Artists without Borders
Larry Janss teams up with youth media group to create a two-month celebration of the arts in an unlikely venue
By Chris Baker 06/02/2011
Fewer images are more telling of the state of the current economy than those that hang in one dust-coated commercial window after another announcing, “This Space for Lease” in bold red print. With sun-bleached stucco façades bearing only a hint of the letters that once adorned them, each barren store front is a glaring reminder of jobs lost, families struggling, and yet another stream of local revenue rerouted into cyber-space. So when Borders bookstore vacated its 40,000-square-foot location in Thousand Oaks, building owner Larry Janss decided to do something more than simply add to the expanding landscape of vacant commercial real estate. Using his passion for the arts as his guide, and nonprofit youth organization Regenerate as his motivation, the Open Borders Summer of Music and Art was conceived.
With nothing more than a venue, an idea and only a couple of months to pull it all together, Janss set to work. He soon found himself surrounded by a team of friends, business partners and loyal volunteers who were willing to look beyond the fact that his idea was a crazy one and believe, instead, that it was just crazy enough to work. The team immediately began planning the necessary construction, acquiring permits and booking bands, poets, artists, comedians and photographers. And in a feat that bordered on the miraculous, an event that should have taken the better part of a year to orchestrate came together in just eight short weeks. “We all knew that it would be a lot of work,” says Janss, “but it really turned into a labor of love for everyone involved.” There is no greater evidence of that commitment to the cause than the sheer caliber of talent that the Open Borders team has managed to secure for the two-month festival.
Although the doors will open for a preview on June 2, the official grand opening will be two days later on Saturday, June 4, and will feature the music of The Doors co-founder and keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Other acts slated to grace the Open Borders stage during its two-month run include everyone from Country Joe McDonald and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, to hip-hop artists Murs and Scarub and multiplatinum rock legend Jefferson Starship. Not reserved for strictly musical guests, the main stage will also feature well-known poets and comedy heavy-hitters like Brad Garrett. With stage, sound, and lighting equipment donated by industry experts, the 750-capacity venue will have all the timbre and spectacle of a larger arena, but without the two-hour gridlock normally associated with a post-show parking lot.
As eclectic as the on-stage performances will be, however, it is the galleries themselves that will offer the greatest assortment of artistic formats, showcasing photography, sculpture, paintings, fabric work, carvings, dance, video and a variety of performance art. “I can’t think of anywhere else you can go and see the diversity of talent we will have here,” Janss adds. The Main Gallery will feature works from exceptional artists, including Daniel Johnston (who will also perform his music), Andre Miripolsky, Lynn Ferrand and Francisco Behr, while local high school and college students will tout their talents in what has affectionately been called the Loading Dock Gallery. The highly regarded Four Friends Gallery will showcase works varying from ancient pieces from around the globe to a collection of Ansel Adams, Joyce Tenneson and Edward Curtis originals. Opposite the graffiti-muraled wall of a fully stocked bar will be the aptly named Bar Gallery, which will display the work of a rotating selection of photographers, and will not only stretch into the Open Borders lounge but will pour off the walls and onto the gallery floor itself. For those with more interactive interests, the Space Carpet is described as a hyper-connected digital playground and will give festival-goers a glimpse into what youth media organization Regenerate is all about. Various stations will include a small stage for music and poetry, a community mural that will serve as an ever-changing masterpiece upon which visitors can leave their creative marks, and a green screen where patrons willing to put their stage fright aside can transport themselves instantly to the destinations of their choosing while streaming live to the Internet.
Though Open Borders may seem heavy on sight and sound, taste and smell will be taken care of in equally artistic fashion. Under an umbrella of twisting oaks, blanketed in star-like lights and whimsical paper lanterns, carnivores and vegetarians alike will be treated to edible offerings from a plethora of local gourmet food trucks. “Come in, enjoy the art and music, and have dinner with us as well,” says general manager Mary Catherine McBride. As with the galleries, the culinary artists will rotate in and out as the event progresses, giving returning guests a different experience with each visit.
Regenerate Presents: Open Borders Summer of Music and Art, June 2 through Aug 7. While general afternoon admission is free, tickets for evening performances can be purchased by visiting www.openborders2011.com. All proceeds will benefit a number of charitable causes, including Regenerate, Boys and Girls Club, SEVA, The Trevor Project, CAUSE, Teen Line and others. For more information, go to www.openborders2011.com or www.facebook.com/openborders. Musicians interested in performing can contact Kelly Rutledge at booking.openborders@gmail.com.
chrisbakerthewriter@yahoo.com
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT