The signature activity of the 101 Artists' Colony is the Arts Alive banner project. This year, one hundred one (101) artists have painted original works of art on banners that are currently installed on street lights along six miles of the Coast Highway in downtown Encinitas, Cardiff, and Leucadia.
This is the ninth year the 101 Artists' Colony, Cardiff 101, and the Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association (DEMA) have presented this community art event, and we welcome Leucadia to the event this year. Having originated in Encinitas, the Arts Alive banner project has now spread to numerous towns and cities throughout the country.
This year's "Arts Alive" Banner Unveiling was held on Sunday, January 27, 2008 in the former Coast Dispatch building on the Coast Highway in Encinitas. It was a huge success, with well over 350 people in attendance, including city council, city officials and staff, the banner artists, community leaders and supporters of the arts in Encinitas. The event was hailed as "the last hurrah" for the gray metal warehouse, which will be dismantled and moved to Mexico to be used as a church, making way for a new development at the site.
The Live Banner Auction (with auctioneer, Rich Houk) will take place in the courtyard at Cardiff Towne Center, located at the corner of San Elijo and Birmingham, at 2pm on Sunday May 18, 2008.
A record number of silent bids were placed on the banners at the Unveiling this year, and bids can continue to be made while the banners hang on the Coast Highway until the Live Auction in May. Contact DEMA at 760-943-1950 if you would like to place a bid, then come to the Live Auction for a great time -- and to make sure you don't get outbid for your favorite banners. These banners are incredible works of original art and your purchase helps keep Arts Alive in Encinitas!
Proceeds from the banner sales are split 50/50 between the artists and either the 101 Artists' Colony, Cardiff 101, or Leucadia 101.
The banners and other program expenses are paid for by the 101 Artists' Colony, Cardiff 101/Chamber, Leucadia 101 and DEMA. This year, additional sponsors include Charlie's Foreign Car Service in Encinitas, Seaside Market in Cardiff, and Surfer's Point in Leucadia.
For the 2nd year, "Arts Alive" Goes International with two banners painted by an art student from Minsk, Belarus in support of the Children of Chernobyl Foundation: www.givehopesandiego.org Fifty percent of your purchase price of these banners is tax-deductible. A number of local artists are also donating their share of the banner proceeds to various charitable organizations, including the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy and Community Resource Center.
Our Arts Alive banners, one-of-a-kind pieces of original fine art, demonstrate the scope of talented artists in our community.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2008 BANNERS