An Art Walk of Their Own
It’s on Highland Avenue this Saturday
North Manhattan Beach isn’t exactly a desert, but culturally speaking it’s been pretty sparse. At least that’s the opinion of Jacquelyne May who’s been busy organizing the inaugural Surf Art Walk, which is taking place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Approximately 42 artists will have works in storefronts, inside shops or various businesses, and even on the sidewalk all along Highland Avenue from 33rd St. to Rosecrans.
The idea for such a venture has been brewing in May’s mind for several years. Although she’s been on the Manhattan Beach Cultural Arts Commission for some time, she’s doing this on her own and on her own nickel. We caught up with her over coffee and donuts.
Go North, young man
“Ever since I was a little kid growing up here,” May says, “I noticed that Manhattan Beach didn’t have an active art community. All my friends, and their parents if they were artists, would go to Torrance. Then Redondo started their group, but we still had nothing. So I really wanted to start a group of artists that could work together and create things. When I became a commissioner I found out I could find places for people to do things, and I have all kinds of ideas.”
One of those ideas was for an art walk in Polliwog Park, across from the Manhattan Beach Art Center which Martin Betz has been making more prominent over the last couple of years (the current show, devoted to the work of Shane Guffogg, and curated by Homeira Goldstein, is up through Saturday).
“Wherever it ends up, that’s okay,” May says, regarding the art walk; “I just would love to see more art in town.”
May herself lives near the busy downtown area of the city, a tourist magnet, especially on warm summer days and evenings, but “North Manhattan Beach doesn’t have anything like that to draw people to that area.”
Which is why businesses up and down Highland were generally receptive to her proposal to put art in and around their restaurants and shops.
It’s a good deal for the artists as well. May’s not charging them to be included in the art walk because she understands that artists have enough expenses as is. And, let’s not forget, they’re in this to sell a couple of pieces and to come home with coins jangling in their pockets.
After all, the work is original and maybe there’s a piece you just can’t do without.
“People who are not artists go to a show and they’ll see all kinds of paintings,” May says, “and something will just catch their eye and they’ll love it, for whatever reason. It just makes such a difference in people’s lives.”
Two of the artists that May has singled out and paired to be placed together at Sotheby’s are Ben Zask and Bob Mackie. “My work is based on recycling materials that are no longer needed or useful,” Zask says, referring specifically to a dark vertical construction. “The inspiration for this piece came from my visit to Monument Valley.”
Mackie has a colorful past. Born in Sunderland, England, as a teenager he moved briefly to Jamaica and then settled in Trinidad. He became a master textile engraver. Art-wise, he seems to be a self-taught Renaissance man. In Los Angeles, before retiring, he worked with a tile design and manufacturing studio.
Those are just two of the many notable artists who’ll be displaying their work. “If it goes smoothly,” May says, “we might do it through the summer, too.”
To learn more, email northmbartwalk@gmail.com. ER
