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On the Surface

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When Vikki Cruz and Yvonne Cavanagh decided to open an art gallery amid a number of other galleries popping up in downtown Bakersfield in recent years, they knew they’d need to offer the community something different — something fresh and new.
They also wanted a place that they could show off the work of underrepresented artists — much like themselves — whose work had yet to rise to the top of the art world.
Surface Gallery at 20th and H Street is what finally emerged from the duo’s imagination and hard work.   
“Because we support emerging contemporary artists the word ‘surface’ — as in rising to — fits what we are trying to do,” said Cavanagh, who co-owns the gallery with her friend, Cruz. “We also liked the double meaning of the word and how it applies to what an artist needs to create.”
On the surface — pun intended — Cruz and Cavanagh created what looks like any other gallery in downtown Bakersfield. Its facade is sheltered by a black awning; it’s nestled among trendy boutiques; and it sits across the street from the historic Fox Theater in the heart of downtown.
But walk through Surface’s front doors and the freshness the women hoped to achieve begins to take shape. The gallery’s lines are clean — its white walls are almost stark. The floor is bare, exposed concrete. The chairs, crafted in modern proportions from a blond-wood,  do not invite sitting but instead prompt visitors to stroll along the gallery’s two long walls.
Surface is currently showcasing “Chromatic,”  a photo exhibit by Colleen Sherman and Ashley Forrette, two out-of-town artists. An interesting mobile, partial wall, which visitors must walk around to enter the interior of the space, displays the gallery’s name on one side and on the other, offers an explanation of the gallery’s current show in black lettering — which the gallery owners creatively change for each new show. 
For “Chromatic,” the wall reads: “Two photographers, working in collaboration, explore vibrant color in everyday life.”
And this is where the room begins to pop with color, character and life. The collection consists of photos, framed simply in black, that offer freeze-framed snippets of everyday life — a close-up of flowers bursting with color in one; a big yellow wheel rotating on a metal rod in another.
Like these two photographers, Cruz and Cavanagh are models of collaboration. They met at Bakersfield High School where Cavanagh teaches ceramics and “where I took my first ceramics class,” said Cruz, an art instructor at Bakersfield Museum of Art, who was substitute teaching at the time.
Their mirrored passion for art fostered a friendship that blossomed when they learned of their shared dream  of opening an art gallery.
The two locals — both who were raised in Bakersfield, attended local schools and returned home after college — have an understanding of each other not unlike a married couple.
In fact, they said the opening of the gallery in early September, when their own artwork and that of two others filled the space, was like a wedding. Not only did it bind the two as partners in a business, but they said the day was surreal and was gone in a flash.
“It was like our wedding day,” Cruz said.
“I don’t think I even talked to you or saw you that day,” Cavanagh said, completing Cruz’s thought. Cavanagh compared the day to her own wedding to her husband, Chris Cavanagh, three years ago.
After spending some time with the two young women, it becomes apparent that they have not only formed a sisterhood of sorts, looking out for other artists who have not been given a chance to show their work, but they themselves exhibit a closeness usually only sisters share.
During a recent photo shoot, Cruz was distressed because she was running late and she had charcoal on her hands — the remnants of the class she taught earlier in the day. Cavanagh calmed her friend’s jitters with a softly spoken word of encouragement — “You look great,” she said — and a smile, which is something these two do quite often when they talk about their gallery and the friendship they’ve formed.
“Everything about the gallery makes me smile,” Cavanagh said. “I love walking in here knowing that Vikki and I created a space for the public to enjoy.”
The young business owners know that an art gallery is a risk in today’s soft economy, but they hope that their choice to showcase the work of largely unknown artists and their understanding of what the public wants to see and own, will set them apart.
“We have a very eclectic group that visits our gallery — from the avid collector to someone new to the art world, such as my high school students,” Cavanagh explains. “The artwork in our gallery is accessible and we hope to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable in the space.” 
Marissa Mercado, a recent visitor to the gallery from Los Angeles, understands the risk of opening an art gallery in any economy, but thinks the two might be on to something.
“Coming upon Surface Gallery for the first time, I was delighted by the fresh feel of the space and the artwork,” she said. “From large abstract drawings, to intimately sized paintings created by Cruz herself … I was totally pulled in.”
Mercado, an artist and instructor herself, is from Bakersfield. She studied art at Bakersfield College before moving south to continue her studies at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.
“Starting a gallery is a risk anywhere,” Mercado said. “You have to believe strongly in your community of artists and have faith that your locality will respond to their artwork. Starting Surface proves a confidence in both.”
Besides a shared confidence, Cruz and Cavanagh share the added bonus of very supportive families, who rallied behind them when they were fledgling artists and, today, as new gallery owners.
“My parents are Hispanic and both grew up in big families in Kern County,” Cruz said. “Being Hispanic means that family is extremely centralized. I don’t think the gallery would be in existence right now if not for our parents’ encouragement.
“Art can be a risky career choice. I was lucky enough to have been brought up in a family where my passion for art was greatly accepted …  Most of my family lives here and is one of the reasons why I felt it was important for me to open up the gallery in Bakersfield.”
Cavanagh’s own parents encouraged her passion for art and didn’t bat an eye when she wanted to major in art. Both women went to Bakersfield College before transferring to colleges in the Bay Area — Cruz went to U.C. Berkeley; Cavanagh to San Francisco State University.
“My parents have always been very supportive of anything I have wanted to do,” Cavanagh said. “My mom instilled (this) Confucius quote in me: ‘Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’”
“I am so thankful I listened.”
— Surface Gallery is located at 1703 20th St. The gallery is open noon to 4 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Evening hours are extended the first Friday of every month for the downtown First Friday celebrations. The space is also available for private gatherings. “Chromatic” will be on display until Jan. 3, 2009.