Fresno art gallery offers space for students to showcase their work

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Paper Cranes Art Gallery in Downtown Fresno has been showcasing work of emerging artists since June of this year.

The space was founded by volunteers, including Daniel DeMeza.

He is a drawing professor at Fresno City College and a local artist.

DeMeza considers the work in this space an expression of an artist's being.

"Sometimes I see each art piece as almost like an emotional EKG, where just like a heart monitor, you have a beat. But in art, each art piece is an actual heart beat of the community." says DeMeza.

The gallery is a platform for artists who may otherwise not have a space to show their work.

Founders are intentional in giving women and LGBT youth a safe space for their art.

Fresno State student, Valerie Henshaw, has her work in the gallery's current Raw Edges exhibit.

Valerie mentions, "Everybody is coming here of their own volition, so everybody is determined, everybody has a goal. There is ambition here that is really nice to see that sometimes you don't always see in classes."

Paper Crane also hosts drawing classes for the community every Thursday and Friday.

About two dozen people show up each week.

DeMeza considers the growing group an art movement happening in Fresno.

"The gallery is a really good opportunity to actually introduce these artists to the community so the community actually knows these are the artists in our community," says DeMeza.

The art gallery will be open through the end of this month by appointment only.

They'll have another gallery opening this upcoming February.

They will post details and updates on their Instagram page here.