Pacific Art Collective - Cultural Xposure Through Unity of Art

Shoppers and tourists curiously poked their heads into the Stop Art Gallery at Santana Row on Saturday to get a glimpse of what event-host William Rowan and assistant director of the gallery Magali Charmot called "Live art."

Rowan, a former software sales representative for an Internet security firm that went belly-up in San Jose, decided to follow his passion for art. He is the founder of the Pacific Art Collective, an organization that promotes local artists.

With his business background and his passion for art, Rowan has a strategic sales plan he said would benefit everyone involved. "We promote venues that promote the local artists, which promotes San Jose," Rowan said. "We want people out there to know that San Jose is also an art capital, not just a tech capital."

Rowan said the events, named the PAC Session, are held at venues that donate their space for local artists to display and perform their art. In return the venues receive free publicity.

"Everything is donated from our sponsors to make this happen," Rowan said. "We also do auctions, and all the sales from the artwork goes to the artists."

Saturday's event was filled with shoppers and guests who watched live performances by singers, actors, poets, instrumentalists and disc jockeys, who were scratching on turntables.

The only artists performing live art simultaneously during the live music and vocal performances were painters and illustrators such as Kendelle Hoyer, a junior illustration and animation student at San Jose State University.

"It's great and interesting," said Katie Barker, a former SJSU student, referring to Hoyer's live sketch of a white wall with an abstract art piece located in a corner of the gallery. "It must be hard to focus with other things going on because I know I couldn't do it."

Hoyer, who sat for hours sketching, shouted above the reggae music, "I'm not great at drawing abstract. I just draw where I am."

When Rowan came to Stop Art to make a proposal for Saturday's event, gallery owner and artist Emmanuel Flipo thought it was a great idea, said Charmot, an SJSU sophomore.

Flipo was scheduled to perform in Rowan's event, which could have been his last performance in San Jose, Charmot said. But, because of previous engagements in France, Flipo could not attend and perform in Saturday's event. "Stop Art will close in June, and (Emmanuel) and (wife) Lilou are moving back to Southern France to pursue other art projects," Charmot said. 'The couple may be opening another gallery there."

Flipo did a live art performance of a 100-foot political statement with crystal salt and color pigments on the entrance street of Santana Row in February. The piece was titled, "No Blood For Oil."

"Money isn't the only issue," Charmot said. "The economy isn't good and (Emmanuel) has been an artist for 25 years. (The gallery) could go on a year or two but (Emmanuel) and Lilou have been doing this seven days a week. He wants to work on his art too. He's not a businessman. He loves art, and it's what he does."

Charmot made it clear that Flipo was not forced out.

"They're purist, meaning they are into pure contemporary art," she added. "They want to show abstract art and sometimes it may not sell easily as other art because most people don't understand it. But it's their passion."

With several art enthusiasts and curious viewers, Saturday's event gave them exposure to contemporary art.

Tan Huynh, a local artist visiting the gallery, pointed out a vibrant and colorful abstract portrait of a man playing a piano.

"If I had money, I would buy this painting," Huynh said. "It has good technical use of color, and it attracts the viewers' eyes. It doesn't have that phony quality where all the artists are copying each other styles."

As Rowan ran around greeting guests, he expressed regret that Flipo couldn't attend the event.

"The arts are dying, and San Jose has a lot of local artists," he said. "It's unfortunate for San Jose that (Flipo is) leaving."

Rowan said that in the meantime he is trying to raise $30,000 to cover 40 local artists from all genres to represent San Jose. He said it would be a three-day event similar to Saturday's, but in New York City next year.

Charmot said she will be interning for an advertising agency in Paris this summer, but will return in the fall.

"I'm looking forward to working with the arts in San Jose," she said. "I'm motivated."