Rev Up!

April 7-29, 2023

Artists, start your engines! The Shasta County Arts celebrates Redding’s ties to automotive culture with “Rev Up!,” an automotive art exhibition. This month long gallery show features photography, original paintings, found object sculpture, and more. We are especially excited to display hand crafted model cars.

The Old City Hall Arts Center is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00-4:00 and Saturdays from 10:00-3:00. “Rev Up!” is on display from now until April 29th.

Meet the artists.

  • Artist Statement coming soon.

  • Aaron Johnson lives and works in Orangevale, California. He creates his artwork in various mediums including oil, acrylic, graphite, and pastel as well as digital media. Aaron studied art at Sacramento City College and California College of the Arts in San Francisco, earning an AA and BFA respectively. His subject matter is predominantly vintage popular culture including classic automobiles. Aaron’s artwork is privately collected, commissioned and has been exhibited in select galleries like Christopher Hill Art Gallery in St Helena, Edward Montgomery Fine Art in Carmel By The Sea, Fire and Rain Art Gallery in Folsom, Wonderland SF in San Francisco, Musichead in Hollywood, California and more.

    “I create art because I am devoted to the feeling of meticulously transforming a surface into something new. From a No.2 pencil on a grade-school desktop, to color on canvas, prepared board and fine papers, it has always been intriguing for me to watch an image emerge from nothing. When I am working on a painting or drawing, pushing and pulling layers of colors and sharping details, I am acutely focused and truly in my element.”

  • Artist Statement coming soon.

  • “My 1991 Cadillac de Ville the parts in the shadowbox come from was “the one that got away” car. Even though it’s not the height of automotive gracefulness of lines, stunning handling, or an example of breakthrough technology, the more I drove the car the more I grew to like it. It re-kindled my interest in tinkering with cars – something I used to help my father to do.

    Though mass-made on assembly lines, I believe that some machinery like cars or motorcycles over time acquires a certain kind of “personality” that some owners discover – or project onto them. That was certainly the case with the ’91 Cadillac. It was a car with character!

    Through my artistic journey in the realm of sculpture, I have grown to look on cars as works of art in each of their individual styling parts as well as the assembled whole, which we, average people, get to enjoy – often without thinking about the work involved in designing even the most mundane of the people carriers, not to mention the head-turning ones.”

  • Artist Statement coming soon.

  • Artist Statement coming soon.

  • Jerry Cousins is a wood worker and furniture maker living in Trinity County. He moved there in the early 1970's as part of the "back to the land" movement, first to Hayfork and then to the small valley of Hyampom. He and his wife Susan started their family there and then moved to Weaverville, where they still live.

    Jerry has been involved in many different aspects of construction and woodworking􀀣 house construction, remodeling, cabinet making and now focusing entirely on furniture. In 2004 he attended the James Krenov's woodworking school at College of the Redwoods, in Fort Bragg to learn the skill of marquetry.

    Marquetry takes diverse species of wood veneers and pieces them together to form patterns, accents, and images. Woods are chosen for their color, grain pattern, and hues. Once the wood design or "picture" is completed it is usually integrated into a piece of furniture -but for the last few years, in addition to furniture pieces, he has created interesting 2-dimensional wall hangings.

    All of the wood veneers are cut in the shop and using the double-bevel cutting method, pieces are cut into the background to create the design or picture.

    His pieces are in several private collections and have been shown in the Fine Woodworking

    Magazine. Currently he shows his work at several local Trinity County galleries and at the Dovetail Collection Gallery in Healdsburg, CA.

    Unique commission pieces are welcomed.

    jerrycousins@gmail.com 530 623 7165

  • “I have been intrigued by cars and their parts for a very long time. I grew up on a farm where my grandfather had a parts yard, not a junk yard, a parts yard!!! Ha ha ha

    So, I was always out there looking at cool shapes and pieces that I could put together to make something awesome. Hence today I love making assemblages. I love using car parts especially transmission parts. All those gears make me so happy and the other parts make the best stands. You will find them in many of my pieces.

    My husband and I have always been involved in car clubs and have a love for Hot Rods in general. He is working on a 1932 DeSoto right now with a Chrysler Hemi that is something to look at and so awesome to photograph. I hope you enjoy my art as much as I enjoy making it!”

  • Artist Statement coming soon.

  • As the General Manager of Crown Camera for nearly 30 years, Frank has shared his passion with most of the north state. Retired since 2018, you can find Frank chasing the light all over the Northern California

    Frank is the recipient of a Nikon Ambassador award given by his good friend, Moose Peterson.

    Frank is also a dedicated photographer of many north state events including Kool April Nites, Relay for Life Cancer Walk, The McConnell Foundation, Shasta Land Grant, Redding Chamber of Commerce, and more.

    Frank’s work can be seen regularly in Enjoy Magazine, and can be found on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Vero.

  • Artist Statement coming soon.