December 2, 2008 – February 21, 2009

Julia Morgan Society Reception: December 13, 2008, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Public Reception: December 13, 2008, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Riverside Art Museum is very proud to announce the exhibition, Jeff Soto: Turning in Circles.  This will be the first solo museum exhibition for the nationally acclaimed artist that has regarded Riverside, CA as his hometown for most of his life and art career.

Soto took art classes at Riverside Community College before graduating with distinction from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.  He has developed a particular reputation for his striking visual language that is a rich melting pot of representational and ‘pop surrealist’ imagery.  His paintings often communicate profound visions and fears, nostalgia of his youth, and themes of love, lust, and hope. 

The exhibit, Turning in Circles, is “a continued exploration of the past themes I’ve been working with,” says Soto, “politics, the environment, fatherhood, fears and worries/concern for what the future holds. The complexity of modern living and all that it entails.”  For Soto, “everything is connected,” and his distinctive style suggests this connection.  The captivating imagery seems to exist in a world without time, giving his paintings a freedom that is felt by the viewer.

“The Jeff Soto: Turning in Circles exhibition is another significant exhibition addressing some of the most contemporary art movements in the art world by the Riverside Art Museum.  Major movements like ‘low brow’, ‘pop surrealism’, and ‘street/graffiti’ art have all been presented by RAM in the past year – attracting thousands of new audiences to the Museum that had previously never walked into the Museum.  This new programming direction has been tremendously successful and a remarkable, if not historic, accomplishment for arts & culture in the region.” says Daniel Foster, RAM Executive Director.  This exhibiton was curated by Daniel Foster and Lee Tusman.