Meet the Artist: Alexander Suelto

Posted on October 25, 2019 by digitalgear

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By Nissi Guiao

“I’ve always been interested in art all my life since I can remember,” says Alexander Suelto, a supremely talented local artist residing in downtown. He drew inspiration early on, “watching Bob Ross and Commander Mark and The Secret City as a kid [and reading] comic books like X-Men and Spawn.” Later he “gravitated towards graffiti and listened to a lot of Hip-Hop in high school and took classes that taught [him] graphic design.” Art just naturally became part of him as he became eager to learn more about different ways he could mess around with it. He says, “While in community college, I continued to draw and I took more classes to learn how to digitally alter my work. I took my chances and enrolled into the Academy of Art University in SF majoring in Illustration with a focus on product licensing and childrenʼs books. Graduated in 2015 and I was super stoked to check something huge off my life goals list.”

Working on a Larger Scale

Eventually, Suelto found himself expanding his work on a larger scale—creating massive murals. They’re fun and they bring life and color on a few of our own walls downtown. He tells us, “I got into painting murals from learning how to paint graffiti really. The idea of Z. scaling a sketch from a black book to wall is a fun challenge and [also fun] attracting a larger audience seeing your work.”

Suelto’s got drive. He doesn’t wait for people to come to him, rather he creates works of art and places himself in environments where connections with the right people inadvertently happen. “Painting murals,” he says, “helped connect me to people and more commission work. Iʼve painted everything from kids bedrooms, galleries, corporate offices, local businesses, live mural demonstrations at universities—Iʼve even fully painted on an SUV. Itʼs all been a fun challenge but definitely not an easy one.”

Keeping Creativity Alive

One of the cool and most inspiring things about Suelto is that he works so hard to keep his creativity alive. He seems to always be creating something everyday whether it be through murals, through paintings or now even through tattoos with his own designs. And once you see his work, you can tell that he’s incredibly passionate about what he does. His innovative thinking and out-of-the-box designs will for sure catch your eye. You’ll likely want to know what’s the story that sparked the ideas in his mind. Luckily, we had a chance to interview him about a few of his pieces (some straight from the walls of downtown) so you can catch more of his artistic vibe.

“By Any Means”

To start it all off is a very special piece dedicated to a close friend of his who has since passed. He remembers conversations where they “bounced ideas around about the need for large scale murals downtown to brighten up walls and our community” and we 100% agree.

“This was painted around 2015 during a mural festival called Momentum. It was inspired by late friend Tim Egkan. The oriole bird surrounded by mine oranges is defecting the daily environmental obstacles one would have to face in order to survive. The mural was recently buffed but I was lucky enough to take a picture with my daughter and see it one last time.”

“Mine Over Matter”

Chain link with mines on the end. One mine is breaking off of the chain.

“I painted a few years ago for Max’s Athletics. I wanted to create something in the lines of weight lifting. The mines are in motion with the concept of weight distribution, one is falling down from the sudden snap of the chain link as it is set free. Once I figured it out I smashed this out in 2 days with a really tall ladder.”

Some other murals by Alex Suelto (and friends) in #DowntownStockton

The following are what Suelto refers to as “some of my favorite maybe not-so-favorite-but-I-canʼt-stop-looking-at-these pieces.”

“What Dreams Are Made Of”

Paletero cart parked with plants growing around it. There's also a bird on the handle of the Paletero cart.

“I started working on this painting when I was living in San Francisco while in school. The concept of this painting is inspired by the everyday grind. From Stockton all the way to the Mission in SF where I was currently living. I would see the Paletero man walking up and down the streets, singing and greeting everyone. It was their daily hustle that inspired me to paint this.”

“Ninja Nicky and The Missing Blankies”

Drawing of a kid dressed as a ninja, standing on a tree branch next to a giant blanket fort made by penguin looking birds that are teal. The birds are also in their nest in the fort.

“This is an original watercolor full spread page for a childrenʼs book story I wrote. Itʼs a fun story about a small town and the childrenʼs favorite blankets have gone missing. I really like the process behind writing a story and visually bringing it to life. I have archived this project for the time being but would like to finish all the pages and self publish it at some point.”

Q&A: Fast Three with Suelto

What is Downtown’s Spirit Animal?

A bat. I live in Downtown Stockton and in the early mornings I can see and hear bats flying around.

If you could describe downtown in just one word, what would it be?

History.

What is your favorite downtown eatery?

Papa Urbs, no doubt.

We have mad respect for every one of the local artists and we’re grateful and proud Alexander Suelto is one of our own. With creativity through the roof, his passion for art and desire to keep it alive downtown is nothing short of inspiring. He has a handful of other murals along California St., American St. and Weber that we’d love for you to check out! While the sun’s still shining, grab some friends (and good coffee or a drink from one of our local spots), take a walking tour to see the rest of his local, public work in person and get inspired…

“Art is too important not to share.” —Romero Britto

Follow him on IG @swollenfinger to stay see more of his art.

Turning Parking Spaces into Social Spaces

Posted on September 16, 2019 by digitalgear

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PARK(ing) Day in Downtown Stockton

By Jessica Nguyen

Just like it sounds, PARK(ing) Day is an event dedicated to parking spots, but probably not in the way you’re thinking- these aren’t spaces you’d want to back your car into! PARK(ing) Day is a one ⁠— day event that encourages people to rethink parking spaces as public places by temporarily transforming them into unique installations and social spaces. Instead of occupying land with vehicles, PARK(ing) Day explores the plethora of possibilities the space could instead be transformed into when it’s not being occupied by a car- a mini lounge area, gaming space, succulent garden, outside library, art corner, golf course, outside yoga studio, or playground just to name some examples! The goal is to utilize these spaces to activate our streets and create new opportunities for social interaction between members of our community.

The idea of PARK(ing) Day originated in 2005 by an architecture group based in San Francisco. Since then, the annual event has been adopted by cities worldwide and is always held annually on the third Friday of September. First established in Downtown Stockton by the San Joaquin Bike Coalition (SJBC), this year will be downtown’s third annual PARK(ing) Day event. This year, it will take place on Friday, September 20^th, and spaces will be set up throughout the day between the hours of 10am and 2pm.

Why is Park(ing) Day held in Downtown Stockton?

Kari McNickle, Board President of the San Joaquin Bike Coalition, explains that downtown, “offers a great density of businesses, employees strolling on their lunch hour, and an opportunity to really rethink how we use our streets.” In addition, organizations, local artists, and other Park(ing) Day participants get the chance to showcase their creativity when converting the parking spaces into more interactive experiences. In past years, downtown spaces have been turned into art lounges, game rooms, and there was one year where a DJ setup was featured! Don’t miss the opportunity to spend your Friday taking in the experiences born from Downtown Stockton’s creative energy. As Kari says herself, “the creativity is pretty impressive.”

There is so much to get excited about when visiting downtown, and Park(ing) Day is definitely one of them! Kari loves, “seeing people stop on their walk around downtown and engaging with the spaces. It’s a friendly and fun way to disrupt the routine and help people think differently about a street they may stroll down every day.” Parking spaces take up quite a bit of space (think of all the public spaces taken up along entire streets, parking lots, and even garages!), so it will be refreshing and interesting to see some spaces conceptualized in completely new and unique ways. The creativity adds color and excitement to parking spaces that otherwise exist solely for functional purposes.

From Installation to Application

There is even potential for permanent transformation: some Park(ing) Day installments find their forever home. For example, since Downtown Stockton’s first Park(ing) Day, downtown has had its first parklet installed in front of Trail Coffee. The space now serves as a vibrant outdoor seating area (if you haven’t seen it already, you should really check it out, it’s adorable!). Offering these outdoor spaces, such as outdoor seating for restaurants or cafés, make the entire street feel safer and much more lively- hopefully this is the start of a new trend! These outdoor spaces would be a great way to foster social interactions. This year, there will be at least five transformed spaces downtown. Interested in knowing what they are? We’re not telling you, because as Kari says, “you’ll have to come see to find out!”

Downtown’s Art Walk

Posted on July 12, 2019 by digitalgear

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By Jessica Nguyen

“Art is too important not to share.”
– Romero Britto, famous Brazilian artist, painter, serigrapher and sculptor

Everyone has a little bit of an artist in them. You might disagree, and think to yourself, “I don’t paint,” or “HA. I can only draw stick figures.” What we often forget is that art is a form of expression– and you can express yourself any way you want to. You may not be the next Picasso, Shakespeare or Beethoven, and sure, your piece of artwork probably won’t become as famous as the Mona Lisa, but this doesn’t change the fact that you expressed yourself – your thoughts, feelings, and/or emotions you may not have necessarily been able to put into words.

What is Art Splash?

Appreciation for art expression is not lost on Joy Neas, Coordinator of Downtown Stockton’s ArtSplash, a FREE, self-guided tour of various downtown venues that display local art of all shapes, sizes, color, and variety. Being a photographer, crocheter, and sidewalk chalk art enthusiast herself, Joy encourages artists of all skill levels to display their work in ArtSplash events, stating, “we have everybody, we accept everybody. We give an immersive experience.” She continues, “It’s one thing to make art, but to feel like you’re a real artist, you need to show your art.” And show art they do- past ArtSplash artists have showcased everything from photography, music, weaving, sculpting, drawing, painting, ceramics, animation, and more!

From toddlers to senior citizens and all stages in between, ArtSplash has proudly displayed art from artists of all ages. It reminds us that art has no age limit- all that’s needed is the passion to create (some paintbrushes or musical instruments would probably help, too). Some unique art displays featured in past ArtSplash events included a local filmmaker who showcased her original short films and a Renaissance Group who wove and made ceramics while adorned in their renaissance-styled attire. Some displays are even interactive, allowing visitors to join in on the painting or model for an art piece (if you’ve always wanted to model and never had the chance, this is your opportunity!).

Why Downtown?

Why is Downtown Stockton the perfect location for ArtSplash? Joy shares that there are many reasons, including the simple fact that she loves the downtown area. “Downtown to me is the heart of the city. Downtown has so much character with the historical buildings, beautiful waterfront, and all the different cultures that make up Stockton.” Another reason Downtown Stockton is the ideal location for ArtSplash is that it helps people to “get to know these buildings.” Having art displayed in various downtown venues means that visitors get to view the inside of buildings they otherwise would have never had the chance to see. For instance, RTD was an ArtSplash venue, and visitors were able to experience the inside of its beautiful conference room.

Currently in its 8^th year, ArtSplash takes place on the second Fridays of months May through October from 5 – 8 PM at various downtown locations (check our events calendar for more information). There are only a couple ArtSplash events left this season, so what are you waiting for? Get in touch with your creative side and grab some paint, a guitar, a camera, Renaissance gear, flowers- anything! And while you are creating, remember Joy’s words, “Anything can be art.” Check it out TONIGHT!

Joy is always in search of new artists and venues! If you would like to participate in an upcoming ArtSplash event(s) or if you are interested in offering a downtown venue, please contact her at [email protected] she’d love to hear from you!

Press Recording Studio

Posted on March 9, 2019 by digitalgear

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By Andrew Rocha

Downtown Stockton is home to many talented artists. It is a place full of innovation and productivity, with resources to help budding creatives take their work to the next level. For artists interested in music, or engaged in projects requiring an audio component, the Press Recording Studio is ready to record.

Located at 11 South San Joaquin Street, #206, next to the historic Bob Hope (the Fox) Theatre, the Press Recording Studio is a full-service commercial recording studio. It’s relaxed, yet professional, environment features experienced engineers and world-class recording equipment. The Press Recording Studio has been in the downtown area for over five years; this hidden gem attracts a broad spectrum of clients, from here in town to as far as Germany!

Matt Young is the owner of the Press Recording Studio; being from Stockton, he wants the studio to give local musicians a place where they can record and get a professional sound for an affordable price. The origin of the Press Recording Studio is an example of how one passion can lead to another. “I was a musician and I would record at other studios, but I liked to record my own stuff at home. So I started doing home recording first and people liked the way it sounded so then people would ask if I could record them, and I just fell in love with the recording process,” explained Young.

The Press Recording Studio is already making a difference for many local artists and organizations, but Matt Young has even more planned for the future. “Me and another songwriter from Stockton…just started something called Grace Note, which gives students free studio time. I definitely want to do more stuff for the community like that, like I’m doing a Battle of the Bands which also gives local artists free studio time. But I really just want to continue to give Stockton a really nice studio and just keep improving on that as much as I can.”

The Downtown Stockton Alliance’s (DSA) audio tour, Walk with Weber, was actually recorded at the Press Recording Studio. With a project like Walk with Weber, the process was simple for Matt and his team. First, Manuel Laguna recorded his historical knowledge in just a few takes, and then it took the engineers at the Press Recording Studio two to three hours edit and mix. After sending a rough draft to the DSA, minor adjustments were made before the final product was completed. All of this was accomplished for just $45/hr!

Matt Young and The Press Recording Studio wants clients to be satisfied with their recordings. It’s important for clients to be prepared before coming in to record so that they can make the most of their time at the studio. For those who are new to the process and have no idea what to expect or how to prepare, Matt Young suggests asking questions. “Ask as many questions as you can before you get into the studio because that will help you prepare the most. Every project is a little different and it’s hard to know what to be prepared for if you’ve never been in the studio, but the biggest thing is to just ask questions.”

So for local artists who are looking for a professional, affordable place to record, the Press Recording Studio is the place to go. To learn more about them or to book a session, check out their website, www.thepressrecordingstudio.com

Most Modest

Posted on March 2, 2019 by digitalgear

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By Andrew Rocha

Downtown Stockton’s atmosphere attracts entrepreneurial people both near and far. Many business owners from other cities are recognizing downtown Stockton’s value and potential, and they are taking the steps to not only grow their businesses in the area, but also to help downtown Stockton thrive. Most Modest is the latest evidence of increasing outside interest in downtown Stockton.

Product Design in Downtown

Most Modest is a product design, manufacturer, and accessory brand that has opened a studio on E. Weber Avenue in downtown Stockton. Most Modest produces unique and minimalistic products that are perfect for any office or work space. This includes products like: Cody, a desktop organizer that combines a pencil cup with a wood tray; Niko, a wood form power strip combined with a knitted mesh power cable; and Simon, a cable organizer that’s simple but keeps cables from making a mess and tangling. These are just a few of their products; there are more coming soon.

Founder of Most Modest, Justin Champaign, explained the meaning behind “Most Modest” and the origins of the business. “Most Modest, the name, comes from the Emily Post Book of Etiquette, which I found at a flea market. There is a chapter on how to be a most modest host, and that really fit with what I was trying to create for the brand and types of products we make and design here. MM brand is about making meaningful products and experiences for our customers and the users of them, not about us ‘the designers.’ But we do want to be the best at it, hence being the MOST Modest.”

Cody
Niko
Simon

Moving to Downtown Stockton

Originally located in San Francisco, Champaign decided to move Most Modest to Stockton to escape the absurd rent increases and stressful commute. While Most Modest could have moved anywhere, like Austin, Seattle, or Sacramento, Champaign realized that Stockton was the best choice.

“On one of my commutes from San Francisco to the Sierras I decided to check out Stockton. I was immediately interested. A beautiful location on the water, cool old downtown and surrounding neighborhoods and directly half way between SF and the Sierras. I began doing research and stumbled upon Jared Rusten though Instagram. I saw he had left SF and setup in downtown Stockton; I got in contact and he showed me around. It was then that I made the decision I was going to try and setup in Stockton. I planned on trying to buy a building and be part of restoring downtown Stockton to its former glory.”

Now that they are settled in downtown Stockton, Most Modest can focus on growing and improving. “The future is exciting – we have partnered with some great domestic manufacturers and are ramping up our production, expanding our lines and categories into lighting, furniture objects, and of course power.”

Downtown welcomes Most Modest wholeheartedly, and is eager to see this unique business flourish.

The Freckled Moon

Posted on December 7, 2018 by digitalgear

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By Andrew Rocha

Have you heard of the Freckled Moon? You might have seen them as a vendor at farmers markets and events like the Stockmarket, but now the Freckled Moon has a location in Downtown Stockton. The Freckled Moon is a shop that sells handmade artwork, dreamcatchers, and similar crafts created by a local collective of artists The shop is located at 219 East Weber Ave, owned and managed by a family of creatives.

Marie Pease, the owner of The Freckled Moon, runs the shop with her daughters and started selling handmade crafts five years ago. Before having a physical location downtown, the Freckled Moon was popular at events with repeat customers frequently asking about if there was a physical location where they could shop or when Marie Pease would open a store. “This has always been our dream to have our own little shop. We do events and stuff like that, but we’ve always wanted to open our own shop where people can come and get unique items that they can’t get at the big box stores.”

Why Downtown Stockton?

So why did a craft store like the Freckled Moon choose downtown Stockton? According to Marie Pease, a need for an expressive shop was felt, as well as a small but talented artistic community. “I knew that if I opened a shop I would want it to be here, because I know that there is not a lot of this here and I wanted to bring it to Stockton because I know that there are a lot of creative people here.”

A lot of the art and crafts that are sold through the Freckled Moon are from artists and friends of Marie Pease and her family, as well as from artists from Sacramento. Now that they are located in downtown Stockton, local artist are encouraged to work with the Freckled Moon to not only share their work but also to make the downtown areas future brighter and beautiful.

More Than Just Adding Aesthetic

Besides bringing a new aesthetic to downtown Stockton, Marie also runs the Freckled Moon to be an example to her daughters. “I’ve always wanted to teach my daughters that they don’t need anybody to help them, that they can do things on their own. I’m a product of that, being a single mom with four children. It doesn’t matter where you come from or your background, it matters how bad you want your dream and what you’re willing to do to make that obtainable. You don’t need other people to help you, you can do it yourself. So that was really a big drive for me.”

They have only been open for a few weeks and the Freckled Moon has already been well received by the community. Hopefully with continued support, Marie Pease and the Freckled Moon will make a larger and larger impact on the community as time goes on. To learn more about the Freckled Moon, check out their website, www.thefreckledmoon.com