Rancho Santa Fe’s Oolong Gallery has launched a new residency program to support local emerging artists, naming Carmel Valley painter John Notham as its first resident. Notham will develop his work exploring California light, transitional architecture, and cinematic Americana, with an opening reception scheduled for June 6. The residency is designed as both a studio laboratory and a public-facing dialogue, allowing viewers insight into Notham’s evolving process between realism, memory, and psychological narrative.
The residency matters because it underscores Oolong Gallery’s growing commitment to nurturing local talent and expanding its footprint. The gallery, which celebrated its first anniversary in Rancho Santa Fe last fall after starting in Solana Beach in 2022, recently opened a new space in Tribeca, New York, with a solo presentation by painter Adam Rabinowitz. By offering a platform for emerging artists like Notham, the gallery strengthens its role in bridging regional and national art scenes.