Saturday Arts Market focuses on young artists

Tulare,CA,USA

By Aaron Collins

Each month, Visalia's First Saturday Arts Market manages to keep things interesting for Tulare County arts lovers. New artists, new musical talent and an ever-changing mix of visitors have characterized this grass-roots arts event.

Saturday's market will find several newcomers selling their wares. As always, the event is free. Arts Market browsers will welcome the time shift to evenings, escaping the afternoon heat of prior markets.

One notable emerging Visalia artist exhibiting will be Charlie Mirador, 23, a College of the Sequoias student. Mirador will be exhibiting his characteristically quirky mixed-media assemblages and canvases, like the ones that stole last year's Visalia Art League membership show -- as a student entry.

Originally from San Jose, Mirador draws inspiration for his art from all around the Visalia area. Although his work can appear whimsical on its face, this weekend's offerings explore themes related to Tulare County's poverty and teen-pregnancy rates, which are among the highest in California.

For Saturday's street arts market, Mirador will take his work back to the streets, where he finds many of the materials to make his art.

"It's fitting, because I believe [the street is what] I can relate to. I started doing graffiti when I was a kid, dying my hair, stuff like that," he said. "On the street I can relate with people who aren't as fortunate, who are more interested in the art rather than the art market."

His Arts Market exhibit will feature "found art" works, a genre that features an odd mix of materials like cardboard, plywood and parts of lampposts. Like many contemporary artists interested in graffiti art, Mirador employs stencils, which graffiti artists prefer for quick tags that help them avoid the authorities.

Although a politically conscious undercurrent imbues his art, Mirador's concerns are up close and personal. But if much so-called political art amounts to little more than a screed, Mirador intends his work as a return to a simpler world.

He finds comfort in mass-market consumer imagery that mingles lots of text, bold images and traditional drawing. This latter element reflects his generation's return to traditional academic art techniques, which were abandoned in the '60s and '70s by many arts schools in favor of honing artists' conceptual skills.

Like many artists who find few art-gallery venues in Tulare County -- and even fewer art buyers -- Mirador has sold little of his work. This fact does not dissuade him.

Not surprisingly, his few patrons hail mostly from the social-services sector, including Gail Johnson of Partners for Youth Vision, Inc., and Visalia grant-writer Mike Felts. Mirador is no stranger to the services.

The Arts Markets continue each first Saturday of the month through October. It features live music, food and beverages and the talents of our area's established and emerging artists.

Aaron Collins serves on the board of directors of Arts Council of Tulare County and is director of the Central California Art Institute.