Sanctuary 143 is a unique group that operates somewhat like a gallery but has no home, finding different spaces for each show they put on. Last Saturday the “nomadic artist collective” set up camp in The Logan, a new warehouse space in Barrio Logan and the new home of marketing firm Miriello Grafico. Reinventing the Wheel was the second show aimed at exploring the role of the wheel in society; the first was in Orange County and turned out too good to pass up an opportunity to curate one with San Diego artists. The night in Barrio Logan included just about everything: sculptures, paintings, photographs, video installations, custom bicycles, good food and drink, and a demonstration by Velo Cult bike shop. It was a beautifully run event with good vibes and something to spark inspiration in just about anybody.
Photographs Courtesy Sanctuary 143
The space, layout, and art at The Logan was captivating and interesting. The invitation of many artists to work around a thesis allowed for the work to be diverse without being scatterbrained and there was simply a huge quantity and variety of work to see. As you walked through the galleries, an underlying theme stayed in the back of your head and guided your thoughts and response with each piece. It was a true collaborative, communal effort and every piece showed a great amount of detail and care put into them; it was obvious that every artist was very connected to the work they had contributed and very supportive of the project overall. You couldn't help but feel included in the energy behind and through all of the artists.
The key indicator to me that the show was a success is that I went home and made art. I find myself at many art shows having to stretch to find inspiration or meaning in the work or I find myself walking through the whole show in five minutes. On my bike ride home, my mind was overflowing with thoughts and ideas and I had to put them somewhere before I was going to be able to go to sleep. Something deep was communicated to me through everything that went into the event and left me needing to explore my own mind and environment. It's very refreshing to see good people collaborating on good projects and I'm excited to see where Sanctuary 143 settles in next.
For links to contributing artists of Reinventing the Wheel and information about upcoming events, visit Sanctuary 143's website.