Sept 25 - Nov 9 2025, Thur-Sun, 12-5 PM; Opening Reception Sept 27, 5pm-7pm
This fall, NY2CA Gallery presents The Mystery of Process: Journeys of Transformation, a two-artist exhibition pairing the wood-fired clay sculptures of Monique Rutherford with the mixed media paintings of Carol Dalton. On view September 25 through November 9, 2025, the exhibition honors not only the finished works, but the unpredictable and transformative paths that shape them.
Rutherford works in clay, surrendering her sculptures to the demanding ritual of the anagama kiln-a wood-fired process that can last for days or even weeks. Flames, ash, and accident leave their marks on each surface, creating works that bear witness to forces beyond the artist's control. For Rutherford, working with clay is a way to step out of the noise of daily life and into a place where instinct, silence, and surprise can take over.
Dalton approaches transformation from another perspective. Her practice begins outdoors, with daily walks along the Carquinez Strait and hikes in the coastal hills of the Bay Area. These shifting landscapes-the shimmer of light on water, the slow drift of fog, the hues of changing seasons-inspire paintings that are less about depiction and more about distillation. Working on wood panels, she layers paper, pigments, and texture, scraping and sanding until her surfaces hum with memory and atmosphere.
Together, Rutherford and Dalton invite viewers to see transformation as the true subject of their work. Whether through the elemental fire of the kiln or the meditative rhythm of landscape and light, both artists reveal how process leaves its traces. Clay, paint, and perception are all altered by time, chance, and the persistence of practice.
The Mystery of Process runs September 25 - November 9, 2025, at NY2CA Gallery, 617 First Street, Benicia, CA. Gallery hours are Thursday-Sunday, 12-5 PM.
Opening Reception
September 27, 5pm-7pm
Music by Arturo
Free
Presented by NY2CA Gallery.
Sept 25 - Nov 9 2025, Thur-Sun, 12-5 PM; Opening Reception Sept 27, 5pm-7pm
This fall, NY2CA Gallery presents The Mystery of Process: Journeys of Transformation, a two-artist exhibition pairing the wood-fired clay sculptures of Monique Rutherford with the mixed media paintings of Carol Dalton. On view September 25 through November 9, 2025, the exhibition honors not only the finished works, but the unpredictable and transformative paths that shape them.
Rutherford works in clay, surrendering her sculptures to the demanding ritual of the anagama kiln-a wood-fired process that can last for days or even weeks. Flames, ash, and accident leave their marks on each surface, creating works that bear witness to forces beyond the artist's control. For Rutherford, working with clay is a way to step out of the noise of daily life and into a place where instinct, silence, and surprise can take over.
Dalton approaches transformation from another perspective. Her practice begins outdoors, with daily walks along the Carquinez Strait and hikes in the coastal hills of the Bay Area. These shifting landscapes-the shimmer of light on water, the slow drift of fog, the hues of changing seasons-inspire paintings that are less about depiction and more about distillation. Working on wood panels, she layers paper, pigments, and texture, scraping and sanding until her surfaces hum with memory and atmosphere.
Together, Rutherford and Dalton invite viewers to see transformation as the true subject of their work. Whether through the elemental fire of the kiln or the meditative rhythm of landscape and light, both artists reveal how process leaves its traces. Clay, paint, and perception are all altered by time, chance, and the persistence of practice.
The Mystery of Process runs September 25 - November 9, 2025, at NY2CA Gallery, 617 First Street, Benicia, CA. Gallery hours are Thursday-Sunday, 12-5 PM.
Opening Reception
September 27, 5pm-7pm
Music by Arturo
Free
Presented by NY2CA Gallery.
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