A year ago, University of Rhode Island student Austin Brodsky saw a poster for Art About Town’s street party.
The 1st-ever event — original art, live music, interactive art demonstrations, clever street performances and plenty of food and drinks — took place on a Thursday evening on Main Street.
Leonardo da Vinci and Mona Lisa (I think) and friends, last year on Main Street.
Austin — who goes by the tag “Ausltd” — already knew Westport. His graffiti-inspired clothing line is carried in local stores.
He loved the Art About Town party, and asked if he could come this year to demonstrate his “mad skillz.” (They’re far better than his spelling.)
Ausltd is not the only graffiti artist set for this year’s street party (next Thursday, May 24, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.). Brooklyn’s David Hollier will be there too. British-born but now Brooklyn based, he was awarded Best of Show (Fine Arts) at the NYC Contemporary Art Fair.
Both graffitists will demonstrate their skill on a VW Bug (donated by Dragone Classic Motorcars).
But if graffiti — award-winning or otherwise — is not your thang, no worries. There’s much more, for folks of all ages.
Dining al fresco last year, in front of Bobby Q’s.
Painters using oil, acrylic, watercolor, wax and gold (!) will explain their processes and inspirations. Potters and sculptors — including the great Peter Rubino — will pot and sculpt.
(Last year Peter turned 250 pounds of clay into a bust of Beethoven, choreographed to the 5th Symphony. This year he — Peter, not Beethoven — will add dance to the mix.)
Just another day downtown.
Meanwhile, in the New Media Lab space above Bobby Q’s, the Westport Arts Center offers a mural project/open house.
Relative Souls — a jazz/funk/rock band — will play. So will Chillingsworth, Dylan Connor and Joe Izzo, and the jazz duo Eric van Laer and Gene Pino.
The street party kicks off 3 weeks of Art About Town. After the graffiti guys and stilt-walkers leave, hundreds of original works will remain in 70 shops and restaurants. All works are juried, for sale, and on display through June 17.
Last year’s event was one of those “well-should-I-go-or-not?” deals. Crowds were not huge, but the buzz was. The Westport Downtown Merchants Association liked it too, and once again is the main sponsor.
Westport’s Main Street: It’s not just for graffiti artists anymore.
Except when we welcome them with open arms.
(For more information on Art About Town, click here.)
Peter Rubino sculpted Beethoven in 20 minutes — to the strains of “Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.” For video highlights, click the YouTube arrow below.
