Dixie Mohan’s painting of the Carquinez Strait exemplifies the artist’s new abstract phase, a departure from the plein air work she has been known for. This and many of her paintings are on display at Benicia Plein Air Gallery for her final show “Hungry for Art.” (Painting by Dixie Mohan)

For her final show at Benicia Plein Air Gallery, founding member artist Dixie Mohan is feeling charitable. That is the premise of the exhibition, “Hungry for Art,” in which a portion of the proceeds will go to the Food Bank of Solano and Contra Costa. Additionally, the artist is requesting all visitors bring a can or package of food to donate.

Mohan said the inspiration came from a news report she heard a few months ago about how more than 4 million people in America are hungry. This struck a chord with Mohan, who already considers herself an altruist.

“For my birthday, I just ask everyone in my family to donate to the Food Bank,” she said. “I wanted to use (the show) as a vehicle to remind people that as affordable as we may all be, there’s still hunger in our neighborhood.”

Mohan contacted the Food Bank, which serves nearly 1,000 people in Vallejo and Benicia. The organization has a partnership with the Benicia Community Action Council for its Food Assistance Program, which provides free groceries once a month to individuals and families with low incomes. It also provides 15 to 20 pounds of fresh produce to low-income families and individuals through the John F. Kennedy Library, Emmanuel Temple and various Vallejo schools, and offers a Senior Food Program at the Norman King Community Center in Vallejo. In Benicia, ongoing food drives are held at the Benicia Public Library, Heritage Presbyterian Church, Ironworkers Union Local 378 and Travis Credit Union.

Long an outdoors painter, Mohan joined the Benicia Plein Air Gallery when it opened in 2009. Since then, she has done everything from hanging shows to handling finances and publicity to running the website. However, she said her work is evolving from a plein air style to a more abstract style and thus is moving on from the gallery.

“I would like to explore the new phase of my painting, which doesn’t really fit into the gallery,” she said.

The show is a retrospective of Mohan’s plein air painting career from her illustrations of Berkeley’s landscapes in the 1960s to her work with a collective of Benicia plein air artists known as Da Group.

“There’s a painting, which is one of the first I did when I was in Berkeley in college,” she said. “I’ve never shown that.”

Much of her work with Da Group consists of still life paintings of lemons and other fruit. Mohan also has captured scenes of nature such as clouds in the sky and a cow resting on a grassy hillside.

The exhibit will also showcase the new abstract stage of her work, including a colorful painting of the Carquinez Strait.

Mohan hopes visitors will enjoy the level of artistry in the show and also become more aware of global and local hunger issues.

“There are people around us that have trouble getting even enough food to feed their families or to feed themselves,” she said.

Mohan said community outreach is a major goal of the Plein Air Gallery, and that people often come in to visit even when they can not afford the paintings.

Mohan will be taking a break from showing her work after she exits the gallery, but she will miss the community’s enthusiasm for art.

“I had a woman one Christmas come into the gallery from her Handel’s ‘Messiah’ practice and sang me one of the songs,” she said. “If a poet is unlucky enough to walk into the gallery, I’ll ask them to recite a poem, which they often do. It’s a really special place to come, so I will miss that.”

“Hungry for Art” is on display at Plein Air Gallery through April 1. A reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 18 featuring Marin County musician Rick Hardin and possibly an ambassador from the Food Bank. Plein Air Gallery is located at 307 First St. and open noon to 6 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays. For more information, go to beniciapleinairgallery.com.

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