FUNERIA - Art Honors Life: GRATON News

Northern California-based FUNERIA LLC, a distinguished arts agency and pioneer in the emerging international funerary arts movement since 2001, has launched a new website that introduces visitors to a unique and expansive range of high-end original artist-made cremation urns as well as original designs. FUNERIA represents both established and emerging artists on its new site, and additional artists in its Northern California gallery, Art Honors Life® | The Gallery at FUNERIA.

Visitors to Northern California this fall will have an opportunity to see more than 100 original artworks at FUNERIA's gallery when the 80 year-old building it shares with 28 working studios for sculptors, painters, photographers, architects, a fashion designer, printers and musicians holds a rare Open Studios at Atelier One event. It begins with a reception on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 5-10 pm and opens again Sunday, Sept. 13, 11 am-5 pm, 2860 Bowen St., Graton, CA.

Setting the stage for the vibrant, elegant, and sometimes whimsical artworks that are featured on the website is a quiet background image showing one intimate corner within the more expansive 1,800 sq. ft./167 sq. meter Art Honors Life® gallery. The new site forms a framework that will, over time, include scenes from exhibitions, installations by guest artists, new additions to FUNERIA's Portfolio, additional artist details, media resources, and a blog. As the only art gallery of its kind, FUNERIA's ambition for the site includes sharing the ambiance that visitors experience on entering the gallery, located in Northern California's premier vineyard region.

According to gallery visitors who have made it a destination in traveling from Europe, the Pacific Rim, and throughout the US, it is a welcoming, surprisingly buoyant and also inspiring environment. FUNERIA and its gallery have been featured on CNN's Headline News Network as a Small Business Success, on NBC television and other broadcast channels, and in numerous trade publications, major print media and specialty print and online news outlets worldwide that cover a spectrum ranging from trends, luxury goods, home design and the funeral industry.

New Collections Define Character and Availability

With the launch of the new website, FUNERIA's Portfolio has also been defined by four collections: FUNERIA Legacy, Grace, Classics and Naturals. The Legacy Collection offers one-off original artist-made cremation urns and personal memorial artwork that can be commissioned and highly personalized. FUNERIA Grace is a group of original designs that are consistently sized, where the designs can be expected to be quite similar to what is represented, but reflect typical variables that distinguish hand made work. FUNERIA Classics is a group that includes new ceramic designs by FUNERIA's foremost Portfolio Artists, Carol Green and Lynn Hayes, that are produced in America's heartland, are consistent with only slight variations in color or tone, and are currently available only through funeral service providers and as-available at FUNERIA's gallery.

The launch of FUNERIA's Naturals collection is accompanied by the addition of original work, exclusive to FUNERIA, by sculptor Ante Marinović. Marinović, a "Maestro de la Pietra" who travels internationally as an advocate and creator of monumental public artworks, was teaching at an annual residency in the Russian River area and, inspired by his visit to the gallery, began carving more intimately scaled urns in white salt.

Two of his Seltears are featured on FUNERIA's website http://www.funeria.com/ and additional designs, plus a carved marble Etruscan-style, gold leaf-lined sarcophagus, are shown in the gallery.

FUNERIA has exhibited and represented the work of more than 150 artists since it debuted its first international Ashes to Art® competition and exhibition of original contemporary artist made urns and vessels in all media at San Francisco's historic Fort Mason Center in 2001. The artists represented in its Portfolio are primarily former participants with award winning work from what have become highly anticipated biennial events. In 2010, FUNERIA is organizing its 5th international biennial exhibition. Sponsoring organizations are encouraged to inquire about opportunities to align their interests with FUNERIA's as a means to advance the role of artists and their concepts for contemporary funerary art, and to help families and communities find the most original, beautiful and thoughtful means to honor life.

Visitors to Northern California this fall will have an opportunity to see more than 100 original artworks at FUNERIA's Art Honors Life® gallery when the 80 year-old building it shares with 28 working studios for sculptors, painters, photographers, architects, a fashion designer, printers and musicians holds a rare Open Studios at Atelier One event. It begins with a reception on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 5-10 pm and opens again Sunday, Sept. 13, 11 am-5 pm, 2860 Bowen St., Graton, CA.

For further information, email arthonorslife@funeria.com or call FUNERIA at 888 829 1966 (US Toll Free) or 707 829 1966. http://www.funeria.com/


FUNERIA, Ashes to Art and Art Honors Life are registered trademarks of FUNERIA, LLC, Graton, CA. All rights reserved by FUNERIA and their respective owners.