The RIDER Project is a mobile art gallery and experimental exhibition space located in the back of a rented Ryder truck. Based in the social sculpture ideas of Joseph Beuys, the RIDER Project is staffed and funded by participating artists who act as an ever-evolving collaborative, recombining into a different form with each exhibition. Using Guerilla tactics of social intervention, reduced cost and maximum visibility, the mobile Rider Project brings artwork directly to people, circumventing economic market structures and cultural constraints. Participating artists create the form and culture of each exhibition and interject them into neighborhoods stimulating cultural dialogue and a participatory Socratic space. Neighborhood residents interact with exhibiting artists engaging in a vital exchange of thoughts, feelings and experiences, forging new cultural links. The RIDER Project delivers art to New York City through a dynamic akin to blood circulating through an organism. As blood provides oxygen and essential nutrients, so art offers new ideas and experiences, and revitalizes the social body through inspiration.

Check www.art-anon.org for exact times and locations

We recieved an email a while back from an artist in Honduras, Jorge Restrepo. Restrepo had organized a showing of his paintings among the stands at the local Framer’s Market. We find the images inspiring, and hope they do the same for you.

Excerpt from critic Carlos A. Lanza:

“‘The Farmers’ Market’ is a great installation that has had the following objective: to take the museum to the marketplace. This work, with the artist’s deliberate intention, was sponsored by the Foundation for the Museum of the Honduran Man and the support of the Colombian Embassy; but I want to highlight the museum’s sponsorship because it forms part of the concept of the proposal. The artist showed the museum how something live, interactive and socially integrated presented the museum as a concept and not as a building. This concept was that of the museum as part of the social totality that is there, where the historic and esthetic exigencies are merged with the sensitivity of the collectivity. The Museum of the Honduran Man only becomes that if it goes out in search of the spaces where we Hondurans create our culture. The artist’s other objective was to take art out to the public spaces, to make us see that art is not only that object that is exhibited in the comfort of a gallery, but that is also experienced live, capable of colonizing all the corners of social life.”

Todd calls it “an experiment in how an artist can serve the community.” Todd will be working with community organizations and other locals he meets to create collaborative self-portraits of the neighborhood. He will also be creating a series of twenty drawings, each one about a different business or organization within a two block radius.

This show will culminate in a reception/experience on Thursday, July 20 5:30-8:30 pm.

Friday, March 24, 2006, 6:30-9 PM Live Auction at 7 PM, Fixed Price sale immediately following
Admission: $10-25 sliding scale (includes refreshments)
Preview gallery hours: Wednesday, March 22-Thursday, March 23, 1-6PM
Sale continues Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26, 1-6 PM

The Budget Gallery is in the current issue of BlackBook Magazine’s Fall “State of the Arts” issue. It’s a short piece and you can look forward to reading Steve Lambert’s curse laden, stream of conscious quote.

A Love Supreme, our show at Hayes Valley Market went very well. We’ve got some photos from Rob Prideaux up and we’ll have the artist info up as soon as we can.

The first Bayenalle is happening around the Bay Area. Jack London Square has shipping containers turned mini art galleries open to the public through August 7th 2005. There’s a closing party on the 7th from 4 to 6pm. Check out the site for more details on this and other events.

The Budget Gallery has expanded and formed Budget Gallery Los Angeles. The concept remains, only the locations will change! Please help to beautify Los Angeles by submitting work and/or attending their shows.

The first LA based show will be held from May 10 - May 17th, with an opening reception May 10th from 5-8pm. The location will be announced the week of the show. To submit work, please see their call for entries on the la.budgetgallery.org site.

For those of you in San Francisco, Steve Lambert will be on NPR talking about the Budget Gallery 6:30 to 7pm, Wednesday, September 29. That’s Neighborhood Public Radio - a low power FM broadcast coming from Southern Exposure Gallery. It’s kind of like National Public Radio, but way more local. Listen to an mp3 archive here.