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Join CURA Contemporary on Saturday, March 1, from 4 to 6 pm for the opening reception of Backyard Dreams, a solo exhibition by Samantha Buller.
CURA Contemporary in Morgan Hill opened in the fall of 2024 as an art gallery and community space that hosts exhibitions, workshops, and art classes. The building, a work of art itself, was the brainchild of owners and longtime South County residents Dan and Kathy McCranie, who also own Colibri Art and Framing just across the street. The McCranies worked closely with Ellie Honl-Herman, the current Gallery Director, to develop CURA Contemporary’s design and offerings.
Growing up in the Midwest and coming from a long line of educators, CURA Contemporary’s Gallery Director Ellie Honl-Herman studied studio art and printmaking at St. Olaf College in Minnesota before earning an MFA in printmaking intermedia at the University of Iowa. As a student, Ellie worked at The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art and was a graduate teaching assistant before becoming a professor at multiple institutions, including Arizona State University, Indiana University, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Points, and the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Ellie’s first time visiting California came when she was accepted for an artist residency at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley.
Ellie’s personal art practice includes printmaking, photography, and photogravure. Before pursuing art at university, she was interested in psychology and architecture, themes she would later explore in her artwork. Her works often feature precise geometric forms juxtaposed against unpredictable cyanotype backgrounds. The contrast of order and chaos in these prints explores human psychology, coping mechanisms, and situational emotional responses.
After her husband’s career brought Ellie back to California, they stayed in San Jose before settling down in Morgan Hill. At the time, Ellie was doing freelance photography and was seeking a more steady nine-to-five job. She found a job as a part-time framer at Colibri Art and Framing. Ellie’s background in art, combined with the fortuitous job posting, allowed her to get her foot in the door at the frame shop. This opened up the opportunity to start Colibri Gallery and eventually develop her role as a thought partner and gallery director of CURA Contemporary.
Since its opening, CURA Contemporary has hosted art exhibitions, workshops, and youth classes. The gallery’s goals are to be a welcoming and inclusive space for the community, provide educational opportunities that build an appreciation for the arts, be a hub for the local and regional arts community, and be a multifaceted arts destination with its unique combination of an art gallery, wine bar, restaurant, and event space.
In this conversation, we discuss Ellie’s art practice, her journey to becoming gallery director of CURA Contemporary, and her spirit of experimentation.
Follow CURA Contemporary on Instagram @CURA_contemporary.
Follow Ellie on Instagram @elliehonl and @elliehonlphoto.
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Trevor Jones is a family man, building designer, and co-owner of Minnow Arts Gallery in Santa Cruz, California. Trevor was born and raised in Cupertino before studying economics and international studies during his undergrad and earning a master’s in architecture from the University of Oregon. Trevor describes the 15 years he lived in Portland, Oregon, as the “cauldron of his life as a creative person.” Inspired by Portland’s DIY art, design, music, and skateboarding scene, he imbued collaborative and process-oriented principles into SpaceCamp Studio, his design-build practice where he works as principal designer and general contractor.
Trevor moved to Santa Cruz in the early 2010s to continue his work at SpaceCamp, raise his family, and, as a surfer, live a coastal lifestyle. He met Minnow Arts Co-Owner Christie Jarvis through a mutual friend and artist, Jeremy Borgeson. Christie, a landscape architect, ceramicist, and filmmaker, was looking for office space, and Trevor had an office in the barrel aging warehouse of Humble Sea Brewing. It didn’t work out for them there, but it led Trevor and Christie to look for an office together. They eventually found and leased the space that became the Minnow Arts Gallery.
Trevor and Christie began hosting exhibitions that featured work from friends and artists they were connected with. Since then, Minnow Arts has been working to create an inclusive and supportive gallery focused on supporting the local art scene in Santa Cruz and giving opportunities to local and regional artists. Rather than having a strict mission statement, Minnow Arts stays true to its DIY roots and takes a more flexible approach to exploring what the space can be through different shows and events. They also aim to make exhibiting art more approachable and demystified for artists. Trevor sees his role as a “companion” to artists.
In our conversation, Trevor shares his approach to building design, reflections on the journey that led him to co-owning a gallery, and advice for anyone hoping to ‘do it themselves.’
Join Christie and Trevor at Minnow Arts Gallery on Friday, January 5th, for First Friday Santa Cruz as they open a retrospective exhibition featuring artwork from Good Knife Studio Creative Director Juan Llorens, a Buenos Aires-based artist who designs and illustrates work for Humble Sea Brewing’s cans, bottles, and marketing materials. Frank Scott Krueger from Humble Sea Brewing is collaborating with Juan to curate the show.
IG: minnow.arts
Check out First Friday Santa Cruz for their entire lineup of participating galleries.