Staff Report
The Wildling Museum’s February virtual program, Nocturnes & Envisioning the Night Sky: A Conversation with Nathan Huff & Nathan Vonk, will take place 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10.
The expanse of the open night sky has served as a source of wonder for artists for centuries. In the Wildling conversation, Huff, an artist, and Vonk, owner of Santa Barbara’s Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, will explore some of the history of nocturne painting and how the night sky continues to serve as a rich source of inspiration for artists working today.
Both Huff and Sullivan Goss Gallery contributed works to the Wildling Museum’s recent exhibition, Starry Nights: Visions of the Night Sky, which moved to a virtual format following state and county public health mandates closing museums in response to COVID-19.
Register for the event at www.wildlingmuseum.org/news/2021-nocturnes-conversation. Suggested donation is $5. Direct questions to info@wildlingmuseum.org or call 805-686-8315.
Huff produces paintings, drawings and sculpture that create freewheeling narratives: personal stories of suspending gravity, traversing emotional vertigo, and sorting reservoirs of memories.
Huff earned an MFA in drawing and painting from California State University Long Beach in 2010 and a BA in art education from Azusa Pacific University in 2003.
His works are included in the permanent collections of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Culver Museum, Hilbert Museum of California Art, and Cal State University Long Beach. He shows in solo and group exhibits and is an associate professor of art at Westmont College in Santa Barbara.
Vonk is the owner of Sullivan Goss — An American Gallery, where he oversees all sales and acquisitions, advises clients on building collections, and directs social media and advertising initiatives. The gallery offers about 20 exhibits a year, including solo shows for contemporary and historic artists, as well as curated thematic exhibitions.
Through its research efforts, Sullivan Goss is also involved with scholarship and research for American artists and has an active publication program.
Vonk grew up in a small farm town in Iowa, received a BA from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and a masters in critical theory in literature in Brighton, England. On weekend train trips to London, he taught himself art in the museums. After returning to the U.S., Vonk taught English at Ventura College before joining Sullivan Goss.
For more about the Wildling, and to volunteer or join as a member, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org. Find more digital resources at www.wildlingmuseum.org/virtual-visit, including online galleries from all current exhibits, and links to art activities and videos to help online visitors experience the museum from home.
