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In the Media

 

KING-5 TV

"7-year old mastermind curates Seattle art exhibit"

by Teresa Yuan

May 4, 2011

SEATTLE -- A new art exhibit in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood is getting a lot of buzz. It's not only getting attention for the art and artists, but for the person who hand-picked the collection: a 7-year-old boy named Zinn Bellevie, an art lover and collector.

"Everytime I tell people I'm in this show, it's curated by a 7-year-old dude, they're like, 'what?,'" said the artist Solace. "As far I know he's the youngest kid to curate a show in Seattle."

"That's where you get the best stuff from the unpredictable," said urban contemporary artist, John Osgood. Osgood met Zinn when he was just 5 years-old.

The unpredictable paints a portrait of artist Osgood. He spent years working for a grocery chain, before taking the leap and pursuing his passion. Four years later, a good friend of Osgood's has chosen his bold and vibrant artwork for this latest exhibit. It's drawing art enthusiasts old and young, a gathering of left-brainers like 7-year-old Zinn.

See the video here...

 

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North Seattle Herald

"7-year old brings 'Monsters & Aliens' to Greenwood"

by Melanie Coleman

April 6, 2011

Bherd Studio owner/artist John Osgood and Zinn Bellevie, 7,

fool around amidst the ‘Monster & Aliens’ exhibit Bellevie

curated. photo/Melanie Coleman

 

While some children are content to learn how to ride a bicycle by age 7, Zinn Bellevie is a bit more ambitious, taking on the role of Seattle’s youngest curator.

With the help of artist and good friend John Osgood, the Redmond native has been able to take his love of art to the next level, evident at this month’s “Monsters & Aliens” exhibition at Bherd Studios in Greenwood, where Osgood is a co-owner with his wife.

“He had the theme, and he picked out the artists, and we told the artists this is what we’re going to do, and this is what Zinn wants,” Osgood said.

Finding acceptance

Osgood, who said one of his goals at Bherd Studios is to make art accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds, first befriended the young art buff after Zinn approached him at an event in Pioneer Square two years ago.

“They just hit it off,” Chris Bellevie said of his son and Osgood. “At that point in time, he recognized John’s art, and it was his favorite artist before he had met him, so he was very eager to talk to him.”

Zinn — who, his father said, first became interested in contemporary art through toys — soon found his niche at Seattle art walks, where he felt accepted by the community, which boosted his self-confidence.

Engaging the adult artists he admires has also been crucial in furthering his social skills, as Zinn has grappled with Asperger’s syndrome, making it difficult for him to mingle with peers.

Yet, his parents believe the receptiveness Zinn experienced from the artists has been instrumental in breaking down these barriers.

“There was a time when he was very socially challenged at school and with people his own age. He was overly enthusiastic to come to the art walks and see people like John because he could access him so easily,” Bellevie explained. “He’s grown a lot from that point.”

 

Read more here...
 

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Seattle Times

"Splash of Color Brings Life to Grim Spot"

A group of neighborhood leaders, city officials, homeless people and business owners gathered Saturday to celebrate

the completion of a mural they say symbolizes that Aurora Avenue North in Seattle is growing and changing.

by Sharon Pian Chan, Seattle Times Staff Reporter

October 16, 2010

 

 

It's a small blink of color in a long stretch of grayscape on Aurora Avenue North, but a new mural on a convenience-store wall is already making a difference.

The 10-by-50-foot mural shows a sun with green rays rising over one of the more notorious roadways in Seattle, with a purple haze of the fading dawn above and hope, in the form of sunflowers, sprouting from below.

In the mural, a bus, helmeted scooter rider and pedestrians all safely share the street. The real-life street has a high rate of collisions between speeding cars and jaywalking pedestrians.

"It's such a difficult time. People are losing their homes and their jobs. Looking at the mural is just bringing smiles to their faces," said Chaesun Osaka, owner of North Park Grocery at North 102nd Street, where the mural, a community project, was painted.

A group of neighborhood leaders, city officials, homeless people and business owners gathered Saturday to celebrate the completion of the mural two weeks ago. Osaka said, "It symbolizes Aurora is growing and changing."

Artists Zach Bohnenkamp, John Osgood and Kevin Sullivan from Bherd Studios and Matamuros were commissioned to paint the mural.

Several groups donated volunteer hours to the project, including Epic Life Church, Sustainable Green Lake and Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors. The Seattle Department of Transportation and Washington Traffic Safety Commission also got involved.

Read More Here...

 

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Seattle Times

"Aurora Avenue Draws Attention to Art"

by Gabriel Campanario the Seattle Sketcher

March 19, 2010

 

Sketch by Gabriel Campanario

 

This empty storefront at 7615 Aurora Avenue N. will burst with new color this spring.

A mural by local artists John Osgood, Zach Bohnenkamp and Kevin "Sensei23" Sullivan will hang in the six large windows, featuring the theme of waking up to a new Aurora -- which means dawn in Spanish.

"It's better than looking at empty space," said property owner Andy Wang, who hopes the art will prevent graffiti and break-ins and attract new tenants

Cindy Potter, of Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors -- one of the groups responsible for the project, said Columbia City did something similar in the 1990s and the locations were rented within a year.

Muralist Osgood said 90 cans of spray paint were used to cover the six 8-by-4-foot wooden panels, which will be unveiled Tuesday.

Judging from my sneak peak, the piece looks as promising as the community effort.

More information at www.gainseattle.com

 

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Art Nouveau eZine

Art Is Everywhere

Feb 10, 2010

 

 

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The Seattle Times

John Osgood, one of three artists who created a mural to put over the safety wall where the Greenwood arsons happened along Northwest 85th Street, stirs up some paint while doing finishing-up work Friday morning.

 

Photograph by Ken Lambert | The Seattle Times

"Artists create street mural in Greenwood in aftermath of arsons"

Local artists create street mural to brighten the streetscape of Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood, hit by a string of arson fires this fall.

Seattle Times staff reporter

 

Trying to heal Greenwood in the aftermath of an arson spree was not on Scott Nolte's to-do list. As producing artistic director of the Taproot Theatre Company, he had enough to worry about.

The theater was damaged in the Oct. 23 blaze that gutted four adjacent businesses on Northwest 85th Street.

But as the arson continued to plague his North Seattle neighborhood, it became Nolte's No. 1 priority.

Through creation of an edgy, urban-meets-contemporary- art mural, the Greenwood native wanted to put a little hope into those rattled by the fires. Friends, neighbors and nearby business owners should be made to feel safe once more, Nolte said.

And perhaps most important, he said, he wanted to see people on his street smile again.

Nolte and members of Seattle Mural Art and Bherd Studio set out to create a large street mural splashed with reds, oranges and blues. At its center? A phoenix.

On Friday, John Osgood, one of three artists leading the mural project, applied a few quick bursts of color from a green can of spray paint, as he touched up a section screaming the word "Greenwood."

The gold and red phoenix in the center steals the show, as it rises from fierce orange and red flames. The symbolism is clear: Just as the bird refuses to succumb to the fire licking at its feathers, so do the people of Greenwood refuse to be torn down.

The mural not only tells the story of the arsons, which includes a firefighter rescuing cats from Cat City, an animal shelter, it also will remind the passer-by of neighborhood icons, such as the Greenwood Car Show and Greenwood-Phinney art walk. The swirls of scenery and narratives represent "everything uniquely Greenwood," Osgood said.

The 89-foot-by-8-foot mural will soon be installed on a temporary wall near the intersection of Northwest 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North, where the Eleanor Roosevelt Building stood until the Oct. 23 blaze. The building, which Taproot Theatre rented to four businesses, including Green Bean Coffee House, Szechuan Bistro, C.C. Teriyaki and Pho Tic Tac, was destroyed.

"You don't really know loss until you're standing in front of your building, watching it burn down," Nolte said, remembering firefighters' bravery and perseverance to save the theater.

Nolte said the gaping hole in the heart of Greenwood's business district where the historic building had been since the 1910s was a grim reminder of the devastation — nearly $3 million in losses — and the sudden vulnerability inflicted on the neighborhood by arson suspect Kevin Swalwell.

Swalwell was charged with 11 counts of arson and one count of burglary after his arrest on Nov. 13 near a smoldering furniture store in Shoreline. The homeless man pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts on Dec. 1 in King County Superior Court.

"There's so much that Greenwood has been through," said Daytona Strong, Taproot communications manager. "This is our new phase we're forced to embrace, but it's empowering to move toward something good."

Instead of getting angry their neighborhood was targeted by an arsonist, residents and business owners, want to be creative, said Osgood.

"It stinks that the arsons happened," Osgood said matter-of-factly. "But this isn't going to slow us down. We're turning it into an opportunity to showcase the artistry of Greenwood."

What could have been a temporary, graffiti-prone plywood wall covering a demolition site — another ugly eyesore — turned into an emotionally charged memorial, the brainstorm of Osgood and Nolte, and fellow artist Marty Gordon.

Once the plan took shape, Seattle Mural Arts members Zach Bohnenkamp and Kevin "Sensei23" Sullivan grabbed their paint cans and brushes. Nolte said he gave the three men complete artistic freedom.

Osgood said the mural should be completed before Christmas and hopes to have it installed before New Year's. It will remain at the site of the demolished building for as long as it takes Taproot to decide what to do with the empty lot they originally purchased for expansion.

The main goal of creating something of beauty for Greenwood, however, has already been accomplished.

"We had 10 Greenwood businesses attacked, but we're not down for the count," Nolte said. "We're back. We're stronger and we're supporting one another."

 

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North Seattle Herald Outlook

"Artists add 'spice' to Aurora with mural"
November 18, 2009

by Jessica Van Gilder, Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

 

■ John Osgood (from left), Zachary Bohnenkamp and Kevin Sullivan teamed up for a first-time collaboration to paint this mural for Pro Ski Services, 8954 Aurora Ave. N. photo courtesy of Bherd Studios

 

Though it was their first artistic collaboration, once the tops of the spray cans were popped off, the visions of Bherd Studios Gallery artist John Osgood and Matamuros mural artists Kevin Sullivan and Zachary Bohnenkamp just clicked.

In under 15 hours, the three artists spray-painted a 20-by-40-foot mural for Seattle Pro Ski Service, 8954 Aurora Ave. N. - an urban mural complete with an abominable snowman, snowy mountains and the Seattle skyline.

"Actually, one of the best working experiences I had with somebody was this job," said Osgood of the collaboration. "We all have similar interests and style - where the light's coming from, color, compositions, lines. Everything sort of flowed together."
 

ADDING OWN 'SPICES'

After seeing Sullivan and Bohnenkamp's work at an art show at the Naked City Brewery & Taphouse in Greenwood, Osgood said he knew he wanted to collaborate with the Matamuros artists. Sullivan, who sketched out the mural, said the key to murals that size boils down to can control and making sure proportions come out correctly.

But apart from establishing can-control technique the most fun aspect of mural painting, according to Bohnenkamp, is the freehand work. Though the artists painted with the guidance of Sullivan's sketch, the mural was not gridded or projected onto the wall. "Everyone added their own spice to the mural," Sullivan said.

The open nature of mural art keeps the pieces from being static or restricted by definitive guidelines.

"[With our murals] we all communicate as we're doing it," Bohnenkamp said, "and we come up with different ideas than we had in the start. Sometimes we don't have a plan, and sometimes we do.... But it really happens when you're at the wall and lots of new ideas come in."

A COMMUNITY VIBE

Since murals by nature are on display to the public, Sullivan said he tried to tie the community into the painting. Apart from cityscape with the Space Needle drifting into the mountains, Aurora Grocery at North 90th Street and Aurora was also incorporated into the piece.

While an abominable snowman on a business' wall might seem unique enough, Sullivan said the wealth of neighborhood interaction and community vibe with the project made this mural distinctive. "They were definitely into it," Sullivan said. "We got a lot of community feedback and a lot of good feedback."

As for public art, Bohnenkamp hopes that's the direction mural art will continue to go. "There are plenty of places up in that neighborhood that could use some public art," he said. "In general, that's really the way I see the future of what I'm doing headed. I'm down to help local businesses, and I'd really like to see more people allowing art in public. It's good to put something up there that everyone can benefit from and enjoy."

THE NEXT MURAL PROJECT

With a successful collaboration, the artists said they look forward to working together for future projects. For Sullivan, "working with two buddies" couldn't get better.

"We really just started working together, but I like the way [Sullivan] inks and draws stuff," Osgood added. "I'm like a little kid. The sky's the limit."

The trio will have the opportunity to collaborate again in the upcoming weeks to design and paint a 140-foot wall that will be up during the reconstruction of the four businesses burned in the recent fire at North 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North. Taproot Theatre Company contacted Osgood about the wall, but the details of what the piece will look like haven't been discussed yet.

Sullivan and Bohnenkamp are showing their work at Bherd Studios Gallery, 8537 Greenwood Ave. N., Suite 1, as part of the "Urban Presence" exhibit through Dec. 23.
 

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thrillist.com

November 13, 2009

 

Back at the frat house, impressing the ladies with your decor meant eschewing a large pyramid of Busch cans in favor of an infinitely classier Busch Ice-amid, but as an adult you might need to step up your game even more. For someone uniquely qualified to help, turn to John Osgood.

These days, Osgood creates affordable and accessible Alfred E. Neuman-meets-Picasso portraiture in vibrant, often contrasting, color palettes, but back at Wazzu he “majored in Fraternity”, with an unusual minor in women's studies -- so you know he got laid. Though he claims to never know where he's heading, much of the work plays off masculine themes hilariously undermined by pathos, like a series depicting guys in socially awkward situations: a “Third Wheel” sullenly watching a happy couple; some hopeless dude about to break the “3 Day Rule”; a street corner heavenly kissing booth featuring a guy way too eager to be "First in Line to Kiss an Angel" -- probably assuming it'll lead to him being touched by an angel. Another mini-series depicts the Raging Bull poster flanking both a tablecloth-waving Italian waiter, and a man neurotically checking his watch; meanwhile, “Trying Not To Stare” showcases a nebbish in huge glasses struggling not to acknowledge two tasty lesbians, and the same two ladies float above an early-80s clunker in “Chicks Love The Datsun”, clearly about to get it Niss-on.

Tonight at 6pm, two Osgood-related group shows kick off: one at Halogen gallery that features his work (w/ an emphasis on gift-friendly pricing), and one at his own Bherd gallery featuring other "urban artists" -- hit one or both, or, if your opinion of galleries hasn't changed since college, just say "Can't make it, totally Busched".

 

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Tacoma Weekly

September 24, 2009

 

        

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Seattle Magazine

July 2009

 

 

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008 - Page updated at 07:03 AM

Courtesy: Greenwood/Phinney First Monthly Art Walk.

Artist John Osgood of Bherd Studios puts the finishing touches on one of the Snowmen on Parade, being auctioned Dec. 12 to benefit Seattle Boys & Girls Club.

A&E Dispatch | New Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk starts Friday

Seattle Times staff reporter

Snowmen will be on parade this Friday — and these guys need no snow.

The Snowmen on Parade will kick off the Greenwood-Phinney neighborhood's new monthly Art Walk. The first installment is called "Art Up/Open Up," 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, and combines an art walk with holiday shopping.

And those snowmen? As part of a fundraiser for the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club, area artists worked with boys and girls from the club to paint the snowmen. They'll be on display Friday during Art Up/Open Up, and be auctioned off at the end of the evening. All proceeds go to families who cannot afford the club's annual fee. Bidding ends at 9 p.m. that day.

The new Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk will take place the second Friday of each month, with art, music and performances. Restaurants, bars and shops in the area will also offer discounts and promotions. At Friday's kickoff, the snowmen will be on display at businesses along Phinney Avenue and Greenwood Avenue North, between 70th and 87th streets (business associated with Art Up/Open Up are as far south as 60th), from 6 to 9 p.m.

For more information, plus an artwalk map, go to — http://artupgreenwood-phinney.blogspot.com.

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com

 

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Greenwood-Phinney takes a walk on artsy side

By Vera M. Chan-Pool
Editor
 

Local artist John Osgood created this snowman-in-progress for the event. He also designed the snowmen themselves, for which Dunn Lumber donated the wood and He Saw Her Paint’s Roger Brockway cut out. photo/Michele Persinger
LOCAL ART WALKS
FREMONT FIRST FRIDAYS
First Friday, 6-9 p.m.
www.fremontfirstfriday.com

GREENWOOD-PHINNEY ART UP/OPEN UP
Second Friday, 6-9 p.m.
www.greenwood-phinney.com/artwalk/art-up-greenwood-phinney

ROOSEVELT NEIGHBORHOOD ART WALK
Second Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
rooseveltneighborhoodseattle.org/bullmoose.aspx

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT ART WALK
Third Friday, 5-9 p.m.
www.udistrictchamber.org/ArtWalk

WALLINGFORD ART WALK
First Wednesday, 6-9 p.m. (May-October)
www.wallingfordartwalk.com

Greenwood-Phinney will join the ranks of several other North Seattle neighborhoods when it starts its own art walk on Dec. 12. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, at least 19 businesses, galleries and studios will open their doors from 6 to 9 p.m. for Art Up/Open Up.

While not all will display artwork, some will open the extra hours for customers to shop and enjoy.

"Some businesses don't lend themselves to displaying art," conceded Bherd Studio's Michele Persinger, a Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce volunteer. "But we'd like to see them stay open and offer some kind of special...and participate in any way they can."

Persinger helped to organize the new monthly event, recruiting many of the participants from the Phinney Neighborhood Association's annual juried art walk.

Some retailers and galleries aren't expected to participate every month, but on a bimonthly or quarterly basis, depending on its own established art rotation, she said.

This first art walk is also a benefit for the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club, located in the neighborhood. Local artists and Boys & Girls Club members will decorate 15 wooden snowmen for the Snowmen on Parade fund-raiser.

Each snowman will be displayed along Greenwood Avenue North the night of the art walk,

with sales proceeds from the snowmen going toward the purchase of Boys & Girls Club

memberships for youths unable to afford the annual fee.

"Between the galleries, studios, coffee shops and stores, [the art walk] is a natural fit for our neighborhood," Persinger said.

For more information, visit www.greenwood-phinney.com/artwalk/art-up-greenwood-phinney.


 


Content © 2008 Pacific Publishing Company
Software © 1998-2008 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved
 

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Seattle Real Estate News

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/realestatenews/archives/153703.asp
Mural fun
 
Mural
Courtesy Pb Elemental

Seattle's Pb Elemental Architecture commissioned artist John Osgood to paint a 30 foot by 14 foot mural on the side of its new live/work and loft residences in the Central District.

"We've fallen in love with John's work over the past few years. We had this blank canvas and felt he was the perfect artist for the project," Chris Pardo, Pb's co-founder and principal, said in a news release. "It would be pretty easy to give directions if you were hosting a party here."

"The mural is about communication," Osgood said. "If it makes a single person stop, form an opinion, or discuss it with someone else, it will have achieved its purpose."

Designed by Pb Elemental and built by LEAD development, the three lofts start in the mid $500,000s for a 1,500-square-foot unit. Contact Modern Dwelling Real Estate for details.

 

Posted by Aubrey Cohen at November 6, 2008 7:13 p.m.

 

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“Spray It, Don’t Say It”

Published on August 13, 2008 in the Seattle Weekly

Kick-ass graffiti artist Greg Boudreau uses stencils and spray paint to create voluptuous Brigitte Bardot–esque female landscapes that run up to 40 by 40 feet. Imagine Boudreau approaching a kid tagging a stop sign to offer some pointers. And maybe a larger canvas. That’s essentially the approach Bherd Studios and the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce are taking with their recently launched “Art Up” project, which aims to halt neighborhood graffiti by matching artists and teens to work on murals. It’ll be a couple of months before we can see the results. In the meantime, check out “Spray It, Don’t Say It” (through Sept. 5), which features French graffiti artist Jef Aerosol, a fixture in almost every major city in Europe. Also included are urban art pieces by locals Boudreau, John Osgood, and Asher. If Greenwood starts rocking a cityscape influenced by them, I demand Art Up’s next project be the store right outside my apartment window. That brick wall has got to go. Bherd Studios, 315 N.W. 85th St., Suite B, 234-8348, www.bherdstudios.com. Free. Noon–6 p.m. ERIKA HOBART
Wed., Aug. 13, noon, 2008

 

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Georgetown's Artopia Festival 2008

The Seattle PI and Seattle Weekly caught John Osgood, owner of Bherd Studios, in action at Georgetown's Artopia event on June 28, 2008. John had an interactive booth where he custom painted Converse canvas shoes. Then later on, throws up some spray on the graffiti trailer.

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"Bomb" the Galleries - A Guide to Urban Art Galleries on the West Coast
from
WorldWeb.com Travel Guide

http://www.sanfrancisco.worldweb.com/FeaturesReviews/LocalAttractions//8-146928.html

graffiti

Anonymous Graffiti 1

 

 

Street Art by Banksy

 

Street Art by Iconic Urban Artist, Banksy 2

With new galleries opening with the explicit purpose of displaying it, contemporary urban art is a visceral and exhilarating movement that can no longer be ignored. Vilified by some, and championed by others, the evolution of the art-form has a storied past. In its infantile stage the art was a method for neighborhood gangs to mark their territories. "Tagging", was soon taken up by street-artists and art-school students who enjoyed the notoriety and competition of seeing who could leave their mark in as many locations as possible. As the popularity of tagging grew, artists who wanted to stand out were forced to think big; both literally and figuratively. This led to a flurry of sophisticated pieces that covered everything from alleyways in Philadelphia, to subway cars in New York City.

By the 1980s, the sheer volume of urban artwork found on city streets led to a crack-down by municipal officials in large metropolitan areas. Ironically the crack-down strengthened the movement by sorting out true artists from petty vandals. Artists determined to express their creativity, continued their work, completely disregarding the potential legal pitfalls of their actions. Eventually, public officials around
north America acknowledged the sociological merit of the art-form. Soon, cities began to sanction select walls for urban art use, and artists were free to express themselves without fear of persecution.

Today, the curiosity and appreciation of urban art from art-house circles and the pop-culture at large, has led to the opening of literally hundreds of galleries all over the world. This WorldWeb.com Travel Guide will highlight some of the most innovative and well-respected contemporary urban art galleries on the west coast of the United States.

Faile

 

The Work of the Artist Collective, Faile 3

 

WASHINGTON STATE

Seattle

BLVD
Opened in 2006, BLVD is the brainchild of a group of urban art enthusiasts that include the owners of Seattle bar's, the War Room and Viceroy Lounge. Nestled between the respected pop-surrealist gallery Roq La Rue, and hipster hangout Shorty's, this gallery has hosted installations by artists such as Justin Bua, Oliver Vernon and Damon Soule . Although, relatively new, BLVD has become a welcome addition to the
Seattle art community, this may be due in no small part to the variety of collaborative projects it sponsors.

Bherd Studios
Influenced by Picasso-era cubism and urban design, this studio displays the work of artist in residence, John Osgood. Taking a cue from several pop-surrealist collectives Osgood populates the walls of Bherd with pieces big and small. This allows discerning art enthusiasts the chance to own a piece of his work regardless of their budget. Recently, this gallery has begun to host installations by guest artists.

Experience Music Project
Acknowledging its contribution to the rise and cultivation of Hip-Hop, the
EMP's installation, Yes Yes Y'all: The First Decade of Hip-Hop features a special section on urban art. Contained in the exhibit are artifacts such as an original sketch-pad from urban art pioneer Lady Pink, as well as several examples of artwork found on New York City subway cars and block-party posters. This exhibit will be on display until May of 2008.

 

Ellis Faile and Swoon Collaboration

 

A Collaborative Piece by David Ellis, Faile and Swoon 4

OREGON

Portland

Street Level
Recently relocated, Street Level has featured some of the west coast's most innovative and inviting exhibits. Showcasing both local and international artists, past installations have included the wallpapering of the interior of the the gallery with posters and stickers from over 10 international street artists as well as a collaborative effort that led to the exterior of Street Level being completely engulfed by the work of several artists.

Fifty 24PDX
The Portland branch of the popular Upper Playground offshoot Fifty 24SF, this gallery features bimonthly displays of contemporary urban art's most exciting new talents. Past shows at this gallery have included work by icons such as Mear One, and the artist-collective, Faile. Fifty 24PDX also carries select Upper Playground apparel and is located close to the popular Portland cafe and lounge, Saucebox.

High-Art Acceptance

In early 2007, an original composition by noted contemporary urban artist, Banksy, fetched over $500,000 at an auction in
London. The sale is further proof of urban art's maturation and the legitimacy of the galleries that exhibit it.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA

Sacramento

The Toy Room Gallery
Highlighting Punk and Skate culture's contribution to contemporary urban art, this gallery is situated just off of Broadway. Priding itself on providing a pretentious-free environment, the gallery is the perfect placefor novice art enthusiasts to begin their education. The Toy Room features monthly exhibits as well as commercial space selling a variety of art supplies such as spray-paints and caps.

A Bitchin' Space
Opened by local artist, Gale Hart, this gallery hosts the collaborative works of several of
Portland's local talent. Several artists contribute to each piece on display at the gallery, which results in pieces full of depth and style. A Bitchin' Space only opens its doors on the second weekend of every month, and always with new collaborative pieces to view.

 

Opening Event at New Image Art Gallery

 

An Opening Night Gala at New Image Art Gallery 5

San Francisco

White Walls / The Shooting Gallery
Influenced by the pop-surrealist periodical Juxtapoz, Justin Giarla opened these conjoined galleries in order to exhibit the art he loves. The two galleries span approximately 4,000 sq ft and has exhibited works by local artists such as Jeremy Fish and Ogi. White Walls and the Shooting Gallery are located in the TenderNob district and is within walking distance to the hip-hop influenced, Element Lounge.

Fifty 24SF
The art gallery component of the Upper Playground urban boutique -housed two doors down- this galleryfeatures monthly exhibits from the world's most popular urban artists such as Shepard Fairey, Dalek and David Choe. Work on display at this gallery can be purchased on-site or at their website.

Receiver Gallery
Situated in
San Francisco's Mission District beside the Blackthorn Tavern, this gallery has a large windowed front that creates an inviting setting for visitors to enjoy. The gallery has played host to artists such as Chris Pew and Nancy Chan. Receiver also carries artist apparel, and hosts a weekly podcast featuring music and news about the San Francisco art community.

Los Angeles

The Lab 101 Gallery
Emphasizing group exhibits, this gallery can be found on
Washington Boulevard. Group exhibits at 101 often contain the work of artists from a variety of mediums, which makes every visit to the gallery an eclectic one. Past contributors to this gallery include California native Sam Flores, and television personality Jason Lee.

New Image Art Gallery
Since 2000, the
New Image Art Gallery has been showcasing a veritable who's who of contemporaryurban art. Past shows have included collaborative installations by the all-star trio of Faile, Swoon and David Ellis, the work of Brazilian trailblazer, Herbert Baglione and a special outdoor live-mural-painting event by Mear One.

ThinkSpace Gallery
Established in 2005, ThinkSpace has dove head-first into the contemporary urban art scene. Inside and out the space is covered with murals by artists such as Mear, Ekundayo and the London Police. ThinkSpace has been profiled multiple times in Juxtapoz magazine and Sour Harvest, an online periodical.

 


PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

1.       Nrgiza; Graffiti Stylaz; Berlin, Germany

2.       Matt Whitby; Banksy Stencil in Brick Lane, West End; London, England

3.       Robert London; "Sinful Pleasure" by Faile; London, England

4.       George Tapia; c/o New Image Art Gallery; The Burning House by David Ellis, Faile and Swoon - Opening Night Event; Los Angeles, CA, USA

5.       George Tapia; c/o New Image Art Gallery; The Burning House by David Ellis, Faile and Swoon - Opening Night Event; Los Angeles, CA, USA

6.       c/o Thinkspace Gallery; Mear One Mural; Los Angeles, CA, USA

 

 

 

Bherd Studios  -- Art & Clothing with an Urban Edge

Gallery Hours: Wed - Fri from 12-6pm + Every 2nd Friday from 6-9pm.

8537 Greenwood Ave. N | Suite 1  Seattle WA 98103   (206) 234-8348