There are loads of great events and exhibits to check out tonight whilst out and about for Santa Barbara’s First Thursday. Here are some recommendations for places you shouldn’t miss.

AG2 GALLERY @ THE FRENCH PRESS
1101 State Street
(805) 963-9800
Etch ‘N Sketch: Art Show and Art Swap. A back to the not so basics of drawing and rendering show featuring Peter Mengert and Roberto Morales, with highlighted local artist Holly McCay. Select art pieces will be on display from local high school students. Bring a black book or sketch pad to swap sketches with your fellow artists. Percentage of sales goes to youth art fund. Music and refreshments will be available.

SANTA BARBARA CONTEMPORARY ARTS FORUM
653 Paseo Nuevo, 2nd Floor
(805) 966-5373
Forum Lounge: Privacy is Dead Because We Said So. Artist James Gilbert will set up a temporary sewing shop and sew several hundred real size pairs of clear, industrial plastic see-through underpants, which will accumulate in huge sculptural piles. This project addresses ideas of privacy, anonymity and identity in relationship to the huge amounts of personal information posted daily on Facebook, youtube, Google and other mass media.

Elizabeth Gordon Gallery
15 West Gutierrez
(805) 963-1157

Viva Design in collaboration with Inga Guzyte present: Love to Read. The exhibit is an installation with the paper-cup characters in the window of the Elizabeth Gordon Art Gallery. We created Alphabet city, a New York (well sort of) right here in Santa Barbara.  The official opening for the exhibit will be Thursday, 9-9, 5-8pm. I hope all locals will sip a wine with us and celebrate the new Viva Design adventure.

UPDATE: This just in from FUZION! This is a big deal folks.

We are hosting a pop up art show by David P. Flores @ Fuzion Gallery 1115 State St.

The reception will be this Thursday the 2nd of September.
The show will hang for one week only so don’t miss this chance to see some of David’s art in person, trust us you will be impressed!!!
http://www.davidfloresart.com/

Reception starts 7PM and can be expected to close around 11PM

This event lies on a First Thursday so SB’s art crowd will be out in plenty!

If you come dressed to impress then the drinks and food are on us!

I’ve been enthralled with this project from the first time I saw  it a month ago. If you haven’t been to see these murals, they are located on the corner of Mason and Helena Streets, just one block off State Street and one block off the beach; across the street from the Fishnet Gallery. I’ve been digging around for info on these great murals that have covered up the barred windows and broken glass that had adorned this building. I have had more requests for information about this project that I’ve previously mentioned on this blog, so there is obviously a lot of interest, and understandably so.

The artists are all local and the murals are meant to be temporary. Eventually they will be auctioned off on Ebay to the highest bidder, with the money being used to sustain the project. There are already a long line of local artists who want to be included, and if you are someone who might want to get in that line, inquire at the Fishnet Gallery for more info. Images of the murals will be compiled into a coffee table book that will record the results.

I have been waiting for a list of all the artists involved in the first round of murals, but it has yet to end up in my inbox, so I headed down to take pictures of the murals to post here. I think I can make out all the signatures, but if you find a mistake or know an artist that I have left out, please let me know and I’ll make corrections or additions.

Make sure to check these out for yourself and stay tuned to this blog for information about the auction of the pieces which will take place in the near-ish future. This is a great project and it needs your support to keep it going. Help support our local artists and art community by bidding on these great creations.

Brennan Grace

Dani Swann

Dart

David Flores

El Chato

Jimmy Bell

U. Leon?

Lewis Turman

Vogel