Painting by Carlos Torres, courtesy of Arts Council for Long Beach.
Hundreds of tattoo, street, Lowbrow, Pop-Surrealist and traditional artists will descend upon the Queen Mary Thursday through Sunday for Art Gathering LA, the innovative, immersive art festival that gives more than 150 artists, galleries, independent artists and artisans and a roster of more than 280 tattooists from around the world a platform to gather and show their best work.
“Historically, Long Beach has been the nexus for tattoo culture, and its location between Los Angeles and Orange Counties and the presence of the Queen Mary, a unique convention location, makes this perfect spot for this new type of immersive art festival,” stated Michael Keith, director of New Era Arts Group, Art Gathering’s curatorial body.
Top New Contemporary galleries, the tattoo gallery in the Queen Mary Exhibit Hall and independent artists’ exhibits set to show will make for an eclectic viewing. Performance art and multimedia artists will also show in the Corner of Curiosity, while Greg Hetson of Bad Religion, Joe Escalante from the Vandals and Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra will pull together music that influenced them to set the tone for what’s anticipated as a raucously fun time.
Burning Man Arts will set up installations on the shore side on the Sea Walk and in the Queen Mary Park, while vendors will set up shop in the Artisan Marketplace to sell their wide-ranging wares, from vinyl toys to zines and last not least, custom cars and motorcycles will be shown off in the Metal Daze section.
Three special events will take place during the three-day event. The Make Your Mark Award will honor the an individual painter and tattoo artist who have made a lasting impact on their immediate art community. This year’s honorees are Pop artist and muralist Ron English and surreal tattoo artist Robert Hernandez, to fly in from Spain.
Also on the docket is a four-hour demo, Painting a Monster Portrait in Oil, where painter Chet Zar will demonstrate his process. A second seminar, entitled Narrative Painting: From Idea to Finish, will feature Michael Coy discussing painting’s basics, such as composition, form, perspective and color. Last, but certainly not least, the Tattoo Contest will hand over a Sterling Silver Sacred Heart Trophy to the winning artist, judged by a panel of industry leaders.
The event takes place starting Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5 from 11:00AM to 10:00PM, with a VIP Preview Party set for Thursday, June 2 from 7:00PM to 10:00PM. Click here to purchase tickets and here for more information.
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