Sawsan Jari artwork at Paschal-Hunter Gallery Grand Re-opening

Downtown Oakland was a hive of activity this weekend with the grand re-opening of the Paschal-Hunter Gallery.

Located inside the Howden Building at 329 17th Street, between Webster and Harrison Streets in downtown Oakland the dual level space was revamped to display a marvelous array of artwork.

Besides the expansion of the space and the refurbished gallery space the gathering was a celebration of the first anniversary of The Hair Gym Academy and Salon. This combination of a celebration of art, creativity and style resulted in the inclusion of vendors displaying jewelry, aromatherapy products and even eye-catching fashion creations worn by local models.

A striking floral headpiece worn by acupuncturist Dafina Kuficha was a delight to behold while she described her aromatherapy products.

Saturday's opening event therefore drew a number of local artists, art lovers and other creative types and included was Dublin artist Sawsan Jari.

A number of Dublin artists interested in establishing a Dublin Arts Association were present at the event to support her.

Other artworks included pieces by Derrick Bell with his symbolic inclusion of golden crowns and feminist illustrator, Brette Sims.

Well known in Dublin as the owner of The Frame Company, Sawsan's business premises includes a display of fine art paintings, drawings, pottery, jewelry, photography, and other fine crafts.

A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sawsan has degrees in painting, drawing, animation, and design. "I absolutely love art and dealing with people," says Sawsan "so this business is the best of both worlds for me."

The Frame Company is one of the most established businesses in the Tri-Valley area and has been operating at the same location, in Village Parkway in Dublin, since 1973. According to The Frame Company website their work includes framing of historical maps, old documents, valuable old as well as contemporary 2-D and paper art pieces. They have framed major pieces of art for businesses throughout the Bay area including City Halls, the Sheraton Hotels, Cisco and also the Veterans Administration and are also a popular choice for local artists.

Sawsan is also a member of the local Soroptimist of the Tri-Valley group who describe themselves as "a group of women dedicated to making a difference in our community through service and fund raising." Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that works to improve the lives of women and girls through programs focussed on social and economic empowerment. Swasan's daughter Tara is an excellent example of a young woman committed to making a difference in her community. She is a social worker for youth with PTSD and is passionate about helping others. "I would not be able to do the work I do without the support of my Mom" says Tara.

The next project on the horizon for Sawsan is a series of artist-led workshops that will be launched in June 2018.

Dublin Art Collective