UPDATE 6/13: In Friday's 7 section, we have a summary of the following review. I'm reposting this thread to make it easier to find for 7 readers looking for the expanded version.

What a terrific ArtHop.

In terms of Fresno's unofficial downtown "gallery row" -- the clump of venues at the corner of Mono Street and Van Ness Avenue that include Gallery 25, Fig Tree Gallery and Corridor 2122 -- June's event was stellar. The galleries boasted a strong range of work, from the whimsical (David Hallaway's motley assortment of small-scale ceramic figurine sculptures that have a giddy, dashed-off feel at Fig Tree) and nostalgic (former Club Jinnaka partners Michael Garcia, Mike Garcia and Geoff Spach in a tight little show at Corridor 2122) to a superb exhibition at Gallery 25 curated by Karen LeCocq (and featuring a jam-packed gallery from some very talented artists).

At one point Thursday evening, Gallery 25 was so thick with crowds that it was hard to get a good view of some of the art. There was a buzz in the room -- and a nice range of ages, from a bunch of Fresno High School muralists running around promoting their work to celebrated older members of Fresno's art establishment -- that made it feel like a significant gallery event.

On the jump: I, along with Felicia Matlosz and special guest Beehive blogger Candice Torres, share impressions of shows at Fig Tree, Gallery 25, Corridor 2122, the Chris Sorensen Studio and Spectrum Gallery.

Donald writes:

Gallery 25 is simply bustling for "Assemblage." I've never seen the large gallery space, which can appear cavernous and gaping when underutilized, put to such good use for a show. This isn't mere quantity we're talking about here: What's important isn't so much the number of works displayed as how curator Karen LeCocq, the noted Mariposa artist, stages them. Using the gallery's floor space, portable interior walls and the high ceilings, there's a feel of abundance and diversity: a place where you could lose yourself. She describes the show's philosophy: "The pieces transform rubbish and found objects into artwork, forcing the viewer change the way they think about familiar objects when they are presented in a totally divergent and delightful way."

The caliber of the artists she recruited is high, from Nancy Youdelman's intriguing collection of found love letters from the 1930s -- all written to the same man -- to Willets artist Chris Beard's big, bountiful sculptural-like works, including the dramatic "Calendar," which features hanging nylon mesh pockets weighed down by intriguingly shaped oak galls that are created by wasps. Another highlight is David Medley's moody neon-dominated works that suggest something you might find in "Blade Runner." Overall, it's a very strong show and one you won't want to miss.

Felicia writes:

My ArtHop night began with an eye-fueled stop at the Spectrum Art Gallery. The venerable 28-year-old Tower District venue that is the only gallery devoted specifically to photography between Sacramento and Los Angeles. For many people, photography is the most accessible of arts. We all take pictures and, in this digital age, we snap away with increasing frequency. Photographs, whether dramatic or amusing, touch us with an immediacy that's deceptively simple. Of course, it's another thing to create photographs that rise to an artistic level.

This month, Spectrum is staging a Members Show. With 60-70 works on the white walls, it's almost overwhelming. As you study one photo, your inner eye is tugging your sight toward the next one. It's definitely an exhibit that requires time -- once you've done a first-look around the gallery, you need to do it again.

Highlights for me included Paul Mullins' "More Precious Than Gold." It is large, vertical photograph of brilliant color and detail. Sunlight turns, what looks like sheer granite face, into a dazzling hue of gold. At the base are the deep greens of some trees but mostly the white of snow-flecked trees, leading your eye down to a snowy bank of a river or lake and reflections in the water. It is a sumptuous sight.

I also couldn't take me eyes off Tom Tidyman's "Cruisin' Morro Bay" 1939 Ford Deluxe (pictured). The title let's you know it's a closeup detail of a classic car. But the image is a sleek, bold pattern of curvy blacks and reds dissected by a slash of silver. Black and white photography is on display as well, such as Jane Delaney's "Wall" capturing every crack, splotch, shadow, line and brick of an exposed surface. And there's also Billey Gene Rickey Avigdar Adams' comically macabre "Rose Gets a Phone Call.".

By the way, this month's exhibit includes a drawing on June 28. The drawing will involve members'-donated prints on the right side of the gallery space. One $60 ticket will be sold for each print. Each ticket has a number. At the event, tickets will be randomly drawn to determine the order in which people make a selection. For more information, call Spectrum at (559) 266-0691.

MEANWHILE, BACK DOWNTOWN, Candice writes that she was truly tickled by David Hallaway's exhibit at Fig Tree Gallery titled "A Configuration of Figurative, Musical, and Temporal Objects." The show features a variety of ceramic sculptures including houses and figurines, ranging from multi-colored to clear-glazed. She writes:

Even though all the pieces are bald men, they're easy to relate to. You can picture someone you know, someone you've seen, even yourself. They provoke a range of emotions including sadness and pity. Some make you laugh loudly and others under your breath. A few pieces that caught my attention were "The Relic," a figure of a paunchy man with his left arm crossed over his neck, his right hand in a fist. His head is tilted up, eyes half closed, mouth open as though he's not only telling a story of his youth, but reliving it. The days when he could manipulate and manuver his body any way he wanted are gone. Now he can hardly move or walk.

"Eating Empty" is a figure clutching a bag of barbecue chips to his chest, raising his right hand in the air, his mouth wide open. I can't decide whether he's watching a football game with some friends and yelling at the referee, or if he's sitting home alone watching a game show, yelling out the answers. he title of the piece leads me to believe the latter.

"The Diabetes" had a little bit of a shock value for me. I thought I was overreacting until I overheard a woman saying "I can't look at that!" It depicts a double below-the-knee amputee with deep hallow eyes and a pained, sad expression. He's clutching a bottle in one hand, and the other is resting on his leg.

I might not want to admit it, but my personal favorite was "The Fault Lies." It's a happy, goofy looking guy who seems to have his head in the clouds. Four hands are hanging above his head pointing in different directions away from him.

AROUND THE CORNER at Corridor 2122, there's a welcome reunion of the former artists from Club Jinnaka. (That bustling venue fell victim to some of the excesses of ArtHop, alas, and was closed a year ago.) Donald writes:

There isn't necessarily anything thematic linking Michael Garcia's big painted wooden panels, Mike Phillips' crisp black and white scenic photographs and Geoff Spach's delightful ceramic works. Perhaps it's just knowing that these artists are good friends -- and had a good time for a while promoting a vibrant downtown gallery -- that suggests a visual camaraderie. But it's nice to see them together again. Along with Spach's big, bruising ceramic platters, which have a quality that seems at once rough-hewn and delicate, I'm pleased by Phillips' creamy prints (reminding me of an Ansel Adams ghostliness of light and texture). A favorite for me is Garcia's "The New China," an assemblage piece that includes an image of Mao Zedong. (Underneath, forming sort of a painter's-brush fringe, is raffia grass.) Garcia spent time in China almost 20 years ago and then recently returned, and he was shocked by the economic boom in that country. In an age of uninhibited capitalism, Mao has gone from stalwart icon to borderline kitsch.

And, finally, Felicia writes:

I dropped in at the Chris M. Sorensen Studio in downtown Fresno because this month's exhibit is a father-son show for Chris and his son, John. Chris has about 115 pieces of his whimsical, playful sculptures on display, while John's photographs (including photographs of his paintings) are hung throughout the space.

Chris is a charming and outgoing man who makes sure the studio is a fun house for his visitors. He had a cotton candy machine going and music playing. He warmly greeted folks as one of his cats, Red, about a 25-pounder, roamed the place.

He's turning 83 this month, and he's still creating pieces out of whatever scrap metal or wiring or engine parts he gets his hands on. He's the kind of guy who looks at bailing wire and creates square yellow eggs. Or uses large nuts and bolts for a sculpture base. Or cuts segments out of an oxygen tank and somehow makes it into a smile-inducing bouncy spring. For this show, he cut designs in paint can lids and added patina to produce funky wall hangings.

His birthday is June 30, and he says he's celebrating with a party at the studio on June 28.

Is there an ArtHop venue we missed or an opinion expressed here that you want to discuss? Be sure to send us comments on this thread. Ideally, we'd like the Beehive's ArtHop coverage to include not only staff reviews but views from readers as well. There are no right or wrong opinions when it comes to art!