Written by: Molly Maroney
SprATX was proud to co-sponsor and attend Pow! Wow! Antelope Valley, (Festival Dates: August 6 -14, 2016) seeing first hand various artists from around the world adorning public spaces with contemporary murals. Lancaster Museum & Public Art Foundation (MOAH) director, Andi Campognone, welcomed everyone with open arms, hosting gatherings and a block party for everyone to get to know each other.
Taking place in conjunction with Pow! Wow! was The New Vanguard, an exhibit at the MOAH curated by Andrew Hosner of Los Angeles’ Thinkspace Gallery. Featuring works by more than 55 artists from the New Contemporary Movement, the exhibition brought together some of the most relevant artists currently practicing all over the world and showed the importance of this movement’s context not only within popular culture but the institutional framework of museum spaces.
Featured artists included: Amandalynn, Andrew Schoultz, Bumblebeelovesyou, David Flores, Julius Eastman, Kris Holladay, Mando Marie, Mark Dean Veca, MEGGS, Lady Echo, and Michael Jones.
Our other wonderful co-sponsors included The BLVD Association, MOAH, InSite, The Lemon Leaf Cafe, Montana Cans, Kester | Derryberry LLP, Signs + Designs, FlexFit, Precision Labs, Kinetic Brewing Company, Allied Physical Medicine, and Thinkspace Gallery.
Mark Dean Veca gets started on the final phase of his mural. Stay tuned for SprATX’s release of signed copies of his new book “Mark Dean Veca: 20 Years,” which reveals the evolution of work by the respected multimedia artist—including vibrant paintings and drawings, all-immersive psychedelic exhibition spaces and limited edition pieces.
Yoskay Yamamoto adds in the last few ripples to the sunset reflected water in his mural, a rendition of his 2015 “Stay Gold” painting.
A finished photo of Yoskay Yamamoto’s mural.
Bumblebeelovesyou works on his piece for The New Vanguard exhibit. His work will be on display alonside MEGGS in the front windows of the MOAH through October 30,2016.
A finished photo of Bumblebeelovesyou’s mural at Pow! Wow! Antelope Valley. Bumblebeelovesyou works to bring attention to and awareness to the problems of juvenile homelessness.
David “MEGGS” Hooke donated this canvas piece to the MOAH for display during The New Vanguard exhibit curated by Thinkspace Gallery. This piece is alongside Bumblebeelovesyou in the front windows of the MOAH.
A photo of the completed mural by MEGGS with help from his wonderful lady, Miya, on the back of the Kinetic Brewing Company.
Andrew Schoultz working on his distinctive line work for this 3-eyed mural on the side of The Lemon Leaf Cafe.
David Flores high up on a boom lift putting down the base layers of his mural on the side of the MOAH just off the main boulevard.
Miami artist Alex Yanes’ piece on display at the MOAH as part of The New Vanguard exhibit. Drawing influence from his Cuban roots and Miami culture, Yanes creates his own form of reality in three-dimensional installation pieces that seek to reveal elements of his own history and the impact of fast-paced city life.
An excerpt of Mando Marie‘s (Amsterdam) mural going up in Lancaster. She teamed up with her young son and daughter, working tirelessly through the sun.
Local Lancaster artist and NASA employee, Michael Jones, paints his mural as a tribute to American heroes and the rich military history of his town.
SprATX co-founder Molly Maroney snaps some pics of the advancing progress on Michael Jones’ mural.
A quick progress shot of Amandalynn‘s beautiful mural showcasing the power of feminine energy.
A quick impromptu piece that MOUF, with a little help from his SISTA, painted before leaving town on the last day of Pow! Wow! Antelope Valley.
Following the festival, SprATX road-tripped to Vegas for a night to catch the AGENDA apparel trade show, and you know we couldn’t help but walk around in awe of the incredible Life is Beautiful Festival murals that adorned the worn walls of old downtown Las Vegas.
This 100-foot-long mural by Las Vegas-based artists Sush Machida and Tim Bavington can be seen across from the historic El Cortez Hotel off Freemont Street. Las Vegas Weekly reported that though they had been friends for 15 years, this was their first collaboration. Its aesthetic was designed to incorporate Machida’s colorful pop-and nature-inspired paintings with Bavington’s intense, music-inspired rhythmic works.
Near the El Cortez Hotel, D*Face, of England, put up one of his iconic post-pop murals during the 2013 Life is Beautiful Festival in downtown Las Vegas.
Do a 180 degree turn from D*Face and you will find this incredible mural by our good friend Ana Marietta (Houston/Puerto Rico), painted during the 2015 Life is Beautiful Festival.
With a nod to the Historic Freemont District of Las Vegas, Portuguese artist VHILS chiseled one of his infamous relief murals into the side of this abandoned motel during the 2013 Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas.
This mural by Lakwena, painted during the 2014 Life is Beautiful Festival, added incredible color to this alley in downtown Las Vegas.
Just next to Lakwena’s mural was this incredible mural by Alexis Diaz (Puerto Rico) from the 2013 Life is Beautiful Festival titled “Sin Titulo.” This black & white, cross-hatched hybrid creature was beautifully juxtaposed against the warm monochromatic graphic desert background.
In 2015, Italian artist Pixel Pancho added one of his well-known murals using robotic imagery to the streets of downtown Las Vegas, via JustKids.
San Franciscan creative Zio Ziegler painted this mural during the 2014 Life is Beautiful Festival, which went on to win “Best Mural” by Las Vegas Weekly’s “Best of 2014” issue.
A year later, fellow San Franciscan artist Chor Boogie added one of his well known bird characters to what, at that time, had become known as the “Art Motel.”
Across the alley, we found two Jaber stickers lurking at the bottom of a electric pole. A bit of Austin found in Las Vegas. These stickers led us to peer through a chain link fence—the heart of the “Art Motel.” Gutted and transformed into a canvas in 2013 for artists, the space is now covered top to bottom in artwork, not a square inch left untouched.
The eccentric Borondo (Spain) requires viewers to occupy a specific vantage point to take in this anamorphic piece titled “Corner,” painted during Life is Beautiful Festival 2014, located just a few blocks down from Las Vegas Boulevard on Ogden Street.
