Examining the power of natural places to elevate and enrich human experience and health, Susan O’Malley’s A Healing Walk guides visitors through Montalvo’s forest trails with text-based signage reminding us to practice mindfulness and appreciate the healing effects of the countryside.
Supported by Lucas Artists Program at Montalvo Arts Center, A Healing Walk was originally installed in 2012 as part of the exhibition Happiness is… The work is now part of Montalvo’s permanent collection of Art on the Grounds. It was reinstalled in 2018 in collaboration with Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation.
Supported by Lucas Artists Program at Montalvo Arts Center, A Healing Walk was originally installed in 2012 as part of the exhibition Happiness is… The work is now part of Montalvo’s permanent collection of Art on the Grounds. It was reinstalled in 2018 in collaboration with Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation.
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Meet the Artist
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Visual Artist Susan O'Malley
Susan O’Malley (1976-2015) was an artist and curator from the San Francisco Bay Area. From posters to pep talks, billboards to vending machines, her art uses simple and recognizable tools of engagement to connect people to one another. In her Advice from My 80-Year-Old Self project, she interviewed people of all ages and transformed their words into bold artwork that has been shared widely as a book, prints, and public murals. O’Malley’s artwork has been exhibited in public projects across the United States—including Montalvo Arts Center, Kala Art Institute, and Palo Alto Art Center in California; the Contemporary Art Museum in Houston; and the Parthenon Museum in Nashville—as well as in galleries and museums in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Poland. Her installation Finding Your Center was recently featured at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and her project A Healing Walk is permanently installed at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, California. Learn more about Susan O'Malley at susanomalley.org. |
Related Press
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From Saratoga: Happiness Is.
By Glen Helfand, Art Practical Happiness Is. . . , the title of the three-person exhibition at the idyllic Villa Montalvo's Project Space Gallery, makes knowing use of its ellipsis. Much like the art on display, the unfinished title phrase is an active invitation to complete a thought, a barometer of disposition. One viewer’s immediate response might be “rainbows” while others would insert “a misanthropic film by Todd Solondz” or “a Beatles song about a warm gun.” The title underscores how happiness is something recognized rather than created and isn’t necessarily easy to come by. Read More >> |
