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February 27, 2026
Gallery 25 ~ Opening Reception of 3 Shows at The Orchard!
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Sculpture by Bella Feldman
The first group exhibition at the Galleries on 25 (link below) had a remarkable number of attendees as well as favorable online reviews (links below).
In conjunction with the Gray Loft Gallery, the Galleries on 25 is preparing for it's second round of amazing visual, sculptural and installation artists with the following announcement:
You are cordially invited to the
Opening Reception of THREE Exhibitions
at The Orchard / Galleries on 25
Saturday, February 28, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Opening Reception of THREE Exhibitions
at The Orchard / Galleries on 25
Saturday, February 28, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
The Orchard / Galleries on 25 and Gray Loft Gallery
are pleased to present three exhibitions:
- The Orchard is honored to present a solo retrospective of the 50-year international career of Bella Feldman.
Bella Tabak Feldman (1930–2024) was an American sculptor and
installation artist whose work merged steel, glass, and wood into
psychologically charged, often surreal forms that probe themes of war,
sexuality, vulnerability, and the anxieties of the industrial age. A
pioneering woman in sculpture and a Professor Emerita at California
College of the Arts in Oakland, she is widely recognized for innovating
techniques that combine blown glass with fabricated metal, producing
works that are at once physically imposing and emotionally fragile.
- We present nationally recognized metal sculptor Joseph Slusky with a selection of recent and past work. He is best known for his whimsical painted metal sculptures made from recycled scrap metal. Influences include metal toys, LA car culture, Constructivism and other twentieth century art movements. The sculptures explore realms of the subconscious and are fossilizations of the imagination. Joe taught drawing and three-dimensional design at the UC Berkeley Architecture Department for thirty-two years.
Painting and Sculpture by Joseph Slusky
- Curated by Gray Loft Gallery, we are delighted to present a satellite exhibition of the Art of the African Diaspora at the Richmond Art Center which is the longest running event of its kind in
the Bay Area. It began in 1989 as a salon for African American artists
known as Colors of Black, organized by artist and professor Marie Johnson Calloway. This exhibition features 19 artists selected from the
Richmond Art Center AOTAD roster, all of whom live and work in the
Bay Area.
Featured Artists:
Cynthia Brannvall, Stephen Bruce, Kim Champion, Cairo McCockran, Kelvin Curry, Anna W. Edwards, Jimi Evins, Eva Facey, Kin Folkz, Chuck Harlins, Raymond L. Haywood, Alexis Joseph, Gathoni Kamau-Devers, Ashlie Kego, Eric Murphy, Arthur Norcome, Malcolm Ryder, Xan Walker, Darrin Westmore
Show dates: February 28 through May 2, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 28, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, May 2, 1:00 – 5:00 pm
The Orchard /Galleries on 25
489 - 25th Street, Oakland CA 94612
About The Orchard / Galleries on 25
The Orchard / Galleries on 25, is a vibrant arts venue located in the heart of the Oakland Art Murmur District and a new arts destination in Oakland’s thriving Art Murmur district, offering space for galleries and individual artists to present exhibitions, installations, and events. With its collaborative model and spacious layout, Galleries on 25 aims to foster community engagement and showcase the creative diversity that defines the Bay Area art scene.
About Gray Loft Gallery Uptown
Gray Loft Gallery Uptown is the satellite location of our Jingletown gallery, which has been inspiring art and enriching the local cultural landscape since 2012. Gray Loft Uptown continues this mission by providing exhibition opportunities in a space that offers an alternative to the traditional gallery model. We foster creativity, meaningful engagement, and celebration within our community and beyond. We proudly support emerging, mid-career, and established artists, with a special emphasis on those who live and work in the Bay Area.
The gallery was voted Best Art Gallery in 2016, 2017, and 2021, and ranked among the top five from 2022 to 2025 in the Oakland Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards. The gallery is a proud member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association, Oakland Art Murmur and Jingletown Arts, Business and Community.
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
February 23, 2026
2,500,000 million Pageviews!
The Styrous Viewfinder - Monday February 23, 2026
screenshot by Styrous®
A few days ago the Viewfinder
hit 2,500,000 Pageviews! Here it is, twenty-sevan years, four months, three days and 2 million, five hundred thousand Pageviews later.
How amazing is THAT?
Once again, a heart-felt thanks to all the people who have found my blog of interest!
Styrous®, Saturday, February 21, 2o26
Styrous® ~ Monday, February 23, 2026
Jack Kerouac articles/mentions
mentions
Robert Frank ~ The Americans @ SFMOMA
Judith Lee Stronach Lectures ~ Gary Snyder
Jack Kerouac - 1956
photo by Tom Palumbo
February 21, 2026
Flying V guitar by Gibson
On Friday, February 21, 1958, The very first of the Flying V guitars by Gibson were shipped from a factory in Kalamazoo, MI.
The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design; the initial run used a distinctive wood of the Limba tree marketed by Gibson under the trade name "korina"; later models used more conventional woods.
Too radical for its time, the initial run of Flying V guitars was not successful and fewer than 100 were manufactured and sold.
Blues guitarist Albert King and rock guitarists Lonnie Mack and Dave Davies,
gravitated towards the unique design and helped popularize the model
years after it had left production. After renewed popularity led to
increased demand Gibson manufactured a small number of Flying V guitars in 1963 from
leftover parts from the original run, and the guitar reentered regular
production in 1967 and has been reissued numerous times since then.
A 1958 Flying V named Amos appeared in the 1984 movie This is Spinal Tap, and it was played by actor Christopher Guest, who played character Nigel Tufnel. In the feature-length animated movie Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem,
Shep's spaceship resembled the shape of a Gibson Flying V electric
guitar. A yellow outline of his ship was often used a symbol for
Interstella and was seen several times throughout the film. In School of Rock, lead guitarist Zack "Zack "Zack-Attack" Mooneyham plays with a white Flying V. In the fourth season of House, M.D., Dr. House is repeatedly shown playing a white 1967 Flying V. Valhallen, the Viking God of Rock superhero from the Justice Friends segment of Dexter's Laboratory, plays a pink Flying V. In the movie The Protégé, one of the main characters, Moody, interpreted by Samuel L. Jackson, received a Flying V 1958 as a birthday gift. In the film Sinners, a rock and roll guitarist is seen playing a Flying V in a scene where spirits of the past and future are summoned.
date & photographer unknown
date & photographer unknown
And last, but absolutely not least, there's Jimi Hendrix with his custom-made 1969 Flying V guitar with left-handed configuration.
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Robert Baker ~ The Gibson Nobody Wanted
In the Blues ~ BEST & WORST Things about a Gibson Flying V!
Joe Bonamassa ~ 1958 Gibson Flying V
five watt world ~ The Gibson Flying V: A Short History
Friday Fretworks ~ 1958 Gibson Flying V
Guitar Center ~ 1958 Gibson Flying-V
High Z Productions ~ Drawbacks of the Flying V Guitar
Natural Antique ~ 2022 Gibson Flying V 
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