Thea Robertshaw is an institution in Long Beach. As a teacher at Long Beach City College, she’s touched the lives of countless people looking to develop the ability to express themselves through painting. As an artist, she’s worked tirelessly to deveop a profound and personal visual language.
The Cultural Alliance for Long Beach has presented a retrospective of her work titled Dreams, Memories and Visions. It spans 50 years, and reveals an impressive body of work.
In this interview, Thea speaks about her childhood in Holland during World War Two, and how her family helped her piano teacher’s family hide from the Nazis. She talks about how the study of shamanic traditions has influenced her work, and the importance of staying connected with nature. She speaks about painting her dreams and memories, and embracing the uncertainty of the abstract. She also discusses several paintings in detail, which sheds light on her creative process.
The Cultural Alliance for Long Beach is hosting a closing reception this Sunday, October 27th, from 2PM to 4PM. The gallery is located at 737 North Pine Avenue, inside the Bungalow Arts Center. Normal gallery hours are 4 – 9 PM Wednesdays through Fridays, and 12 – 5 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information about CALB, visit CALBArts.org. For more information about Thea, visit TheaRobertshaw.org.