Original flyer designed by Daniel Rolnik (the gallery went with a different design)

TITLE: "The Season of Spring"
WHERE: Flower Pepper Gallery
WHEN: March 1st - April 4th,2014

"The Season of Spring" happened randomly and turned out to be epic! I believe it came about because a show got cancelled at the gallery and they needed something else to take its place. I came up with the concept for "The Season of Spring" and executed one of my most epic ideas yet. At the time, I was helping the gallery out by doing their PR so I was used to working with them.

The concept of the show was that I was going to send artists from all over the world a package containing two sheets of 8x10" paper, two clear bags to put them in, and a prompt for them to create whatever they wanted and then hide some kind of secret art piece behind the sheet, like a surprise for the collector find after they buy it. Some of the surprises included a ninja star, stickers, zines, buttons, extra originals, and a print.

I think it ended up being over 100 artists in the show - from every style imaginable. I then designed a simple header card for each piece that said the artist's name, price, and info about the show and we displayed them by hanging wires across the gallery wall and using binder clips to suspend the packages from the wires.

The opening reception was packed with people and the show got a ton of press because it was able to transcend every genre. At the end of the day, my overall concept for the show was to exhibit art as art - no matter what it was classified as - and it really all came together in the space. First time collectors as well as seasoned pros all bought works.

We were able to keep the prices affordable because nothing was framed and everything was created specifically for the show itself. I got the idea for the header cards from the designer toy world and the idea for the uniform shapes because I couldn't figure out how else to work with all the artists at once, plus I had probably been inspired by the Post-It show at Giant Robot and wanted to see artists work on a larger surface area.

Intellectual Property Prints was in full swing at this point, so Ryan helped me cut up all the paper to send to the artists - which, by the way, was the highest quality paper you could buy. I think it took one or two months to go from the initial concept to actually getting all the artwork back from artists (some of which even showed up the day of). And funnily enough, some of which also ended up being sold to collectors in the same origin cities as the work.

They called it a cash-and-carry show because part of my concept was once you bought a piece you could take it home immediately. This wasn't something that you really saw done at the time, so it was pretty special. It also made it really fun to be in the gallery because there were so many works of art that you couldn't possibly take them all in and so when people would buy one you could really study it and then discover new works in the space.

Since there were so many works in the show, even after it came down there's still a section for it in the gallery. And it's super cool to see that some of the artists who were relatively unknown at the time have since gone on to have huge careers. Or others who have completely stopped making works altogether.

I would show up to the gallery everyday to describe the concept and artists with people who came in. There were so many different artists from all over the world and I was only person who really knew each and every single one of them.

Official Gallery link: https://www.flower-pepper.com/portfolios/exhibits-events/?cpt_item=the-season-of-spring

Artists

Aaron Axelrod, Aaron Brown, Adam Roth, Adrienne Adar, Alex Schaefer, Alexander Laccarino (That Kid Who Draws), Alisa Yang, Allison Krumwiede, Allison Smith, Almighty Opp, Amy Yung, Andre Miripolsky, Anne Faith Nicholls, Anthony Ausgang, Ben Tegel, Bob Dob, Brad Tinmouth, Bradford Lynn, Brook Meinhardt, Bruce Lee Webb, Cam Wall, Camilla Taylor, Camille Banchad, Chilin's Pinstriping, Chris Rexroad, Clark Walter, Claudia Kleefeld, Collin van der Sluijs, Comet Debris, Cosmic Nuggets, Dev N Gosha, Douglas Alvarez, Dr. Cream, EARS, Ellen Schinderman, Ellen Stagg, Emmett Potter, Erik Flores, Erin Burrell, Erwin Recinos, Esther Pearl Watson, Ethan Turpin, Fausto Fernandez, GATS, Ghost Ghost Teeth, Gina Phillips, Graham Curran, Huseyin Sami, Isabelle Alford-Lago, Jacob Arden McClure, Jacob van Loon, James Van Arsdale, Jamie Dean, Jason Brammer, Javier Rameriz, J.A.W. Cooper, Jay Erker, Jay Ryan, Jeni Yang, Jennie Cotterill, Jesse Tise, Jessica Dalva, Jon Bernad, Jon Stich, Joseph Remnant, JT Steiny, Jud Bergeron, Jules Muck, Julian Callos, Keith Dugas, Kelly Allen, Kevin Russ, Kimberly Hahn, Kio Griffith, Kristin Bauer, Laura Krifka, Lauren Von Gaugh, Leah C. Dixon, Liberated Objects, Lilstickyrice, Little Friends of Printmaking, Liz McGrath, Lizzi Kresteller, Lukaz Belcarski, Lyndsey Lesh, Luis "Guava" Arevalo, Haunted Euth, Hieronymus, Homo Riot, Malcolm Stuart, Malka Nedivi, Manly Art, Mark Bieraugel, Mark Todd, Mary Delioussina, Mashanda Lazarus, Max Neutra, MEGA, Michael C. Hsiung, Michelle Devereux, Mike Egan, Mike Reynolds, Miri Chais, Moss All The Time, Nervis Wreck, Nicole Bruckman, Numskull, Om Bleicher, Orson Oblowitz, Pamela Grau, Poppy Lawman, Porous Walker, Quam Odunsi, Quentin "Shplinton" Thomas, Reed Seifer, Rick Morris, Robert Fontenot, Ryan McIntosh, Salao Coboi, Sarah Harkey, Scott McPherson, Septerhed, Sinae Park, T. Fail, Tami Demaree, Teddy Kelly, Terri Berman, Toby Goodshank, The Radioactive Chicken Heads, Rebecca Manson, Rebecca Rose, Trace Mendoza, TSF, Victoria Warehem, XVALA, Yevgeniya Mikhailik, Yuri Hasagawa, Zio Ziegler

View all the artwork here: http://flower-pepper.viewbook.com/album/the-season-of-spring#1