LATINATION – Friday Sept. 4, downtown Bakersfield is the place to be ! And to explain why, I’ll start by explaining who Don Martin is, because LATINATION is Don’s baby – with a lot of help from others.
I could say that Don Martin is a gallery owner, that he is in training for a marathon. I could say he used to work in media, ran a gallery before he had his own. I could say he’s a good-looking, really nice guy. But – none of these begin to describe Don Martin because he is a force of nature and has taken the Bakersfield art scene by storm.
He also has a vital characteristic – he’s not just a booster, he has perseverance. While many players have contributed tirelessly and for many years, he’s been a huge part in the “overnight” transformation of Bakersfield’s downtown into a real, honest-to-goodness fine arts district. Who would have thought it would happen to us? Don did.
Bakersfield is a happenin’ place right now. It’s not all Don of course, but with the media blitz he unleashes on Twitter and Facebook – because of his incessant twittering, I’ve started eating at Valentiens, had the white iced tea at Dagny’s more than once, been to the Surface Gallery, plan to stop in at Sandrini’s soon, and will be drinking those Mai Tais at Bill Lees. I’ve visited Imbibe, picked up more lunches at MOO, and had Pasta on the Patio at the Spotlight Café for a number of First Fridays now.
All these folks are on the bandwagon. The synergy is exciting and compelling. And the art is good. Bakersfield has really ratcheted up the level of its art. For years I’ve submitted works to the Bakersfield Museum of Art’s Visual Arts Fest. I’ve always had works accepted, and in the early years I even won a first prize and honorable mention. This year, however, when I went to the opening, I was flabbergasted. This was a primo A-number 1 show with works from all over the state of California! I felt humbled to have had two of mine accepted. The Bakersfield Museum of Art itself is fantastic.
Besides the Bakersfield Museum of Art, we have to be aware of the role these folks have played: Jeanette Richardson at the Arts Council of Kern, Yvonne and Vickki at the Surface Gallery; Jan at Spotlight Café; Nyoka and Jen Raven of BECA, Jennifer Baldwin with Bakersfield Express.org., Deon Bell of The Basement, now in a new location; Spotlight Theater, Dagnys, Jennifer and Jeremy at Valentiens, Moo, Sandrinis and all the other restaurants, cafes and coffee houses that are making downtown such a pleasant place to be. I’m sure I’m leaving out folks completely by accident. I could divert here and tell you how the 62-year-old brain thinks of some things sometimes, and other things other times, but doesn’t seem to put all things together much of the time.
For that very reason I’m writing this in a pull-off of Highway 155 not far from Glennville. I don’t want to forget what I want to say. And now for LATINATION! Don Martin is the master force behind this exciting event. (I think so anyway, and I apologize if I have this wrong.) A juried show with prizes opens tomorrow night, September 4, at Metro Gallery and will go until the end of September. All Latin-inspired works. Here’s an example from an artist who will be represented, Alberto Herrera, but don’t expect to see this exact work. I own it already.
Besides the show at the gallery with hors d’oeuvres by El Pueblo and a no-host margarita bar, Yvonne and Vickki at Surface Gallery will be celebrating their first anniversary with Valentiens catering. Spotlight will be having Pasta on the Patio, and Latin-oriented films will be projected on the wall outside the Spotlight Theater.
SO COME DOWNTOWN tomorrow night! It is the place to be. If you don’t like it, have a drink and go home. But I expect you’ll catch the excitement, have a fabulous time, and return for the next First Friday on October 2 when my show, Altered Landscapes, opens.
