Manna Gallery presents

Manna Gallery is excited to present Between Here and There, a new exhibition of paintings by Oakland-based artist Wayne Armstrong. Grounded in a lifelong fascination with the California landscape, these recent works reflect Armstrong’s ongoing exploration of the state’s rich visual possibilities. Using color, pattern, and spatial divisions unique to the region, his paintings move between the memory of a place and the lived reality of a space. Infused with warmth, humor, and imagination, the work reflects Armstrong’s enduring sense of curiosity and gratitude. “How lucky am I,” he writes, “to always find something in these environments to inspire me.”

Wayne Armstrong was born in Fresno, California, where he began his formal art training at Fresno State University, earning a teaching credential in art education. Early in his career, he taught for five years at a residential treatment center for autistic and emotionally disturbed children, an experience that shaped his thoughtful and patient approach to teaching and making art. He went on to teach high school art for 30 years in the Hayward Unified School District, while continuing his own studies at Laney and Merritt Colleges, UC Berkeley, and the San Francisco Art Academy. After retiring from teaching in 1997, Armstrong spent three additional years mentoring student teachers at Cal State Hayward. He maintains a studio in Oakland.

Armstrong has exhibited widely throughout California and beyond. His work has been shown at the Fresno Museum of Art, Fresno State University Art Gallery, the Hayward Festival of the Arts, The Sun Gallery in Hayward, the San Pablo Art Center, and the Howard Hanson Gallery in Ashland, Oregon. He has received five Best of Painting awards in Fresno County and two honorable mentions in the Phelan Awards at the San Francisco Museum of Art. Armstrong has been featured in Photo Metro magazine and has presented multiple solo and two-person exhibitions at Manna Gallery in Oakland. His work is held in numerous public and private collections.