Buzz Watch: The Venice Contemporary Leads The Way For Mobile Art

Authored by Jay Baage on June 14, 2007 - 3:23pm.

The Venice Contemporary Art Gallery co-founders Nathan Spoor, L. Croskey and Bill Lucas are on a mission to make fine art cool. One of the ways they do that is to use young people’s favorite medium of choice – the cell phone. How? Well, to find out I guess you just have to attend Digital Media Wire and the Deity Group’s party at The Venice Contemporary this Saturday!

Dubbed a “Download Party” after our last well-attended event together, we bring technology, music and art together in what we hope you'll find to be cool new ways.

The Venice Contemporary is a new creative venture between the Deity Group's Bill Lucas and Nathan Spoor, and Venice Grind - an organic coffee and tea shop owned by prominent Mar Vista businessman and community leader Demetrios Mavromichalis.

L. Croskey, founder of Cannibal Flower and undisputed leader
in the Los Angeles underground art scene for the last 6+ years, rounds out the partnership with his talented eye as Art Director.

Not to give away too much, the digital components of the art show on Saturday involves facilitating visitors to the art gallery to download, for free, cool art and music from the artists at the show (sponsored by Vector Mobile).

After the last party that Digital Media Wire and the Deity Group held, the interest for the interactive and mobile component of the show has been great.

“We had a lot of people coming up to us and saying that this is the coolest art show they’ve ever been to”, says Nathan Spoor, who is the gallery’s Curator.

“And the techies told us that it was the most fulfilling art show they’ve ever attended”, adds Bill Lucas.

The mobile component of the art shown allow you to add unique personality to your cell phone and it is naturarally a great promotional vehicle for the artists.

“This also goes down very well with young people. We get a lot of local high school kids coming in here to the gallery to check out the art. It is a testament to that fine art is still relevant in this new media age”, says Bill Lucas.

Another reason for that is of course that the Venice Contemporary show some really cool art that “regular people” can enjoy.

“The show we are opening on Saturday is very strong with artists like Florida-native Dan May, Ken Keirns and the very interesting Michael Cristy. It is a great variety of talent in one room. The response to the art so far has been great”, says Nathan Spoor.

I had a sneak-peak yesterday and I can guarantee that you don’t want to miss the party on Saturday and get the chance to download some of this stuff for free.

Plus there will be a live band, three DJs playing, live graffiti, and an open bar (not a first in the art world, but always appreciated) between 7-9 provided by Red Bull, Effen Vodka, AGWA, and The Heroes.

Everyone is welcome, but an RSVP is required...we nearly had a full house the last time, so get on it fast. This is one event you don’t want to miss!

Joakim Baage