Dream Horses

Galloping Horses in the Sky bring us into the World of B.B. Bastidas. His inner world of imagination is filled with skies of all seeing eyes, pyramidal triangles, and figures that move with swirling dots of color. His murals vibrate with effervescence, emotion and saturated color. Unique, his voice is imprinted on walls the world over. We are indeed fortunate to have introduced into our City of Oceanside one of his Murals on the wall of a building, 206 Wisconsin Ave.

A World Traveler and Muralist, his murals are instantly recognizable as B B Bastidas for the style is his own and the Vision of his work resonates with the Young and Old. His Murals on walls in Europe give B.B a world view that most us will never attain. His art travels are at his own discretion and he is unencumbered by the need for the “stuff” of my generation.  My fascination with his work is one of a commonality for the love of the Horse. 

Detail of Mural on Wisconsin

Perhaps my favorite image of his work is a water color painting of an Indian Chief. This painting shows how effortlessly the flow of paint makes an image which breathes it’s own life’s message, one of the past infused with the present.

It was indeed my pleasure to meet one of Oceanside’s emerging Artists whose work will continue to be created before our very eyes here and abroad. Thank you B. B for sharing your world with me yesterday.

More of his work can be seen on his Facebook Page

   

Artist Josh Marlar

The Force of Digital

May it be with You!

It is scary, this new force in the world of Art. I have seen this perplexing reaction from my art friends who are traditional artists in the world of media which we consider the classic form of Art.  Who would want to do anything else in creating art for the new age of collectors? Remember when Andy Warhol did multiple prints in different colors of the same subject? The dots of Roy Lichtenstein, the introduction of the acrylic paints taking the place of Oils?

When the Oceanside Museum of Art presented the Art of Neville Page one of the patrons of the Museum had trouble considering this exhibition true Art. Never the less, this exhibition set record attendance for the Museum. Does this validate the new digital other worldly as Art? Apparently to the younger generation this is so.

History is replete with changes in the world of the Arts. It has to reflect the time in which it is made either to glorify an idea, or to shine the sun on the times it portrays. We live in the age of “screen”. It has come to many of us uninvited, and in our faces forcing our minds into images never seen in real life, and is made up from the imagination of artists much younger than I.

I have embraced the digital in my later years as a way to cope with the unsteady hands. It really does help, and keeps my art self out there in the ether with the new generation and we share the wonders of the “what ifs” in a way which wan never before possible.

This all brings me to the newest exhibition of Josh Marlar at the Hill Street Country Club Gallery in Artists Alley. Josh an adventurer in the world imagination, brings his creations to the Oceanside venue of Artists Alley.

It is wondrous for me to see the young energy which is transforming our Beautiful City by the Sea, Oceanside. So Welcome Josh, and may your exhibition bring you a much deserved success in the education of our Community to the Digital World of Art.

The Hill Street Country Club Gallery,
the Art of Josh Marlar

I5 Traveling North with Oceanside Blvd the next Off Ramp

A NEW FACE FOR AN OCEANSIDE FREEWAY WELCOME

As your drive along our City’s freeway entrances, we have Grey Grey Grey Walls. Some are cracked some are defaced with discrete graffiti, and the sense of our City’s image is grey.

In Solana Beach there has been a miraculous change in the Freeway interchange. The mosaic murals are beautiful and give a sense of the City’s image which is one of art and culture.

This was accomplished by the widening of the I5 Freeway project completely funded by Caltrans. The url included here will give the history and the funding of this project.

http://www.sbscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/newsscript/newsscript_mainwide.pl/?record=19

view the slide show to note the progress of the installation.

Can We have this kind of new freeway vision here in Oceanside? I believe we can. It will be up to our Community to voice their input for this new image of our Beautiful “Oceanside Country” and “Our Surf Country” to excite the populations driving down the I5 of who and what we are. Not Grey, But Bold and Beautiful Blue Ocean Beaches, a Fun Harbor, and a Downtown which is evolving into the possibilities of our full potential of a Resort destination.     

The Renaissance and the Round Table…

Is there or was there ever such a thing as the “Round Table” of yesteryear lore?

I believe there was if only in our imagination of the human need for Community and togetherness for the good to reign.

So the noble ideals of the Arthurian court have journeyed down through the ages with images of artists, authors, and film. We love the mystic  of the good over evil story, and reinvent it over and over.

In an metaphorical way, we have that very story happening here in Oceanside California. The Good being people coming together to make a better future for our Community, and not so good being the image of what used to be, the utter denigration of a beautiful City from gangs, drugs, prostitution, and just turning a blind eye.

The Oceanside Museum of Art has changed the face of our City, and the force for this historical change is OMA’s Director Daniel Foster who has given a new format of the Arthurian Court possibilities to our Communities of Oceanside.

So began the Consortium of Cultural exchange of our Community leaders. Stepping up to have a concerted effort to enhance and grow our City’s economic future. The force to drive this change, being the enchantment, the enrichment, and the sharing of the Arts Community.

Story tellers, artists of the paints, film makers all will be participating in the "First Friday" Art Walk beginning in August of this year. The Consortium will meet this Friday, and if you wish to be a part of this Court of the Good, come to the Museum and listen, participate, and be engaged in the Arts as never before. Here in Oceanside, we are the Knights of the Consortium for the Good!    

Community Mural Contest
The Oceanside Public Library invites photographers of all ages to participate in the Growing the Oceanside Community photography contest. Inspired by the recent remodel and of the Mission Branch Library, community members are invited to show their interpretation of Growing a Community.

The Mission Branch Library décor is not yet complete, the final piece will be a mural created by, and for, the Oceanside community. The photo contest will determine the image for a new mural in the children's area. The final product will be a large mixed-media mosaic image, generated from the selected winning photograph, divided into small squares - equal parts original photograph, drawing and painting.

The contest is free to enter and open to all ages, and you do not need to be a resident of Oceanside to participate. The winning photo should be a striking image that illustrates the theme of Growing a Community, get creative! Photograph a tree, people holding hands, a block party - anything that you think demonstrates the theme, literally or figuratively. The final product will be a permanent display at the Mission Branch Library. Submissions must be received by July 1st, 2014 in order to be considered.

This free contest is sponsored by the Friends of the Oceanside Public Library. For more information, please visit the library's website at www.oceansidepubliclibrary.org, call (760) 435-5625 or visit the Library's Facebook page.

IF YOU WERE TO RE- DESIGN THE OCEANSIDE AMPHITHEATER 

Imagine how you would integrate the existing footprint of the Amphitheater using  the new technologies and materials to make our unique stage for performing arts a WOW! for the coming generations. We are unique on the Coast for no other City on the Coast has a setting such as this! We have the Greatest Visual Theater setting in California if not the Nation.

Our incredible beaches, the Pier, and weather make Oceanside the place for Entertainment on the Beach a year round opportunity. If you have ideas, sketch them out and send your images to kruger1988@yahoo.com

They will be posted along the side bar, and the whole world will see the talented artists and designers at their Imaginative best…

We do have viewers from Europe, China, Africa, Asia, South America and every State in America and beyond… 

In an Instant: Oceanside Via Instagram
Oceanside is an ever-changing diverse community with so many wonderful, fleeting moments and we want to freeze time to 2014 at the Oceanside Public Library! Capture some decisive moments, shoot some pictures and post them on Instagram for a chance to be in a juried art show at the Oceanside Public Library.

All you have to do is tag your authentic photos on Instagram @OCEANSIDELIBRARY to submit. Photo submissions can also be emailed to oside.instagram@gmail.com. However, please note all photos will be cropped into the iconic Instagram square. Submissions must be received by June 1st, 2014 in order to be considered.

Twenty images will be selected by an artist panel consisting of representatives from Main Street Oceanside, Hill Street Country Club, Glassless Minds, The North County LGBTQ Resource Center, Oceanside Museum of Art, and the Oceanside Public Library. The top images will be printed and put on display at the Oceanside Public Library from July 1 - August 1, 2014.

The grand prize winner will have their original O'side Limited Edition Tee. Their winning image will be printed on an American Apparel t-shirt and sold at the Friends of the Oceanside Library Store, Hill Street Country Club Gallery, and OMA museum store. For more information, please call (760) 435-5625 or visit www.oceansidepubliclibrary.org.


Thank you.

City of Oceanside
Customer Care

TONIGHT IS OUR NIGHT…LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD!

Artists of Oceanside and Beyond.

Tonight starts the planning process for our City of Oceanside’s budget for the 2014 – 16 time line. There will be opportunity for your voice to be heard for our desire for the City to support the Arts Commission with an operating budget for Public Art and Civic Art staff if only part time.

Last night at OMA our dynamic and creative Director, Daniel Foster, filled the Gallery on the main floor with an audience from far and wide to listen to a panel of Art Professionals speak to the issue of Cities, Arts Collaboration, Marketing, and the Visions of working together for the Region of North County to become a destination for not only artists to work and exhibit, but for tourism and job creation in the private sector.

This Audience came from all sectors of San Diego County. I am not surprised by this enchantment by those who came, for Oceanside is on the fast track for becoming the Regional Tourist destination of North County. No where else in North County are the Hotels of International draw power are being built with the opportunity to bring the “Art Travelers”  to the San Diego region. The new and burgeoning "City of the Bold and Beautiful" is our Destiny. The opportunity to be a player in the Art World of Venues, Festivals, and Performing Arts is ours to mold. 

Come and let your Voices be Heard! 

Considering the Arts…

Our City Council is in the Planning Process for the Budget 2014 – 16.

Jonathon Fohrman, Dean of Arts at Mira Costa College, and Vice Chairman for the Arts Commission will be giving the Statement of Importance for funding the Arts to the council at this very important meeting for the coming year.

Please contact your art colleagues, and if they have time, to come to the Council Chambers for a show of solidarity. This is important for artists of all levels of accomplishments. Students who are studying the new media where there are many jobs, mid career artists who are the driving force of creativity, and the Established Senior Artists who are our guiding lights of the possible. 

We need the support of all of the Artists in Artists Alliance. If you can’t come, please send an email to Bradley Penner at

BPenner@ci.oceanside.ca.us

Our sphere of influence reaches far beyond our City Limits. The exhibitions in the Southfair in Del Mar, and Encinitas are great examples of such an influence. One of the far reaching efforts of our Arts Commission will be the bringing together the various Arts Commissions of the North County to participate in a Retreat to realize forward thinking in bringing together the talents of our many Communities for Common economic benefits and Cultural Understanding in the various art histories of each. 

Partnering with the various stakeholders both in the Arts and Economic weight such as The Oceanside Museum of Art, Main Street Oceanside,

The Chamber of Commerce, Visit Oceanside, the various Art Commissions of North County will make our Region into a Destination of International Importance for the 21^st Century and beyond…  

 

The Council Meeting of April 2^nd at 5:00 PM is of prime significance in our quest for funding and re-establishing our Arts Commission as an economic force for our City to become Where the “Bold Meets Beautiful!”

Joanne Tawfilis

Joanne Tawfilis International Super Star 


The Arts Commission of Oceanside CA is so very fortunate to have on the panel folks who are professionals in the field of Art. I will be introducing my fellow members one by one for our Communities to become acquainted with them and to learn why we are so very lucky to have such dedicated and talented people serving our"City of the Arts". 

Joanne Tawfilis is an International Super Star in the innovative and fulfilling programs for Children the World over. Her love of "Seeing with Her Own Eyes" should be a model for all.  

The beautiful mural above is the dedication mural of The Women's Mural Mile. It was painted by Austrian artist Silvia Pecha in honor of Joanne's mentor, artist Laurel Burch, "a courageous and lifelong woman humanist, whose artwork has served as an inspiration and healing vehicle to women worldwide."

This mural was painted by St. Mary's School in Nairobi, Kenya as part of the Multicultural Diversity Mile. Art Miles Project Mural

Joanne Tawfilis is a retired UN Executive (Director of Human Resource Management Services, United Nations Environment Program; and Director, Management Services, International Atomic Energy Agency) and former Director of the Women of Srebrenica Project in the former Yugoslavia under the Clinton Administration. She is an award-winning careerist; winner of the Bob Marley Peace Award; recipient of the Peacemaker of the Year Award/My Hero Project, United Nations Association UNA USA (regional and local chapter); honored by the International Committee of Artists for Peace, the Youth For Human Rights International Peace Hero Award and a commendation from the California State Superintendent of Schools, to name but a few of her honors. Joanne was recently featured as a keynote speaker at the United Nations Youth Forum and 2nd World Conference on Arts Education held in Seoul, South Korea. In Seoul, she convinced the Incheon International Airport to display an exhibition of Art Miles Murals for the more than 18 million visitors, who will be able to view a sampling of more than 12 miles of hand-painted murals on canvas. In December 2010, Joanne was one of 4 women selected by AOL/AT&T to attend the lst TED Women's Conference in Washington, DC. Work of Art Miles and the Tawfilis' is also featured in the recently published important book, "Sea Voices" authored by Elizabeth and Duffy Healey.

As Co-founder/Executive Director, with her husband Fouad, of The Art Miles Mural Project and Art Miles Shoes of Hope, together have accomplished the incredible feat of mobilizing more than ½ million people from more than 125 countries to paint more than 4,000 murals, which were highlighted in a recent exhibition at the famous "Culture Wheel" in Cairo, Egypt, with live webcasting to over 200 million people throughout the world in collaboration with the Unity Foundation and Peace Day TV. Over the past five years, Joanne has also assisted in the facilitation, painting and delivery of more than 68,000 pairs of hand-painted shoes to disarmed child soldiers, children in need, and victims of human and natural disasters across the globe. Joanne was recently appointed as a Commissioner by the US State Department to the US National Commissioner for UNESCO.

Joanne and her husband are passionate advocates for youth, and together they have dedicated their lives to unifying people through the language of the arts in a meaningful, fulfilling, and fun way. Their work teaches and promotes collaboration, understanding, and respect on a global scale with the hope of generating sustainable educational programs and actions that prevent violence and promote peace.

Joanne earned a Master's Degree in Fine Arts (MFA) from L'Acadiana Art School and several other certifications in Management and Crisis Counseling Intervention.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

There are some Wonderful Videos of the Murals which have been completed. The artworks will amaze You!

Kenneth Capps

A Good Week at OMA

“Where Bold Meets Beauty”

Our Oceanside Museum of Art is the wellspring of cultural consciousness for we who live here and for visitors from far and wide. This wondrous place which was first designed by the famed architect Irving Gill has been enlarged and enhanced for a greater Community inclusion both in Oceanside and in the greater sphere of influence of OMA. We have our dynamic Director Daniel Foster to thank for this new cultural force and the programming of these energizing and engaging Events. 

As part of a capacity audience, this past Wednesday, listening to an informative lecture given by Ann Hoehn about two Women Artists Georgia O’Keeffe, and Camille Claudel, I marveled at the incredible distance we, as a Community, have traveled in the past 20 years. From a City with pizza parlors, barbershops, and girlie shows to a thriving and shinning place of new Hotels, Restaurants of great food and our beautiful Art Museum which continues to inspire the rest of our City to innovative and economically productive paths of growth. This vibe of the new echoes the energy of the young of our City.

Yesterday at the Consortium meeting, new pathways incorporating the arts into economic partnerships are becoming defined and are inspiring folks eager to be involved in a leadership role in the creation of the Art Walk in our Downtown area and beyond. When the Community becomes a force with passion is when startling and creative events happen. Such will be our Art Walk First Friday projected for August 2014.

It was pure serendipity that when I went downstairs that I happened to tag along with Julia Fister our Director of Education. She was introducing her docents to Kenneth Capps who was giving the docents an inside tour of his sculpture installation and his history in the arts. 

He is a tall man of quiet beauty in stature and in manner. His explanations were imparted to the docents with the sincerity of an artist who is in touch with his own history of truth. His sculpture is sublime in the purity of line and negative space. A simple curve becomes a crescent of longing for another way of seeing. The mass of pure steel is a form of thought brought into being in a solid and truthful way. Thus his history becomes a visual and visceral form of contemplation.

I had a chance to chat with Kenneth for sometime afterward. We did share our common delights in the wonders of the architecture of Irving Gill. His gave me his impressions of how Oceanside has changed in such a short time. We discussed and how this incredible evolution is thrusting our City on the North Coast into becoming a Cultural attraction for visitors from all over the world, and our many diverse communities here in San Diego County.  Kenneth did give me a word for half of our new identity. He said,

The Original Oceanside City Hall
designed by Irving Gill

“I have always considered Oceanside to be a Bold City, one with great potential for change in a new direction”.

I enthusiastically agree. Oceanside is:  “Where Bold Meets Beauty”.  

The Expansion of OMA with elements of Gill.

  

Art and Morality

The true creative spirit is an elusive and exclusive force which drives the Artist to produce a product. This may be literature, music, visual art, or performance. The creator does not produce his art form for the desire of monetary reward. The driving force of this passion comes from the highest of all motives, to express his/her visions of inner expression of truth to share with humanity.

To give without guile is something which the Arts are, in their truest form, an element which raises the viewer’s awareness to a place of new ways to view our world and have a fresh understanding if only for a moment in time. The monuments to house these are forms have throughout history been some of Mankind’s greatest achievements. The Pyramids, the Parthenon, the Louvre Museum, St. Peters to name just a few. Some of these edifies were built with slave labor some were not.

While Art Museums have long been a driving force in my life’s desire to visit and be inspired by, the actual building of these Cathedrals of Art have not been a concern of mine, but now it seems that the competition to build the biggest, the most expensive, and the most “beautiful” has come to be the antithesis of what Art is all about.

This morning in the Union Tribune the article Art and Labor Intersect, raised my awareness of the practices of the building of some of these new and magnificent structures for the Arts.

 http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/12/doris-bittar-labor-migrant-gulf/

For me, this dichotomy of the higher ideals of Art and truth clash vehemently with the idea of the laborers of this new Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi being exploited in the worst way by the elitist oligarchs building yet another crown jewel to display art made by artists who are not driven by the motive of conspicuous consumption. As Art makers, we should be a voice to say no to the conditions of the workers who are treated much as slaves to house the very art of our soul’s passion to not be displayed in such a place as this. We are the keepers of our own truth, and if that truth is compromised by where it is installed, and where it is used as a prize, then we have lost our moral rights as art makers to claim our own personal truths in our own Art.

Oceanside and the New Media

Considering Digital Art…is it real Art?

“I would like to see the hand of the Artist” one of the Alliance members so stated when viewing a Digital Painting I had brought to the quarterly meeting of the group’s critique.

The General consensus was that the originality, content, and value of the art work itself I had brought to be shared was not considered, but the discussion was what was it? Could computer art be thought of as “real” art. This was rather disconcerting to me as I have a history of many different media in my production of work which includes Bronze Sculpture, Oils on canvas, water color, and Graphite. Having my work in collections by private collectors nationally and internationally, this seemed to me to be rather lacking in the awareness of what is actually going on not only at our Oceanside Museum of Art, but in Galleries and Museums all over the world.

The making of a digital painting in my work usually consists of a pencil drawing scanned into the computer then enhanced with a Wacom pad and Stylus. I use the stylus the same way as I use a pen or paint brush with the flexibility of being able to instantly correct my work as I progress through the evolution of an idea. My images may incorporate photos which I have taken and stored in a digital file.

We were fortunate to have James Enos at the Museum for the past months for his works are unique and complex in their structure. In his statement he mentioned that he used digital and laser technology to fabricate his housing sculptures. This technology has been in use for about 20 years, and it was demonstrated to me at my foundry in LA when they were involved in making a model for an Arabian Prince who was building a new palace.  These new technologies, * the Inkjet printer, the laser printer and the 3D printers are slowly becoming the lexicon of our 21^st Century Art World.

I would like to share with you my process and the many wondrous advantages of the Digital World which gives me in my advancing years of existence a way of creating work without the physical angst. Aging is not fun, but with the new media I can be creative and productive. Everyday is exciting as I contemplate the possibilities of the “what ifs”.

The image in the lower left hand corner has one of my photos from Moonstone Beach near Eureka CA. In my work, the photos are always my own and I use them extensively taking elements from them for new work. 

“The imperfections of hand built art may not be seen in the making of a Digital Creative Work, but the heart and soul of the Artist shines through clear and true”.  R. Jameson

         The Many Manifestations of the "Eve Tree"

From a Pencil Drawing...

scroll down and view the various models built by this process...

Exhibition Space

As Artists we need space to exhibit our work. Tempting offers come everyday through our email connections to the Art World promising you the best deal for your work. Most of these are never opened and I would take them with the same questioning of purpose as I do with those wondrous offers coming from South Africa.

Back in the Day when I was exhibiting with Galleries, I had an experience which I will share with you.

The Gallery an Internationally known name in the Art World had two of my bronze sculptures on Commission. The Contract which I had with them had the provision that I would be reimbursed the full retail price of the sculptures if they were damaged or stolen.

My work was on display during the Christmas Season, and I felt that the timing was right for my commitment to this Gallery.

The Day after Christmas I received a phone call from the Director of the Gallery and was told that my sculptures had been stolen. They were both Artist Proofs and were very valuable for that reason. To make a long story short, it took my attorney several hours of time, but ultimately when he sent a letter of pending legal action they paid off. Contracts Matter.       

Exhibiting your work is putting a light on your talent, your original visions and most of all your integrity as an Artist. The many hours spent, the framing, the travel are all expenses which when added up there is no way you that can combine these factors into a realistic pricing for the Gallery you wish to commit your works to. The best we can hope for is for a price structure that will be fair to the potential client, the gallery, and you as an Artist.

Putting aside your time, talent, and the originality of your work, perhaps the cost of producing your work is a better way to go when you are in the starting phases of your career. Even in the mid range sometimes negotiations are necessary to bring the sale to a close. Selling your work is an emotional experience. Especially if the work is a unique piece and there are no expectations of producing an edition.

When choosing a Gallery some things to consider should be:

1. Does your work have a complimentary fit with what other art works being exhibited?
2. How many works can you have exhibited?
3. What kind of frames is expected on the Art Works?
4. Is there a good potential of foot traffic in the area?
5. Does the Gallery have a time frame of how long you can exhibit?
6. How many other Artists does the Gallery have on the exhibition roster?
7. What is the percentage that the Gallery will collect on the sale of your Work?
8. Does the Gallery have insurance to cover your work in its entirety? (retail price)
9. How many days does the Gallery take to payout your Commission?
10. You should sign a contract, with the owner of the Gallery to protect your art.  Handshakes do no Work.
11. Do you have an understanding in your contract that you retain all of your Artists Rights under the VARA act? http://www.artuntitled.com/pgextra/al_vara.html

12. What is the History of the Exhibition Space? How long has it been there?
13. Does the Owner of the Exhibition Space want money to show your work?
1. This usually does not work out for the Artist very well, but is great for the Owner of the Gallery Space.
14. What kind of promotion does the Gallery offer? Are there openings on a regular basis? Do they have a legitimate web site? Do they protect your images on the Site with a water mark? Are the jpg images small enough that they cannot be reproduced and downloaded by the entire world? 

We Do need Spaces to show our Work, we do need the sharing experience of having our works “out there”, and we do need to make at least our expenses. Remember that your work is your truest self, and that self is not for the giving away. We should always be aware that our visions are unique and that the worth is not in the monetary reward and fame, but in the true quest of a having the home of your work a place where it will be protected, revered, and loved.    

                                                            click on image for larger view

A FINE ARTS EVENT!

Last Night, in Artists Alley the vibe was sweet, the food great, and the Art Works were all prevailing. It was a Night of Celebration for all who have spent their time, sweat equity, and monetary equity to bring back to our Community one of the most fun venues in Oceanside for the Arts.  

The Inside Alley was brightly lit with not only with lights of celebration, the brightness emanated from the Crowds of People from our Business Community and the up and coming young artists of our North Coast.

Working Artists with paint brushes created art on the spot. Imagine this happening in our Downtown. Well get used to it. This kind of event will happen in our near future once a month in the North Coast District of Theater and Arts.  

Looking forward to these Visual Artist based Art Walks we hope the lights which lit up just one venue last night planted the seeds of Possibilities for our regional artists, the economic benefits for our Restaurants and shops, and most of all shine the “good life” on our City’s residents and Visitors.

"MindWalk"

The Oceanside Pier wrapped in the Imagination of a Sculptor 

AT LAST 

ARTISTS ALLEY IS ALIVE! 

The Incredible Excitement of a new Gallery opening in Artists Alley has been long awaited. This venue marks a new beginning of the Arts being shown in Downtown Oceanside. Welcome! The Torch is passed form the old guard to the new and innovative Hill Street Country Club Gallery.  

Michael Rosenblatt wins a "Live Painting" competition this last week at the Belly Up Tavern. He did represent Artist Alley in this competition. Congratulations .. Michael...onward and thrive! 

This Beautiful Mural is located on the South side of the Arkley Center. It is also a Venue for many
Arts Alive! Events. The scaffolding for his endeavors is seen above on the red truck.

Art Walk Eureka

From 2004 until 2009 I lived in Eureka CA. Here in this small town on the North Coast of California, there are more artists per capita than any where in the State of California.

During this time, I was the owner of a small Fine Art Gallery “Kronos” and was a participant in this incredible happening of “Arts Alive” every month. The town has had hard luck since the closing of the Paper Mill which was the main source of employment and the logging industry that was the source of its wealth.

The Arts have somewhat filled the void of “belonging” in this small City on the Humboldt Bay. The Murals are without peer, and the artist of many of them, Duane Flatmo is world renown. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zli8PGuxpL4

I was living in Eureka when the mural for the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts was created. It was amazing, I stood in awe of this man so small in relation to the mural he was painting, and wondered if it could be completed in reality to the small scale of  his drawing. So it was, more so than we could have ever imagined. In a word, Perfect, for the Venue.    

Here in Oceanside as we contemplate our own Arts Walk, the ideas, the energy, and the talent will have to combine to make our Monthly Event unique and memorable. There is much to be done in the search for our own place in the Art Walk World, as it will be a challenge to engage our many venues to become the place where Artists want to be seen.

I know from personal experience what a successful Arts Alive can be to the Merchants, shopkeepers, and the building of an Art Voice for a Town. It has taken many years for Eureka’s Arts Alive! to become an incredible draw from all over the County, and it will take patience for our own efforts to succeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq75f1sVRME  (“soul of Eureka”.)

It will happen! Look what has been accomplished in the past 10 years, and this is only a prelude to what will become a full blown Concert! When we returned to my City by the Sea, after 10 years, the transformation had begun. Ginny Tompkins and I used to dream of a downtown where there were fine Hotels, great Restaurants, and an Art Museum which would be the catalyst for a Renaissance of Oceanside. It has more than begun, it is transforming before our very eyes…