ArtHop pick: All Fig Tree wanted for Christmas was a renovated gallery. It got its wish.
By Rachel Yepremian-Owens
Fresno’s Fig Tree Gallery has sprouted into a renewed version of itself.
After years of deliberation and discussion, the member-run gallery underwent a renovation that has the potential to change the trajectory of the future exhibitions it will be able to display.
Pictured above: Linda Zupcic’s “GLASS” (acrylic on canvas) is part of the Fig Tree show “Renaissance.”
The member group exhibition “Renaissance” opens today (Thursday, Dec. 4) as part of ArtHop, the monthly open house of galleries and studios in the downtown and Tower District neighborhoods. It runs through Feb. 1. (For an updated list of venues and opening hours, which are generally 5-8 p.m., go to the Fresno Arts Council’s website.)
Fig Tree Gallery is the “longest-running artist collective in California,” according to its website. With over 20 members, the gallery has been a home to various types of art pieces created by different artists, since 1962.
The gallery went through various moves to different areas of Fresno and remodeling efforts in hopes of finding a permanent home. It landed at 644 Van Ness Avenue and has been located there for over 20 years now.
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Anne Scheid, one of the members with art displayed in the gallery, said in an interview that the decision to remodel was a long time coming.
The walls have been concrete for so long that as art has developed and been taken to different mediums, the physical structure of the gallery was simply turning artists away instead of drawing them in.
Local artists would express to the current members that they could not or no longer display their art there, as there have been instances of art falling off the walls or such an outdated foundation with cracks, holes, etc., being a distraction from the art.
This was never the intention of the members at Fig Tree; however, the cost of the renovations was so prohibitive and immense, it simply had to wait and they had to manage.
But the wait is over!
The new walls are plywood-backed sheet rock, which means hanging artwork just got a lot easier. Plus, there are new lights.
“The upgrade that we made was a physical necessity because the integrity of the walls had been compromised with years of use,” Scheid said. “It’s not about the gallery, it’s so that the gallery can be at its best so that it’s invisible and not distracting from what’s primary.”
The gallery is now moving forward with a beautiful exhibit space that is leaving artists more confident and viewers that much more in love.
“If the gallery is precise, your focus will be on the art,” Scheid said.
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Scheid’s journey with Fig Tree began after moving to Fresno in 1991. As an artist, she took a job at Fresno City College. She quickly became aware of Fig Tree, however was not a member right away as she was a member of Gallery 25, Fig Tree’s “sister gallery.”
Evany Zirul, a current member of Fig Tree, approached Scheid and told her they would love to have her become a member at Fig Tree. For the time being, she was unable, but eventually made the decision and has been with the gallery for about 10 years now.
Scheid’s work in the gallery is a continuation piece called “Expanding Light.”
The members of Fig Tree held a show called ‘Four Voices’ in the gallery back in Nov. 2024. Scheid exhibited with a few friends in the show under the theme of light.
“The theme of the show was light and its essential nature in all human beings’ lives, essential to life, essential to us, to joy, to the continuation of our species,” Scheid said.
Her piece currently being displayed is an expansion of what was started and displayed around this time last year.
The current show, however, does not have a specific theme.
“Since there is no theme, every artist is free to exhibit what they’d like,” Scheid said.
She essentially described it as a makeover, where every artist wants to put their best work out on display. There are a lot of new pieces, but also a handful of older work that has maintained its vibrancy and life.
The artists include Robert Ogata, Mac Mechem, Dixie Salazar, Marvin Armstrong, Kathy Wosika, Evany Zirul, Chris Janzen, Linda Zupcic, Jim Campbell, Michale Reese, Shannon Bickford, Ann Leedy, Nick Potter,
Kati Thompson, Juliana Harris, Jay Scantling, Steve Norton and Anne Scheid.
The gallery is open 12-4 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It will be closed Dec. 22-Jan. 7 for a holiday break.
