Tehama County Arts Council

MAIN EVENT GALLERY

The Main Event Gallery is located in historic Downtown Red Bluff. Tehama County Arts Council members are proud to volunteer their time to attend the gallery.

​

Main Event Gallery | 710 Main St., Red Bluff, CA 

Gallery Hours: Thursday - Saturday | 11 am - 5 pm

June 4 - June 29

"The Art of Authenticity"

Featured Artist, Armando Mejorado

Reception Saturday, June 5th, 6-10 pm

Armando Mejorado is a self-taught artist, photographer and acclaimed culinary chef.  Working in many different forms of art, his greatest passion has been to be creative.  This is evident in his abstract, cubism and surrealism styles of art, being greatly influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso and of Freda Kahlo.  Mejorado's paintings are rivaled only by the artistic presentation of foods he has prepared in Armando's Gallery House and Restaurant in Redding, California.

Mejorado is the featured artist for the Main Event Gallery's exhibit, "The Art of Authenticity, " June 4-26, with an opening reception Saturday, June 5th, 6-10 pm, 710 Main Street Red Bluff.

The exhibit is in conjunction with Pride Month festivities for the month of June in Red Bluff, organized by Tehama County Arts Council Board Members, Phillip Moller and Kevin Skahan.   Gallery members will also exhibit their interpretation of art that portrays them or someone's authentic self or authenticity, in general.   Gallery hours are Thurs.-Sat, 11 am -5 pm.

Armando was raised in a very strict, poor lower middle-class family where everything was a struggle including food, school and clothing.  He grew up surrounded by family with 11 siblings, who he called his best friends. He said the time spent with them are some of his fondest memories.  His family moved to Redding when he was 8 years old. 

Mejorado remembers he had the desire to express his creative side at the early age of 5. He struggled as a young teen wanting to be an artist, but his father always strongly disapproved and said he should forget about it. The result was that for many years he destroyed his art and promise not to be an artist.

 It wasn't until Armando's brother told him that he liked his art and he should keep doing it, that he realized it would truly be his life work and passion.  When that brother was killed in a car accident years later, Armando started an annual fundraiser in his brother's memory.

Mejorado is noted in his community volunteering for many organizations. For over 16 years  he and his former partner Gary Desmond worked tirelessly hosting fundraisers in their home to benefit a wide variety of  non-profit and cultural projects.

Mejorado met Desmond in his teens and he became his partner and the most important person in his life. "This is someone I could be myself with, express who I was with and we were both just as important to each other," said Armando.  Sadly, after 20 years together, Armando lost Gary to cancer.

Armando said he struggled to find himself again. "It was because of my love and passion for art, family, friends, and my community that helped me learn to live again."

He and his partner had envisioned having a restaurant and art gallery for many years as they both enjoyed cooking.  After Gary's passing, it was the catalyst for Armando to make it a reality.

 In an interview before its opening Mejorado described the Gallery house as, "A mini-multi-culture hub, restaurant, art gallery, serving wine, beer, food, and entertainment. I want it to be a safe place for everyone to come and want all my guests to feel like they are having a dinner party at my house," said Armando.  "The idea is that you come in and we meet, then the next time you come in, you become a part of the family," he said. 

The gallery displayed his elaborate collection of art in European salon style, hung floor to ceiling, with crystal chandeliers and elegant table settings. "I think of what I paint as art.  I hope when people see it, they think of it as emotion and they can relate to it and potentially feel what I feel, or have their own feeling that I don't," said Armando. " I hope people will walk away thinking a little bit differently than they used to about art."

Mejorado's culinary talents are legendary in the community. "I really enjoy turning my food into artwork," he said.  His creativity paid off as Armando was 3rd finalist in his category in a recent contest held by Bon Appetit Magazine.  Mejorado's paintings and his food art can be seen on his facebook page. 

 In 2016 Amando Mejorado was selected as Redding's business person of the year as an entrepenuer for his creation of Armando's Gallery House and Restaurant and his involvement in civic activities.

Unfortunately, Armando's Gallery House and Restaurant is currently closed due the Carr Fire, the downtown construction project around them and the pandemic.  Mejorado's plans are to eventually reopen in a new location. For information email