Gaylen Young and Don Martin talk highbrow art at Bakersfield's Metro Galleries - By N.L. Belardes
Channel 17's Gaylen Young talks to Don Martin
On April 12th, the same day as the Noveltown mixer, I met legendary Bakersfield newscaster Gaylen Young from KGET channel 17 outside of the original location of Metro Galleries. It was a strange windy day to be near Eye and 20th Street. Freeways were closed and there were a lot of accident reports coming in from news sources. Gaylen himself had to wait for his cameraman.
When he showed up, we greeted each other and walked inside. Right away we all realized we were in the wrong place, because even though the sign outside still read “Metro Galleries”, inside was an empty husk of an art gallery.
Gaylen apologized to a man sweeping the floor and soon enough we walked to a much better gallery location on nearby 1604 19th street.
As soon as we walked in, I was amazed at the ambiance of the new Metro Galleries. Don Martin greeted Gaylen, the cameraman and I, and right away we talked about the modern art of Mike Barker and Veronika Constantine. Their works adorned both walls in a lengthy room that is soon to host events in its gallery, wine and coffee bar. It’s a perfect venue for upscale events. As Gaylen Young put it, “Bakersfield is getting highbrow.”
“We had a lot of floods at the old gallery,” said Don Martin. “We also wanted to expand but couldn’t. So we moved to this new location.”
Is downtown Bakersfield changing before our eyes?
There are outlets around town for local art and even other art galleries at the colleges, but not quite the highbrow feel of Metro Galleries. Closest might be the Bakersfield Museum of Modern Art. Does that mean the gallery is pretentious and pushy? Not at all. The gallery is roomy, eye-appealing, and Don Martin is a gracious host. There’s artsy furniture, exquisite art, and a feeling that this is where gallery-goers will want to go after dressing up for a nice dinner.
If you want to intellectualize and socially network in a way that takes you outside of Bakersfield, go to Metro Galleries. You won't even have to leave town.
The Metro Galleries are also going to offer lofts. Bring the people to live downtown...
More:
By bringing such art to Bakersfield—similar to how The Noveltown Review brings many new fiction/non-fiction writers to town via a literary arts journal—Bakersfield culture gets an added cultural uplift.
That isn’t to say local art doesn’t have its place in other local venues. Just as the Paperback Writer blog is a place to talk about Bakersfield happenings, The Noveltown Review features literary arts on a whole new level for the Central Valley and Bakersfield. Like the Metro Galleries, The Noveltown Review is simply grounded in Bakersfield.
Now watch Gaylen Young interview Don Martin at the Metro Galleries:
More:
Gaylen Young talks about Noveltown and downtown art...
Labels: Art, Bakersfield, blog, downtown arts, independent literary press, Metro Galleries, Noveltown
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Monday, April 16, 2007.
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i love the term, "highbrow." how classy and elegant is that? just wonderful.
the arts are expanding in bakersfield and it's all coming in tasteful style. exciting!
i look forward to more news coverage on many more subjects concerning bakersfield arts ~ literary and otherwise! :)
It looks great in there. I liked the old gallery alot too. great stuff in there. I'm not quite understanding the term "highbrow" though. Sounds pretty arrogant. But maybe I'm missing the meaning of the word.
The Metro Galleries looks really cool and unlike any other art space in Bakersfield. I will definitely be checking it out.
Bakersfield is growing culturally... its nice to see the arts reaching out to bring artists to town the way Noveltown is bringing writers to town in our literary magazine The Noveltown Review.
"BRINGING ARTIST TO TOWN..."
hmmm, the TMG at CSUB has been bringing renowned artist to this city for years; especially now with new gallery director Micheal Johnson in charge.
Micheal is extremely knowledgeable concerning art and is very well established in the artworld of Los Angeles and has a a plethora of resources and world renowned artist within his reach. All with less pretense and the hype created by other galleries in town.
Moreover, Let's just remember that regardless of how pretty a venue for art is, the environment is secondary to the art contained within. The gloss and "highbrow" nature of a space only conceals the mudane and ever so pedestrian works adorning its walls. Perhaps when works by Chris Burden, Mike Kelley, Andrea Zittel, or wonderful newcomers such as Amanda Camerer are exhibited for consumption I'll be impressed. Until such a time arrives, I am unimpressed. Perhaps, all of this is due to the arrogance and pretense I've experienced at certain venues in Bakersfield; which, ironically, for some odd reason, is ever more prevalent there than in the most "highbrow" of galleries in Los Angeles (where you'd expect elitism and arrogance to be rampant within the art scene, but it's just not there)
I agree. CSUB, Bakersfield College, BOMA, 18th Street and others have all brought art into Bakersfield. I don't see the point in being 'unimpressed' though. It's an effort. And that's what matters. And it brings more art downtown.
CSUB is far from downtown and hasn't been known as a fourishing center for cultural arts, though arts come through there... CSUB has a small arts scene... and hopefully it will grow.
But being unimpressed? Come on...
Okay. Yes, there is a wonderfully beautiful commercial gallery space somewhere downtown. I do like the space, but I'll probably never support it (although there is a piece I'd really love to purchase).
I feel the need to clarify my criticisms and perhaps specify where my dislike for this particular article originated.
First off, the term "highbrow art," I feel, implies that innovative, cutting edge art is hung on the walls of this space; it's not. As I stated before, it's rather pedestrian, but this is only my opinion and I am by no means, the final word on edgy art, and people can be made to purchase anything if it's hyped up enough.
My second issue arose when you stated in your article, "There are outlets around town for local art and even other art galleries at the colleges, but not quite the highbrow feel of Metro Galleries"
Again, I encountered that word, "highbrow" and felt the need to make the points I did. However, in retrospect, I do realize that it is a "commercial gallery" and as such, the space needs to be as shiny and appealing as possible, while still maintaing a neutral, non-polarizing atmosphere.
My final mentions of pretense and elitism arose from some of your final words: "That isn’t to say local art doesn’t have its place in other local venues."
Those words helped me remember that I was once scornfully reminded with a contemptuous smile and harsh words that, "there are no real artists in Bakersfield" and "if you want [a certain artist'] paintings, there's a place for that [like coffee shops on corners]."
Last year, I thought how pretentious and distasteful, but here I am reading the same thing in your article. By default the highbrow nature of the glossy shiny space necessitates that the non-existant Bakersfield artists be relegated to "other venues" as if they have no commercial viability (a viability that is masked by perpetuating the pretense that "there are no artist in Bakersfield)
Well, anyhow, I suppose I will make one concession and agree with you, "It's an effort. And that's what matters. And it brings more art
downtown." Even at the cost of perpetuating an elitist artistic culture that is dismissive of creative talent in Bakersfield.
well, I am sure you appreciate this blog fodder, enjoy.
You're right. My piece did read too elitist and I apologize for that.
A larger piece covering several art galleries, and writing about them on an equal level would have been better...
As long as people believe that art is what you find in one of those otherwise empty storefronts in East Hills Mall, then we will have a shortage of good art.
I found a nice watercolor artist selling giclees of her work at the Bakersfield College garden show of all places. I know a couple of other good "local" artists whose work I also collect.
Don't let the thrift-store-worthy crap at East Hills drown out the good stuff. When there's a good enough venue, and a sophisticated enough market of collectors, the good will eventually drown out the bad.
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