Conference Speakers
Maija Peeples-Bright
Maija Peeples-Bright (b. 1942 in Riga, Latvia, lives and works in Rocklin, CA) is one of the few women artists associated with Northern California’s Funk and Nut art movements of the late 1960s and ‘70s. In 1965 she graduated with a masters degree in art from UC Davis and had her first solo exhibition at the renowned Candy Store Gallery in nearby Folsom, CA, where she exhibited annually until 1991. Her wildly inventive practice comprises compositions bustling with animals of all kinds, forming surreal, imaginative landscapes in audacious impasto. Adding a growing number of animals—lovingly referred to by the artist as ‘beasties’—to her visual lexicon with each passing year, they represent alternate realities, infusing gaiety and a sense of the absurd into impossible scenarios. Highly distinctive, her animal groupings relish in the extreme, often taking up every inch of the canvas; multiplying her subjects into dizzying arrangements, they comprise entire worlds.
Jerald Silva
I refer to my medium as ‘watercolor incorrect.’ They are ‘paintings in watercolor.’ They are not ‘watercolors.’
Painter Jerald Silva was born in Sacramento, California in 1936. He attended Sacramento Junior College to study with Wayne Thiebaud and Amelia Fischbacher, Chouinard Art Institute, and Sacramento State College.
Silva's paintings have been exhibited at the California State Fair, the Kingsley Show, the Northern California Arts Show, the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco and the Upper Grosvenor Gallery in London.
Patrick Siler
Patrick Siler depicts ordinary experience through the paintings and drawings that decorate his ceramic vessels. Siler’s graduate work at the University of California focused on painting, but while he was there he took ceramics courses with Peter Voulkos, who encouraged him to paint his clay pieces. His style draws on a number of influences, including European modern art and American abstract expressionism, as well as comic book illustrations.
Danielle Mužina
Danielle Mužina is a Cleveland-based artist and educator whose work delves into themes of place, identity, and crisis, deeply influenced by her Croatian immigrant heritage. She holds a B.F.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, an M.A. from Eastern Illinois University, and an M.F.A. from Miami University. Mužina has further honed her craft through studies at the Jerusalem Studio School in Italy and residencies at institutions such as Chautauqua School of Art and the Vermont Studio Center. Her art has been featured in prestigious galleries nationwide, including exhibitions at First Street Gallery, Blue Mountain Gallery, and Verum Ultimum Gallery.
In addition to her artistic pursuits, Mužina has been recognized for her academic contributions during her tenure as Assistant Professor of Painting at Murray State University, earning multiple awards for her teaching. Her commitment to leadership and activism led her to co-found reframe52, a DEI education company launching this year. Currently, Mužina serves as a gallery teacher at the Cleveland Museum of Art and has been appointed the Walker D. and Helen Bryant Wyman Visiting Professor in Art at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for Fall 2023. Her recent work, including the Pink Apocalypse series, has garnered acclaim and inclusion in notable publications, reflecting her dedication to exploring and representing complex social and personal narratives through her art.
Nimah Gobir
Nimah Gobir is an artist and educator based in Oakland, California. She earned her B.F.A. in Studio Art from Chapman University before pursuing an M.Ed. at Harvard Graduate School of Education, specializing in Arts in Education.
Through paintings and installations, her work explores the nuanced tapestry of Black identity. Drawing inspiration from familial and personal archives, she creates figurative works that capture the ways loved ones are reflected in one another and illustrate how their everyday habits shape their living spaces. Her artistic process extends beyond conventional mediums to embrace expressive brushwork, hand-stitched embroidery, and a fusion of household textiles.
Her creative endeavors have been highlighted in Hyperallergic, 48Hills, and SF/Arts. Gobir has shown work at Root Division, Johansson Projects, SOMArts, and the Museum of the African Diaspora, where she was selected to be part of their Emerging Artist Program. Gobir is currently in Recology’s 2024 artist in residence cohort and a Tournesol Award recipient at Headlands Center for the Arts. With upcoming projects poised to further amplify her artistic voice, she continues to weave together threads of memory, identity, and resilience in her work.
Ian Harvey
Ian Harvey’s paintings are a tactile journey into dynamic abstraction. Utilizing a diverse range of mediums, including ink, acrylic, enamel, and oil, Harvey creates works characterized by chaotic pours, drips, and layered textures. His technique involves meticulously applying thick daubs of paint and allowing spontaneous interactions between materials to shape the final composition.
Harvey’s art embraces the unpredictable nature of paint, turning chance into a creative tool. This process results in visually rich pieces where geometric forms and organic shapes coexist, evoking both cosmic and microscopic realms. His work serves as a visceral counterpoint to the digital age, offering a palpable, meditative experience through its intricate layers and unexpected textures.
