fun, elegant, and charged with a soft spoken but potent psychedelic surrealism. Her artwork has whimsy and is easy on the eyes, but it also possesses a charge of magic. Make sure to check out her series of Goblin queens, beautiful and dank as mushrooms and frogs.

Amanda Hess displayed her recent collection of jewelry, which is bold and beautifully shimmers. Her work shows a sense refinement and makes a statement. A prolific artist, she had some of her art from previous exhibits on sale. Doing some Spring cleaning, she is offering great deals on some very beautiful art. Hess is a force of creativity combining playful self-expression with a rigorous approach to creating collections. Stop by Studio 105 to find some amazing gifts for the stylish and art loving mothers in your life.

You should also make sure to take in the work of Bree Karpavage, who has some of her original collage art on display. The poetic imagery Karpavage elegantly assembles appears in dreamlike forms against a dark background. The work smolders with a restrained sexiness, celebrating the power of feminine beauty and energy.

Stay tuned for more reviews of this month’s outstanding exhibitions!