“Off the Streets,” a new exhibit presented by PV Arts at their Sudden Street gallery, will open to the public Aug. 6 and run through Sept. 21.
In her first venture in curating a show, PV Arts office coordinator Bianca Jimenez said arranging the show was “full of challenges and last minute changes” right up to the last hour of hanging the exhibit.
“This was a lot of fun to do,” she said. “You would see people of all ages coming together to complete this work. It was an event where everyone was able to contribute to the piece and really have fun with it.”
The show features 22 artists in a wide range of mediums, including spray paint, acrylics, ceramics, collage and “everyday objects to unconventional mediums.” The exhibition celebrates the streets of Santa Cruz County while also exploring the differences between the work created by North County and South County artists.
“This was a lot for me to take on—something I’ve never done before,” she said.
With a Bachelor’s degree in history of art and visual culture with a concentration in curation and museum studies, Jimenez said she was pleased to be able to put her education in motion.
“Working here for the past four years, I’ve seen the process of shows going up. The real challenge was looking for artists and getting to wrap my brain around how I wanted this to look. There’s seven of these huge panels that take up about 50 percent of the show, and I didn’t know what this was going to look like until two weeks ago.”
She compared curating the show to building a large puzzle with many moveable parts.
Artist Tay Lion said he was pleased to be a part of a show that was exploring new ground.
“I was aiming to do something that I haven’t done before,” he said. “I saw this Aztec statue in Mexico City—a god of mushrooms in the underworld, and how it can tie into the ag lands and this culture in Watsonville.”
As part of that project, Lion said he blended graffiti style with some florals, a funky rose and some tags.
“I’m so pleased that Bianca has spearheaded something that no one has done in a long time,” he said. “To bring a bunch of young, up-and-coming artists together with a group of well known muralists and local artists for the exhibit.”
Events tied into the show include:
• A Community Celebration. Food trucks, music, and art activities for all ages for a launch of Off the Streets. Sunday Aug. 10, 1-3pm
• Artist Talk. Artists Nessa Ledesma, Taylor Reinhold (Tay Lion), and Melissa Marzan (The Letter Mermaid) will share an in-depth look into their artistic journeys, exploring the techniques and materials they use, as well as the ideas, stories, and influences that inspire their work. Aug. 31, 1-3pm
• Skateboard Design Workshop. Led by artist Nessa Ledesma, this hands-on workshop invites participants to design their own skateboards using stencils, permanent markers, and paint.
Registration is required with a sliding scale fee. Registration opens soon. Sept. 13, noon–2:30pm
The show runs from Aug. 6—Sept. 21 at 37 Sudden St. in Watsonville.
