First off let me say the soupy weather Friday night reminded me of New Orleans and so when I saw the performer in gold with her face painted gold, enacting the part of a statue right there on 2nd St. I didn’t bat an eye. I knew just what to do. Take a picture and put a little money in the performer’s box. (see my New Orleans post for more)
When I put a dollar in her box, Gold One broke her pose long enough to do an exaggerated bow which turned a few heads on the busy street. (top image is performer)
Space 1026er Mark Price, who we told you about in our last First Friday posts, was there on 2nd st. again with new work and a few familiar prints. All wonderful. Stella, my constant companion now that school is out, couldn’t live without one.
Price was there with his sister Hilary who was showing some nice home-stitched shoulder bags and wallets.
Artist Dan Clites (pronounced Cl-EYE-tes) was walking around looking to trade his art for other artist’s work. When we happened upon him he and Price were down on their hands and knees transacting business.
Clites’ art is lovely abstract drip and swirl paintings on scrap metal. (image left) He told us he works in an auto body shop and that the paint and metal were leftovers from the job site. The ingenuity of his art-making and art-trading — and his guilelessness in just making something that recycled materials and made him happy — was humbling.
Finally, we were tickled to see the green grass outside Carbon 14 on 3rd St. Libby and I remember Carbon 14 from a number of years ago as an art and coffee spot run by a couple of art school grads. A note on the window said Carbon 14 is coming back as an art venue in the fall.
That wraps up my report of the extra-gallery scene. Libby may have more to come. I’ll get to some inside art in another post.
