Surfing and Art-ing

Tanna Frederick rides the waves - photo by John Heller

Did you know that there’s an International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach? I didn’t. There are a lot of “specialty” museums in LA – The Petersen Automotive Museum, the Gene Autry (the singing cowboy) National Center, the Museum of Tolerence, the Museum of Neon Art, etc. I’m not a surfer but I think a surfing museum might be very interesting to see. Is there such a thing as an antique surfboard?

On Wednesday, July 20, from 6-9, they’re having the Huntington Beach Art Walk. If it’s anything like the art walks in LA, it’ll be great. On this night, there will be an art show by John Culqui called “Summer’s Swell” which includes his “surf-inspired” art. I checked out his website, www.jsculquiart.com.

Here’s a line from his artist’s statement: “In my skate and surf art, I want the viewer to feel the motion of the water, the moving board, smell the water and concrete, and to feel the grit of the wheels touching the asphalt.” He definitely accomplishes this. Really cool, whimsical stuff that almost makes me want to pick up a surfboard or skateboard – almost. AND, he’s donating 25% of the proceeds to the Surf Museum and 25% to Project Save Our Surf. How cool is that?

There’s also going to be a silent auction for Project Save Our Surf which will include a surfboard from Don Bigelow, gift baskets, signed books and other cool stuff. There will be music, Hawaiian food and beer and maybe some other surprises.

So check out the exhibit and other festivities:
International Surfing Museum
411 Olive Ave
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
714-960-3483

And on another Project Save Our Surf note, I was “surfing” their website, www.projectsaveoursurf.org, and I looked at their Board of Directors. Great group! Guess who’s on it with Tanna Frederick? The fabulous Tate Donovan – also known as Tom Shayes on Damages, which has become my new favorite TV show. I think it’s the best thing since the Sopranos and that’s saying a lot. I can’t believe what happened to Tom in season three! I hope Tate Donovan comes to the big Project Save Our Surf event – Surf24 October 15-16 in Santa Monica. I’m definitely going to be there.

The Most Interesting Interview I’ve Ever Read

Tanna Frederick

This is a very short blog entry, only because the interview below says it all. Tanna Frederick was interviewed by The Independent Critic – a really, really cool guy, as you’ll see. I love interviews because you never know what you’ll learn from them. This one was is full of really cool stuff – personal stuff, upcoming movies, etc. It somehow seemed like more than an interview, it seemed like two close friends catching up. This is an unusual thing for people who have never met. So enjoy.

Here’s the link to the article: http://www.theindependentcritic.com/tanna_frederick_interview

Happy 4th of July!