She may be a small lady, but she has an eye for creativity. Judi A. Gorski, 56, an SF State alumna, hangs her beach inspired art strategically on the walls of her Ocean Beach home, which she has transformed into an art gallery called JAG’s Art Studio at the Beach.

Gorski’s realistic paintings of beaches and surfers reflect her connection with the Ocean Beach community. She has always been drawn to the beach because of its ability to be so calming and relaxing, she said.

“I just think that the art is fun,” Gorski said of her beach paintings. “[And] I think when people have an investment in their own community, they take better care of it.”

Gorski said that she feels a very strong connection with the Sunset District, which fuels her passion to keep creating art at the beach and marketing herself in such a way that will draw people to the outer Sunset.

Gorski, originally from the East Coast, graduated from the art department at SF State in 1991. Since then, she has been active locally around San Francisco to try to get people to see the beauty in the Ocean Beach community through her vibrantly visual art.

“I have been in San Francisco for so long now that I consider myself a San Franciscan,” Gorski said. “But a beachy San Franciscan at that.”

Gorski’s art will be shown as part as a revolving art show at City Hall, which started Feb. 25 in the office of District 4 Supervisor Carmen Chu. The art will continue to hang in Chu’s office, room 260, for the next two months.

“We started this project because we thought is was essential to bring the Sunset district to City Hall and City Hall to the Sunset,” Chu said.

Chu, whose district includes the Sunset, added that she particularly loves this specific exhibit because of the theme. She said that she adores the beach but that it is important to feature local artists from different districts so they can represent their neighborhoods through their art.

“It is very generous and community minded of Carmen to allow the artists in the Sunset to show their art,” Gorski said.“ This way, we can get exposure from the people she interacts with. This is very important.”

Lindsay Barrick, the communications and operations manager of ArtSpan as well as the managing editor of the Guide to Open Studios, said that Gorski’s artwork reflects and celebrates the community that surrounds and inspires her.

“She has been instrumental in organizing both a brochure and satellite group show featuring SF Open Studios artists in the Sunset neighborhood. As one of many visitors who attended Judi’s SF Open Studio, I have seen firsthand the impact her art has on the Sunset community,” Barrick said. “She brings art patrons and beach lovers together in the warm and inviting atmosphere of her professionally run SF Open Studio, while simultaneously acting as a voice for the Sunset artist community.”

Not only does Gorski have her art hanging at local popular spots like the Java Beach café on Judah and Wise Surf Shop on the Great Highway, but she said she has also dedicated herself to cleaning up the Sunset with her art.

Gorski contributed to covering up graffiti by helping restoring the mural at 40th Avenue and Ortega Street, and is trying to continue with the mural projects around the neighboring communities to keep them beautiful and smiling, she said.

Buffy Maguire, the owner of Java Beach, said that they have let Gorski keep her art up at the café for almost two years because they feel like she has done so much work in the community and to be able to couple it with her art is brilliant.

“Judi [Gorski] has been such a strong force in our small neighborhood for almost twenty years,” Maguire said. “She gives so much and people love her art.

Gorski said that she finds it very important to do business within the community. Whenever she has any shows going on she gets local sponsors in helping donate the essentials like coffee or pizza to make sure people are satisfied and comfortable.

She said she strategically prices her art so that it is affordable in the community. And she said she
understands people in the Sunset may not be able to afford the art, so she is always willing to work out a deal to keep people coming back. She will even allow people to take her art overnight and hang it in the perfect spot so they can see if it is the right size and painting for them.

“Paintings are very personal to me and the buyer,” Gorski said. “I bring people into my house and get to know them. It is a very different way of doing business, but this is how my business is growing and it’s all about the good will.”

Gorski said her door is always open to anyone interested in viewing or purchasing her art. She encourages people to come visit anytime at her home-gallery at 2366 48th Ave. More information about her art and collaboration with other artists can be found at her Web site, www.jagsart.com.

“I am living the dream, I guess, because I get to do this and be surrounded by beauty at the same time,” Gorski said.