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On Sept. 19, after years of primarily selling art on Etsy, local urban-style artists Daniel Woehrle and Jake Garcia opened the Vapor Gallery in a San Luis Obispo location that formerly housed a silk-screening shirt company. The gallery consists of two spacious rooms, one of which contains a wall with the collaborative graffiti of dozens of visiting artists from all over California.
“We may be off the beaten path,” Woehrle said of himself and Garcia, “but we carry the best array of urban art supplies on the Central Coast.”
As an authorized Montana 94 dealer, the Vapor Gallery’s supply collection includes more than 80 different shades of Montana 94 brand spray paint, which will eventually expand to around 150 shades.
Woehrle, who hails from Los Osos and graduated from Morro Bay High School, is known in the local art scene by the alias Stenzskull. A popular stencil-based graffiti artist for many years, Woehrle gained acclaim for portraits of classic musicians such as Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Joe Strummer of The Clash, and Tim Armstrong of the East Bay ska/punk band Rancid. The latest addition to that series is a striking caricature of Adam Yauch, better known as MCA of the Beastie Boys, who died of cancer in May. The piece contains the words “You Gotta Fight” and “R.I.P. MCA” in graffiti-style letters and is available for purchase online in two different color schemes. Woehrle’s art can be found elsewhere in San Luis Obispo, such as on a mailbox in front of the Ludwig Center downtown and previously in SLO Donut Co. on Foothill and Broad.
On Dec. 7 and 8, the Vapor Gallery was host to Strange Brew, an eclectic holiday-themed urban art show featuring more than 20 artists, including Mr. Ferkel, Nick Giannini, SYDWOX One, Kevin Varner, Kid Pasta, Mollz, Edge One, Allister Dipner, Brian MacElvaine Photography, Camel Hernandez, Brandon Aighty, Deanskii, Nicky Crucial, Richard Fusillo Photography, Neal Breton, Lern, Hockeymask, and Stenzskull himself.
The gallery accepts work from a wide variety of artists, including graphic designers, abstract artists, and watercolor painters. In addition to art, the show also featured a barbecue and a live DJ set by Humanity Must Go On! and Freakybro. Due to the event’s popularity, Vapor Gallery plans to hold a similar event every month or two in the future, including more live DJs.
The Vapor Gallery is at 3547 S. Higuera St., suite A, in San Luis Obispo. Feel free to visit its Tumblr page at thevaporgallery.com for more details or follow its Twitter account. You can also call 215-0941 to speak with Woehrle or 704-1108 to speak with Garcia.
Fast facts
In a partnership with Mid State Solid Waste, Rotary Club of Templeton recently launched its Annual Holiday Food and Toy Drive by distributing collection bins at several locations throughout the North County town, including local schools, Templeton Market and Deli, Trader Joe’s, the Templeton Community Services District office, and more. People who can are encouraged to donate unwrapped toys (appropriate for ages 1 to 17), gift cards, and canned foods. The items will be collected and distributed to needy families before Christmas. …
Does local infrastructure or the lack thereof get your blood pumping? Then boy do we have a website for you: slo2035plan.com is an online community workshop launched by San Luis Obispo planners to allow citizens to have their say in the city’s long term plans. How do you envision SLO’s future? Full of roundabouts? Bike lanes galore? Travel by tubes? Sign up today and join the conversation. ∆
Intern Ben Simon compiled this week’s Strokes & Plugs. Send your business news to [email protected].