Fabulous Gifts Under $50New! Steal of the MonthThe Glass Half Full: Benicia's Real Estate MarketInterview with Del Lacey & the Story Behind the "Disney Court"

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Contributors DeWitt Cheng Renée Jordan Mary Marino Christina Strawbridge Sue Sumner-Moore

Photographer Jerry Bowles

Graphic Design Margaret Bowles

Editor Jeanne Steinmann

Publisher Polygon Publishing, LLC

Ad Sales: 707.853.5226editor@beniciamagazine.comPrinted locally with soy ink

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T 707.853.5226 • F 707.745.6757

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nicia Historical Museum’s

Benicia Magazine4

All opinions expressed in this magazine, including articles and paid advertisements, are those of the authors alone. Ad positions near articles or other ads are not intended as endorsements for any product, service, opinion, or political affi liation.

Inside18 15

FabulousGifts

Under$50

What's New at beniciamagazine.com 5

Events Calendar 5

A Great Place to Call Home 6

Interview with Del Lacey 9

Fabulous Gifts Under $50 11

Fashionista: Finding the Perfect Gift 15

Christmas Tree Safety 16

Steal of the Month 16

Looking Back 17

Local Painter's Powerful Exhibit 18

17

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December

Bookshop Benicia’s recommended recent biographies Benicia, Wine Country & Lake Tahoe calendars

Sustainability Happenings

Style Travel

Enter to Win!

12/1-12/24 Fresh Cut Christmas Trees, Wreaths & Garlands 10am-8pm New tree lot at the Camel Barn, open every day Fundraiser for Historical Museum & Genesis House Beniciahistoricalmuseum.org, 707.745.5435

12/2-12/5 Glass Blowers Annual Open Studios Glass blowing, sales items, refreshments www.lindsayartglass.com www.nourotglass.com www.smyersglass.com

12/2-12/19 Small Works Exhibition, Thurs-Sun 12-5pm Small pieces by local & regional artists, original gifts Arts Benicia Gallery, Artsbenicia.org, 707.747.0131

12/2-12/31 Capitol & Fischer-Hanlon House Guided Tours 1-4pm Capitol tour 1-4pm, Fischer-Hanlon tour, 2pm Thursdays and Fridays in December 115 West G Street, 707.745.3375

12/3 & 12/11 Capitol Holiday Open House Fri 6-9pm, Sat 11-2 Capitol & Fischer-Hanlon House Free visit, cookies & cider Visit Saint Nicholas & make an ornament, Sat 12/11 115 West G Street, 707.745.3385

12/3 Holiday Open House & Tree Lighting, 6-9pm Treats, carolers, wagon rides, wine tasting First Street Downtown Beniciamainstreet.org, 707.745.9791

12/4 Holiday Parlor Home Tour 1pm Tour 6 historic homes & Commanding Offi cer’s Qrts Historical Society & Soroptimists of Benicia 707.745.3551

12/5 Teddy Bear Tea Party 10:30, 1pm & 3:30pm Holiday-themed afternoon tea, storytelling & singing Camellia Tea Room, call for reservations 828 First Street, 707.746.5293 Beniciamainstreet.org, 707.745.9791

12/6-1/8 Benicia Library Exhibit, artist Biganess Livingstone Exhibition featuring acrylic and monotypes Marilyn Citron O’Rourke Gallery, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org, 707.746.4343

12/9 Burgers Brew & Bling 6-9pm Men’s shopping night w/help from First St. businesses Beniciamainstreet.org, 707.745.9791

12/11 Christmas Parade & Holiday Market 10am-3pm First & D Streets, bands, dancers, Santa Claus Beniciamainstreet.org, 707.745.9791

12/11 Friends of the Library Book Sale 10am-4pm Benicia Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org, 707.745.4770

12/11-12/12 Arsenal Open Studios 10am-4pm Gift items, art, clothing, collectibles & more Tyler, Grant, Lincoln & Jackson Streets, Benicia

12/15 Evening Book Club for Adults 7-8pm Library Dona Benicia Rom Benicia Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org, 707.746.4343

12/18 It’s A Wrap! 8am-8pm Wrap up Holiday Shopping in Downtown Benicia Beniciamainstreet.org, 707.745.9791

12/31 House of Floyd Concert at Benicia High 8pm Pink Floyd Tribute Concert Haley Horn Auditorium, 1101 Military West Tickets 707.746.7565

Calendar of Events

Benicia Magazine6

A Great Place to

Call Home

By Renée Jordan Owner/Broker, Jordan Real Estate, Inc. I can hardly believe that another year has almost come and gone and the holidays are just around the corner. 2010 has been a year fi lled with economic challenges for many of us and the real estate market continues to ebb and fl ow. I think we are all a bit overwhelmed by the twenty-four hour news updates about national housing statistics—some of which seem to be confl icting, or confusing at the least. As I was writing this article—which addresses the current status of real estate in Solano County and Benicia in particular—I was determined to see the glass as half full, and focus on the positive aspects and trends I see happening in the local market and in our hometown. In my last article I mentioned how fortunate we are that Benicia’s real estate market has been affected far less by the recession than our neighboring cities, and that still holds true today. Although the number of homes sold this year has decreased, Solano County as a whole has shown an upward trend in the average selling price compared to the same period of time last year (See statistical chart from BARIES MLS,® dated October 15, 2010). Benicia has remained relatively steady since last year, with a median price of $427,500 for an existing, single-family detached home sold during the month of September—which is well above the September median price of $309,900 for a home sold in California. We are all collectively looking for some sign of stability in our marketplace, and—short of having a crystal ball—it is diffi cult to make fi rm predictions for the upcoming year. However, California Association of Realtors® recently released its California Housing Market Forecast for 2011, and “after two consecutive years of record-setting declines, the median home price in California will climb 11.5% for the 2011 year to $306,500,” and the economists do predict small increases in both home sales and median home price in 2011. I have had the good fortune to live and work in this area for the past twenty plus years, and fi nd stability

Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc.Southern Solano County Two-Month Closed Sales Report

Residential: SFR, Condo-Co-op, Farms & Ranches, Mobile & Floating Homes

Status: SOLD

Statistics reported from BAREIS MLS® October 15, 2010. Information herein believed reliable but not guaranteed. Copyright© 2009 by Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Adjusted average does not include the high and low sale data. BAREIS.com

September 2009 September 2010

Total Properties Sold 235

Total Properties Sold: 160

List Price Sold Price DOM List Price Sold Price DOM

Average: $183,303 $186,912 52 Average: $204,730 $204,358 60

Median: $148,400 $149,000 22 Median: $154,990 $155,000 39

High: $795,000 $773,650 524 High: $998,000 $874,500 439

Low: $25,000 $25,000 0 Low: $42,500 $37,000 0

Adj. Average: $181,357 $185,089 51 Adj. Average: $201,748 $201,176 59

August 2009 August 2010

Total Properties Sold 238

Total Properties Sold: 168

Average: $190,498 $192,440 62 Average: $199,436 $198,376 58

Median: $159,000 $168,000 30 Median: $165,000 $165,000 39

High: $635,000 $575,000 791 High: $565,000 $552,500 329

Low: $14,500 $14,500 0 Low: $25,000 $26,400 0

Adj. Average: $189,360 $191,573 59 Ad. Average: $198,285 $197,278 58

in the sense of community that most Benicians share. Benicia continues to be a very desirable area to live and is known for its reputable schools, main street charm & family focus, waterfront activities and thriving art community. There are many wonderful opportunities to get involved, which help to create a sense of balance in an uncertain time. I have found my passion in the Arts, and have been an active member of the Board of Directors of Arts Benicia, www.artsbenicia.org, which maintains a renowned gallery and is responsible for many of the wonderful artists' events throughout the

year. They also offer an array of classes for budding & advanced artists of all ages. If you are a current resident and have not taken advantage the many wonderful local activities or programs that are available, please take some time to enjoy some of these amenities: check out www.VisitBenicia.org. If you are new to Benicia, it is still a great time to buy a home. Home prices are still favorable and interest rates continue to be historically low. I am sure you will fi nd the same warmth and sense of community that I have come to enjoy. B

BeniciaMagazine.com

CommunityNEWS CommunityNEWS 707-745-7534 December 2010Need additional copies? Contact the Community Relations office:

Valero Benicia Refinery, 3400 East Second Street, Benicia, CA 94510

The Valero Benicia Refi nery recently distributed $375,000 to 31 children’s charities and programs including Reach Out in Benicia, the Benicia Community Action Council, and the Benicia Historical Museum. The money was raised at the 2010 Valero Texas Open and Benefi t for Children Golf Classic.

Refi nery-Wide Preventive Maintenance Planned

Fast Facts:

Safety First:

The Valero Benicia Refi nery will begin a planned, refi nery-wide maintenance project in the next few weeks to maintain the safe and reliable operation of its facilities. Normal refi nery operations will be suspended at the end of December and the work will continue through the start of the new year. This planned, preventive maintenance activity, referred to as a turnaround, will be performed by skilled personnel who will shut down refi nery units, conduct inspections, and service equipment. Maintenance work will be conducted around-the-clock and at peak times: over 1,300 workers will be on-site at any given time. At the height of activity, it is expected that approximately 3,000 workers, including 500 Valero employees, will be working at the refi nery. As processing units are taken out of service, some fl aring is anticipated. Flaring is a safety measure designed to burn-off excess gas in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Flaring is regulated by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “The refi nery will make every effort to minimize any inconvenience to the community,” said Doug Comeau, vice president and general manager. “We’re committed to being a good neighbor and running a safe and environmentally sound operation. This turnaround work is necessary for safe and reliable refi nery operations.” During the upcoming turnaround, the new Flue Gas Scrubber (FGS) unit, designed, reviewed, and permitted as part of the larger project known as the Valero Improvement Project (VIP), will be “tied-in” to processing units and obsolete equipment will be removed from service. The FGS will also reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. The FGS project also includes equipment to heat crude oil more effi ciently and produce steam without consuming any additional fuel. Provisions have been made to avoid any disruption of gasoline supplies to customers for the duration of the turnaround.

What is a turnaround?What is a turnaround?A turnaround is planned maintenance to inspect, repair, and replace refi nery equipment. During smaller turnaround projects, some parts of the refi nery remain operational. During a refi nery-wide turnaround, normal refi nery operations are interrupted so maintenance work can be conducted that could not otherwise be performed when the refi nery is fully operational.

Why are turnarounds performed?Why are turnarounds performed?The primary reason that turnarounds are conducted is to allow time to perform preventive maintenance to ensure safe and reliable operations.

How long will the refi nery-wide turnaround last?How long will the refi nery-wide turnaround last?This planned maintenance activity is expected to last from late December 2010 into February 2011.

Will there be fl aring associated with this maintenance?Will there be fl aring associated with this maintenance?Yes, as processing units are taken out of service, and as they are returned to service, fl aring is expected. Flaring is a safety measure designed to burn-off excess gas in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

What affect will this turnaround have on the supply of gasoline? What affect will this turnaround have on the supply of gasoline? We have been planning this maintenance project for some time and have made provisions to avoid any disruption of gasoline supplies to our customers.

Be sure to purchase a multi-purpose fi re extinguisher in your home with an ABC rating.

Valero employees and contractors purchased school supplies and backpacks for 153 schoolchildren prior to the start of the 2010-2011 school year. Backpacks were presented to the Benicia Community Action Council, Shelter, Inc., Solano County Offi ce of Education, Opportunity House, and ImpACT for distribution to disadvantaged youth. Benicia resident and Valero employee Carole Nail delivered a supply of backpacks to the Benicia CAC where Ben Fraser, Ronnie Jacchico, and Executive Director Viola Robertson welcomed her. Nail was a project coordinator for the Valero Volunteer Council backpack project, along with Valero employees Maria Onedera and Colleen Kraus.

Benicia Magazine8

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Have you always drawn? I was your typical nerdy kid – I drew all the time, built model airplanes. I’ve got drawings that I did back in kindergarten. My mother saved them and gave them to me 5 or 10 years ago. One of them is a fi re truck; another is my grandfather in his 1950 Plymouth.

Did you think you’d grow up to be an artist? I grew up thinking I would be a pirate. We moved in with my grandparents on West K Street when I was very young. … Across the street was the bay with no houses there, just mud, rocks, clams, and dead fi sh. So I’d watch Popeye and think I’d be a pirate.

Did you take art classes? In my senior year, four of my classes were art classes. Our art teacher was Rebecca Calpe. She was probably 25 to 30 years old, and she got us. You couldn’t fool her. She was a wonderful teacher – she was a hippie art teacher. … I know she was disappointed when I went to work for the city. She thought art was everything.

How did you become a city employee? Lee Syracuse, who was working in the Planning Department as a contractor then, asked my friend Jeff Dennis … if he knew anyone who could draw, and Jeff thought of me. … I had all this long hair and holes in my jeans and I looked like Arlo Guthrie, and Lee looked at me and said, “Son, can you draw these old buildings so we can show landlords what they could look like?” and I said, “Sure.” One thing about Lee, he saw the potential of downtown Benicia early on. … My interview with the city manager consisted of him asking me if I’d ever been arrested. I told him no, and I was hired.

What all did you do during your 35 years with the

Planning Department? My job title was planning assistant, then graphic illustrator. Over the years, people learned to do their own graphics on the computer, and by then I’d learned the zoning code. So I started working the counter. I wanted to help people who weren’t sure what to do. … I spent 35 years in the same building. My desk ended up in the same place where I started – well, within 5 feet of where my fi rst desk was. I worked at fi ve different locations in the building and, off and on, I worked with more than 100 different people.

What do you do at Trader Joe’s? The fun thing about Trader Joe’s is that I get to do what I like. I’m there two or three days a week. The fi rst year … I was doing production stuff – making point-of-purchase signs, those tiny signs for every product. Each one is done individually. … Now I’m working the register half of the time, and I get to do larger projects. I built the airplane and the guy climbing the cliff for the Clif Bars.

When did the Disney display start? It started around 1987 or ’88. The fi rst year we didn’t realize how much it was going to cost and we had the lights on as soon as the sun went down, all during December. … We won a $300 prize that fi rst year and we donated it to CAC. Then, a couple of weeks later, we got our PG&E bills. We do it now for about two weeks. People start worrying because it’s not up – but that’s because it costs about $100 per house for those two weeks. …

By Sue Sumner-Moore Del Lacey’s artwork is found throughout Benicia, although many people don’t realize he created the logos and characters they see. His talent is behind the logos for several agencies, including the Benicia Historical Museum and the City. “You see it on your water bill,” Del says. “Just don’t blame me for the bill itself.” He also created the smiling frog that is the mascot of the library’s Trivia Bee, and he’s working on his 20th adaptation of that character for the 2011 fundraiser. And each December, hundreds of people visit the characters displayed on the lawns of Sorrell Court, better known as the Disney Court. Del is quick to point out that the seven families created their own fi gures – he just put some fi nishing touches on them. He insists he’s not the creator of the beloved Benicia holiday tradition. “This is all my neighbor Wendy’s fault,” he says, his trademark grin spreading across his face. “I can’t take much credit. I have my hands on every piece, but I’m the victim here. I went into this kicking and screaming.”

Neighbor Wendy Portolos doesn’t remember it that way, just as Del predicted. “He’s the culprit, but we all did it together,” she says, although she admits other neighbors also hold her responsible as they set up the display each year. “Hey, just look at the artwork and put blame where it belongs,” she says, also laughing. Del, 57, grew up in Benicia, playing in its fi elds and along its shore. “I used to go to Boy Scout meetings at the Harvey’s house – the mansion on West K,” he says. “We played pool on a slate pool table with a moose head hanging on the wall.” He is the oldest of fi ve children who were nurtured by their creative mother and other imaginative relatives. He graduated from Benicia High in 1971 and attended Solano Community College until he joined the city’s Planning Department in 1973. He retired after 35 years and now works part time as an artist for Trader Joe’s in Concord. He loves his 1965 Mustang and old cars in general, his many friends and especially his family. He lives in Benicia with his wife, Katie.

Holiday Lighting The Disney display on Sorrell Court will be a bright spot on dark winter nights this year with the absence of the high-wattage Adobe display. Adobe’s decision to skip decorating this year is a sign of the economic times, Adobe director Pat Purvis says. “We’re going to do it next year,” he promises. “It’s gotten to be a very costly event for us and with the economy down, we just aren’t able to do it this year.” He estimates the display costs about $15,000 a year for replacement bulbs and other supplies, the electric bill and ceremony expenses. “Also, we’re not able to do jobs through the season because we have to start working on this on Sept. 1. It takes about 900 man hours to put everything up, start to fi nish,” Pat says. Another Benicia standard, the Winter Wonderland yard decorating contest, ended in 2008 after more than 10 years. The Coldwell Banker Solano Pacifi c competition started in the mid-1990s, a couple of years after Southampton discontinued its similar Home for the Holidays contest, says Rod Herman. Herman handled public relations for Southampton when it launched the decorating contest, and suggested Coldwell Banker resume the competition when he joined the brokerage. The real estate company produced a map each year so people could drive to see the elaborate displays. As the number of entries declined, the real estate agency decided to discontinue the contest, explained Richard Bortolazzo, co-owner of Coldwell Banker. “It’s kind of sad that it petered out,” he says. “My general impression is that many of them still do it, but just stopped entering in part because you couldn’t be a repeat winner.” The original contest spurred the homeowners on Sorrell Court to start the Disney display in the late 1980s. The seven homeowners selected characters for their individual yards, cut the plywood and did the initial painting on each of the pieces. Del Lacey did the fi nal highlighting, shading and inking to fi nish each character. Neighbors put up the fi gures from Beauty and the Beast, 101 Dalmations, Peter Pan, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Pinocchio and other Disney classics for about two weeks each December. Look for the characters to reappear about a week before Christmas, says neighbor Wendy Portolos.

An Interview with

By Sue Sumner-Moore

Del Lacey

Continued on page 21

Benicia Magazine10

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Benicia Magazine12

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FASHIONISTA

All I want for Christmas

GET COMFORTABLE IN YOUR BODY

By Christina Strawbridge Growing up in a family with fi ve kids, two parents and a dog, the holiday season is an enduring memory of tradition and presents—lots of presents with wrapping paper at least a foot deep. To this day, I am not sure how my parents pulled off knowing exactly what we all wanted, being able to surprise us by keeping things hidden and then paying for it all on a middle-class paycheck. Some of the gifts were practical, like my Girl Scout uniform or a winter coat, but I remember receiving a gorgeous Italian shoulder bag that my Mom had found on sale. I loved it because it was just a little different from what my friends carried. My brothers and sister and I were instructed to give my parents a list of three things and we were told that we may get one or all three, depending on what they were able to fi nd and afford. The idea was carried down to my children, who took it a step further by attaching print ads to the list, which not only gave information on where the item could be located but at what price. Even now I get a list (minus the pictures) that helps guide me through the holiday shopping experience of electronics, movies and Ga Ga music. Of course there are stories of imperfect gift selections, like the four tires my Dad bought for my Mom that were stacked under the tree, or the used shoes covered in mud that I accidentally gave my husband. Gift giving has changed with the millennium and the availability of gift cards, E-Bay, the internet and the practice of regifting. Shopping for the perfect gift has given way to convenience and sometimes, the ordinary.

Here are some tips on fi nding the right gift for the right person:

• Make a list and use it as your base. Get clues about what a person wants and personalize it with your perspective.

• Buy in themes. For instance, a fashionista is thrilled with anything related to fashion and design—books, stationary, the box set of Project Runway, etc.

• Shop locally where most of the stores are independently owned and offer unique merchandise. You’ll receive personalized service when dealing directly with the owner or trained staff.

• Gift wrap is important. It doesn't have to be costly—it's amazing what you can do with something as basic as newspaper and colorful ribbon. Most boutique businesses gift wrap free of charge.

• Buy things you would like to receive, even though you're not going to keep it for yourself (repeat after me: you are not keeping it for yourself). Buying things you like can translate into things your friends would like.

• Stay away from regifting—If YOU don't want it chances are others won't either.

• Plan a day of shopping with lunch and/or a cocktail. Make this a fun experience.

• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, but dress festively. It will put you and others in the holiday mood.

• Don't stress getting a package there on time. Believe me; the gift will be just as fabulous on December 26th.

• Recapture the meaning of giving. A smile, a laugh or a hug is what it's all about, when there is a certain joy in getting it right.

All I want for Christmas is…I'm working on my list! B

Benicia Magazine16

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In this new monthly column we'll feature one great shopping bargain from a local source. This month, Benicia’s Kiva Designs has deep discounts on a roomy shoulder bag that is great for travel, a casual briefcase or stylish carryall. With several pockets and big silver buttons, the bag comes in green, black and red. Find it at the Kiva Outlet Store at 4680A East 2nd Street, Benicia. www.kivadesigns.com. Hurry–quantities are limited. B

CITY FACT Steal of the Month!Christmas Tree

Safety Tips by Benicia Fire Department

A real tree can add to the spirit of Christmas by fi lling your home with beauty and the scent of pine. But a real tree can also pose a fi re hazard. Each year, more than 400 residential fi res nationwide involve Christmas trees and tragically nearly 40 deaths and 100 injuries result from those fi res.

Safety Tips• Keep the stand fi lled with water so the tree does not dry out

quickly. • Stand your tree away from fi replaces, radiators and other

heat sources. Make sure the tree does not block foot traffi c or doorways.

• If you use an artifi cial tree, choose one that is tested and labeled as fi re resistant. Artifi cial trees with built-in electrical systems should have the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) label.

• Only use indoor lights indoors (and outdoor lights only outdoors). Replace or repair any damaged light sets.

• Turn off all lights on trees and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.

• Never place lighted candles on a tree or near any fl ammable materials.

The Benicia Fire Department wishes you an enjoyable and safe Holiday season! B

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Christmas Treesat Benicia’s New Christmas Tree Lot

Grand OpeningThanksgiving Weekend

Friday, November 26

Open Everyday 10 am - 8 pmAt The Camel Barn

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Joint Fundraiser forThe Benicia Historical Museum & Genesis House

707-745-5435 • www.beniciahistoricalmuseum.org707-552-3395 • www.genesis-house.com

Benic

ia Historical Museum’s LOOKING BACK

A Year’s Worth of CelebrationsBy Mary Marino How has the Benicia Historical Museum celebrated its twenty-fi fth Anniversary Year? With reunions with

old friends, welcomes to new friends, music, words, poignant

photographs, and a 25th birthday cake fl oat in the Twilight Parade.

Add to that the interactive Patwin Indian permanent exhibit, the 100th

Anniversary Boy Scouts of America memorabilia-fi lled display, the “Light and

Sound” collaborative works with Arts Benicia, a Kids Day fi lled with “old-fashioned” chores, “critters” and a Benicia police offi cer and his dog, who thrilled us with his attention to duty. Musically, our concerts, indoors and in the Spenger Garden, ran from the Celtic to today, with dancing under the stars and, if you missed the Costume Ball, look for pictures on our website. The 25th Anniversary ceremony itself was a tribute to the vision of the Museum’s founders and a thank you for all their hard work in setting up such a treasury of the unique history of our city. Of course, we had birthday cake, camel balloons and “Humpfree,” a real, live camel whose personality stole our hearts. And we aren’t fi nished yet: our Christmas Tree Farm will open November 26th for you to shop for trees and wreaths. We are grateful to our sponsors, donors, staff, docents and volunteers who keep the organization moving forward. Don’t forget that behind the scenes our collection grows, research is ongoing, and exhibits are being planned—all to continue into the next 25 years as the “best little Museum in California” and beyond. We want all of our readers here to come and join us in 2011. B

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Benicia Magazine18

William Harsh’s “Powerful

and cryptic oil paintings”at Oakland Gallery

By DeWitt Cheng Benicia painter and printmaker William Harsh is showing a large number of works through November 27 at the spacious, newly relocated Vessel Gallery in Oakland. Entitled “Morphologies”, the show also features bronze sculptures by Maru Hoeber and jewelry by Eve Singer, but Harsh’s thirty-six oil paintings, monotypes, and drawings predominate. Vibrant and powerful combinations of cubism, expressionism and surrealism, depicting strange structures of amalgamated objects set in spare landscapes; they strike the eye as vortices of barely controlled energy that almost explode from their frames. While the current climate of experimentalism often produces playful work seemingly cut adrift from history and reality, Harsh’s works carry within them the history of modernism, as well as the freight of its partially–realized spiritual aspirations. In an age of obscure, theory–driven work, “centaurlike being[s] composed of art materials and words,” in the words of critic Harold Rosenberg, Harsh’s works are powerful and clear statements of seriousness. Rooted in art tradition and traditional studio practice, they’re required viewing for those who care about the viability of painting—colored mud on stretched woven fi bers—in an increasingly mediated virtual world. In an Artweek review of Harsh’s show (with sculptor Mary Oros) at Arts Benicia in 2008, I wrote: William Harsh’s powerful and cryptic oil paintings depict stacks or towers of discarded items or mysterious junk set in barren landscapes—in the artist’s words, taken from his website—“jury-rigged assemblies, sometimes fortress-like in appearance.” Although the forms are often ambiguous, with multiple meanings, recognizable objects like ladders, doors, mirrors, drawers, and pieces of rope or cloth thread though the groupings, which are improvised from small sketches, and ruthlessly edited: “in painting ... matter is never lost but changed.” The objects seem to be alive or imprinted with human life ... Picasso and Beckmann are evident infl uences, as are Chirico and Guston, but the works effectively and convincingly combine abstraction and fi guration; what is depicted seems to be the result of competing constructive and destructive impulses that have battled to a draw.... Harsh animates and metaphorizes his imagined still lifes without falling into the trap of narrative; form and content evolve synchronously in his paintings.

The synthesis of cubism and surrealism that emerges from Harsh’s painting process—sometimes based on drawings, sometimes improvised in paint— demonstrates that the current idea of style—as an identity to be discarded when fashions and fads change—is, if not completely wrong, then at least incomplete. In these pictures, styles, thought to be safely preserved in the amber of art history, come alive again, disconcertingly. Dreamer, a monotype, presents a sharp-toothed head, its mouth agape with lolling tongue; it has the visceral punch that Picasso’s weeping women and insects had in the Guernica era—and continue to have now. Phoenix depicts a creature or structure with fl ailing, scorpionlike claws or stingers. Rocinante and Rocinante II depict Don Quixote’s mangy steed as a magically animated assemblage of scraps rising from the dirt, or tottering back into it. Machinations suggests an early Léger landscape with humanoid robots as rendered expressionistically by Georges Rouault. Acrobatics similarly suggests a sculptural collaboration between artists; here, Picasso, Moore and Lipschitz. Ice Age depicts a tatterdemalion wagon or cart endowed with ribs, and intestines, tentacle or tail. Oracle depicts a rickety platform or lectern surrounded by poles and scaffolding which a swath of blue cloth coils, serpentlike. The wreckage stacked in Reef clumps into a small mountain topped by an exploratory tendril, while the clustered furniture in End of the Line assumes a beleaguered, defensive aspect. A talk by Harsh with art historian Dickran Tashjian, an expert on Dada and Surrealism and Machine Age art, is scheduled for November 20, 4-5pm. A note on Art Murmur: over the past decade, Oakland has developed a vibrant art scene, often compared with Brooklyn’s. On the fi rst Friday of the month during Art Murmur, some twenty participating galleries, many artist-run, stay open late, attracting sizeable crowds of art lovers. One Yelper’s evaluation: “Outrageously dressed people donning tutus and sipping beer from a brown bag? Check.... Huge variety of art, both disturbing and wonderful? Check. Hipsters, posers, scenesters, kids, and artists all getting along? Check.” Check it out on December 3 (after your November visit to Vessel Gallery). B

Oration, 2004 oil on canvas, 38" x 52”

bottom left:Ice Age, 2002 oil on canvas, 38" x 46"

bottom right:Reef, 2008oil on canvas, 42" x 66”

page 4:Phoenix, 2010, monotype, 21 3/4" x 27 3/4"

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All food & drink availableto the public at member prices

Friday, December 3rd, 6-10pm

Join us on Sat. Dec. 18, for "Breakfast with Santa."call 707-746-0739 for info & reservations!

Holiday Parlor Tour

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Saturday, December 4, 2010Presented by Benicia Historical Society and Soroptimist International of Benicia

Parlor Tour

6 vintage homes decorated for the holidays plus completely renovated Commanding Officer’s Quarters

Self-guided tours 1pm-5pm for vintage homes

& Commanding Officer’s QuartersThe Commanding Officer’s Quarters will feature holiday items for sale

by local non-profits. Food & beverages available, open until 7pm.

Tickets on sale 11/1, $25 per person. Tickets are limited; available at Benicia Main Street Depot, Camellia Tea Room and Bookshop Benicia

For more info or ticket reservations call 707.745.3551

Benicia Magazine20

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If you are planning on pruning or removing a tree you may need a permit. Please call the Parks and Community Services Department at 746-4285. For more information on the City’s tree program and rules, you can visit the Parks and Community Services web page at the City web site at

www.ci.benicia.ca.us

Find out more by attending

The Benicia Tree Program Public Meetings: Tree Inventory & Master Plan Thursday, December 9 at Matthew Turner Elementary School, 6:30-7:30pm

Wednesday, January 12 at the Commission Room, City Hall, 6:30pm

City of Benicia Tree Regulations

Tree Tip: How do I find a Certified Arborist near me? The International Society of Arboriculture can help!

Answer: To find an ISA Certified Arborist near you, please use the Find A Tree Care Service portion of the ISA Web site. You will be able to search for tree care companies in your area who employ a certified arborist. If you would like to verify if an arborist is certified you may visit the ISA Web site via http://www.isa-arbor.com/findArborist/findarborist.aspx and type in the name or certification identification number to verify certification status. If you do not have access to the internet, you may contact ISA at (888) 472-8733 for assistance.

Benicia's trees are worth$12 million.

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In the early years, each family might add a fi gure every year or so. That fi rst 10 years, I’d spend all Thanksgiving weekend in a cold, damp garage with eggnog and brandy and my paintbrush.

How did you choose the characters to go in your front yard? My daughter chose a couple of her favorites – Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty. I picked Geppetto because I wanted something big to go in the driveway to hide this big, stupid garage door. Sleeping Beauty has a whole 60s art style, very architectural, angular and hip in a Mad Men kind of way. But Pinocchio is very warm, rounded and soft. They both refl ect the time they were made. I think those Disney illustrators were the hip guys of their time.

Are any changes likely in the future? I’d like to spiff them up a little bit, restore them. But that would take a couple hundred hours and I’m not sure when I can do it.

How do you spend your extra time now that you’re retired? I’m not sure I have any extra time (laughing). I do spend more time with my wife. I have folding chairs, an ice chest and blankets in my trunk all the time, and on a whim, we go to Santa Cruz and watch the waves all afternoon. Katie is my foundation. Every artist needs a fi rm foundation, and she is mine. B

Del Lacey continued from page 9

Join Our Dynamic Team! We are looking for professional freelance writers

for print/online columns. Send resume and samples to editor@beniciamagazine.com.

Benicia Magazine22

Real Estate Litigation and Land Use

Amber KembleOf Counsel

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Benicia Magazine24

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