Jesse's Blog: September Art Walk @ The Magoski Arts Colony

This past Friday was the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk. I took some pictures at The Magoski Arts Colony, which contains Hibbleton Gallery, BOOKMACHINE books + zines, Neighborhood Studio, The Egan Gallery, and more. Here's a glimpse of what went down at this month's art walk:

At Hibbleton Gallery there was "The Hope U $100 Art Sale and Fundraiser," an exhibition featuring an intriguing collection of more than thirty artworks by 19 artists living with intellectual disabilities. The selection spanned a wide range of mediums from drawing, painting, printmaking, scratchboard, and watercolor. Hope University transforms the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities through the arts.

BOOKMACHINE books + zines presented a zine release/art show/screening event entitled "An Introduction to Iranian Cinema." For the last several decades, the world's most innovative, poetic, and intellectually engaging cinema has typically come from Iran. This summer, award-winning filmmaker Steve Elkins and I hosted a two-month Introduction To Iranian Cinema, meeting twice a week to watch and discuss the works of Iranian filmmakers, most of whom are internationally renowned, but not well-known in the United States. To commemorate this series, Steve and I created a zine entitled "An Introduction to Iranian Cinema" which includes information about the major directors, themes, movements, and cultural contexts of the deep well of artistic achievement that is Iranian cinema.

The Egan Gallery presented big doses of “Sex Drugs & Rock “n’ Roll. In partnership with local musician, sound and lighting guru Roy ” El Roy ” Zartman, The Egan showed the best of Roy’s 40+ year massive collection of all things Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll. On display and for sale are cult classic film posters, much of the promo material from San Francisco Psychedelic rock scene, as well as Roy's own personal rock and punk material from the gigs he played and worked.

My friend Valerie Lewis curated a timely exhibit called "Our Lives Matter: Portraits of the Unprotected" about people killed in fatal police encounters, featuring new work by the following amazing artists: John Sollom, EE Jacks, Leanne Sargeant, Paul Sargent, and others...

Neighborhood Studio (formerly PAS Gallery) presented "You Don't Even Wanna Know!" reunion show... A few of the 5th graders from PÄS Gallery's June, 2011 exhibit are still making art and displayed their current works. Three years later, they have just entered high school, and continue to express themselves through art.