I remember very clearly the first time I saw artwork by Molly Hahn (aka Mollycules) at Muddy Waters. I was and continue to be drawn to her work because of the wonderful imagination evident in each piece.  Molly is also a children’s book author and illustrator, and is particularly savvy when it comes to the new possibilities for marketing her work.  Recently she sent me a message to let me know that she is now selling some of the original work from her “Sketches of the Day” project, which she turned into a book. I am more than happy to pass this news on here.

You can see the work on her website, and I encourage you to check a feature on her that appears in today’s Independent. If you happen to be down in San Diego, look for her booth at ComicCon.

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First of all, I wanted to extend a personal congratulations to the ambitious young artists who put together the Young Folks Art Show this weekend. If you didn’t see this beautifully utilized space,  you really missed something special. The show was located in a bit of an out of the way location just of the corner of Chapala and Micheltorrena, in what appears from the front to be a fairly non-discript single story house with lots of windows. The space, however, was much larger and much more conducive to showing art than one could have imagined.  Once inside you were free to wander around the many multileveled rooms, which lead to a surprisingly large open room in the back with tons of natural light-perfect for showing art. Each of these rooms had been beautifully hung with paintings, constructs, and photos, amongst other artistic works. The house has apparently been up for rent for some time, and these industrious young folks worked out a deal to rent the space just for the weekend. A win-win for the artists and the owners and I’d like to salute them both for their intestinal fortitude. For more information on the artists that put this show together see my previous post.

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In other exciting news, blog-favorite Jimmy Bell will be having a show at Muddy Waters in June. As a build up for this show, Jimmy has released his first limited edition print. They are an edition of 25, archival giclee prints. The print itself is 12×7 inches and matted to 14×11 inches and you can have your very own for just $25. Click on the image to the right to check out Jimmy’s website where you can order a print. Make sure to keep this show on your radar, and I’ll post the details as the opening reception approaches.

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Finally, urban clothing boutique, Fuzion, recently made the move from upper to lower State Street and can now be found between Figueroa and Anapamu Streets in a deceivingly large space. I found myself drawn into the store by some very nice photographs hanging on the walls. Eventually, I found my way downstairs to what could accurately be called a cavernous space populated by a couple of sofas and some very cool graffiti art scattered here and there on the walls. The room was still in a period of transition while I was there and the potential of the space had not been realized, but that potential is HUGE. Between this space and the AG2 space that just opened up behind the French Press on the corner of Figueroa and State, this block has all of the sudden become a focal point of Santa Barbara’s New Art scene.  Make sure to stop by Fuzion to check out this space.

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I’ve been unforgivable slow in helping to get the word out about a new publication in town that shares the focus of this blog by helping to raise the profile of local art and artists who are not found on the typical Santa Barbara art radar. A month or so ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Adam Gray who is the Captain Kirk of this Enterprise. Adam is a passionate and ambitious art lover with an infectious energy that you can’t help admiring. His publication is called Stateside Magazine. Print publications are a very brave venture in these days of digital media, but Adam and his team of dedicated minions have an intelligent vision. Even so, they will need the support of all of us who produce, collect or just appreciate this kind of art. Keep your eyes out for Stateside Magazine while you are out and about downtown. The mag contains a great monthly calendar of events around town to help you keep in the loop. If this is the kind of thing you are into, I encourage you to check out their website and consider lending your support. I’ve posted their call to arms below.

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Here is a great chance for an artist you may know to get the exposure they deserve. Stateside Magazine is dedicated to helping and promoting the local talented people of Santa Barbara. Stateside Magazine is meant to be a canvas for artists to showcase their work and get exposure to help them thrive and inspire to create more. But we need your help.

Here’s what a local artist had to say about Stateside Magazine and your support:

“I create and express myself through what I do. It is an outlet for me to feel great in many different ways and I want to share it with the world. I have found an amazing opportunity through Stateside Magazine to showcase my talent. They have developed a way that is free for artists to display their work through Stateside’s online gallery at www.statesidemagazine.com as well as hosting an art show at least once a month at their “town meetings”. But what I would really like is to be featured in the magazine. Stateside is free and I have no doubt that they will feature me eventually (because I am so good at what I do), but you can help me solidify a spot by sponsoring me.”

Stateside Magazine is different that most publications out there, they do this in a couple creative ways:

They ask that you do not throw it away. Instead, give it to a friend and tell them the same, or return it to one of the select stores that carry it. At the end of the month, Stateside will go around and recycle the leftovers.

Stateside Magazine is a firm believer in freedom of speech and wants it’s publication to reflect what the people want. They hold their “town meetings” every month and invite anyone and everyone to come and discuss what they would like to see in this publication.

Please help by sponsoring an artist for $200 and have a “sponsored by:” your company name in the magazine as well as a thank you on the web site. Its a great way to help support the arts of Santa Barbara. People are treating this with a higher value than other publications, and many people keep the magazine for the art.

They will also take their already super-low advertising rates for a half page and cut the cost in half if you sponsor an artist. It is a monthly publication, so ads have longevity and at $10 a day its a great way to promote your business. If you sponsor an artist it is only $5 a day for the ad plus the sponsorship.

Sponsorship = $200/month

Sponsorship and a half page ad (4.25” by 5.5“) as well as the web site = $200+$150= $350/month

Half page ad = $300/month

Full page ad= $500/month

Thank you for your support,

Local talented artists and

Stateside Magazine

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Usually, if you want to check out edgy, urban, underground art you have to hop in the car and drive the 100 miles down to LA. All that is about to change, however, when Andi Garcia opens her own gallery in the back half of the French Press on State Street. Andi has been a favorite of mine since the moment I met her and is one of the hardest working art lovers in town. She has put together wonderful shows all over town and showcases exactly the kind of art that I try to highlight on this blog. So this gallery opening is some of the best news that I’ve reported in a long time. Her gallery will be called the Andi Garcia Art Gallery, or Ag2 (that’s “AG Squared”) and you can expect to see the work of young, emerging artists on the walls.

I’ve posted the details Andi sent me below. The space is slated to open tomorrow April 10th with a grand opening to follow in a few months, so if you are in the area make sure to stop in to get a coffee and check out this exciting new space.

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Ag2 Gallery is assuming the show space  as of April 10 , 2010 of which  Arcobaleno  has been occupying  for a couple years. I will be featuring  the hottest in Contemporary , Abstract and Pop Surreal art, along with what I call Urban Fine Art . We will bring  the best from the various American and European  formats to a new art mecca that SB is destined to be .

Also showcased with be  a collection section  of emerging artists  from the 805 of all ages .

A percentage of all art sales from Ag2 will go to a youth art scholarship I started last year for my birthday

There are a few previously scheduled openings  for May and June so I will let those shows play through before I have a grand opening some time  on or before Sept 2nd . However,  I will assume curating full time starting with a show in July.

This has been a collaborative effort 100% .  I could not do this without the love and support of  the artists  and  all of you .
Even the logo was done by an artist I was a fan of and then became very good friends with .
The design itself was a concept of many .Thank you !

For better updates check out :
http://artifaqz.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to spread the word and see each and every 1st Thursday  at Ag2 Gallery @ French Press

Andi Garcia
Curator /Art Representation
Ag2 Gallery @ French Press, Santa Barbara
andig2@gmail.com * 805.637.2521

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Calling all (b)artists!

This Saturday at Muddy Waters the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative will be holding the first of many “belly to belly” events. These events are designed to get people together to make connections and foster future resource sharing and collaborations… they are also supposed to be a blast.

I have been heavily involved with the planning of this event, so I can give my personal assurance that this will be a good time. It may also be an opportunity to get a very unique work of art by an artist whose work you’ve admired for years but couldn’t easily afford.

In the afternoon people are invited to come to Muddy Waters to work on their Bar Napkin masterpieces. Starting at 4pm the napkins will be put on display for a silent auction that will begin at 5:30 and end at 7:30. The proceeds from this auction will go to the SBAC’s direct-to-artist grant program.

There are already more than 100 people who have confirmed their attendance on the event’s Facebook page. I know that there are a wide range of artists (not all of whom are visual artists) that will be contributing napkins to the event, some of whom are very well known in town. However, we encourage everyone to take part.

I also happen to know that some extremely awesome SBAC t-shirts will make their world premiere at the event. These t-shirts will be sold for $20 (also to benefit the SBAC), so make sure to stop by an ATM before you come because Muddy Waters doesn’t take plastic.

We are also looking for any donations of supplies to help out with the event:

We are looking for white bar napkins, golf pencils, and art supplies for Saturday. We’d rather recycle or use what’s out there than buy more.

If you have access to any of these things please contact me at: nathan@sbartsblog.com

Also, if you would like to contribute to the event but can’t make it on Saturday, feel free to work on a napkin in advance and bring it (or have it delivered) to Muddy Waters on Saturday.

Here is a partial list of the artists whose napkins you can expect to see at the silent auction (I’ll update this list as more artists confirm).

Hugh Margerum                      http://www.hughmargerum.com/
Vanae Rivera                           http://www.maryandthemachine.com/
Bob DeBris                               http://www.bobdebris.com/
Jane Callister                           http://www.arts.ucsb.edu/faculty/janec/
Keith Puccinelli                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcHtBffHGqA
Penelope Gottlieb                    http://www.penelopegottlieb.com/
Dane Goodman                       http://www.sbcc.edu/art/website/index.php?page=faculty&contact=25
David Starkey                          http://www.vimeo.com/5294834
Bob Mask                                 http://www.west.net/~bobsart/
Elizabeth Folk                          http://www.elizabethfolk.com/
Jim Connolly                            http://www.jimconnollymusic.com/
Sheryl Schroeder                     http://www.schroederville.com/
Anna Abbey                              http://www.myspace.com/radannabbey
Clay Bodine                              http://fishbonsb.ning.com/
Dominique Reboul                  http://fishbonsb.ning.com/
Ben Anderson                          http://www.benjaminanderson.com/
Sean Anderson                        http://www.seananderson.com/
Jimmy Bell                               http://www.jimmybellart.com/

UPDATE:

Colin Gardner (Chair, UCSB Art Department)   http://www.arts.ucsb.edu/content/colin-gardner
Ann Diener                              http://www.anndienerart.com/
Jeff Shelton                              http://www.jeffsheltonarchitect.com/

UPDATE #2

Molly Hahn                              http://mollycules.com/
Kimberly Hahn                       http://www.kimberlyhahn.com
James Van Arsdale              http://www.jamesvanarsdale.com/
Ken Bortolazzo                      http://www.sullivangoss.com/bortolazzo_ken/
Joe LaCorte                            http://www.josephlacorte.com/
Robert Redfield                    http://www.redfieldpictures.com/

If you are an artist who wants people to know that you’ll be at the event, just post your name in a comment on this post.

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