The Arroyo Arts Collective presents the:

Yarn Bombing 18th Street

An Exhibition of Temporary Site-Specific Installations And Gallery Work

The Arroyo Arts Collective and the 18th Street Art Center invite artists to participate in Yarn Bombing 18th Street, an exhibition comprised of site specific yarn based installations and gallery hung work on the grounds of the 18th Street Art Center.

If you have ever thought to yourself, “Hey, that tree could use a sweater,” or “Wouldn’t knit flowers look good in that empty planting box,” then we have an exhibit for you. The act of Yarn Bombing combines the art of street installation with needlework to create colorful, unexpected, funny and sometimes political messages in a venue shared by everyone. Attach a handmade cozy or sweater to a doorknob, patio bench, light post or parking meter post or create a garden filled with flowers, food items or other organic items.

This is a two-fold exhibition, and will also include a more traditional wall display inside the gallery. We are looking for all types of yarn art, and encourage both novice and expert crafters with open arms. We’d love to see works which are funny, functional, use unusual materials and/or push the knit/crochet envelope. Recycled knit and fiber materials are encouraged.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS

This yarn bombing event will take place in and around the grounds of the 18th Street Arts Center on June 18th, 2011.

An introduction to the Center and walkthrough of the project will be led by Arzu Arda Kosar and Heather Hoggan Saturday, February 19th between 2:00 – 5:00p.m. The Center is located at 1653 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90404, where we will meet at Studio #5. Maps of the center grounds will be available at the walkthrough. Attendees are then invited to join us for the 18th Street Arts Center Art Night on February 19th, 6-10pm, to experience the complex during this special event as ours will unfold during the next ArtNight on June 18th.

Entrants are encouraged to attend the orientation/site tour or one of our stitch 'n bitch meetings every 3rd Saturday thereafter. Each participant will claim their spot and propose a site specific project during the orientation. Space is available on a first come first serve basis. We will keep accepting new applications at these meetings as long as space remains available.

Due to the site specific nature of the work, local participants should visit the space at least once before submitting a proposal, but exceptions can be made for highly enthusiastic parties (out of town / international applicants?) who would like to work out a way to participate. We would like the proposal to include a digital image of the location/item you want to tag and a brief paragraph describing your idea. You may visit http://yarnbombing18th.weebly.com/gallery.html to view some images of the space for inspiration.

Mail to:
Yarn Bombing 18th Street
1653 18th Street, Studio #5
Santa Monica, CA 9040

For Questions or More Information – Email: yarnbombing18@gmail.com

Arzu Arda Kosar, 18th Street Art Center: Arzu is a resident artist at the 18th Street Arts Center, whose mission is “to provoke public dialogue through contemporary art making.” For more info on Arzu you may visit www.arzuardakosar.org

Heather Hoggan, Arroyo Arts Collective: Heather is a visual artist and designer who is active in the knitting community. She is the co-president of the Arroyo Arts Collective, a grassroots, community based organization of artists, poets, musicians, craft persons and supporters of the creative community in Northeast Los Angeles. For more information on the AAC please visit http://arroyoartscollective.org.