Art-Full Life

http://www.vimeo.com/14071240
Video by Jordan Bernier. Music by Baltimore bands, Madagascar and Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez.

Artscape’s extention into the Station North Arts & Entertainment District has engaged a variety of talented artists and created incredible experiences for festival visitors in some unexpected places such as the Midway on the Charles Street bridge, above the train station.

On the bridge, everyone giggled when they realized a cheerful orange and white squid “inking” them wasn’t mechanized, but that the “inking” came from a person shooting a water gun. Kelly Schmall and Ryan Murray created this fun and beautiful creature.

A skateboard ramp by Jordan Bernier, Elie Sollins, Steve Santillan, and many, many other talented hands and minds rises into an elegant blue and white wave.

Bloberation, the brain child of Sarah Matson, who designs fabulous costumes for Annex Theatre, invited us to pluck a blob (an imaginary aquatic creature) from its habitat with long metal tweezers.  If you succeed, you won a bean to plant; if you failed, a door chime rang.  I heard chimes, but was kindly awarded a bean anyway.

Sarah with Bloberation

Not far away, the parking garage across the street from the Charles Theater was transformed into a gallery for the second year in a row by artist Marian Glebes.  I stopped by and found shade, good conversation, and lots of art, including early 80s rec room furniture sprouting greenery!

Born to be Wild, an installation by Eric Leshinsky and Jenny Janis, drew passing crowds inside with grass sod surrounding what I recognized immediately as authentic seating from the early 80s. (I soon learned the artists found the furniture free on Craig’s List.) A matching plaid wool sofa, love seat, and rocker were arranged around a bland area rug, and accompanied by a wooden coffee table and a pair of end tables, one bearing the requisite television.  A brass and glass chandelier hung above.

Plants were everywhere—growing out of sofa arms, backs, and pillows, scattered across a coffee table in old take-out containers.  But wait, these were not house plants from a florist, but weeds. They could have come from the alley behind my house or (sorry) my overgrown yard.

Artscape visitors entered and sat comfortably beside tufts of crab grass, as if everyone’s sofa has weeds popping out of its upholstery.  This was so much fun, I am daydreaming about a Decorators’ Show House run by artists. Imagine the startling possibilities! 

Eric passed on the news that a Harvard scientist’s recently released book makes a compelling case for rethinking the place weeds hold in city life. The author sees weeds as opportunistic responses to disturbances in the urban environment and argues that they sometimes provide welcome results.  Now my weeds in Charles Village are blessed.

Next, there were three mobile galleries pulled by bicycles from Dustin Carlson, well known to Gallery Four fans. These amazing displays can show a surprising range of work effectively, on the move in Baltimore, or somewhat subversively, at big art fairs like Miami Basel.

Dustin titled his iteration Public Invasion of the Fine Art Kind, which showcased Gary Kachadourian’s digital prints, Nick Karvounis’ Danish-style chair constructed with two by fours, Alex Ebstein’s drawings, and Seth Adelsberger’s painting. It’s an irony that the Artscape crowds kept these mobile galleries confined to the garage—but look for them soon out and about.