Tucked into an otherwise unassuming strip mall just north of Hampton Village, 31art Gallery (3520 Hampton Ave.) offers up a taste of the avant garde on an otherwise stereotypically commercial section of south city, opening their doors on weekends for rotating exhibitions of local artists. They’re kicking things up a notch this weekend, however, with 31artfest, an afternoon art festival debuting local works from more than a dozen local artists paired with the always-winning combination of live local music and new local craft beer.
The lineup of local artists displaying new works spreads across a wide array of art styles, from the pop art-influenced portraiture of Jared Minnick to the macabrely surreal oil paintings of Maxine Thirteen to the music-inspired paintings of Kerry Smith. (The full lineup of artists also includes Andy Dykeman, Erik Thompson, Steven Hayes, Willie Gates, Katie Chilman, Mark Regester, and Paola Scharberg, along with guest artists Alex Johnmeyer, Kate Brockmeyer and Ria Unson.) The event kicks off on Saturday, May 18th at 4:00pm, and the music starts at 5:00pm, featuring performances from Dee Bird plus a trio of acts that will be familiar to followers of our site’s Live from the Boom Room live music series: po mia, Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, and Matt F. Basler. Also making its debut at the show is a limited edition 31artfest beer from the fine folks at 4 Hands Brewing Company, available exclusively at the festival while supplies last. The beer costs money, but otherwise the event is free of charge. | Jason Green
See pictures below for more details on the event. For the latest news, check out 31art Gallery on Facebook.
