Helen Plenert, People I’ve met…or wish I had

Helen creates works to uplift the viewer using local scenes that are often overlooked in our everyday journeys. In this series she explores faces. We are such expressive beings and that can make for an endless array of subjects to paint. Using her simple tools of paper, sharpie, and watercolor, Helen jumps from her comfort zone of nature scenes and has created a series of people who have made an impression and reflect the world she lives in.

“I love a challenge. I don’t think of just paint on paper or canvas. Each work becomes a personal dare.”  says Helen.  Her favorite mediums are Watercolor on paper and Acrylics on canvas.

Exhibition: March 2-28, 2024, with a First Saturday Opening Reception on March 2 from 4-7PM.

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SAMPLE GALLERY

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Helen Plenert is an accomplished artist who was born and raised in Sacramento. She attended American River College and CSU Sacramento, where she studied under instructor such as John Kaneko and Gary Pruner. It was the influence of teachers like Mel Ramos, William Wiley, and Wayne Thiebaud that had the greatest impact on her artistic style.

During the ‘80s, Helen moved to San Francisco and took on various professional roles at theaters throughout the city. Her experience in set, graphics, and costume design, as well as her work as an artistic advisor, technical director, and producer gave her a new perspective on how her art could impact the public. Helen’s stage design work on David Henry Hwong’s “FOB” even toured the 1984 Singapore and Hong Kong Theater Festivals. It was a transformative experience that helped her realize her obligation as an artist to educate and energize her viewers, providing uplifting moments in their everyday lives.

In 1988 Helen obtained her general contractor’s license, giving her the ability to pursue her art without limitations. Since then, she has collaborated with her husband, Bobby Horiuchi, and others on numerous projects.

In 2000 Helen shifted her focus back to Sacramento, creating 15 murals in just four years while teaching elementary and junior Highschool students. In 2006 she became the director of a women’s art program, using art to heal, where she taught and was responsible for staffing 14 art classes per week.  It was during this time that Helen was the first in California to created “The ART BRA Show” to raise funds for cancer screenings for low income women of Sacramento. The show was so successful that she repeated it 5 times and also created “SHOE show” and “SHELTER show” to help the homeless. She additionally worked on theater stage designs with Mike Benjamin in Sacramento and helped with mural and installations with Shonna McDaniels for Sojourner Truth Museum. After Years of teaching and sharing her artistic talents with others, Helen retired in 2016 to focus once again on her own art. Her commitment to uplifting and educating others through her artwork is an inspiration to artists everywhere.