Art Rise hosts first illustration battle [Photo Essay]
Photos by Angie Stong
At 7 p.m. on Friday, March 6, the Indie Arts Market in Savannah’s Starland District filled up as local band Culture Vulture’s drummers rhythmically checked their sound. The beats of the high hat, bass and snare brought in a crowd to the previously empty marketplace. A stop sign sat in the middle of Desoto Avenue, barring cars from entering. On the first Friday of every month, this street belongs to the Art March.
This month Art Rise Savannah hosted their first ever Starland Wall-to-Wall, an illustration battle pitting two local artists up against one another in what the flyer promised to be an “epic mural battle.”
SCAD students Johel Rivera — a second-year double major in animation and sequential art from Cartago, Costa Rica — and Jake Larsen — a third-year sequential art major from Tuscon, Arizona — were this month’s artists. They are classmates, according to Rivera, who became involved after another classmate, Corey Vanderlay, organized the event.
When this month’s march kicked off at 6 p.m., the only people occupying the Indie Arts Market were those setting up for the show. The sun was still out, the strands of twinkle lights not yet necessary. The street side of the venue that is usually lined with local craftspeople selling homemade wares remained empty the whole evening.
“We were kind worried when our vendors didn’t show up,” said Kristopher Monroe, president of the board of Art Rise Savannah. “But this has quickly turned into what I think is one of the coolest events we’ve ever done.”
When the sun set and the Foodie Truck at the back of the small field opened up for business and music started calling people in, the Art March community skipped, walked, ran and danced their way into the market where the welcome sign read, “Art Place!”
A small black platform sat flush with the side of the red picket fence on which Culture Vulture performed. On either side of the stage were two approximately 8-foot high white canvases. Rivera and Larsen sketched and painted to the sound of the live music with various sizes of black Sharpie markers and a can each of black paint.
The acts changed as the night progressed. There were live poetry slams and free styling from local rappers Miggs and Knife, members of Dope Sandwich. By the end of the night, bodies were packed into the little backyard party setup as people craned their necks to try and see the illustrations over the audience.
“I can see this really turning into something,” said Monroe. “Not every Art March will be like this exactly. But we are really trying to up our game, so I can definitely see more battles in the future.”
The crowd’s response to the illustrations was too close to call on site, but keep an eye out on the Art Rise Savannah Facebook page for the results.
