Mission Viejo, CA – Semi-retired registered nurse Collette Siegman has been a student in Bill Riley’s printmaking class at Saddleback College for seven years. This year she was honored to be selected to display her works in the prestigious Los Angeles Printmaking Society 20th National Exhibition on October 29th to January 3rd. Since 1973, the Los Angeles Printmaking Society has organized national biennial exhibitions that showcase the current state-of-the-art of printmaking to educate and interest a new audience for the printed image. Prints represent a media that is always changing and the National is an overview of the latest work from both the celebrated professional presses of Los Angeles and artists working across the continent. It is one of the largest, longest-running print biennials in the nation. Siegman’s piece for the show is her take on microscopic cell life titled “Life Force VI.” It consists of several wood cut plates that were overprinted and represents a spark of life involving cell life gestures. Her process in applying for this prestigious show involved submitting five or six images that were juried and when these were accepted, she was required to write a one page paper about the work that will be included in a catalog.
It is quite an honor to be selected for the Los Angeles Printmaking Society National Juried Exhibition. Siegman was among 193 entrants chosen out of 1800 entries. Printmaking and Drawing Professor Bill Riley stated, “I am so proud of Collette’s journey the last few years and to see her efforts rewarded in such a wonderful way as the LAPS exhibit. I am pleased beyond words at her success and her contributions to the print program.”
Acting Dean of Fine Arts and Media Technology Dixie Bullock was intrigued when she first heard about this student. She stated, “I am delighted that Collette has achieved this honor and that it reflects her involvement in the arts. Being a nurse myself I know how very satisfying it is to have an outlet for my emotions that is so different to the everyday stress of nursing. The donation of her works for the benefit of sick children speaks to her deep feeling for humanity.”
Siegman was a surgical nurse in Nebraska for 26 years and when she semi-retired and moved to California with her husband, she satisfied a long-term dream of taking art classes. In Riley’s class she learned every aspect of creating printmaking art through etching, linocuts and currently wood cuts. She had heard about the high caliber of teachers, students and equipment in the Saddleback College Art Department for a few years before she enrolled. She now has the luxury of working part-time shifts in hospitals and she chooses to work nights so it doesn’t interfere with her art classes. When asked if her nursing background influences her art, Collette responded that last semester she did a series of body parts similar to a skeletal sculpture. She is currently working on wood cuts in sensual shapes that go together. Since she has produced numerous art pieces over the years and she doesn’t sell them, a lot of her works have been donated to worthwhile charities. She donated an antique car series framed and matted consisting of 13 pieces to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and other works to a grief art therapy silent auction for children. She lives in Laguna Woods with her husband, Jack, a fully retired sociology professor from the University of Nebraska. Jack and their four sons are very proud of her artistic endeavors and the boys receive prints as gifts from their Mom for any occasion.
In conjunction with the Los Angeles Printmaking Society’s 20th National Printmaking Exhibition the Art Gallery of Saddleback College will host the “Student Members” work of the LAPS juried exhibition from November 5-25, 2009. On display will be a large variety of prints featuring all forms of printmaking techniques including: woodcut, linocut, lithography, serigraphy, etching, dry-point, mezzotint, aquatint and monotype. Gallery hours are Monday-Wednesday, noon to 4 pm and Thursdays, 4 to 8 pm. The gallery will also be open Saturday, November 14th, 10 am – 2 pm. An artists’ reception will be held on November 5th, 6-9 pm. Admission is free.
The Art Department at Saddleback College believes that a person’s reflection of life is manifested through his or her arts. Students are able to fully appreciate artistic expressions through study, observation and experience. The art faculty and staff are committed to offering the strongest foundation in the arts that will allow students success in college as well as in their ongoing roles as artists.
Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Pkwy in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit. Parking is available in Lot 12. Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the second left to “Theatre Circle,” turning right into Lot 12.
Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community. Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals. For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, visit www.saddleback.edu/arts. | 
Accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges, of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
