David Dragonboy Sutherland has been making art in Northern California & the Bay Area for the last 24 years. He is a true multimedia artist, his assemblage work incorporates discarded & everyday objects, which are assembled into “dragonmasks” or “mahakala”. These have a tribal, primitive quality which can evokes a sense of mystery or magic. Sutherland’s work is influenced by Mayan hieroglyphs, eastern philosophy/religions, esotericism, as well as the art of Jasper Johns, Joseph Bueys, Robert Rauschenberg, Eduardo Paolozzi and Robert Motherwell to name a few. At the heart of Sutherland’s work is a dedication to bringing an awareness to the Spiritual reality underlying all of existence. A self proclaimed samurai & loyal retainer to the divine mother, his work & mission is one of creative training in the ways of love, devotion & true power.
Luann has a passion for environmental conservation and art and has been engaging the public in waste reduction and recycling, outreach and education in different capacities for over 20 years. She has led and supported diversion programs at CSU, Chico, Sierra Nevada Brewery, and served on the Butte Environmental Council Board of Directors, as well as supporting BEC's creek and park clean ups, and their Recycling Rubbish Education program. As an artist, Luann enjoys photography, sewing clothing and making jewelry.
After years of struggling through life I realized that if I’m going to continue to struggle, I should probably be an artist. Along my journey through life I found I had the ability to visualize and then realize that visualization into reality. My passion is in re-use, keeping unwanted (mostly bicycle parts) stuff from the scrap yard and turning it into functional and aesthetic art. In my shop, I specialize in Re-imagined used bicycles and creating functional art pieces from bicycle parts. I make tables, chairs, lamps/chandeliers, coat/hat racks and other custom pieces. I also salvage pallet wood, old weathered cedar fence boards and other wood to incorporate into my work.
Sierra Sunrise is our resident fashionista, expressing herself through her authentic style, utilizing thrifted and gifted clothing to create wearable art and unique looks. She inspires others to dress more creatively with the clothing they already have and encourages sourcing from thrift stores, second hand boutiques, yard sales and clothing exchanges. As a self taught seamstress, she has experimented with clothing alteration since she was old enough to use scissors and was always drawn to upcycling and simple alterations versus buying new fabric and using patterns to create new garments. She continues to find a myriad of ways to make use of garments and fabric that would otherwise be sent to the landfills because of minor imperfections, tears or stains. Whether she is transforming secondhand textiles into reimagined pieces, mending a hole or making something fit better, she infuses her magical touch in all that she creates, inspiring folks to be more resourceful, creative and authentic in their own style. She has sold her wearable art and upcycled fashion lines at special events, festivals, artisan faires and Boutiques in Butte County for over 10 years.
Tatiana is a self taught mixed media artist who believes in the power of art. After a severe traumatic experience, she was led to creating a collage as the first step in her healing process and her career as an artist. Over the years Tatiana’s work has been showcased and sold in galleries across California. Her work is usually centered creating a visual expression of internal thoughts and feelings using found objects she saves from going into the trash and things she literally has taken out of the trash. This talented painter is a CSU grad and the owner of the Chico Art Studio and The Crafty Cutie, participant of the Art Block on several Chico Thursday Night Markets, coordinator of the Saturday Flume Street Artisan Fair and many community events over the years. Her career as an artist has evolved Tatiana into a community leader who is supporting developing artists and healing communities impacted by disasters through her art practice.
Chico Creative Reuse Mobile Resident Artists
In recent years, Kelly’s visual arts practice has adapted to serve Butte County as an arts facilitator. She is an associate faculty member at Butte Community College, constructing sculpture with salvaged and constructed materials. She is a teaching artist in elementary schools, helping children express their ideas through imagery. Kelly also serves as Gallery Director for Chico Art Center, producing community based art exhibits and events that connect visual artists and art appreciators of all ages.