Preview – Bob’s Burgers: An Art Show Tribute @ Spoke Art NYC

Just a month short of 6 years ago, Ken Harmon launched Spoke Art, hitting the ground running with the first official exhibit being the critically acclaimed, Bad Dads, paying tribute to the films of Wes Anderson.  That move proved successful enough to propel the upstart San Francisco gallery onto international radar and, just last month, a book compiling works from the annual group show was released as the third volume in the New York Times Wes Anderson collection series.  By 2013, Spoke began to expand and, at the beginning of 2014, opened their second gallery space, Hashimoto Contemporary, just a few doors down.  Their direct presence in the San Francisco art community is undeniable, but Spoke has been making moves to stretch outside and beyond the Bay Area throughout its existence, debuting their first Quentin VS Coen exhibit at New York‘s Bold Hype gallery only months after that first Bad Dads show, and returning to the big apple to present last year’s installment of Bad Dads as a pop up at the Joseph Gross Gallery.  Tomorrow, September 24th, Spoke Art is making a move that’s been a long time coming, establishing a permanent presence on the East Coast with a brand new gallery space in New York City.  And, this time around, Harmon isn’t tampering with his proven formula, launching the space with a group exhibit showcasing a large selection of incredible visual talents working in various mediums.  The subject this time?  Loren Bouchard‘s widely revered animated program, Bob’s Burgers.

Spoke definitely focuses on much more than themed group exhibits dedicated to pop culture, and they are, by no stretch, the only ones out there doing that, but the strength in these exhibits falls within the curation; from the subject matter to the artists involved and, with this one, they are proving once again that they know exactly what they’re doing.  It’s easy enough to pull a popular theme and attempt to ride that out, but what makes something like this work is assembling a cast of artist with the ability to filter the subject matter through their own unique aesthetics and approach to deliver pieces that pull from the source material, yet deliver something entirely new.  Harmon‘s gallery has built up an impressive roster of artists who have been able to accomplish that feat time and time again, but what I find so promising about this show is that it is packed with a ton of great names that we haven’t become as accustomed to seeing represented at their shows in the past, separating the New York location from its West Coast counterpart and, in mirroring the concept of the exhibit itself, allowing it to become an extension while possessing an identity of its own.  Officially licensed through FOX and the production studios Bento Box Entertainment, the tribute will feature an array of offerings from paintings, sculptures, and limited edition prints to needle-point and even temporary tattoos.  The show will even be presenting works from another pop-culture powerhouse, the Los Angeles based Gallery 1998.

Anyone who is familiar with the history of Spoke Art, and the Bad Dads exhibits, especially, may also know that there’s a history of the gallery putting in great efforts to turn their openings into legitimate experiences, beyond an opportunity to simply check out some great art.  Some examples include Wes Anderson costume contests and photo booths.  For this one, they’ve brought in another great photobooth that was initially created by toddland for Comic-Con.  Check out this shot of John Roberts (aka Linda Belcher)  himself, trying out the booth that was posted on Spoke Art‘s instagram.

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And if all that isn’t enough to get you down there, know that this event isn’t only all ages and free, but that Spoke has also just made the following announcement:

“To make this event even more special, our friends at BareBurger will be on hand making complimentary sliders (inspired by the Burgers of the Day) for attendees!”

And, here’s a list of who will be showing…

Contributing Artists:

Bryce Wymer, Ellen Wilberg, Jayson Weidel, Chris Walker, Geoff Trapp, Jenny VY Tran, Toddbot, TLtv, Nick Stokes, Andy Stattmiller, Jordan Soliz, Kate Snow, Cuyler Smith, Bennett Slater, Ellen Schinderman, RONLEWHORN, Michelle Romo, Joshua Roman, Jesse Riggle, Rezatron, Eric Price, Anna Pan, James Olstein, Sean Norvet, Keith Noordzy, Oh Sew Nerdy, Brighton Cooper Ballard, Adam Lister, Nan Lawson, Conor Langton, Doug La Rocca, KOMBOH, Chiko KF, Jellykoe, Aaron Jasinski, Meg Hyland, Ryan Hungerford, Gerhard Human, Fred Harper, Ryan Hall, Justin Hager, Dominic “Nico” Guidote, Tom Grillo, Lauren Gregg, Monica Garwood, Erin Gallagher, Jayde Fish, Jeffrey Everett , Carlos and Ernesto East “The Beast Brothers”, Emily Dumas, Steve Dressler, Nic Cowan, Emily Connell, Michelle Coffee, Alina Chau, Jason Chalker, Keith Carter, Leilani Bustamante, Lawrence Hugh Burns, Ivonna Buenestro, Kat Brunnegraff, Ryan Brinkerhoff, Steff Bomb, Barry Blankenship, Mike Bilz, Jeremy Berkley, Jill Bencsits, Nate Bear, Bagger43, Ana Aranda, Stephen Andrade, Oliver Akuin, Sherif Adel

Check out preview images for the exhibit below the following event details…

WHAT:

Spoke Art Presents
Bob’s Burgers – An officially licensed art show tribute
to the animated television series“

WHEN:

Opening:
Saturday, September 24th
6pm-9pm

WHERE:

Spoke Art Gallery
210 Rivington St,
New York City, NY 10002-2503

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Opening is ALL AGES w/NO COVER
Artists will be in attendance
Show on view until Sunday, October 16, 2016
Gallery hours: Wed-Sun, 11AM-7PM
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/337244839949506/