The Carnegie Arts Center is presenting “Imagining the Real”, a new exhibition of 56 featured works from artists representing the region.

Named after Pablo Picasso’s inspirational quote, “All that you can imagine is real,” the celebration of creativity will exhibit paintings, sculptures, works on paper, textiles, photographs and mixed media. “Imagining The Real” runs concurrently with the “Picasso: 25 Years of Edition Ceramics” exhibit now on view at the Carnegie.

More than 215 works were entered to participate in the exhibit, including 22 from Turlock. From those the finest 56 were chosen, representing artists from Arnold, Atwater, Escalon, Ceres, Palo Alto, Modesto and San Francisco.

Pieces selected for the exhibition were chosen because they began in the artists' minds, but have the potential to have a profound and real impact on many people.

“We were seeking entries that had a clear start in the imagination of the artist,” said Carnegie Arts Center Curator and Director Rebecca Phillips Abbott. “But it was up to each individual artist to interpret that as he or she saw fit.”

Winners of the competition include Josef Peters of Escalon, who received the Grand Prize for his sculpture “Bare Youth,” 2013. His sculpture seems to defy death in its liveliness, and is composed of steel, a rubber tire, and an I-beam.

Claudia Silva-Doo of Turlock received First Prize in Mixed Media for her intricately patterned “Bamboo Curtain,” 2013.

“Imagining The Real” runs through Feb. 23, 2014. The Carnegie Arts Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. There is a free, public artists' reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday.
Other first prize winners include:

Yvonne Porcella (Arnold), Textiles, “Paris 1866,” 2013
Gioia Fonda (Sacramento), Works on Paper, “Philomena Upon Her Way Beast Irisys,” 2013
Gail C Ritchie (Corralitos), Sculpture, “Paper Chair,” 2011
Morgan Chivers (Texas), Photography, “Central Gravity Vision,” 2013
Mark Adam Webster (North Highlands), Oil & Acrylics, “The Violinist,” 2006