"Highway 2 - the journey and the destination" Art Show at DIGGS gives back to non profit; show ends July 31

It's a show that's done a lot more than hang on a wall. There have been workshops about forestry, climate change and fire, and motorcycle technical skills workshops, aimed at saving lives. The show boasts some well known artists, but it has also served to showcase the work of many first-time exhibitors, such as Craig Bobchin, Thai Long Ly, Wendy Walker and Noel Kent Martin.

"Being selected for the Highway 2 show gave me the confidence to start submitting my work to other shows" said Craig Bobchin, who has four pieces in the show from Mount Wilson Observatory. "Four of my pieces were accepted in the Los Angeles County Fair this year. This is the first time I've submitted work to the Fair and I don't think I would have considered it if it weren't for the Highway 2 show."

Thai Long Ly and Noel Kent Martin have both been semi-pro and professional photographers for most of their lives. But they've never seen their work in a gallery setting before.

Wendy Walker, from the high desert side of Angeles Crest Highway in Wrightwood, is now organizing a local multi-artist show in her own neck of the woods.

There's some self-inflicted obstacles in the art world that prevent a lot of would-be exhibitors from getting their first chance at a show. Highway 2 - the journey and the destination is geared specifically to encourage new exhibitors. The last two shows had no entry fee and in some cases, assistance was offered in getting pieces ready for presentation. Which is nearly unheard of in the southern California art scene. The energetic and financial burden of the show fell on the shoulders of Redbird, the non profit association hosting and curating the exhibition. The show statement explains why.

People need nature. It’s not just a fad. Our emotional and physical well being can benefit tremendously from tuning out of the daily grind of our lives and tuning in to the natural world.

Recreation…literally, re-creation…has many forms. Some people come to the forest looking for a quiet place to meditate. Some enjoy the physical challenge of a strenuous hike or bicycle ride. Some people make art. Some people enjoy the view from the comfort of their vehicles. Some spend their time doing volunteer service…planting trees, building trails, removing invasive species. Some forest visitors come not only for the sanctuary of the forest, but for the highway itself…a two lane stretch of asphalt known as Angeles Crest…scenic, challenging, technical.

The Highway 2 show embraces what I like to refer to as “the best days of our lives”. Those of us who take the time to re-create in the Angeles, regardless of how we do it, share something very special and difficult to define. We develop a sense of community and a sensitivity of self. We are feeding our souls. Making memories. Living life out loud.

That glory does not come without a cost. Sometimes the mountains which fill our world with beauty are also where we lose our loved ones. The more people we meet, the more friends we make, the more our circle of extended family grows, the more likely we are to share in the loss when someone loses their life…in a hiking accident, or through severe weather, or on the highway itself.

Yet we return. On some instinctual level we understand that a life without the cooling breath of nature, without open sky above, without the scent of trees and the feel of the wind and the sight of stars…it is only half a life.

We grieve. And we go on.

Highway 2 - the journey and the destination is an art show born from the desire to make a difference…to raise our awareness and appreciation of not only the forest but all of its diverse users…and to enhance our experience of the forest by providing educational opportunities that can expand our understanding, and maybe even save lives.

DIGGS shared in the production and hosting of Highway 2 by offering their space at no cost, and printing beautiful postcards to advertise the show, allowing the exhibition to continue a fairly unprecedented, nearly continuous six month run that began in December 2016 in Santa Clarita. The show winds down this impressive run on July 31.

Many of the exhibiting artists...established and new...have donated their pieces to the show. There's still time to visit DIGGS and see the works, in watercolor, mixed media, in photographs, clay and wood carving, by 26 artists, and including unframed prints starting at $20.00 for the entry-level art budget. Located on Ocean View Boulevard in Montrose, visit DIGGS:

http://glendalediggs.com

Meanwhile, in Moorpark, California, Redbird will host its signature event, the Children of Many Colors Native American Powwow, this coming weekend, July 14-16. Everyone is welcome to this family oriented cultural celebration. You can learn more about the powwow on Redbird's website and via our Facebook event:

http://www.redbirdsvision.org/...

https://www.facebook.com/event...

Highway 2 - the journey and the destination exhibiting artists:

Aaron Dooley,Yannis Samaris, Lynne Fearman, Pete Morris, Kimberly Ann Talbert, Corina Roberts, Randy Emata, Craig Bobchin, Sofia Zueva, Wendy Walker, Raffi Kaprielian, Duke Trinh, Kai Reiss,
Allan Reyes, Thai Long Ly, Skye Amber Sweet, Guido Frazzini, Eddie Urfano, Noel Kent Martin, Kimberly Kellerman, Leslie Walstedt, Maree Cheatam, Brian Bettelyoun, Sonny Putro