Description
A benefits show featuring some fine, talented folks from Oakland and parts nearby. Proceeds from this show will help pay the medical bills of local writer and curator Theo Konrad Auer.Oakland. A city eternally ‘on the verge.’ Hyperbole aside, these artists represent some of the best of what our local artists have to offer. There is a substance beyond the hype. There is some timeless work amongst the limp trends and flaccid passing fancies of fashion. These folks are evidence of a there, here in Oakland today.
As a bonafide East Bay kid, born and bred, I have witnessed the many evolutions and incarnations of the Bay Area art scene. This corner of the world has and continues to be a fertile breeding ground for some of the most original and vital artists whose creative prowess never ceases to challenge, provoke, incite and allure.
Constantly finding myself inspired by the creative spirit of this community and the gifted artists who helped create it, I have devoted much of my time to documenting in journalistic, critical and blog form our local artists and galleries digging deep to bring awareness to the exceptional talent of the our local artists. It has been tremendously rewarding to see my passion met with the opportunity to give contextual significance to Bay Area art as it corresponds to the contemporary artistic landscape. My reviews and critiques have been widely featured in local online and print forums, including ArtBusiness.com (2006-2007), FECALFACE DOT COM, HiFructose Magazine, Juxtapoz Dot Com and Sweetart Magazine, among many others.
My latest professional endeavor comes in the form of THE EASTSIDER DOT COM, a soon to be newly resurrected online blog that originated during my two-year stint as an art writer for FECALFACE DOT COM, often sharing blogging duties with local artist and writer, John Casey. The latest edition of THE EASTSIDER is indeed an extension of its precursor, offering an online forum of art journalism showcasing the unique enclave of artists living and working in the Bay Area, with special focus on the East Bay. It will come in the form of blogs, news content, video and podcasts from local luminaries.
I could not think of a more suitable way to launch an online resource for Bay Area art than with a show featuring the works of local artists whose influence is as immeasurable as it is deeply inspiring. I have amassed an eclectic group of friends whose work I have long admired, including Josh Keyes, Derek Weisberg, Percy Feils, John Casey, Casey Jex Smith,Lexa Walsh, Pete Glover, Crystal Morey and Obi Kaufman among many others. It is truly an honor for me to bring these people together into one room, as each have played a prominent role in bringing originality and vibrancy to the Bay Area art community.
The celebratory launch of beta form of THE EASTSIDER DOT COM will also serve as a benefit to cover outstanding medical expenses I have incurred from an unfortunate incident that took place a few months ago. My condition has been met with a tremendous outpour of support and generosity from the local art community, and it is my hope to encourage the spirit of giving through a truly unique event that celebrates our local artists, particularly their originality and culture building efforts through creative interpretation.
—Theo Konrad Auer
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