Melissa Kendall
The works of urban planner and architect William H. Fain Jr., FAIA of the planning and interior design firm Johnson Fain, will be coming to the Pierce College Art Gallery Wednesday.
The exhibit is being curated by Constance Moffatt, art professor, and her gallery class, and will display around 50 pieces of Fain’s work. These include drawings from his recent urban planning project as well as pieces from his 41st sketchbook, “Italian Cities and Landscapes: An Architect’s Sketchbook,” according to Moffatt.
“He’s not only an architect and an urban planner, but he draws beautifully,” Moffatt explained about why Fain was a welcome choice for this exhibit.
According to Moffatt, Fain followed the long-standing tradition of the Grand Tour, which is completing one’s education and perfecting one’s skills by using Rome as an example.
“His work is something students should aspire to,” she added.
Fain’s sketchbook was completed during his tenure at the American Academy in Rome. His combination of pencil and ink, use of different colors and his loose lines to more precise sketches, Moffatt explains, show his experimentation with combining different techniques.
“His drawings are beautiful; his sense of color and space are beautiful,” said architecture professor Beth Abels, who encourages everyone to look at art.
“It’s how other people see the world and it can change your own view of the world. It helps everyone understand their environment better,” she said.
Along with the sketches of Italian neighborhoods, countryside and historical sites, Fain’s urban-planning project proposal will be on display. His project, which he will discuss at the artist’s talk opening night, focuses on making the Tiber River in Rome more useful to the community, according to Moffatt.
As mentioned before, Fain is a partner in the Johnson Fain firm, which according to their Web site is responsible for many renovations around the L.A. area, including one at Pierce. Swinerton Management and Consulting, which handles Pierce’s renovations, used the firm for design renovation on the new Student Community Center and will be using them again for a project beginning next year, according to David Tsao, campus project manager.
The exhibit opens Wednesday, beginning with an artist’s talk given by Fain, followed by the opening reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The gallery hours for the exhibit will be Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7p.m., ending Nov. 13.
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