RIDE

I was in Santa Ana last night, enjoying the Annual Noche de Altares (where they were charging $20! to get your face painted), when I saw a friend who was on his way to a Douglas Miles exhibit at CSF Grand Central Center, 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana. Getting out of the cold and finding a non-porta pottie restroom sounded good. He said there would be food too. I followed this white-rabbit around the corner to the Santa Ana Arts District and zoomed into a gallery that I knew had a restroom. The whole building of multiple galleries have the same address – 125A, B, C, D, etc., but luckily as I walked quickly towards the restroom, I saw a gallery with Douglas Miles’ signature art at a distance. I point towards it and tell my friend “There!”

When we joined up in the gallery, I was so amazed by the beautiful art work (images of famous Apaches and new Apache icons) spray stenciled on found wood, the walls, skateboards throughout by Douglas Miles and Reanna Ruby. It is a small space, but each wall was appointed interestingly, harmonious with each artist’s work playing off each other. Two pink skateboards star as delicious paleta-like sculptures on the wall. Large graphics of skaters by Cory Oberndorfer expand the space in unpredictable ways , there was even a skate ramp ready for the night’s entertainment.

The exhibit is called “RIDE” and there are even small car displays by lover of low riders Kyle McQuilkin and an all black and white bicycle nook by Tommii Lim. I LOVE black and white art! All my life when asked, “What is your favorite color?” I’d answer “Black!”–although in theory, black is not a color, but a combination of all colors. Still, the curator of RIDE, Elle Seven had me totally engaged and wanting the space to be even larger, so that there would be more RIDE.

If you have a chance to catch this exhibit, you are in for a visual treat. Around the corner from there I fell into an underground old-time paisa billiard bar on Broadway. It had been re-purposed into a cozy modern lodge of architecturally modern natural materials and fibers—wow! But—that’s another post completely. I suppose Santa Ana needs further investigation.

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