ArtStreet

Artstreet took place from February 3 to February 25 at 300 1st Ave in Sacramento. I visited on February 4 at 11am. It was hosted by M5 Arts, the same creators of Art Hotel which took place last year. Artstreet was a space created for local artists that stepped away from normal gallery conventions. Breaking the barrier between art and the human experience, Artstreet was deep in the interactive qualities of art. Each piece expressed an all encompassing experience.

Part of the courtyard

When entering the courtyard of Artstreet large installation pieces stretch up to the sky. My favorite pieces were the giant wind chimes that rang out a pleasant sound when the I would swing the heavy pendulum. The vibrations of the pipes could clearly be seen without needing to look closely.

Being the first several people without an appointment, my friend and I made sure to sign up right away, securing the first time slot. I felt that with how interactive each piece was, that 45 minute time slot was not enough. However, they did give the option to sign up again for a second round.

We filed in with our group of thirty people into the warehouse. It was a little overwhelming at first, there was a lot to take in. Like I said, a lot of the pieces were interactive and had instructions to follow. One thing I really appreciated was the signage on every corner, embodying the street vibe.

Beautiful signage

My favorite piece was titled Safe Space by Rita Szuszkiewicz, Tony Showalter, David Wiley, and Gerald H. Thomas. The speckled blue green light was comforting, the space felt almost completely separate from the rest of the hustle and bustle of the excited guests wandering the "streets." The cubicle had four booth seats in each corner that were cushioned and had headphones. The serene chimes and soothing sounds that came to my ears gave me an otherworldly experience. A zen garden was placed in the center for meditation. Small chimes and a stone were hung directly above the garden, enhancing the symmetry of the space itself by being a central point in the overall design. I don't feel that the mural with flowers and birds was necessary for the participant to feel at ease but it was a very dreamlike image with the flat forms of animals and flowers.

What was even more interesting (and somewhat very irritating to me as an artist) was that there was a fashion blogger doing a photo session at Artstreet. Don't get me wrong I have a deep love and appreciation for fashion blogs but what had happened was she sat in the booth across from me, her cameraman carried a bright white light stick, disrupting the mood of the exhibit. She sat down, put the headphones on, posed for a few shots, and then quickly got up and left. Maybe it was because that was one of my favorite exhibits but it was upsetting that she didn't even take the time to listen, it was just used as a prop for her blog. This was someone's art that they took time thinking about and building upon for who knows how long, and those two didn't care enough to take the time to experience it. I don't mind the photo taking, just appreciate it if you are going to use it.

Safe Space

Enough with my rant, Artstreet overall had a mix of political and social statements with artwork commenting on the Women's March, homelessness, and the sexual harassment and raping of women. It covered a wide variety of ways to utilize space, creating environments that are fun or meditative like Safe Space. I have heard many people say Art Hotel was a better experience but I had a great time running around Artstreet. Hopefully it will come back again next year.

Selfie because my friend left me