Daryl Gortner & Karen Shapiro

CODA Gallery, celebrating nearly 30 years in Palm Desert, is holding a special reception with artists Karen Shapiro and Daryl Gortner from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, during the renowned El Paseo Artwalk. The Artwalk takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. every first Friday of the month now through May, in which galleries on El Paseo stay open later and feature exhibit openings, artist receptions, and more. In addition, CODA Gallery also donates a percentage of proceeds to Animal Samaritans from artwork sales during these Artwalk evenings.

While meeting the artists and viewing their work, guests can enjoy live music and there will be a no-host bar benefiting Animal Samaritans, featuring wines from Organic Wine Exchange. There are also a number of exhibitions on view throughout the 9,000 square feet of gallery space.

Shapiro's ceramics represent items that are used, and they look it. Each piece speaks to an era or a season, an event or a time when the item belonged in the life of the viewer. Karen takes “everyday” objects, frequently larger-than- life in our memories and presents them to the collector as precious and now larger-than- life in person.

Celebrating ordinary objects in our everyday lives, Daryl Gortner brings out the extraordinary in what we might otherwise neglect to see or feel. It might be found in the brightly colored hues of a coffee cup or a jumble of marbles in a mason jar. Her works in still life represent an exaggerated photorealistic style in large proportional size, magnifying simple lines to reveal complex subtleties in line and texture. Luscious strokes of color defy modesty with layer upon layer of painting and glazing, providing intense depth and richness.

A landmark on El Paseo, CODA Gallery originally opened in 1987 and has resonated with contemporary art collectors for thirty years. CODA opened in a new 9,000 square foot exhibition space in early October 2016.

CODA Gallery is located at 73-400 El Paseo and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (and until 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month for El Paseo Art Walk), and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call (760) 346-4661 or visit www.codagallery.com.