Recently, MacPherson’s collaborated with an Oakland-based local arts & entertainment paper called the East Bay Express in an effort to promote understanding and appreciation of aerosol art as a valid and upcoming art form.
The East Bay Express first held a newspaper box painting event. An invitation was extended to 40 local artists to come out to the Oakland Museum on a Sunday in June, and paint a newspaper box using Montana Gold spray paint. Seasoned users and artists new to painting by spray can shared the full spectrum of 91 colors to create their own unique works of art. The newspaper boxes turned out amazing, and they’ll be placed at highly trafficked areas in the local community for all to enjoy, becoming eye-catching functional works of public art.
Before placing the finished boxes out in the community, they were exhibited at the Oakland Museum in July during the East Bay Express “Best of the Bay” party. This was a nighttime event that was free to the public and featured live music, dancing, art vendors, food & beverage vendors, a skateboard demo area, as well as community groups. In addition, 4 local aerosol artists did a live mural painting on Art Alternatives canvas. There was also a Montana/ Art Alternatives booth, where people could come and get their name done graffiti style with Montana Hardcore markers on a 12”x12” Art Alternatives canvas free of charge by a local artist. People of all ages lined up for over an hour just to get their own personal piece of art to take home!
The party was attended by a few thousand people, who enjoyed themselves by eating, drinking, and dancing the night away surrounded by incredible works of aerosol art!