Oakland Museum hosts artists' 'Gallery Hop'
'First Fridays' features Bay Area artists in 36 spots
Jean Womak
Issue date: 10/18/07 Last update: 10/18/07 at 4:53 PM PST
Section: Arts
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Down the street a little way, Front Gallery contains an enchanting installation of braided rugs, by Mae Long, which blend into long-stemmed flowers suspended from the ceiling. Called "Plastic Jungle," it is made from plastic bags and twine that give an Alice in Wonderland feeling because they are so high.
Up the street and around the corner, at Grand and Telegraph, is the gallery group that centers around the Esteban Sabar Gallery and the Mama Buzz Café. One block of 23rd street is closed to traffic on "First Fridays." Crowds of college-aged kids watch a street performer create his own stage on a garbage can, put a spoon in his nose, pretend to be caught in an animal trap and do other outlandish things to make the crowd laugh. The enjoyment of the evening in the big city street is contagious. Videos are projected on to the blank wall of a very large building a few blocks away.
Esteban Sabar was staging a blockbuster show called "Full Frontal." If you like looking at naked men, you will love this show, since they have a lot of drawings, paintings and photos of male nudes. Fernando Reyes' charcoal drawings are especially appealing. Marty McCorkle paints nudes with swirled and swoopy ribbons of color. Don't miss the three assemblages of the freedom fight of a black man. More information can be found at www.estebansabar.com.
In this gallery group, Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) proudly proclaims itself to be a collective. The artists' statement in the window refers the viewer to www.rpscollective.com. Inside, a black ball gown, and tent-like structures of knitted green wool in various shades and textures, are suspended from the ceiling. There is also a great collection of hand-made pamphlets and books, clothing and trinkets.
On the corner outside RPS, Zack charges $1 and up for a poem, which he can write for you right there on the spot. His email address is cloudsoftoday(at)yahoo.com.
Mama Buzz is a five-seat-counter coffee shop with racks of newspapers and art postcards along one wall. The gallery is in the next room. There is a back room with seats under a canopy that lightly shields from the night sky.
There is also outside seating in front. A tasty panini sandwich and a cup of tea were promptly and politely served. They also have their own web site at www.mamabuzzcafe.com. A big sign behind the sink proclaims that no alcohol will be sold to persons under 21 years of age.
The more ancient gallery hopper may be all tired out by 9 p.m. and want to take the shuttle back to the Oakland Museum. The rest of the galleries may have to wait for another month. Be prepared for a half-hour wait. The only thing lacking in a great art evening was a place to sit down to wait for the bus.
Up the street and around the corner, at Grand and Telegraph, is the gallery group that centers around the Esteban Sabar Gallery and the Mama Buzz Café. One block of 23rd street is closed to traffic on "First Fridays." Crowds of college-aged kids watch a street performer create his own stage on a garbage can, put a spoon in his nose, pretend to be caught in an animal trap and do other outlandish things to make the crowd laugh. The enjoyment of the evening in the big city street is contagious. Videos are projected on to the blank wall of a very large building a few blocks away.
Esteban Sabar was staging a blockbuster show called "Full Frontal." If you like looking at naked men, you will love this show, since they have a lot of drawings, paintings and photos of male nudes. Fernando Reyes' charcoal drawings are especially appealing. Marty McCorkle paints nudes with swirled and swoopy ribbons of color. Don't miss the three assemblages of the freedom fight of a black man. More information can be found at www.estebansabar.com.
In this gallery group, Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) proudly proclaims itself to be a collective. The artists' statement in the window refers the viewer to www.rpscollective.com. Inside, a black ball gown, and tent-like structures of knitted green wool in various shades and textures, are suspended from the ceiling. There is also a great collection of hand-made pamphlets and books, clothing and trinkets.
On the corner outside RPS, Zack charges $1 and up for a poem, which he can write for you right there on the spot. His email address is cloudsoftoday(at)yahoo.com.
Mama Buzz is a five-seat-counter coffee shop with racks of newspapers and art postcards along one wall. The gallery is in the next room. There is a back room with seats under a canopy that lightly shields from the night sky.
There is also outside seating in front. A tasty panini sandwich and a cup of tea were promptly and politely served. They also have their own web site at www.mamabuzzcafe.com. A big sign behind the sink proclaims that no alcohol will be sold to persons under 21 years of age.
The more ancient gallery hopper may be all tired out by 9 p.m. and want to take the shuttle back to the Oakland Museum. The rest of the galleries may have to wait for another month. Be prepared for a half-hour wait. The only thing lacking in a great art evening was a place to sit down to wait for the bus.
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