Contemporary Humanitarian Artists Association (CHAA)
Merced Art Hop’s Epekel Gallery will be hosting the Contemporary Humanitarian Artists Association (CHAA) during July’s Art Hop. Founded in 1985 by local artists Frank Ayala, Abel Corchado, and Ruben Sanchez, the local association serves as an area where Merced based artists can speak about their creative pursuits and inspire one another. Additionally, the group works to raise greater awareness about the importance of appreciating the visual arts, and specifically the impact that creativity, contemplation, and exploration have on our existence, our community, and on society as a whole.
Together, the groups member ship is comprised of oil painters Iris Asai and Frank Ayala; sculptor Cheryl Barnett; mixed media artists Gail M. Benedict, Lisa K. Gilliland-Viney, Kate Jackson, Carolyn Reed, Sue S. Thompson, and Oscar Torres; water color painters Abel Corchado, Rose Eager; Muralist and Printmaker Ruben Aguilera Sanchez; and graphic illustrator Charles Perez. Their exhibit at Epekel Gallery, entitled The Renewal Energy, was formed by the group as to allow each member to interpret the theme to their own liking, ensuring a vast combination of perspectives within the show. Members of CHAA who will be featured in the upcoming exhibit include Kate Jackson, Gail Benedict, Oscar Torres, and Ruben Aguilera Sanchez. As of the time of publication, many of the pieces are still be created, however the show is expected to include powerful pieces from local artist and business owner Oscar Torres as well as a 32 square foot mural created by Ruben Aguilera Sanchez. Those who would like to see the creative works of CHAA’s members are encouraged to stop by the gallery, located at 1733 Canal Street in Downtown Merced, M-F 1-5pm. Following The Renewal Energy show at Epekel Gallery, CHAA’s next public exhibit in the area is more than a year away and is currently scheduled for the spring of 2019 at the Merced Arts Center.