Don't Miss the Last Weekend of the Alamo-Danville Artists' Society Spring Show

Harry Greenberg says friend Michael Rizza is his artistic mentor.

Both men are retired and now find they have more time for working on their art crafting sculptures.

Greenberg, 64, was a middle school teacher in Pleasant Hill until 2006, Rizza, 82, designed earthquake seals for buildings.

"That's what keeps me going, is my art," said Rizza, who has a studio and gallery at his home in the Rossmoor community in Walnut Creek.

Both artists are members of the Alamo-Danville Aritsts' Society. The society's spring show is running through this weekend at the Blackhawk Gallery.

Rizza says he appreciates how Greenberg, who lives in Vallejo, "doesn't give up" on projects, including his orange alabaster sculpture "Cascade" in the spring show.

"Cascade," a piece Greenberg worked on from about 1990 until summer 2009, isn't for sale.

None of Greenberg's three pieces in the show are. The other two pieces are bronze, one is of a football scene, the other is of Moses and the Ten Commandments.

"I enjoy the process. It's not just the destination, it's the path to the destination," said Greenberg of his experience sculpting. "This is all work for myself. The money would be gone in a short time."

Rizza, on the other hand, has sold his sculptures— that are often as much as 5 feet high— in Carmel, Palm Dessert and Santa Fe for up to $22,000. His works in the Blackhawk show are smaller and more moderately priced, going for about $600.

"I brought these pieces because they are sell-able," said Rizza. " We rely on sales to pay the rent here."

While the gallery, that opened in November 2009, is ultimately a place to sell art, Blackhawk Gallery director Vicky Richardson says the goal is to give people in Danville and the surrounding areas a space to also appreciate art.

"The public is treating our gallery like an art museum," said Richardson. "Our mission is to have a place in Danville where you can enjoy being surrounded by art for a little while in our gallery."

Greenberg and Rizza are among more than 99 artists  from throughout the Tri-Valley and other parts of the Bay Area who are members of the Alamo-Danville Artists' society. On display in the Blackhawk Gallery are 154 works of their painting, photography, sculpture, mixed-media and jewelry.

The gallery's next show is the "Heartful Spring," opening April 3rd. The show will feature the work of 50 artists including a retrospective of the work of sculptor Rita Sargent Simon.

The Blackhawk Gallery is located at 3461 Blackhawk Plaza Cir. in the Blackhawk Plaza shopping center. The gallery is Open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.