Two red dots!

For anyone who has followed this blog over the past few weeks, I think I made it pretty clear that I was very excited about the show “Thrice” put on by Larry Mills, Tanner Goldbeck, and Joe Shea at the AFS Gallery.  And the show was no disappointment. What was slightly disappointing was the less than expected turn out for the show. I expected the place to be packed with these artists’ many friends and fans. And while there was a steady crowd there, it was not the standing room only event I had hoped it would be. I talked to Holly Mackay at Art From Scrap yesterday when I went back to the show for a second look, and she explained that Fiesta kept some people away but that many people showed up late so they kept the show going for an extra hour. Apparently I  left just before many arrived. And the people that came brought their check books since there are now quite a few red dots next to works that had sold.

Part of J Shea's "Silent Night"

The work in the show was of the high quality that is usual for each of  the artists, but there were also some nice surprises that re-emphasized the importance of seeing the work in person. For instance, I had previously seen many of Larry Mills’ photographs on his website. However, for the show these photos were mounted on wood panels and cleverly sanded around the edges, rounding the corners of the wood and wearing away the edges of the photos, giving the photos a worn and weathered look that echoes the themes of many of his photos.

There were also many great works there from J. Shea. His iconic wood box framed sculptures continue to surprise me with their wit and depth of character as in the wonderful “King of Kings” , but I was most surprised to find that my favorite of all of his pieces was a painting entitled “Silent Night”. The painting allowed Shea to present his characters in a specific setting, suggesting a plot, and giving an additional narrative complexity.

Another great example of the importance of seeing works in person came in the form of Tanner Goldbeck’s “Citizen No. One – Pale Rider”. This image was another that I was familiar with from the internet, but that representation does no justice to the actual work itself.  There is some kind of magic that comes with brush strokes and oil paints that digital creations cannot reproduce, and this painting is full of it.  The paint amplifies the frenetic action that is typical of Tanner’s work, imbuing it with all-important gravitas.

Tanner in front of "Citizen No. One". Photo by Larry Mills.

There is a lot to enjoy in this show. If you were one of the people who missed the opening, it will be up until September 12th so you have another month to catch it. Head over to Art From Scrap and check it  out for yourself, because you never know when you’ll see a show like this in town again.

I hadn’t really thought seriously about joining Twitter until I passed Art Essentials a while back and saw that they were having a big pre-stretched canvas sale. Now, I’m not an artist, just an art lover. But I immediately saw the benefit of being able to quickly get this information out to people who could take advantage of this sale. And Twitter is perfect for this. So, you can now follow my tweets which will contain useful tidbits of information that I can send out on the fly without having to be in front of my computer.

Click on the “follow my tweets” link above or my little green Twitter icon to the right to check out to my Twitter page.

And stay tuned for my profile of J. Shea9 on Monday, as I wrap up the preview of the upcoming “Thrice” show at AFS Gallery.

Kevin Gleason's "Clockwise"

As mentioned in a previous post, the Art From Scrap Assemblage show is going on at the AFS Gallery at 302 E. Cota Street in Santa Barbara. I just want to remind everyone that the show ends this Saturday with grand finale reception and silent auction from 5 to 8pm. This is one of my favorite local art shows of the year and is usually one of the most well attended. There are pictures of the included works which can be found on the Art From Scrap website here. From the looks of these photos, there is an incredibly large amount of work being shown and many works by people who have been mentioned on this blog. It is an extremely exciting event, so come ready to bid and don’t go home empty handed.

For more information you can find the press release here.

I’ll see you there.

Opening night of the Rumble Art Fair 2009

Below is an article that I’m cross-posting about next years Rumble Art which was sent to me by the good people at Art From Scrap.

The organizers of Rumble Art have opened a call for artists until October.

You can find the submission form here.

“Santa Barbara Arts Scene Struck by ‘Rumble’ Thunder”

By Daniel Gutsche

Some say that in this economy, tourism is one of the most vital weapons against gross financial decay. We then, as residents of the paradisal 805, hold prime spectatorship in the slow, upward swing to recovery. From its historic Spanish landmarks to its exquisite beachside eateries, Santa Barbara is a dreamy destination for all. The sand is always warm, the people are always thriving, and the tourism is always up. Now, with the help of a new art fair in town, SoCal’s sunniest enclave might just shine brighter than ever.

When Rumble Art debuted this January, everyone was surprised. In spite of a few tenacious art spaces, Santa Barbara had yet to see a revolutionary outlet for creative thought. Rumble burst onto the scene with a worldly perspective on painting, sculpture, drawing, film, photography, and mixed media art – doing so, notably, without sacrificing a strong local presence. In addition to selecting from within the community, it showed artists from New York, Los Angeles, Argentina, and Macedonia. “I’m thrilled to have artists from around the globe participate in Rumble. Each one brings a unique story to the table, further engaging us in international discourse about the contemporary world,” says Rumble Art Director Ashley Woods.

After welcoming thousands of visitors during the grand opening, Rumble had established a new forum of expressive dialogue. Woods, alongside her swanky Rumble Art team, had flagged a previously unexplored front of Santa Barbara culture, and with minimal preparation. Crediting much of the fair’s success to artist, philanthropist, and financial backer Morris B. Squire, Woods comments, “Morris helped give rise to Rumble by blindly funding an idea of three young professionals. In five months, he gave us the tools we needed to put it into action, and he continues to mentor the fair with an immense devotion to the contemporary arts.”

With the second annual showcase around the corner, however, there is little time to celebrate the imperial success of Rumble ‘09. February 2010 flaunts a Rumble Art sophomore edition, to be themed “Sex and Politics.” Though the managers are accepting submissions through October, a few worthy virtuosos have already been selected for the upcoming showcase. Of particular interest is Rumble co-founder and world-traveled photographer Clinton Kyle Hollister, who will be returning to the exhibition with a fresh body of local and international artists.

Rumble expects that with this surplus of new faces, visitor turnouts will improve drastically from the previous year. Out-of-towners will already be aplenty – thanks to strategic coincidence with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival – but are expected to multiply with the Rumble craze. “As a sixth-generation native of Santa Barbara, I am excited to open up the community to the international art world” Hollister says in anticipation of Rumble 2010.

Leading into the fair, which is scheduled for February of 2010, Woods and company plan to attract Santa Barbara tourists with several interim projects. As of July 2nd, the Rumble team has begun a series of monthly film screenings, which will take place at hotspot restaurants Alcazar and Milk & Honey. Additionally, they have signed on with Design Within Reach for a Fall “teaser” gallery before the fair. In light of these endeavors, Rumble continues to underscore the Santa Barbara arts community in a novel approach. Under Woods’ guidance, the city has emerged not only as a major contender in the arts arena, but as a venue for tomorrow’s most promising virtuosos.