FREE Walking and Art: Open Studios in the Mission

Open studio strolls are a great way to see a broad cross section of local art and down a wide array of  cheap beer and spirits.  I don’t need to tell you it can be an art-appreciating scavenger’s paradise.  So, I’ll tell a story instead.

Although I’m writing this post from New York to cover Stuart’s wedding-attending ass, I did partake in a Mission Open Studio stroll back in 2007.  I was going it alone, just a young recent transplant born in a Maine, a little state, with wholesome values. Maybe you’ve heard of it.  So there I was, in my LL Bean, just minding my own business, shamelessly refilling my magic plastic cup with wine (rose, white, red, vinegar), beer (amstel, PBR, anchor steam, silver bullet) and champagne (none actually from Champagne) before I was invited to join forces with an artist who was calling it a day.  She seemed fun and spontaneous. We went to some very cool studios and met interesting people.   It felt like a movie. We stopped and made some plate sculptures; we ended up on a rooftop gaining a bird’s eye of some industrial complex.   Walking along Alabama,  I tried to hang and slide on the those big hooks at that linens laundry service building.  Maybe not Alabama, but down there by Atlas Cafe. I know you it.  At some point we entered another big open studio with a room with a big lion’s head. Next thing you know, I’m taking my shirt off in front of an enormous set of wings made out of wood.  Or maybe pine cones, I don’t remember.  But they were HUGE, and mounted on the wall.  Naturally, the girl asks me to take off my shirt so she can take a picture.  “You’ll look like an angel”.  A few older artists and artist-types gathered around. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.  This was very unlike me.  Kind of.  But, she promised to make a painting of the “angel-ized Oliver”.   An hour or so later, as I unlocked my bike, she kissed me on the mouth.  

Meet Mission Open Studios, where you’ll see some great paintings, just never the one of you depicted as an angel with combustible wings.  

When:  Sunday April 26th 11am-6pm (It was yesterday as well, but you blew it)

Where:  The following studios: 

1890 Bryant Street Studios @ 1890 Bryant Street (duh)
ActivSpace: 3150 18th Street, #102
The Blue Studio/Mission 17 Gallery: 2111 Mission
Developing Environments: 540 Alabama
Street Project Artaud: 499 Alabama Street
Workspace Limited: 2150 Folsom Street