Photography, paintings and prints are just a few items that will be featured at this weekend’s Goddess Visions Photography Exhibition and Art Show.
The free event will be held Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Visionary CrossFit, located at 716 N. Main St.
Jesus Martinez, the owner of Visionary CrossFit, said the theme of the show is women and the role women play in art. The exhibit will feature a range of female-focused art, including photography, mixed media and sculptures, the 38-year-old said.
The event will offer music with donation-based food, including alcohol. There will also be an after-party with electronic music and dancing for a $5 fee.
Both artists’ prints and originals will be available and prices will range from $20 to $10,000. Martinez said the gym’s last show was a blacklight art show, which about 300 people attended, and they are hoping for a similar turnout this year.
“The idea of incorporating a gym with an art gallery started with hanging my wife’s art on the walls of my gym,” said Martinez, who is also an artist.
He incorporates art on the gym’s whiteboard with the Workout of the Day, which has been featured on CrossFit’s Instagram account, with the gym’s goal to attract an alternative crowd.
“We didn’t want to attract your typical full-of-testosterone type of crossfitter,” Martinez said. “We wanted to attract more of a mom and pop. We wanted to create an environment that was less intimidating.”
Carrie Martinez, Jesus’ wife and one of the event’s featured artists, said she creates surrealist visionary art, primarily using acrylic paint. The 43-year-old painter said she enjoys representing the feminine aspect within her art in a way that is strong and powerful.
With the event being held to honor women, Carrie Martinez said the show is “kind of giving us more of a voice because we tend to get overlooked, still, in society.”
She said the gym has gotten a good response from women, because they are represented within the art in a non-objectified way.
Carrie Martinez said she tries to incorporate the goddess version of women in her art to help break through gender stereotyping.
Tim Malles, another one of the exhibit’s featured artists, said he believes the feminine figure is an important aspect to art. His art is mainly geared toward a celestial theme while portraying women in a positive light.
Malles said his paintings are priced between $100 and $6,000, as he tries to paint to all price ranges so everyone can have the option to buy.
“You never know who that one person is that connects with it,” he said.
Malles’ art fits in with the Visionary CrossFit philosophy, which is to challenge oneself by breaking out of the comfort zone, he said. It takes small steps, such as this exhibit, to recognize the importance of women.
“I think it’s a real tribute,” Malles said. “I think everybody will definitely get something out of it.”
