The Visual Art Society of San Ramon (VASS) is pleased to announce its inaugural juried exhibition, "A New Dawn," running from September 6th to October 30th, 2024, at the Dougherty Station Community Arts Center. This exhibition will feature an impressive array of work by both invited and juried artists, capturing the vibrant spirit of San Ramon’s artistic community.

Founded in May 2023, VASS is a new non-profit organization with over 35 members, created to nurture and promote visual arts in the local area. "A New Dawn" reflects the organization’s commitment to fostering creativity and community engagement through exhibitions, education, and artistic opportunities for professional and emerging artists.

“Our goal is to create a space where artists can thrive, collaborate, and connect with the community,” says Ranjini Venkatachari, Founder of VASS. “This exhibition marks an exciting new beginning for both the organization and the broader San Ramon arts community.”

The idea for VASS originated during the April 2023 Arts Summit, where community feedback underscored the need for a visual arts group in San Ramon. With support from Adam Chow of the City of San Ramon and collaboration with the Dublin Arts Collective, VASS was established to fulfill this need. Starting with just a few members in virtual meetings, VASS has since grown into a dynamic group of artists committed to enriching the cultural fabric of the area.

Exhibition Highlights:

Opening Reception: Friday, September 20th, 5pm-7pm. Guests will have the chance to meet the artists, explore the artwork, and enjoy light refreshments. The exhibition was juried by professional artists Sawsan Jari, Owner of The Frame Co. & Art Gallery and Houman Pazouki, Owner of Pazouki Art Studio and co-curated by Michele Osgood & Shadi Kiaee.

Featured Artists: Over 20 local artists, including Ania Lesela, John Osgood, Ranjany Krishnan, Victoria Passichenko, Manjusha Gupta, Malavika Oak, Dmitrii Lebedev, Olga Kirsanova, Chelsea Tikotsky, Fnu Chitralekha, Vyjayanthi Malladi, Abhishek Nigam, Ivy Wu Yim, Shalaka Mulherkar, Saaji Sebastian, Shweta Agrawal, Ali Hall, Shadi Kiaee, Tejal Shah, Nutan Singh, Ranjini Venkatachari, and Sweta Gala.

Location: Dougherty Station Community Arts Center, 17011 Bollinger Canyon Rd, San Ramon, CA 94582

Admission: Free and open to all ages.

VASS’s mission is to cultivate creativity by providing opportunities for artistic creation, education, and exhibition. This inaugural exhibition is an invitation for the community to join VASS in establishing a central hub of artistic excellence in San Ramon, where artists and art lovers can come together to celebrate the visual arts.

For more information about "A New Dawn" and the Visual Art Society of San Ramon, visit their Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/visualartsociety.sanramon or email visualartsociety.sanramon@gmail.com