By Sam Skopp
Beyond the Lines Gallery hosted a Live Mural Art event Nov. 4, featuring the works of seven artists created on-site throughout the afternoon.
“I wanted to create an event where the public can interact and watch the process of different local artists painting large scale pieces,” said Davis, explaining how the event got its start. “They all have very different styles. It’s a mixture of artists that I’ve worked with and artists that reached out.”
Saturday’s event had precedent of sorts in past gallery openings. Davis explained that some of the often try to featured local vendors, and occasionally openings have held live paintings.
“Sometimes I have one live painter. Now I have seven!” Davis laughed.
In addition to local artisans selling handmade art, jewelry, accessories and more, Tsingtao was an official beer sponsor, handing out beer for free to visitors to the gallery, and Chano’s tacos set up a taco table just outside the gallery, selling food.
Davis explained that the local-focus and genre chosen for the exhibit – murals – came out of a desire to give Angelenos a behind-the-scenes look at how murals are created.
“Mural art is huge in L.A.,” Davis said, explaining how almost every day Los Angeles residents will see murals around town, but rarely do they see the process of how large scale art is made.
For those that couldn’t attend the event, Davis posted video to social media for behind-the-scenes look.
Artists at the evnt included Alvaro A.S.F., a Guatemala-born and L.A.-raised mural painter; Eric Champagne, a sumi ink and watercolor painter who lives as a monk in an L.A.-based temple; Eva Montealegre, an award-winning painter and mixed media artist; Greg Jankowski, an artist, musician, photographer, poet and designer; Irinia Chelyapova, a Russian-born mural painter; Jen LaVita, an Air Force veteran and visual artist; and Willow Evans, who translated her experience with smaller works to larger, mural painting.
For more information on the Beyond the Lines Gallery, visit beyondthelinesgallery.com.
