Experiencing Vallejo’s Arts District
Experiencing Vallejo’s Arts District
The burgeoning arts scene is a must-do
By Molly Blake
I’m not much of an expert in art. I tend toward bright colors and paintings that are slightly abstract, but that’s the extent of my art knowledge. However, I knew I liked Stefanie Hannan’s paintings the minute I laid eyes on them. Big, inky purples, sunny yellows and deep Pinot reds dominate the canvas works—burly girly motorcycles and heavenly wine country scenes—that hang in her Vallejo, California, gallery and art studio: in Oils.
When I wandered in on a recent Monday, it was quiet, as most galleries don’t open until midweek. Tucked in the studio’s corner in front of a wide canvas, the redheaded Hannan was putting the finishing touches on one of those idyllic vino pieces. On most edays, students ages six–84 are clad in paint-spattered aprons, sitting hunched in front of wooden easels and armed with long, thin paintbrushes. They take cues and direction from Hannan, a local Vallejoan, who opened the studio two years ago to teach drawing, papier-mâché and oil painting, and sell her own art.
“It’s really a privilege to see the students learn and really appreciate art,” said Hannan.
A new color for Vallejo
As I strolled around Vallejo’s downtown area, the epicenter of the emerging arts scene, and talked to local artists and fellow wanderers, I notice there’s a hunger here in Vallejo. Everywhere I turned, I was surrounded by art. Even storefront windows feature local artist installations courtesy of the Vallejo Art Windows project, which brings high quality art to empty storefronts. There’s a plucky, artsy, bohemian movement that’s building slowly but surely, and nowhere is it more palpable than Nathan’s Conscious Cup, a narrow coffee shop on Georgia Street that serves fair trade organic coffees and teas, as well as handcrafted kombucha. David El has worked at Nathan’s since moving to Vallejo in August. He came here singing a familiar song, one that has drawn a cadre of artists and musicians—some finding a new home in The Temple Art Lofts’ live/work environment— to this Napa River waterfront enclave that’s just a 45-minute ferry ride from San Francisco.
“I was priced out of Oakland,” said El, who sat down to chat after serving me a foamy latte in a Mason jar mug. We were interrupted a bunch, but only because El knew just about every person who walked in—he greeted them all.
Nathan’s is for anyone who grew up on coffee culture. The non-Starbucks. Owners Daniel Phillips and Cherrone Silverman spin Kate Bush and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young records on classic vinyl nights, and host New Age jazz bands. They also fully embrace the emerging arts scene, participating in art events, even hosting art lessons on occasion. Nathan’s and other local businesses, like Opus in Oils, are the backbone of Vallejo’s cultural renaissance.
Piece by piece, Vallejo’s downtown is being transformed into a vibrant arts district that encompasses a diverse collection of talented artists. It’s becoming its own unique corner in the world, one that’s fueled by artistic talent and a need for expression.
A throwback to the future
Downtown is a several-block area with wide, clean sidewalks and art gallery gems like Artiszen, a community space encouraging artistic growth; Obtainium Works, a steampunk space where steam-powered art is created from repurposed industrial parts (if you’re here in December, definitely catch the steampunk and arts influenced, annual Mad Hatter Parade); and Moonfish Artworks, a mosaic art studio and gallery. But, it’s Empress Theatre that anchors this burgeoning artsy population.
The Empress Theatre, a Beaux Arts style theater complete with a big shiny marquee and ticket booth, was built in 1911. For years, it hosted vaudeville acts, and later, films. But the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake left it unstable, and so, the 460-seat theater sat unused for 20 years following the quake. Finally, in 2008, it reopened and has since hosted an impressive lineup of musical acts from blues and jazz to funk and Americana, comedy performances, charity concerts, local musical theater performances and events. Trumpet master Chuck MacKinnon “Mactet” let loose a few tunes in August, reggae star Earl Zero played in September, and when I walked in, crews were cleaning up after The Rocky Horror Picture Show party and midnight movie. Regional favorites Roy Rogers, a slide guitarist, and violinist extraordinaire Carlos Reyes also grace this stage! The best way to experience these art houses and downtown’s galleries and shops is on the second Friday of every month, during the Vallejo Art Walk, where every corner of the district comes alive with color, music and discussion. Local dive bar favorite Town House Cocktails, in particular, comes alive every night with a wonderful array of entertainment.
I remember what El said, rather proudly, as I looked at the theater and its revitalized surroundings. Vallejo is a place for “multi-disciplinary artists to really hone their craft.” Like Jeff Snell, who lives and works in a cavernous loft-style space just off the downtown grid. Snell’s paintings have an urban paint-splatterer’s edge to them and hang in groupings on seemingly mile-high white walls. He says his fellow Vallejo artists have “lit a spark” in the downtown scene and he is hopeful that the vitality—the sudden emergence of craftsman and creators—will draw art lovers and collectors.
On the Waterfront
After my exploration of the arts district, I wandered down to the Vallejo waterfront where eateries like Mare Island Brewing Co., Zio Fraedo’s and Front Room at the Wharf all boast river views and a low-key vibe. Standing by the waterfront, I could clearly see the remnants of this former shipyard city’s past, and I realized then how much had changed. The once rugged Vallejo—named after General Mariano G. Vallejo—which was nearly made a ghost town when the Navy departed is now a place where progression lives at every turn, literally. The fingers of Vallejo’s art movement are transforming the buildings’ walls and utility boxes with vibrant street art. Two community art spaces welcome all talents and ideas, offering youth art classes, gallery shows, workshops, music, poetry and community activities. Scattered around are also about 20 individual studios, galleries and businesses that sponsor exhibiting artists (see below). The movement is spreading to every nook and cranny, embracing a new future. Artists came here in search of a place that was primed for some heart and soul. They found it. Vallejo’s downtown just needed a fresh coat of paint to bring out its spirit of creativity.
Discover the artistic side of downtown Vallejo’s businesses with this quick guide:
KEY
g-gallery
e-exhibits
s-studio
p-performance
GEORGIA STREET
g The Hub Vallejo
g Artiszen Gallery
p Town House
e Pieced on Earth
g Design by David
g The W.O.R.K.S. Gallery
g Procyon Gallery
e The McCune Collection
g Vibrata Chromodoris
e Nathan's Conscious Cup
SACRAMENTO STREET
g TrojanMonk Gallery
MARIN STREET
Leaf (restaurant)
g Art District at Florida and Marin
s Stan Clark's AstroBotanicals
g Moonfish Gallery
e Integri-Tea
e Vallejo BookStore
g William Sievert Gallery
g Opus in Oils
e The Unconventional Garden
g Dots In Common
g Adolfo hair and art
g Diana's Dressing Room
e Syncircus
e Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum
Explore what else Vallejo has to offer!
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