Ten years ago, when Studio Door owner Patric Stillman decided to make the monthly theme of his Hillcrest gallery “The Crow Show: Homage to the Ravens” he had no idea he was inviting the ire of scientists and birdwatchers everywhere upon his head – or that the show would be the gallery’s greatest success.
“I had noticed a lot of artists were painting crows in their artwork, and I thought, well, that can be fun. I’m just trying to come up with something different because it seems like everyone does the same type of shows,” said Stillman, whose original concept for Studio Door was to have rotating monthly themes for exhibits in the gallery.
At the time, Stillman had no idea ravens and crows are not the same creature. Fortunately, many scientists and birdwatchers were happy to enlighten Stillman about the finer points of the passerine bird family. Since then, he has expanded The Crow Show to incorporate all corvids, especially since a large black bird may not be identifiable by species in abstract art pieces.
“I definitely have a ton of people that come in that month that are telling me their stories about their relationships with the crows in their yard or that sort of thing. Because they’re very intelligent, and they actually have social skills, and they’re able to recognize human faces,” he said.
He has learned a lot about the unique features of the birds which are found on every continent except Antarctica. Corvids can also be quite controversial as they are an invasive species that can drive out local bird populations.
“My own interest in crows has grown over the years because I’ve been wondering what makes them so attractive to both the artists and the patrons,” Stillman said. “I’ve become much more aware of living with them and having them surround us…. I just am so amazed that their capabilities to communicate and work as a group.”
A decade since opening the Studio Door along Fourth Ave. in Hillcrest, The Crow Show is the only original theme he still follows and is his most popular exhibition of the year.
“There’s a lot of artists that are really devoted to that show,” Stillman said.
Artists who had their work passed over by jurors have told him they immediately started working on the next year’s submission. Patrons too were calling him in February to see when precisely the Crow Show opens so they would get a first look at potential purchases, a request that does not occur for other shows.
Ahead of the annual show, Stillman puts out a national call for corvid art and receives hundreds of submissions. A different juror each year then selects 50 to 60 pieces that will be in the gallery while an additional 50 artworks are displayed on the Studio Door website.
For the first time, Stillman juried the Crow Show himself in honor of the 10 year anniversary. He said the show always draws strong work but this year seemed exceptional, with pieces normally qualifying for the studio show being relegated to the online gallery.
Although the Crow Show is national, with the international addition of Canadian artist James Crow this year, the majority of the artists still reside in San Diego where places for mid-career artists to display their work have evaporated, according to San Diego Magazine. With wealthy people buying less art, the Studio Door has survived by being a community gallery with artworks ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands.
“It’s definitely highs and lows… I’ve survived 10 years which I think is just amazing,” Stillman said. The Crow Show is a major contributor to Stillman’s success through tough situations such the early stages of a small business and the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s Crow Show will be on display at the Studio Door, 3867 Fourth Ave. From March 1 through 30. A reception will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, March 16.
