Karin Skiba's 50-year retrospective, titled "Tapestries, Paper, and Paint," opens May 17 at the Hi-Desert Artists Gallery in Yucca Valley during the Yucca Valley Artwalk. The exhibition runs through June 16 and features large-scale collages of Detroit's decaying architecture, fictional portraits of women, and works layered with beads and symbolic feathers. Skiba, who spent over 20 years teaching in the community college system and helped establish the gallery at Norco College, describes art-making as integral to her identity.
This retrospective matters because it celebrates a half-century of creative practice by a local artist who has also shaped arts education in the region. Skiba's work, rooted in collage and personal narrative, reflects a lifelong commitment to artistic exploration and community building. The exhibition highlights the vitality of grassroots art scenes in smaller communities like Yucca Valley, where local galleries and events such as the Artwalk provide essential platforms for artists.