Not so Showy, Art Show (arts alive)

Well my art show wasn't really a show.  Here's the thing about this. Every first Saturday night of each month the city of Eureka has an event called "Arts Alive" where many of the businesses in the downtown/oldtown area stay open late, showcase artists and musicians for the night. The art usually stays up for the month until the next Arts Alive.  When I moved here and people we met found out I was an artist they all said "you should do Arts Alive!" As if all I had to do was ask.  I approached some of the   main places that looked like would fit my style of art and they all gave me the same line about being booked for a year and that they aren't accepting new artists...bla bla bla.  So I pretty much gave up on those clicky art snob fucks.

A few months later I saw a post on Craigslist looking for artists to show their work for Arts Alive.  So without any knowledge of which place it was, I immediately responded and did not hear back. I'd forgotten and given up on ever being in Arts Alive anytime in the near future.  But then.  A few weeks ago I got a reply.  A woman from the Adorni Center (no clue what that was) said they'd like to offer me a spot on their lobby walls for the September Arts Alive.  I was stoked.  I contacted her and saw the space which was some kind of community recreation center.  Later it was described to me by a local as an "old folks gym" which was basically what it was.  Slow paced Zumba classes and open gym type stuff.  Whatever tho, fucking Arts Alive!  I'm IN!  Suck it art snob fuckers!  I busted ass for a couple days and did like 4 new paintings.

Excitedly I told everyone I knew in the area and got the same basic reaction of "WTF is the Adorni Center?"  This wasn't looking so good.  I really tried to not get my hopes up for the big night but several people said they'd go check it out.

There was one big problem with my stuff being at the Adorni Center for Arts Alive though. It was all the way on the other side of town. A long walk from the main festivities of Arts Alive.  We tried to make the best of it. Met up with some locals we know who happened to live right in the heart of old town. We checked out the festivities and made our way...all the way down to where my art was being shown.

my art on the walls after I hung them. with lights.
(i'd have pics from that night but i left my phone at home. that's a whole other story)

the main wall in the lobby. they called the next day to ask me to bring more art for another wall (pictured above)

The event goes from 6 - 9:00 and we got to the Adorni Center around 8:00.  To my surprise the place was all dark and to anyone passing by, as far as you could tell it was closed. We checked the doors and they were unlocked so we went in.  There was one lone desk attendant looking at me like I was some drunk asshole who got lost and needed to use the bathroom.  I introduced myself and showed my friends my artwork in the dark lobby.  The attendant woman said a few people had been in and liked my art but said hardly anyone comes in for Arts Alive as most people don't know it even participates and that it's so far away from the epicenter of the event no one goes that far.  Great.  But she said they get a lot of people coming throughout the month who will see my work. Yay.

So, I'm in.. sort of. I made some good contacts that night for my art and my band, and met some really cool new people so it wasn't a total waste of time.  Here's my new pieces. I was going for an all Volkswagen Bus themed show but I needed to fill space so I put in a bunch of old stuff.