A 2ND Show

I am excited to announce that I have been included in A 2ND SHOW at the Purple Pop-Up Gallery in El Paso, TX. Please stop by if you find yourself down in El Paso! If you need more information click here.

Thank you.

THE END

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." 
-- Winston Churchill

I am excited to be included in the group exhibit titled The End at Big Medium Gallery in Austin, TX. The End was organized by Cantanker Magazine. This is the first time I will have artwork on display in Austin since my BFA exhibition at the University of Texas in 1999.

Exhibition Dates: December 15, 2012 - January 18, 2013
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 15, 7 - 10pm

Big Medium
5305 Bolm Road #12
Austin, Texas 78721
512.939.6665
Gallery hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 12 - 4pm & by appointment

For more information, including a list of all participating artists please see the Big Medium website.
Please come on by if you get a chance.
As always I thank you for your interest.

Method of Exchange

I am excited to announce that I will be participating in this exhibition: 

Method of Exchange

@Points North Art Space, Farmington Maine, October 26-November 17, 2012
Opening reception: Friday October 26, 7-9 pm
Curated by Chloe Watson 

From the Points North Website:

“…Each participant in Method of Exchange was asked to provide an original postcard-sized work of art. While retaining his/her own visual language, the artist was to respond in some way to what he/she already knew about my current location in rural Maine… As the title suggests, this is an exchange—the artists send me a postcard, I send each of them one in return. Each artist was asked to include key words describing their current location/home in the message on the back of their postcard to me. The message could be as vague or specific as the artist desired and would aide in supplying the visuals for my response postcard sent back to each of them at the conclusion of the show. Sharing details of home and place, each participant allows viewers and myself into their most comfortable space whether I’ve physically been there before or not.”

For a complete list of participating artists please visit the Points North Website.

If you are out that way please stop by to see some new collage work.

Thank you.

I truly appreciate your support.

West Facing

I am excited to announce the opening of my new solo exhibition titled West Facing at the amazing Truesilver Gallery in San Francisco, CA.

West Facing presents a new body of paintings, drawings as well as new scultpure and a drawing based installation. Through images and installation the work creates an environment to provoke introspection and reflection about relationships of culture, space and nature. 

The opening reception will be Saturday, September 15, 2012 from 6-9pm at:

Truesilver Gallery

4391 24th Street

San Francisco CA, 94114

I hope to see as many of you as possible. For those that can't make it I will be posting images of work from this exhibit to my site very soon. The website is always the best place to connect, get news and see more work!

Thank you so much for your support, it is a big inspiration.

Kindly,

SOEX::MDR 2012

It is MDR time again! Please come out and support an amazing organization devoted to helping artists. Southern Exposure's Monster Drawing Rally is a live drawing event and fundraiser featuring over 120 artists.

June 8, 2012 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

I will be drawing from  8:00-9:00 PM, come down and say hey!

Donation for Admission: $15 & up

Location: Verdi Club

2424 Mariposa

(between Potrero & Hampshire; 17th &18th)

From the Southern Exposure website:

   “Demystifying a process that usually takes place in the privacy of the

   studio, the Monster Drawing Rally allows spectators to observe artists

   in the act of creation in the public domain. In keeping with Southern

   Exposure’s mission to provide an environment accessible to art and

   artists, the Monster Drawing Rally sets the stage for extraordinary

   interaction, providing a unique opportunity to watch a drawing come to

   life, and to purchase a work of art minutes after its completion.

   The evening will consist of four one-hour shifts that each feature

   approximately 30 artists drawing simultaneously.”

   For more information about this fun event please click here.

    

       

PBS Newshour

I am excited to announce that a film I recently collaborated on to create some graphic art for, called Against Mexico, is a feature of the PBS News Hour Election Coverage.

From the PBS website:

   “At first blush, a group reenactment of Texas' 1836 battle to secede

   from Mexico has little to do with today's political environment. But

   the notion of what it means to be an American is an issue that

   continues to stir up strong emotions, and resistance to a strong

   federal government can be seen in elections across the country.”

   More information from PBS please click here.

   To watch the film please click here.

     

Web Update

There are new images up on my website in  the recent works section, the installation archive and there is a new gallery devoted to my RoamHome installation at WEArtspace from this past March.

  

       

Muzzle Magazine Spring 2012

I am happy to share that I have some collage work in the latest,"drink" themed issue of Muzzle Magazine.

To check out the latest issue of this awesome publication please  click here.

     

Cardinal Shift

I am excited to announce the opening of my first solo exhibition in San Francisco.

S A T E L L I T E 6 6 

66 6th Street

SF, CA 94107

Cardinal Shift

Featuring new paintings and installation works.

Curated by Valerie Leavy
April 13 – May 5, 2012
With an Opening Reception on Friday, April 13, 7-10pm

From the Satellite 66 website:

"Erik Parra thinks we could do better. He assays American culture and takes a critical stance. In this new body of representational paintings, he points his lens at concepts of success, prosperity, and conveyance, and focuses on where they collide.

...referencing Postwar America, a time and place filled with the promise of progress and prosperity, led by science. Looking back from our current vantage point, we can’t help but feel a longing for Yesterday’s Tomorrow, where Le Corbusier has cured our social ills with design, and smart scientists in white lab coats our physical ones.

...Erik Parra’s stance is not one of a hopeless pessimist, but rather that of a faithful critic. His portrayal of America Now asks us to abandon those notions of success and victory that were handed to us by corporations in the 40s and 50s. What we choose to replace them with is up to us. We could do better."

Thank You!

Roam Home

On view, 24hrs a day
March through April 2012

@WE Artspace
Oakland, CA  
768 40th St.
NE corner of 40th and West 
info@weartspace.com


From the We Artspace website:


"...Roam Home, a large-scale collage based installation that seeks to visually engage the residents and neighbors of the Temescal neighborhood in Oakland, with images sourced from local publications that date back to the 1930's. Roam Home focuses on creating a dialogue about the movement of people and how this movement affects the construction of neighborhood identities, while touching upon ethical issues related to commerce-driven neighborhood change."