One of Sacramento’s most memorable and historic murals that had faded and been worn down over the years is coming back to life thanks to a group of local artists and businesses. The iconic Tower Records mural on K Street, originally commissioned by Tower founder Russ Solomon in 1973 and painted by Frank Carson and Mitch Aaronson, is looking as bright and beautiful as ever thanks to a lengthy restoration project by local artists and art activists including Seamus Coutts, Shaun Burner, Franceska Julianna, Jeff Musser and many others who have been lending hands. One special touch is that original artist Mitch Aaronson’s daughter, Sophie Aaronson, is also involved in the restoration project. The mural is located in the massive entrance of what will soon be Solomon’s Delicatessen (730 K St., Sacramento), a classic deli from a dream-team of local restaurateurs and entrepreneurs that is set to open sometime later this year. Solomon’s Delicatessen also has a location in Davis (500 First St. #9) which is already open. There has been an official mural unveiling event planned for Monday, Aug. 20 at 4:30 p.m., where people are encouraged to join to celebrate the completion of the mural’s new life. Dal Basi of Phono Select Records will be spinning and Black Yacht Club will also perform, a super rad new dance/funk/rock project from local music scene staples Harley White Jr. and SpaceWalker. For more information, visit Facebook.com/SolomonsDelicatessen.

**This write-up first appeared in print on page 6 of issue #272 (Aug. 15 – 29, 2018)**

Midtown just got even better. The long-awaited Cantina Alley, located in Jazz Alley right behind Skool and the soon-to-come Flamingo House, has opened its beautiful wooden doors. Although they’ve done no marketing outside of social media and have yet to announce their grand opening, they are packed wall to wall each day with chill, happy patrons.

Opened by partners Max Archuleta and Art Aguilar, Cantina Alley is more than a restaurant. It instills a sentiment with an atmospheric experience that harkens vacation, relaxation and a slower pace of life. And it evokes memories of Mexico.

“We’ve had an overwhelming response from the community. We’ve noticed people coming here aren’t in a big hurry, they’re happy hanging out and enjoying themselves,” says Archuleta of the overwhelming response to the soft opening.

A mural by Shaun Burner and Miguel Perez, inspired by Mexican artist Jorge Gonzalez Camarena, sprawls on the outside wall of the cantina, which was a new construction from the ground up that took much longer than anticipated; the opening had been slated for November 2016. Their soft opening took place on March 16, and their upcoming grand opening block party will take place on Cinco de Mayo. For now, they’re opening at 3 p.m. to get their staff trained before it gets crazy, and soon they’ll be open for lunch, brunch, and have happy hour specials wherein, between 2 and 4 p.m., you’ll get a free botana, or little Mexican appetizer, when you buy a drink. The ingredients of the food are locally sourced, and the tortillas made fresh every day. Their chef, Angel Sienfuegos, seeks to reveal the variety of Mexican street food.

“We wanted to showcase food from Mexico. It’s not just one kind of food in Mexico,” says Archuleta. “Typically what you get in Mexican restaurants is food from just one area. A lot of people don’t realize that Mexican food is vast, and much like the U.S., the food in the South is different from the food back East, which is different from the food on the West Coast. We are doing a small menu of street food inspired fare, and we’re focusing on different regions throughout the year. There’s a small menu that stays the same throughout the year, but throughout the year, we want to highlight food from certain regions.”

The beer scene in Mexico is experiencing a renaissance, too, as is true in the United States. Burgeoning craft brewers are creating a wide range of beer styles throughout Mexico, but it’s not easy to find these brews in the U.S. Cantina Alley is the only restaurant in Northern California that is offering as many Mexican craft beers as they do—in fact, they have to go through a Southern California distributor to get their hands on them. When I visited Cantina Alley, there were five different Mexican craft beers on draft: two IPAs, a Saison, a Stout and a Pilsner. They also have about 15 different Mexican bottled beers.

“That’s the fun part of the job, a little research and development,” smiles Archuleta. “We’ve gone to Mexico six or seven times in the last few years to do our homework. We found some great breweries down there.”

And their cocktail menu, again, showcases the range of what Mexican spirits have to offer. “It’s not just tequila in Mexico.

Mezcal has become really popular, too. We want to match our drinks with the different regional foods and marry them together. A new hire we have is Oscar Escobar, we brought him in from Mayahuel, and he’s one of the most well-versed people in the area on Mexican liquor. He’s expanded our drink menu.”

Explains Escobar, “I’m certified in tequilas, mezcales and distilled agave by the consul that regulates tequila in Mexico. I’ve been working in town for about 10 years creating successful drink programs. I worked for Celestin’s back in the day, and I worked at Azul which is where I really started getting creative. People were like, ‘Why are you putting chili in the drinks?’ and I was all, ‘Just let me do it!’ and right off the bat it became really popular. And I worked at Mayahuel for about six years. Here at Cantina Alley, there is a lot of passion, to showcase Mexico at its best.” Their cocktail program includes a hibiscus mezcal cocktail, and a margarita made with just 100% blue agave, fresh squeezed lime juice and agave nectar.

I ordered the taco arrachera with arrachera meat, onions, cilantro and a soy sauce marinade, and it arrived at our table briskly. The meat was tender, juicy and spicy, and the handmade flour tortilla was slightly crispy while retaining doughiness. The Baja fish taco with huachinango, a house white sauce, mango avocado salsa, and a jalapeno cilantro salsa was mouthwatering and wonderful. The red snapper was cooked to an outer crisp, and flavorful and juicy when you sink your teeth in. The jalapeno cilantro salsa gave it a pleasant kick.

Our photographer, Evan, ordered the crispy papa taco with potato, cabbage and a green cantina salsa. This was not as good as the non-vegetarian menu options. The potatoes tasted as though they were simply boiled, and the only real flavor came from the salsa. Evan commented that something with beans and sauteed vegetables might be more flavorful and protein-rich. Another vegetarian offering at Cantina Alley is their elote, which is an ear of corn with mayo cream, cotija cheese and Mexican spices, and next time I go—and I most certainly will return many times—I’ll be ordering this for sure.

A hand-drawn chalkboard sign lists the rotating craft brews on draft. In the spirit of getting a good feel of slowed down patio life, we tried four out of the five available drafts. The Perro Del Mar IPA was a bit more malty than hoppy, rich and sweet. The Astillero IPA was effervescent, bright, hoppy and refreshing. The surprisingly well-executed Hann Zomer Saison was a contender with its Belgian counterparts, and the Sirena Pilsner was a crisp, fresh beer that would be perfect for sipping in the hot Sacramento summer sun.

In sum, the food was bomb, I mean, really, really good. But what really shines at Cantina Alley is that good patio sunshine. And the palpable passion that went into creating the experience, as well as the camaraderie amongst the management, the staff, and the patrons. It’s only going to get better. Archuleta discloses, “We want to work with the other businesses, Biergarten, Golden Bear, Flamingo House, possibly Tres Hermanas, to do some street closures, maybe a summer kick-off party.”

“We have a unique area here with a range of restaurants,” says Archuleta. “There’s a one-block area where you can find a variety of foods and entertainment.” Perfect for those summer evenings on foot, and celebrating the good life in Sacramento.

Cantina Alley is located at 2320 Jazz Alley in Sacramento. For hours and more info, check out Facebook.com/midtownscantinaalley

**This article first appeared in print on pages 30 – 31 in issue #237 (April 10 – 24, 2017)**

I felt like a child again.

In wonderment, in awe, jaw agape, I excitedly weaved all over ArtStreet, unable to believe my eyes. Or any of my senses. The overwhelming magnitude of this project is made even more special by its impermanence. Its world-class contribution to arts and culture is trumped only by the pride-inducing fact that our neighbors made this happen, right in our own backyard.

Organized by M5 Arts, a collaborative holacracy that was responsible for last year’s tremendously successful and acclaimed Art Hotel, gathered more than 100 artists together in a 65,000 square-foot warehouse to create an arts experience that dazzles. Beyond visual art, daily events include live music, poetry, dance, history lectures and more. Made possible by the contributions of the city and a number of businesses and individual patrons, ArtStreet opened its doors on Feb. 3, and will say its goodbyes on Feb. 25. Your inner child will thank you for visiting.

While actual children were taking it in on my many visits, there are some exhibits that warn prior to entry that they are not kid-friendly, and in fact, may trigger victims of abuse and rape. Art should make you feel, and tears streamed down my face as I read the stories of rape and molestation victims, juxtaposed with their anonymous nude photos in one exhibit. In another, entitled This is What It Feels Like, you enter through a curtain into a dark room. Violent sounds of breaking glass fill the room as you fumble in the dark for headphones hanging on the wall. Listening to men catcall and say things like, “Suck it, babe,” and “Smile,” is meant to invoke the fear, anger and degradation that too-often accompanies girlhood and womanhood.

We spoke to some of the artists who participated in the creation of ArtStreet to get some insight about their work. Here are explanations of their contributions, in their own words.

Photo by Nicholas Wray

Jared Tharp
“When I make art, I like to remain somewhat vague with my narrative. Even as I go, I prefer to let it all unfold during the process. I guess the reason behind working in this way is so that I can also step back as a viewer and attempt to decipher what I’ve done. For this project I felt that there were a few ideas woven together. However, I had a lot of fun playing with the idea that human beings and other objects in nature are essentially made up of the same stuff. In a painting, a tree can be an arm. A head can be a rock. For me, these are fun things to think about. I cut large shapes out of wood and mounted them to the walls, then I painted on them. The centerpiece was a tire that I found in front of my neighbor’s house. I was drawn to it, so I scooped it up and turned it into a planter for some cacti. The whole thing took me about a month to complete. In the process, I think we all grew closer as a Sacramento art fam, too. It was grueling work, but it definitely paid off.”

Photo by Nicholas Wray

Photo by Nicholas Wray

Photo by Nicholas Wray

Jose di Gregorio
“The initial idea behind my work was for the exterior and interior mural to be identical, so that it was a window or portal of sorts. The layout shifted a little and ultimately, I felt that having the work in the same Northeast corner without necessarily being mirrored would be perhaps more effective. The exterior wall might just be a peripheral piece as you walk in, but the familiarity of the design on the inside wall would have the viewer reconsider what they saw outside. The laser-cut pieces are of the same pattern aesthetic, but in 3-D form. Working with M5 is like working with any of my other weirdo peers. I love it. We all thrive on the pressure to create some sort of alchemy magic with whatever resources we have. I want weirdos to be a larger fabric of all society. Especially now. You all need us more than we need you.”

Photo by Nicholas Wray

Terra Lopez
“This Is What It Feels Like is intended to help shift our culture’s patriarchal views on how society treats women, and help create and sustain a discourse on the ways that we can simply be better to and for women. This auditory exhibit is intended to be an educational tool to help spark a dialogue amongst men of all ages as to how they can help create and be the change that our society needs in order to stop misogynistic patterns that have become embedded into our culture. There is a mirror directly in front of the patron where they are then able to self-reflect as they continue to listen to the hundreds of catcalls that were directly taken verbatim from women.”

Photo by Nicholas Wray

Photo by Nicholas Wray

Franceska Gamez
“I’ve been working with our site team on ArtStreet for about two months. Shaun Burner and I were going back and forth trying to decide whether or not we would even a have a room, because we didn’t think we would have the time or frankly, the space, but once we got our ideas rolling, we couldn’t turn back. Shaun and I began our room as soon as we got the walls up. We were definitely riffing off of the concept we had at Art Hotel, with the wooden man, mid-travel, a moment in time where you see him stuck between two worlds. The concept evolved more and more everyday after we dealt with logistical issues, building, meetings, etc.; we took time to sit in front of our room and dream away. We wanted to create a stale room, a monochromatic representation of everyday life in a box, a place you would call home, to contrast and highlight this magical explosion of color. Whatever this entity means to you, the color in your life, it is something to behold and really take the time to appreciate, and exercise if needed.”

Photo by Aaron Cheesman

Photo by Aaron Cheesman

Ianna Frisby
“I began with an ordinary object: the brick. No other object better represents the sweeping societal changes that came with factory production, industrial revolution and the wealth that it brought. The brick literally became the building block of a new society—one that permitted the emergence not only of privileged idlers but also a commercial pageant for them to take in, one nonchalant step at a time. Compared to the more traditional agrarian landscape, this spectacle must have seemed a fantastic novelty. I repurposed the brick and transformed it from a banal structural element into a mode of expression that harkens the romance of the Gilded Age. I begin by forming wet clay around an actual brick. After the clay hardens, the brick was carefully removed leaving a hollow form, a brick negative, onto which words were hand-sculpted and gilded with luster. Just as structural bricks form a supporting wall, these messaging bricks are arrayed in such a way as to train the eye and form thoughts as the flâneur walks by and considers their place in that world at that moment. These brick negatives are lightweight and adhered to their backgrounds. The idea is that, rather than call attention to themselves, the bricks quietly reveal themselves only when passersby pause and look more closely. The messages presented by the bricks come from a collection of musings by celebrated flâneur artists and thinkers.”

Photo by Niki Kangas

Photo by Niki Kangas

Photo by Niki Kangas

Melissa Uroff Millner
“The Room of Mistakes is full of work that I’ve ‘messed up’ on; however, when it is all put together it comes together quite nicely. Trying to build my ArtStreet project, I was very, very pregnant, and things just kept going wrong. My kiddo came super late past her due date, which cut my creation time in half because while pregnant you cannot use photo chemicals. I was running out of time, the prints I created were not working out, screws fell out of the walls, negatives came late, everything that could go wrong did, so I ran with it. I ‘tied’ everything together with actual string and it turned out more powerful than I had imagined. I captured perfectly what it is like being a very new mom and a full-time artist; chaotic, messy, delirious, dreamy and still kind of fun.”

KiCo (Kitchen Collaborative)
Food is art, too. And chefs, artists. So in keeping with the spirit of ArtStreet, local chefs from all over Sacramento are volunteering their time and collaborating to offer different culinary delights each day at ArtStreet. Word to the wise: bring cash, so you can enjoy beer and wine served throughout the venue, make donations to the project and buy some awesome, inspired grub.

Photo courtesy of M5Arts

Some participating chefs include Ed Roehr of Magpie Cafe, Bryan Widener of Revolution Wines, Scott Ostrander of Park Winters and Ben Roberts of Pizza Supreme Being. Says Roehr, “The idea was to create a space where local cooks could collaborate and support the arts, and explore working together in a culinary environment. KiCo is an opportunity for cooks to work on a common project, without the competitive stress of vending and without the big corporate sponsorship some festivals bring with them.”

For more information, reservations or to purchase special event tickets, visit M5Arts.com. ArtStreet is located at 300 First Ave. in Sacramento, is free to the public and is open now through Feb. 25, Monday–Friday, 3–9 p.m. or later, and Saturday–Sunday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. or later.

****** CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM ARTSTREET ******

The persevering, rugged spirit of the Wild West is well-summarized in the alliterative phrase, “Come hell or highwater.” In non-cowboy terms, it means, “despite any obstacle.” And in that spirit, says DJ Rogers of his recently opened restaurant and bar Highwater, in a rare straight-shooting answer to a goddamn question, “Though the trials many and tribulations toilsome; come hell or highwater, it was to be.”

Mick Stevenson and Rogers, both veteran local musicians and owners of Dad’s Sandwiches, laid claim to a golden opportunity in late 2015 when they purchased Pour House on Q Street from Trevor Shults, the enterprising creator of a laundry list of local bars and restaurants in the Sacramento area. Biding their time, and partnering with Justin Isaacks, Ben Dewey, Matt Hagstrom and Isaac Fratini, they continued operating the establishment as Pour House until mid-August, when they launched the new concept, Highwater, which better fit the space.

I mean, it was kind of off having a vape lounge/cocktail bar in a train trackside saloon smack dab in the middle of a historically Old West city. Why not embrace the cowboy theme and run with it? But rather than Gold Rush western, Highwater’s inspiration is decidedly Albuquerque western. Evidence of their ties to rock ‘n’ roll can be found throughout, too. The brick interior is gussied up with trippy murals by local artists Shaun Burner and Dan Osterhoff.

“I asked [them] if they had ever seen the movie Holy Mountain. They both said yes, which was a shock because I know they don’t do drugs. A few cans of paint later, and our customers have traveled to the desert with us,” explains Rogers.

When I asked him how they think Highwater stands out in a pretty crowded restaurant and bar scene, Rogers accurately described the Highwater difference: “Promising up-and-coming UFC prospects are less likely to slap the Monster Energy with vodka out of both your girlfriends’ hands here.”

But in all seriousness, Stevenson lived in Albuquerque prior to planting his flag in California, and Rogers expounds, “I had also spent a lot of time in New Mexico. Since I met Mick, we had always talked about doing a menu like this. We weren’t really setting out to be unique, just to put out the best food we knew we could. Pairing drinks with the menu is where our head bartender came in; because of the nature of the food, he ended up going with a lot of mezcals and tequilas—as it turns out they make for incredible cocktails.”

Highwater serves up lunch and dinner seven days a week until 10 p.m., and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Happy hour is daily from 3–7 p.m., and they’ve stuck with the train shots from the Pour House and Whiskey Wild days—when a train goes by, house whiskey shots are two bucks. Rotating drafts feature a mixture of local brews and Mexican imports, and the back bar is well-stocked with a curated selection of artisanal scotches, bourbons, tequilas, mezcals and other high-end liquors.

First, we ordered up a Peach Rose from our trusty bar dog. This bourbon-based drink was poured with Four Roses, lemon, ginger, simple syrup, peach liqueur and angostura bitters, and garnished with a lemon peel and whiskey stone ice cube. Drinkable, smooth and carefully striking a balance between sweet, boozy and bitter, the Peach Rose had a frothy, creamy texture, while merely hinting at peach and citrus.

The Pinto is Highwater’s answer to the current beer cocktail trend. Made with Botanist gin, St. Elder, simple syrup, lemon, grapefruit and Track 7 IPA, the Pinto tastes like a Fresca (that grapefruit soda that was popularized in the ‘90s). It was refreshing, bitter, citrusy, light and crisp.

Highwater’s Bloody Mary is the self-same Preservation and Co. recipe that Pour House mixed—no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. This award-winning hair of the dog cures hangovers with vodka, obviously, and Sacramento-based Preservation and Co.’s Bloody Mary Mix, sriracha salt and pickled olive, green bean and pearl onion garnishes. Note that it’s available during brunch only, upon request.

Time to eat. Stevenson busily procured one plate after another for the Submerge team to try, and upon delivery, gave us the rundown of each awesome dish we were to try. The salmon cake Benedict, a brunch item, arrived first. Made just like a crab cake, the savory, breaded salmon cakes were seared to a crisp on the outside, topped with poached eggs and a housemade hollandaise, and garnished with microgreens. The side of Deli Lama’s Papas are Highwater’s delicious version of breakfast potatoes.

Vegans! The stuffed portabella tastes almost as good a juicy steak and is 100 percent veg. Marinated portabellas are stuffed with a not-overcooked, marinated mix of grilled carrots, summer squash and zucchini, and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Dirty rice comes on the side.

The chicken adobo street tacos were up next. Doubled up corn tortillas are stuffed to the max with cabbage, chicken adobo, housemade salsa, roasted jalapeño, cilantro and Cotija cheese. I suggest removing the bottom tortilla and eating the taco over said tortilla so when hella stuff falls out, you have another taco. Stevenson plans to add a pork taco to the menu soon.

I am told that it’s football season? Whatever, the Super Bowl Nachos are grub whenevs. Tri-color chips, cheddar and jack cheese, housemade salsa, New Mexico green chiles, green onions and black beans are heaped in a pile of simple, timeless goodness.

The rebrand, new menu and events (see below) have been a hit with locals thus far, and it would seem that neither hell, nor highwater, have come to stand in the way. After more than a decade of working together, be it making music, throwing rad events or running businesses, you’d think Stevenson and Rogers would get sick of each other sometimes, but they seem to be having a blast in all of their partnerships, with no signs of slowing down. That’s probably due to a shared attitudinal working dynamic, summarized by Rogers with this metaphor: “When there’s only one slice of pizza left in the box, we leave it be.”

PARTY CRUSHERS
Highwater’s Events Offer Quality Alternatives to Your Couch

We asked Rogers about which events have proven the most popular so far, to which he replied, “The Midtown Spring Formal comes to mind. Who doesn’t like to dress up? I’ll pin a corsage on anything that moves.” But their weekly events keep bringing people in, too. Keep on eye on their events calendar, it might just upgrade your social life.

Here are some of the highlights:

TOTAL RECALL & FUNK IN THE TRUNK
Every first Friday, Total Recall brings the heat with your favorite ‘90s hits.

HEAVY MONDAYS
Mondays suck, so commiserate with some metal together at the back bar.

TUSSLE
Every Tuesday, get down at this weekly trip hop and soul dance night.

ONLY THE GOOD STUFF
Every Wednesday, that good good hip hop and R&B dance party gets you past the mid-week slump.

MOVEMENT
A monthly party featuring all vinyl sets of synth pop, ‘80s and new wave, spun by Eric and Juan.

Highwater is located at 1910 Q St., Sacramento. For more info, go to Highwatersacramento.com.

One of the most unique and highly anticipated group art shows of the year is about to grace the walls of the WAL Public Market Gallery in downtown Sacramento’s bustling R Street Corridor. In the exhibit If You Do Me, I’ll Do You, 22 local artists are invited to create portraits of each other using a wide range of mediums after picking names out of a hat and getting to know each other a bit. Just some of the artists involved are (in no particular order): Sarah Marie Hawkins, Shaun Burner, Melinda Arendt, Waylon Horner, Gioia Fonda, Jesse Vasquez, Melissa Uroff Millner, Nathan Cordero, Bryan Valenzuela and others. The concept of the If You Do Me show can be traced all the way back to 2003 when Mike Rafter, Olivia Coelho and Tim Tinker conceived the idea for a Fool’s Foundation show. Bows and Arrows also hosted one back in 2009, and then WAL revived it in 2015, so that makes this year’s just the fourth time it has ever happened. There is an opening reception for the exhibit this Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 from 6–8 p.m. It’s free and all ages are invited to come out and enjoy the local creations amongst the group of artists. The exhibit will be up for two full months, all the way through Oct. 5, so you’ve got plenty of time to stop in and check out the work and peruse all of the other local businesses that make up Sacramento’s coolest indoor marketplace. Learn more at Walpublicmarket.com or Facebook.com/WALPublicMarket.

Hustle & Struggle

To the average passerby, the intersection of C and 14th streets in Sacramento might have come off as exceptionally eerie in the final few hours of Oct. 30, 2015, right before Halloween officially got underway.

Surrounded by a small, abandoned industrial park on one side with a spread of Victorian-style homes in the Mansion Flats neighborhood of downtown sitting adjacent to the other, not a single soul could be spotted in any direction as the night crept on toward the nine o’clock hour.

About 20 yards down the block, however, a barbed wire-lined gate had been pulled wide open, leaving a clear entrance to the loading dock area of one the nearby properties.

{Mural in Guadalajara, Mexico}

There were people inside, and they sure seemed busy enough to make up for the near-dead silence just outside the barricade-like wall separating them from the road.

As it turns out, two different teams had been hard at work at 1425 C Street (formerly part of Hangar Studios): one setting up a stage in the lower-level courtyard, another building a set inside the east side warehouse.

Among the dozen or so indoor crew members was local artist Shaun Burner, bustling back and forth between a jumbo-sized horse’s head and an even bigger headless horseman towering behind it—both of which were still being worked on.

Burner had been approached by TBD Fest founders Michael Hargis and Clay Nutting about a month earlier to help create the artwork for their upcoming Halloween show, slated to feature DJs Slow Magic and Com Truise.

Just one day away from its doors opening to the public, Burner appeared surprisingly at ease during a cigarette break, saying he was confident the project would be finished in time.

“I feel like we’re on pace,” Burner said, adding that he was also up against another deadline designing signage for the new B-Side bar opening on S Street. “We got the meat of the structure up; now it’s just kind of detail work. I think we’re at a good place.”

Burner said he felt he had slowly taken on the role of artistic director and project manager over past few weeks, delegating tasks to volunteers that had often fluctuated between four and ten on any given day.

{Art for TBD Fest’s Halloween show}

While he said he and fellow artist Franceska Gamez had mostly built, chicken-wired, papier-mached and painted a lot of the main set pieces for the Sleepy Hollow-themed backdrop, others had helped bring more subtle elements of the concept to life—like the giant tree up against the north wall of the warehouse, which had gnarled branches extending throughout the ceiling.

With time running out, Burner said he was grateful for whatever help he could get.

“It’s good having other creative weirdos to kind of help make this happen,” he explained.

Growing up in Rancho Cordova and then traveling the world to spread art with different collectives through much of the ‘00s, Burner said he considered himself to be one of those creative weirdos as well—albeit one that had been working professionally almost his entire life.

After moving downtown nearly 15 years ago and being introduced to mural painting by his friend Mike Rodriguez, Burner gradually became involved in many community-based projects within the area, including one where he helped complete a mural for the Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center.

{Collaboration with Franceska Gamez}

Before long, he had joined Sacramento’s Sol Collective and was eventually invited to attend an arts tour of Puerto Rico with the group.

“We were traveling with about 30 people—musicians, poets, artists,” Burner said. “We were doing workshops; we were painting murals for the community. And that’s where I met some members of Trust Your Struggle,” an art collective based out of New York and the Bay Area.

Burner says he decided to try his hand at living amongst his East Coast collective counterparts upon returning from the Puerto Rico trip in 2005. During his three-year New York stint, he ended up working extensively in film production and set design, and even embarked on another mural campaign—only this time around the United States.

The domestic tour was dubbed “Trust Your Hustle,” Burner said, as he and fellow painters and activists traveled to Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco and New Orleans, among other cities, to help communities build “from the ground up” with artwork and, at times, actual infrastructure if needed.

{Trust Your Struggle collaboration}

It wasn’t until he and a couple other members extended the tour to Los Angeles that Burner found himself evaluating his financial situation.

“We were super broke,” Burner said about his arrival in L.A. “At one point, we did this mural where we like traded for food … We were like trading for cheeseburgers.”

Burner stayed with family in Southern California for about two years before he started seeing more mural work coming his way regularly. After entrenching himself in the film industry in New York for so long, Burner found himself circling back to his first true love in painting.

According to his website, Burner was involved in seven separate murals in the Los Angeles area between 2008 and 2009, on top of the other 18 murals he participated in during the same time period.

His site doesn’t show any work of past 2010, which was around the time he opted to move back home to Sacramento after more than five years of being away.

{WAL installation}

“My nieces are growing up, and I want them to know me,” Burner said, explaining one of the reasons for his move to the Capital City. “I didn’t want to be away and just be the uncle who came in every now and then. So just come and be around my fam, and then build some rad shit in this city.”

Since his return, Burner says paid commissions have sometimes been hit or miss, but that he tries to not let that discourage him.

“I mean, it’s feast or famine. You know what I mean?” Burner says. “It’s kind of a funny thing—it fluctuates. Sometimes I will have all these jobs come at once, and I have to take them on and just get them done, and I’ll be working like crazy. And then other times it thins out a little bit.”

Either way, though, money hasn’t ever stopped him from continuing to paint in Sacramento, whether he’s commissioned or not. And when the rainy season hits, he adds, and the conditions aren’t the best for mural work, “That’s a good time to leave town and go to another place where it is.”

Aside from his constant flow of mural paintings, Burner also co-manages an art gallery called 1810, located inside the Warehouse Artist Lofts off of 12th and R streets.

Open only during the first Fridays and second Saturdays of each month, Burner says he’d like to start running more regular hours once he can find someone to run the establishment on a consistent basis. The gallery, he says, has a lot of potential to showcase local talent and to possibly bring a different flavor to the art scene in Sacramento that’s possibly not getting exposure at the moment.

{“Wake Up!”}

“Even with that thing,” Burner points out, “selling art can be a hard gig, you know? So it’s not like we’re making money off of that. But it’s more about just doing it and just trying to bring cool stuff to Sacramento.”

In the end, that’s really all Burner really wants: bringing more art to wherever it’s needed.

“It’s such an amazing way to communicate with people and just brighten up a city and bring some culture to a city and make you feel proud about where you’re at,” he says.

“I’ve made amazing connections with people through art. I’ve painted with people that don’t even speak the same language as me. And we’ve hung out and we’ve been able to connect and make beautiful work together.”

While he says he would eventually like to see more consistent commissions so he could one day support a family just on painting alone, Burner acknowledged that he works best under pressure—time and again finding himself able to rise to the occasion when things aren’t so easy.

“I feel like you can get really comfortable sometimes and not make things happen,” Burner says. “But when push comes to shove or you’re under the gun, you can make amazing things happen.”

That’s why he enjoys work like the Halloween set that he finally finished over the next 24 hours.

“I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, we got work to do. But we’re gonna get this shit done, because we need to.’ There’s no time to second guess it.”

Submerge would like to thank Shaun Burner for providing his rad artwork for the cover of our 200th issue! For more on Shaun and his 1810 Gallery, check online at Facebook.com/shaunburner916, Shaunburner.wordpress.com or 1810arts.com.

Art School

TBD Fest 2015 will pop up in the Bridge District from Friday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. The festival’s impressive three-day music lineup will be paired with local food, beer and wine vendors, handmade good vendors, amusement park rides and a number of noteworthy art exhibits and installations.

Here are three artists to keep a look out for at this years TBD.

MISTER ROBOTO

TBD Fest Artist-in-Residence Matt Brown

Unassuming in a white T-shirt, dirty black jeans and a nondescript brown haircut, 28-year-old Matt Brown is kind of a big deal in Sacramento’s thriving artscape. Or, anyway, he’s getting a lot of work. Committed to art life, Brown foregoes many creature comforts in order to create rather than punch a clock—to a point where he’s been known to live in his van, outfitted with a rooftop projector.

Attendees of last year’s TBD Fest will unanimously recall his iconic laser cube art installation. This year, TBD dubbed Brown Artist-in-Residence, and he plans to up the ante by incorporating his newfound knowledge of robotics into his contributions to the festival atmosphere. Among the captivated crowds and surging excitement, Matt Brown will be low-key exhibiting his strange brand of art that combines absurdity, beauty and a healthy dose of his enjoyment of fucking with people.

In regards to the cube, Brown recounts, “Holy fuck. I think I met with Clay, and we were talking about projection stuff, and he was like, ‘I need something iconic. I want to project on the lily pads on the river,’ and I was like, ‘That doesn’t really make sense, I don’t even know how to do that. And then I thought it would be so cool if there was this giant laser cube!”

With the help of Matt Byrd, the cube was created. “I had no idea people were going to like it so much,” Brown smiles. But the smile fades as he remembers, “Somebody would draw a dick on it constantly, just one after another, and I don’t know why.”

For the upcoming TBD Fest, Brown has a couple of projects underway. “I am doing a robot that will move around and talk to people. I’ll be remotely controlling it in the distance and I’ll be talking to people through it. It will have a fog that it will emit if people get too crazy,” says Brown mischievously. Welded metal, dryer pieces and car stereos are among the fodder being employed in the creation of this marauding cyborg.

And then there’s the Ice Bear. “It’s going to be giving people motivational help and philosophical speeches, and it will be playing This Mortal Coil. There will be a fog machine near it creating a haze, and I’m thinking about having a laser shoot out of its mouth every once in awhile. It will be wearing gold jewelry, like bling, you know?”

Of the music lined up for this year, Brown says, “I am the most excited to see Death Grips. I’m also super stoked to see Tears for Fears; they got me through a really hard time.”

Brown has been making art for over a decade, and has been commissioned to create a body of work—from sculpture to paintings, films and video projections—for high-profile organizations like TEDx, Blackbird Kitchen + Beer Gallery, the Sizzling Sirens burlesque troupe, Sacramento Electronic Music Festival and more. Throw a rock in any direction in Downtown Sacramento, and you’ll likely hit one of his murals (often not commissioned). “A lot of my art is temporary, just happening in real life,” explains Brown.

Brown was also literally an artist-in-residence at Exhibit S, a 12,000 square-foot art space that garnered squatting rights at Downtown Plaza in 2013 and housed other artists such as Danny Scheible (known for his Tapigami art) and Maren Conrad.

“I was moving out of my house at the time, so I was totally sleeping at the mall,” says Brown of his Exhibit S tenure. “I would shower in Assembly when it was open. It was really hard for me being in a public space trying to make art, so I had to wear a mouse mask.”

Currently residing at the Warehouse Artist Lofts on R Street, Brown is ready to go back to living in a van down by the river. “I prefer just living in a car, and I think I’m going to move to Auburn where there’s nobody around for miles. It’s very insular.”

But R Street hasn’t seen the last of Matt Brown. He’ll have an indirect hand in the R Street Block Party on Oct. 3, along with a host of other Sacramento artists, musicians, businesses and vendors.

The basement at WAL, which is a rehearsal and jam space, will be open during the R Street Block Party. “There will be a Jacob’s Ladder and some robotics, and Shaun Burner and Franceska Gamez are painting the walls,” describes Brown. “I want it to look nothing like the rest of the building at all, for people to go down there and feel like they’re going into a totally different world.”

In a totally different world, where all that matters is art and wonder—that’s where Matt Brown resides, regardless of the roof or lack thereof over his head.

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

Arielle Robbins and Laura Marie Anthony Challenge Your Viewpoint

Arielle Robbins and Laura Marie Anthony seek to challenge the way people think about what it is to be social and beautiful at TBD Fest by way of their ViewMaster Interactive Art Installation, which will be a series of red retro slide viewers placed on tripods throughout the festival space.

“We hope the installation will make people think about how beauty is a vast and flexible thing, changing from person to person and group to group, but even among perceptual differences, core similarities in how we all experience beauty underscore that we connect with it in remarkably similar ways,” the duo explains.

Anthony’s artistic background is in visual art, while Robbins’ is in writing, concept art and music. Both recently founded an artist collective called Retrograde Collective. In the coming year, they will premiere two important projects—a short film, Sutro Ruins, and a periodical, Venus in Furs.

MOVEMENT IS ART

Amanda Prince-Lubawy

Having performed over the past five years in museums and galleries throughout Europe, Amanda Prince-Lubawy will showcase how movement can be art at TBD.

“My piece for TBD Fest is called rolling on the riverfront,” describes Prince-Lubawy. “The choreography proposes repetitious, durational movement that requires the body to endure time and mimic the ebb and flow of the Sacramento river.”

Lubawy’s three-hour performances will commence at 7 p.m. each night of the festival.

“I am a dance artist,” explains Lubawy.

“I am interested in the body and conversations that directly approach the body as a movement medium. I like to explore dance in a minimal sense— everyday movements, not overtly stylized. I want Sacramento to view dance as more of an experience rather than entertainment.”

Streets of Color

Pump up those tires and grab a few homies because the annual Submerge Bicycle Mural Tour is back again. This time, we feature pieces so fresh the paint fumes still kick. Some murals stretch across entire alleyways, like the sideshow circus at 23rd and S streets that showcases the incredible tattooed lady and a pair of magnificent gray elephants dressed in red-and-gold garb.

While on the hunt for worthy destinations, this writer discovered that several locations featured in past issues of Submerge received fresh coats of paint. So much, in fact, that a few familiar murals that once hugged the sides of corner stores, like Royal Market on 17th and T streets, have completely transformed and taken on a new identity.

Unfortunately, artistic expression is not always accepted. On April 28, 2015, a multitude of Sacramento artists like Few and Far Women founder Meme, tattoo artist Jenn Ponci, muralist Shaun Burner, and more, saw their $2,000 mural that beautified an otherwise vandalized building on the corner of 28th and U streets, completely erased with gray paint by the city. Submerge shot some of the last photographs of this piece before it was defaced. Although it no longer exists, we wanted our readers to be able to appreciate and support the work of these artists.

Whether a mural was scarred by tags, or simply begged for a new perspective, these walls do talk, and speak to the creative minds of Sacramento artists who answer with cans of paint. So, plan for a leisurely and artistically pedal-driven bike ride through the ins and outs of Midtown and its surrounding areas. Discover the latest, most eye-catching urban street art created by some of the best artists in the city and beyond. More importantly, May is Bike Month, so log some easy miles through the hidden alleyways and bustling streets that lead to more colorful destinations.

Surfside

S.V.Williams, Ernie Upton, Lopan
2505 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento (Target parking lot)

Majestic sea turtles float freely in this oceanic masterpiece filled with crystal castles, colorful coral reefs, tropical fish and sunken ships. This collaborative piece was commissioned by Surfside Dental and showcases the allure and mystery of deep sea life.

Electric Wizard

Cyber Punk
1701 T St, Sacramento.

Submerge featured Royal Market’s original mural three years ago by artist Shaun Burner, but now it seems market owner Haripal Singh caved into another creative mind’s need to paint and, once again, allowed the side of his business to act as a rotating canvas. An old wizard with a wooden staff rides on the back of a green wolf; electricity fills the air around the two as they travel onward to an unknown destination courtesy of local artist Cyber Punk.

Life’s a Ball Enjoy the Circus

Few and Far, various artists
2333 S St., Sacramento (Rice Alley)

Just around the corner from Addison’s Bicycle Repairium (fitting) is the newly coated, circus-themed mural by Few and Far Women, a group of gals who specialize in street art with the help of various artists like Meme, Jenn Ponci, Melissa Uroff Millner and more. See majestic elephants with deep expressions, the incredible tattooed lady, and a golden palm that waits for its fortune to be told.

California Pride

Begr, Kove Sole, Jenn Ponci, Meme, Shaun Burner
28th & U streets, Sacramento (No longer exists)

Despite being hassled by the anti-graffiti authorities, these five artists finally wrapped up the side of a building at 28th and U streets. A frame of golden California poppies surrounded a menacing grizzly bear with its busy magenta, forest green and burnt orange brush strokes. Toward the end of this mural, a cold, blue face struggled to break free from its canvas.

A Level Beyond

Lord Pawn
2419 K St., Sacramento (Jazz Alley)

Behind City Bicycle Works, a starry night sky glows as a robotic wolf growls in the face of a gray and blue bionic woman, her wispy long hair adorned by a single, pink carnation.

Rest In Peace mural for Justin Mayo and Selecta KDK (Kevin Kinnard)

Shaun Burner, Bdank, Ernie Upton
1017 24th St., Sacramento (Jazz Alley)

Justin Mayo snagged a large-mouth bass and proudly shows off his catch of the day sailing away on his small, wooden boat. A healthy forest stretches across a steady flowing river as Selecta KDK scratches on some wax that gives off electricity.

United Passion

BAMR
1330 H St., Sacramento

Behind Chaise Lounge (former Bulls bar), artist BAMR gained broadcast news attention with his mural “United Passion.” A large and lengthy busy-colored sleeve reaches across a gray building, its open palm holds a red and yellow rainbow, and at the center a blue heart splashes with water drops.

See Sacramento as an Open Air Art Museum

May is Bike Month is back, challenging all to abandon four wheels for the environmentally friendly alternative of pedal power, (which means riding bicycles versus gas guzzlers…keep up!). With miles logged and events listed, there’s still one more idea to add to this sunny month’s itinerary: the annual Submerge Bicycle Mural Tour. For three years now, we’ve scouted the entire Midtown and downtown areas looking for eye-catching artwork decorating businesses, like HR Sports Cards and Collectibles (2231 10th Street) and even discovered a growing number of collaborative art murals brightening up dingy alleyways. Grab a date, some friends or all of the above and visit each location to see the work of artists such as Shaun Burner, Mike Rodriguez, the women of the Few&Far movement and many who prefer to remain nameless. This year, I’ve included some bonus murals for all participants to find along the way. Plus, the routes are near many local businesses to turn a tour of alluring wall art into an all-day affair that ends near the Sutter’s Landing river entrance on B Street. Will you spot the lion’s head with a multi-colored headdress, or perhaps successfully stumble upon the woman underneath the moon? Pedal forth, keep an eye out and most of all ride safe.

Few&Far Animal Rights Mural
1800 24th Street alleyway

This marks the beginning of this two-wheeled journey. It appears that Sacramento’s alleyways, once dark and desolate locations, reeking of piss, have now transformed into a sort of new wave art exhibit. Who knew a splash of color and a concept could turn an industrial building with broken windows (1800 24th Street alleyway) and rusted fans into a tribute to all the cute, furry creatures of the world? Last September all day and throughout the night the Few&Far movement, a group of women all experienced in graffiti art joined together for animal rights. See doe-eyed giraffes, pink leopards and even a brown-eyed girl with butterflies, birds and daisies decorating her flowing locks. The mural is the collaboration effort of over a dozen artists from all around the world and yes, even Sacramento. Get involved at http://fewandfarwomen.com/.

Coexist
2321 10th Street on W Street

Members of the Kids Crew warn passersby that this wall, the second destination of the tour, is a “mural in progress.” The mural displays six gods of various religions—representing everything from Shiva, a Hindu deity, to Sikh and even Buddha. Each god is depicted in various colors and holds unique distinctions like the Koran or lotuses scattered below one figure, the lotus flower being a symbol of purity and enlightenment. What better way to bring peace to a neighborhood where according to manager of HR Sports Cards and Collectibles (2321 10th Street on W Street), Parker, is an unfortunate hot spot for tagging. “We have this mural because it protects the building from getting tagged,” he says. “Here, even the taggers respect mural art. It’s a really nice work of art and it gets so much attention.” Parker explains his interpretation of the mural as a call for all to coexist peacefully within all religions. After sifting through a box of comics—it was Free Comic Book Day after all—he then offered a little insight to what became two bonus stops on the tour.

Bonus find: Lion’s Head
W and 10th streets

Head up 10th Street just past the comic book shop where a Mayan-inspired lion’s head with multicolored headdress growls from the top corner of a gray building, protected by fencing. Spot the lion and pedal forward.

Bonus find: Woman Beneath the Moon
W and 10th streets

Just before reaching Osaka Ya (2215 10th Street) a downtown joint known for their enormous shaved ice treats and mochi. Turn right into the alley to spot the second bonus find on this year’s mural tour painted by artists Shaun Burner and friend Rubio. A solemn-faced woman with golden eyes stares into the alleyway, two male figures on either side of her raise their hands to a white moon at the peak of this decorated garage.

“I painted the outer sides with the two figures giving it up to the heavens praising the sacred feminine,” says Burner. “They are just giving up blessing to the universe. The sacred feminine has been so lost and disrespected at this point in time.”

Crest Theatre Alleyway
Alley between J and K streets near 10th Street

Behind the Crest Theatre (1013 K Street) is an alleyway. And, along the walls of this alleyway is an astronaut floating through a space of vibrant blues, magentas and various shades of greens. The mural, painted by Jason Bove and various artists, extends halfway through the entire stretch of building lining the alley and ends with all the colors of the rainbow dripping in succession from rooftop to pavement.

The Showplace of Sacramento
25th between J and K streets

A boy dressed in ‘30s-style knickerbockers and suspenders gazes into the past of Sacramento’s historic Alhambra Theatre, demolished in 1973 to make way for a Safeway supermarket. Even though all that remains of this historic building is the original fountain still working at the south side of the parking lot, this mural on 25th between J and K streets, with its complementary blues and oranges will forever be a window to the past.

Contemporary Dance Conservatory
213 26th Street

Starting the tour at W Street and ending at the Contemporary Dance Conservatory (213 26th Street) is perfect for two reasons, one being the mural at the entrance of the building painted by Mike Rodriguez, Shaun Burner, Letter D, Miguel Perez, Stephen V. Williams and Mark Prick. And secondly, it’s next to the Sutter’s Landing river entrance on B Street. Owners of this building grew tired of painting over tagged walls, so they invited a few good artists to hold a freestyle session using their dance studio as the canvas. Neighbor to the studio, Evan Duran, brought the collaboration together, “People respect art. If there’s already art on the wall, they won’t tag on it. But if it’s a blank canvas such as a buff building, it’s pretty much just asking kids to paint on it,” he says. The mural portrays a young figure riding in a car at the edge of a cliff; a shaman-like character to his right holds a key in one hand and blesses him with vision from a heart as the young figure faces the obstacles in front of him.