The Truck Show – San Francisco, CA from Endless Canvas on Vimeo.
1AM Gallery
Friday February 10th, 2012
San Francisco
6th & Howard St
http://thetruckshowsf.tumblr.com
Donating all artists profits to:
Eastside Arts Alliance / Visual Element
http://www.eastsideartsalliance.com
The modern box-style delivery truck lives in the inner cities all across America. For the modern day graffiti writer it is a contemporary relative to the subway cars of the 70’s and 80’s which helped spark the explosion of graffiti. In a state of eminent relocation, they assemble a disjointed gallery of ceaseless unrest, a perfect canvas for any opportunistic writer. Pristine new clean white box trucks not only invite as they call it “the application of a medium” to their surface, but beg for it. In the streets delivery trucks fit best after being worn and weathered as a pair of old shoes with scuff marks and layers of historical remnants. In an attempt to keep their property looking new, many truck owners will opt to give a graffiti writer permission to assume control over these plots of valuable real estate in the urban landscape. The Truck Show SF is an homage to this modern Icon of Graffiti, displaying these moving masterpieces to the public through the filter of 1AM Gallery in San Francisco (opening Saturday, February 10th).
The Truck Show SF is seeking to be a leader in Bay Area street art gallery shows by dedicating all of the profits for the artists to the non-profit organization Visual Element, which is the public arts component of the EastSide Arts Alliance. Visual Element is a visual arts and graffiti mural training program for high school youth. Because it is the only intensive “Urban Graffiti Arts” program in East Oakland serving high school youth, Visual Element attracts young aspiring artists and graffiti writers, usually ages 15-20. The class facilitates the production of walls through their engagement with local property owners and the community. Students are trained as responsible artists and contribute their skills to not only walls but, political banners for a number of social justice causes. The participants of Visual Element learn a variety of visual arts skills including spray can techniques, “graffiti” writing, mural brush painting, computer experience, digital photography and graphic design. They learn these skills through actual project based work, building a portfolio of work as they undergo their training. As they get more and more proficient they then are able to “shop” their skills back to the neighborhood. This sustainable cycle and the public art projects Visual Element creates, sends the message that productive and self-sufficient youth can contribute positive change to their neighborhoods. Murals educate, motivate to action, and inspire more creations of beauty and for that the organizers of The Truck Show SF are excited for their partnership with Visual Element. They look
forward to seeing the passion for graffiti go full circle to help teach and empower as all too often graffiti is deemed to be something that only takes from society. In these times of ultimate corporate greed and complete abandonment of government support for the arts, the organizers of The Truck Show SF hope to show that the graffiti writer does it for the love and that alone is powerful enough to help fuel and positively influence the next generation. With a wide price range of pieces everyone interested will be able to support the cause and take home a piece of graffiti history.
