For those of you who love street art, here are three opportunities not to miss (via Arrested Motion).

Os Gemeos
On the 1st of August, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art will continue its innovative and pioneering programing with the opening of Brazilian street muralists Os Gemeos first ever solo museum exhibition in the United States. The identical twins, Otávio and Gustavo Pandolfo, are Brazilian born street-artists, famous for their often surreal murals populated by whimsical characters.

See more of their work here.

Photo // 12oz.Project

Barry McGee
Second, but not in stature, is a solo show of Bay-area legend Barry McGee through BAM/PFA. Fusing together found and invented imagery, Barry McGee draws on a range of influences including the Mexican muralists, tramp art, the graffiti artists of the 70’s and 80’s and the San Francisco Beat poets to create a unique visual language. The show will begin at the end of August (August 24th) through BAM/PFA
For more info on the show go here.

Photo // BAM/PFA

Brian Barneclo
And Third on the solo-show circuit, is another Bay-area personal favorite, Brian Barneclo. We recently featured his new-ish mural in the Mission Bay district of SF. His style for his murals and paintings are very reminiscent of cubism and yet are bold and modern and relevant to today’s culture.

His work, “Tight, but Loose” is on showcase through August 20th at 3318 22nd Street in San Francisco, CA. The show does feature his street art, but rather a new and amazing collection of paintings.

Be sure to take a stroll through Oakland tonight (or better yet, hop on your bike!) and join in the summer Art Murmur festivities. Highlights include new exhibitions at Slate Gallery (Figure Form & Fiction) and Crown Nine (Freya Prowe) and Ethan Worden’s On Looking at Things at Swarm Gallery in Jack London (show runs through July 8th).

Figure Form & Fiction at Slate Gallery, Via Art Murmur

Freya Prowe at Crown Nine, Via Art Murmur

On Looking at Things at Swarm Gallery, Via Swarm Gallery

A very cool pop-up shop has taken shape over in Old Oakland thanks to Brooklyn’s Art House Co-op and local partner, Popuphood.

What was a previously vacant storefront on 9th Street is now temporarily the Pop-Up Library, a local manifestation of the much larger Sketchbook Project making its way across the country. The “library” is filled with artist’s sketchbooks to peruse at your leisure and inspire creativity.

The Pop-Up Library
483 9th St., Oakland, CA

June 6-10, 1-5pm
June 13-14, 1-5pm
June 15, 6-10pm (Closing Party!)
June 16-17 1-5pm

Via Art House Co-op

Via Behance

I made it out of the house this weekend just in time to catch a few of the open art studios around my neighborhood that were a part of East Bay Open Studios. Every year, Pro Arts, a Bay Area advocate for contemporary arts in Oakland, produces the largest art event in the East Bay, showcasing over 400 artist studios. We, as a part of the 50,000 visitors from all over the Bay Area, have a chance to glimpse behind the doors of the creative artists that contribute to making our city more engaging and interesting. Below is just a handful of what I saw. You can see more this coming weekend as East Bay Open Studios continues on June 9th and 10th: 11-6pm. Go to Pro Arts to read more and download a map for the participating artists’ studios. You probably don’t even realize that you can walk out of your door and find an artist studio just around the corner! Go to the event and tell us what some of your favorite studios have been this year. We’d love to get your feedback.

KJ Appleton

Benny Alba
This was cool. Benny had made this huge mural. Once you bought one of the many 11×17 paintings (on the bottom row), you could cut a rectangle out of the mural (wherever you wanted) and take home another piece. Great idea.

Howie Katz

Happy Birthday Golden Gate Bridge! 75 years is a pretty amazing feat. I thought today I’d bring to you a list of a few bridges that are often overlooked, but pretty spectacular in architectural design and concept. (some content for post derived via Senior Trend Writer Elsa Blaine from trendhunter.com)

The Golden Gate Bridge

Photo via Karl Mondon/Staff of the Mercury News

The Infinity Loop Bridge

The Infinity Loop Bridge is possibly the most visually beautiful I have seen. In their first collaboration, 10 DESIGN and Buro Happold’s Infinity Loop has won the international design competition for the key signature gateway bridge for the new Shizimen Business District in Zhuhai, China.The winning bridge scheme proposes an undulating ribbon of structure that wraps around the 6 lane road deck in a continuous sculptural loop form.

Henderson Waves

‘Henderson Waves’ is Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge. The undulating structure creates sheltered seating areas and walkways for everyone crossing from Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. (by RSP & http://www.ijpcorporation.com/)

Footbridge

The privately owned footbridge in Lake Austin was built by Miro Rivera Architects. The bridge connects their client’s main house to the guest house. Although the delicate looking bridge appears to be made of wood, it is actually made from welded steel and local stone.
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Via Million Fishes

Million Fishes Art Collective, a community arts organization in SF that houses everything from artist in residency programs to a gallery and dance studio, just had an interactive event/party that should appeal to everyone’s inner child…a room filled with colorful balloons reminiscent of a ball pit at an amusement park (but with less germs). Each balloon was apparently filled with an LED making them respond with light to movement. I’ve searched for photos of the actual event but have so far found none so stay tuned for another post that follows up!

I did find this incredible and very similar balloon installation at the Nasher Sculpture Center by Martin Creed (2011). Filled with so many balloons, visitors could actually fully immerse themselves. Jump in!

Via Style Swoon

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Two Sunday’s ago marked the first annual fundraiser, Flourish, for the Oakland art non-profit, Art Murmur. LS had the chance to help plan and style the event, and let me tell you, it’s not one to miss the next time it comes around. What a great way to support the local arts. The highlight for me was the live artist drawings, art drawn at the event and sold right before your eyes. Danielle Fox, Executive Director of OAM & Director of Slate Contemporary, Dalya Sachs, Event Chair of Flourish, and 36 other volunteers, worked around the clock to make sure that MUA (Art Venue/Restaurant/Bar), in downtown Oakland, was set up beautifully for the event. The event goal was to raise awareness and funds for an organization that encourages art to Flourish in Oakland. They were able to raise–through ticket sales, live auctions, raffle prizes and donations and sponsorships a nice amount of money to continue the growth of Oakland Art Murmur.

I had the chance for a one on one with Danielle after the event. Read below to hear what she has to say.

After all of that hard work, how do you feel Flourish went?
Flourish was by all accounts a smashing success. It was, of course, the first time we had ever done anything like this, and I can think of a hundred ways to do it better next time. But everyone who came had a wonderful time and we raised not only money to help run the organization, but awareness about the organization and the arts programming we offer in Oakland.

Photo on bottom left // Danielle Fox with Hung Liu painting behind her
Photo on bottom right // Dalya Sachs

How do you plan to use the donations that you raised? What’s in store for Oakland Art Murmur?
We are planning to use the funds raised to help us get the word out about Oakland’s galleries so we can get more people to visit and enjoy them and all the wonderful art we have on offer. We would like to distribute our gallery guides via media partners and direct mail, advertise our events, revamp our web site, and make a video about Murmur.

How can people continue to help Art Murmur?
People can still make donations via our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas -the link is on the web site. But what we need most is for people to spread the word and get their friends to come down and visit the galleries, especially on Saturday afternoons, and of course First Fridays, the event for which we are best known.

Go see what Art Murmur is about for yourself.
Murmurama
Next one: Saturday, May 19th
Saturday Stroll
Next one: Saturday, May 12th
First Friday’s
Next one: June 1, 6-9pm

Photo on bottom right (l to r) // Roderick Kiracofe (OAM Board Member), Hung Liu (Artist whose “Winter Blossom” was the star live auction piece at Flourish), Mayor Jean Quan, Danielle Fox (Executive Director of OAM & Director, Slate Contemporary), Dalya Sachs (Event Chair, Flourish), Marshall Lamm (OAM Board Member)

Some of these photos generously donated by // Clayton Mitchell
look for him on facebook too.

Artists who participated in the event included:
SILENT AUCTION
Hung Liu
Magnolia Editions

ARTISTS-IN-ACTION
Alison Tharp
Alison OK Frost
Crystal Morey
Dave Higgins
Obi Kaufmann
Nathaniel Parsons
Marcos LaFarga
David Siler
Jon Carling
Michael McConnell

Oakland is never too small to house another gallery. It’s time to expand the artsy side of our brain and support each and every one. Faultline Artspace is a brand new 6000 sq ft art space on the edge of the Fruitvale Station neighborhood in Oakland, California. They have a drawing room, a gallery space, artist spaces, and a wood shop, not too mention they plan on hosting a range of social events. Beginning with the Grand Opening is this weekend, Saturday May 12th from 6-10pm. Music, Art and Beer (from Beer Revolution).

Faultline Artists
Thomas Christopher Haag
Ryan McJunkin
Clare Szydlowski
Ernest Doty
David Polka
Madeline Tonzi
Felicia Gabaldon

Oakland Art Murmur’s first fundraising event, FLOURISH is just days away now. By attending and spreading the word, you help to raise funds for this valuable organization whose mission is right in line with ours…to see Oakland and its incredible art scene thrive.

Details can be found below and tickets can be purchased here.

Thank you for supporting!

Garet Luquet is an abstract mixed media artist, whose upcoming show at the Hive Gallery in Oakland, is sure to attract a large crowd. His paintings are multi-dimensional and intriguing, and in my opinion are worth a look. Trained as a realist painter at Pepperdine University, he gravitated more toward the free-expression of abstract art. He works with a variety of materials including acrylic paint, plaster, resin, fabric, string, wood, beeswax, paper, and most recently marbles. I recently had a chance to talk to Gared and get his take on abstract art. Read on for the interview.

REMIX
Hive Gallery
May 4th, 6-9pm

How did you decide to become an artist?
The first time I remember realizing that I was pretty good at art was in third grade, when we each chose a Georgia O’Keeffe flower painting to paint. As the years went on, I realized that I could draw and paint what I saw in a picture almost exactly. I continued the photo realistic style throughout high school and into college. Joe Paisentin, my professor at Pepperdine University encouraged me to explore the abstract and break away from my super uptight ways of reproducing. It took me two years of wish-washy abstraction to fully break free and embrace the abstract way. I have never looked back since, completely loving my freedom that abstract painting allows. I was the Outstanding Studio Art Graduate in my class, and had no other thought but to continue painting. I moved back to the Bay Area and got a studio at the Hive Artists Studios in Oakland, where I have been for the past three years. Each May I’ve been having a show, REMIX being my third one. I hope to continue being successful as an artist, because I can’t imaging not creating and exploring for the rest of my life.

Courage to Flow, Blowtorched beeswax, acrylic, paper, & plexiglass on masonite

What’s the most challenging part of your process?
The most challenging part of my process is not to force or over think my work. My best paintings are created when I begin working with a particular idea in mind, but then let each phase inspire the next. Working in this process has helped me to create one of a kind pieces that I am even surprised and excited to see.

Target Practice, Oil, acrylic, sand, newspaper, cement, & plaster on masonite

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