San Diego’s Last Bastion of Grassroots Art Spaces Join Forces for Monthly Series
By Brent E. Beltrán
On Saturday, August 30 the various arts venues in Barrio Logan will join together for another Barrio Art Crawl. The Crawl is a self-guided tour of open studios, galleries, and local businesses within the Barrio Arts District. The Barrio Art Crawl was initially created for the Barrio Arts District by the operators of The Roots Factory.
Participating venues in this installment of the Barrio Art Crawl include Border X Brewing/SD Taco Co., Chicano Art Gallery, Chicano Park, La Bodega, La Esquina, Pop-Up Art Gallery at Fuller Lighting, The Church, The Glashaus, The Roots Factory, The Yard at Stronghold Collective, Union Barrio Logan and Woodbury School of Architecture. Each venue will have either visual art, music, food or a mixture of all.
Thanks to the Barrio Art Association and Fuller Lighting and AV Designs the murals of Chicano Park will be lit up for the first time at night for all to see. A documentary on the murals will also be shown in the park.
Barrio Logan, with a dozen venues involved in this month’s Barrio Arts Crawl, has become a destination spot for local, national and international arts lovers. Stereotyped as a violent, gang infested neighborhood Barrio Logan has undergone an artistic renaissance in recent years with mostly grassroots Latino run spaces opening up.
Chicano Park is the grandfather of the barrio arts scene but it was the recently closed Voz Alta that ushered in the new wave of arts venues like The Roots Factory, The Spot (now The Yard at Stronghold Collective) and The Glashaus on Main St. Their proud children followed on Logan Ave. with La Bodega, Chicano Art Gallery and the latest place, The Church.
San Diego’s art scene is evolving and the spaces opening up in Barrio Logan are a reflection of that evolution. The venues in Logan have followed a do-it-yourself path focused on making community and the Barrio Art Crawl is about bringing people together.
Come out and see for yourself what the new barrio renaissance is about. Buy some art, listen to music, eat tacos, enjoy some libations and be a part of San Diego’s most historic barrio.
The Barrio Art Crawl take place this Saturday, August 30 from 3pm-10pm (some venues have different start times) on Logan Ave. and on Main St. in Barrio Logan. Most venues are free. The venues have been broken down into two sections: Main St. and Logan Ave. See below for a listing of the spaces and what will be going on within them. The next and final Barrio Art Crawl of the summer season will take place on September 27.
Logan Avenue Section of Barrio Art Crawl
Chicano Park – Under SD-Coronado Bridge – 8-10pm – FREE
The Barrio Art Association is lighting up the historic murals of Chicano Park so they can be seen at night during Barrio Art Crawl. A documentary on the murals will also be shown.
Chicano Art Gallery – 2117 Logan Ave – 5-10pm – FREE
Chicano Art Gallery will feature a solo art show by proprietor/curator Cesar Castañeda.
The Church – 2151 Logan Ave – 3-10pm – FREE
The Church will have an art exhibit called The BC Show that will feature blank canvases for any artist to come in and leave their vision on. Paints and brushes will be provided. No spray paint allowed.
La Bodega – 2196 Logan Ave – 6-10pm – FREE
La Bodega Gallery & The Birds and The Beards present “It’s Just Surfing” Vol.II. Raffles and giveaways by Old Harbor Surfboards, Brixton, Nixon, Vonzipper, Stance Socks, Salty Crew, Admiral Supply Co., Surf Hut, and more.
Border X Brewing/San Diego Taco Company – 2196 Logan Ave – 12-10pm
Craft beer, homemade tacos and art on the walls.
La Esquina – 2222 Logan Ave – 7:30-10:30pm – FREE
La Esquina will have live dance music by Bulletproof Tiger, rare beat experiments and sound collages by Intrepida Orquesta de Beats, selections by DJ O.J., art by David White and Patrick Shield and TJ tacos by Taco Victor.
Main Street Section of Barrio Art Crawl
The Glashaus – 1815 Main St – 7pm – FREE
The Glashaus hosts the closing reception for Makeshift Memory: Scott Zagar Exhibition, featuring live music by Ruby Clouds and Heavns and open studios by Glashaus artists.
The Yard at Stronghold Collective – 1835 Main St – $10
Stronghold presents Red Lotus Klan, Skrapez, Scatterbrain, Vernon Bridges, Rocksteady/Bebop, Final Boss, Splurgeo, Big Ugly, Matt Hall, Scripto, 3D, Morti Viventear and Mathius Kruze plus special guests Black Mikey, V-Rock, PCH, and DJ Kuts.
The Roots Factory – 1878 Main St (in the alley) – 4pm – FREE
The Roots Factory will feature live screen printing during Barrio Art Crawl. Come through and get a shirt printed with a Roots Factory design.
Pop-Up Art Gallery – 2001 Main St – 3-10pm – FREE
Fizix presents Graphics a pop-up art show plus live painting by Jared Lazar, beer and BBQ.
Union Barrio Logan – 2191 Main St – 3pm – FREE
Union Barrio Logan will have open studios during Barrio Art Crawl.
Woodbury University School of Architecture – 2212 Main St. – 3pm – FREE
Woodbury will have open studios during Barrio Art Crawl.
Brent E. Beltrán
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