This Friday, during the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk, be sure to stop by Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir, one of the coolest coffee shops in Fullerton that is also now its newest art gallery. My friend Baxter has transformed this 1940s-themed coffee shop into a premier art venue. The debut show features four of the best visual artists in Orange County, literally. The four artists featured in the show have won the OC Weekly “Best Visual Artist” award. The artists are:
Russ Pope (2010 Best Visual Artist winner) started Creature Skateboards and Scarecrow Scateboards, and his art is influenced by skate culture, punk rock, and a bit of politics. My gallery, Hibbleton, has shown Pope’s work, and it is fantastic.
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| "All Bottled Up" by Russ Pope |
John Sollom (2012 Best Visual Artist winner) also grew up in the SoCal skate scene, and his art is influenced by these roots. Since his days as a skater roaming the streets of La Mirada, Sollom has blossomed into a full-blown assemblage artist and one of the most prolific painters I know. His work “Stations of the Cross” for the Kelly Thomas exhibit are some of the best works I’ve seen.
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| From "Stations of the Cross" by John Sollom |
Kebe Fox (2013 Best Visual Artist winner). I first met Kebe at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) in Santa Ana, where he works and curates. Fox works in mixed media, with hard, textured lines that explore figures, pop culture, and other cool things.
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| "Lost Arc" by Kebe Fox |
Valerie Lewis (2014 Best Visual Artist winner) has her studio right above my little book + zine store, so I get to see (and hear) this artist at work quite often. Valerie’s work explores both personal and social themes. Recently, she started a project called “Portraits of the Unprotected” in which artists create works of people killed by police in America. Valerie is legit.
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| From "Portraits of the Unprotected" by Valerie Lewis |
All this is going down this Friday, February 6th from 6-10pm, during the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk. Max Bloom’s is located at 220 N. Malden Ave. in Fullerton, CA. Check out the Facebook event HERE. See you there!
