Despite City CX, ArtWalk ArtRide & Steampunk Fashion Show A Success

Well I’m not going to get into the whys and hows of what came to pass so that the city decided to cancel the ArtWalk ArtRide last Sunday April 18 mainly because I wrote that blog post and it disappeared into cyberspace and I’m gonna take that as a sign to not waste more time on the matter.

Except that they did so requesting that I post the following on my blogs and facebook (and I wish to comply) and that they would post the following at the Artists Union near where we meet:

CITY CANCELLATION NOTICE OF BIKE TOUR
Due to logistical reasons the ArtWalk Art Bike Tour has been officially  canceled by the City of Ventura. The Green Art Fashion Show at the Bell Arts Factory is still on and will be held at 4 pm. Please come and bring
your costume. Patrons are still encouraged to bike to the ArtWalk… on their own for environmental reasons but due to logistical and safety concerns for riders a city sponsored group ride will not occur at this time. Riders will assume their own risk.

Unfortunately, somehow people read this as the Fashion Show was cancelled. And several people told me they showed up all dressed up and ready to ride with their kids only to be disappointed that there was no ride.

Well I’m here to tell you there was a Steampunk ArtRide. And a Steampunk Fashion Show.

And I was on it, along with my sister Laurie who towed my son Reed, another family, Daniel Boggs, Matt Harvey, and others. Granted, there weren’t as many people as on the First Friday. But we had about 15 all told during the course of the ride around the bike path and up Oilve where we stopped to watch hot glass being blown as well as a briefer stop at a new metal working studio where we found Steampunk photos on display.

Our third stop was at a clay studio, 1317 Ventura Avenue where frequent ArtRider Rachel Morris was performing. we stopped to listen for awhile before rolling down the Avenue to the WAV where a few people stopped to listen in to Vonder Gray perform and others scurried around checking out the open house and studios. Finally we cruised up and down Main Street before we turned back up Ventura Avenue to Bell Arts where the room was already packed with people waiting for the Steampunk Fashion Show.

The first order of entertainment was me welcoming everyone and introducing our “Time Traveler” from 1910, my great grandmother Anna Paquette (really my mother, Suzanne Lawrence). Then Tracy Hudak spoke a bit about Bell Arts and then the kids pulled out all the stops to put on a fabulous fashion show! We adults also walked the catwalk, then we gave Rosel Weedn an award for all her creative costuming expertise.

The event concluded with formal photos being taken in a photo booth. What a day!

Next month, please join us for a Boogie Nights FFArtRide May 7. Bring your bike to the promenade where California Street meets the sea; we ride by 6pm.