When one thinks of 6th Avenue in Amarillo, the first things that may come to mind are the wonderful music venues and many amazing antiques stores dotting the mile-long run from Western to Georgia Street. These places have helped forge an identity for the famous stretch of Route 66 unique to Amarillo, and attract visitors from all over the world. Lesser known is the small handful of art galleries sprinkled amongst the vintage shops and bars, and the newest gallery on 6th Avenue, Idol Art, is quickly carving out a place in the vivid cultural landscape of the San Jacinto neighborhood. HPPR’s Nicole Crawford spoke with Jesse Hale, the owner of Idol Art Studio, about the gallery’s history, its place in the community, and the kinds of events going on at Idol Art.
The gallery/studio, located at 2918 SW 6th Avenue, is flanked by two other businesses: the staple home goods store Cactus Vintage and a motorcycle parts shop called El Shopo. The gallery is set further back from the street than those other buildings, so it may be easy to miss if you're driving down the street. The shy exterior offers a noticeable contrast to the interesting variety of works on display inside. "From the outlook of it, you would just assume it's just a general antique store or retail store" says Hale "until you kind of get closer and see that in our windows we've got different pieces of artwork featured."
Colorful fantastical paintings, a variety of pottery, and a handful of artful photographic works greet visitors as they enter the deceptively-large space, a space that is one part gallery, and one part working studio. One can't help but imagine what works may have been created on the paint-covered tables set up against the wall. The work of the artists here goes beyond what you would see displayed on the walls and plinths carefully arranged around the gallery, as suggested by a bench set up for body artists to work on in the far corner of the studio. As Hale puts it: "We want to do the unique, we want to do the unusual, we want to bring out the alternative in Amarillo."
The variety of art on display in the space comes part and parcel with variety of another sort, that being the events that are frequently held at the gallery. "We do all kinds of events here. We do drag, we do burlesque, we do all kinds of art shows. We're working with some of our community members, we have a free closet that people can come and get clothes if they need. We're hosting movie nights and providing a safe space for a lot of people in our community."
When asked about upcoming events, Hale was quick to mention their SummerWeen Market on August 15th, "from dusk 'till dread". The night market will feature a host of local vendors, a drag performer (“Messiah”) coming in from Plainview, aerial performers, and a special surprise guest. Additionally, Hale mentioned an upcoming movie night in June along with Pride month events.
To learn more about these events and many others going on across the High Plains, be sure to check out the HPPR community calendar!
Do you have an event you would like the public to be aware of? We encourage you to post events that are open to everyone, and/or of interest to folks on the High Plains. It’s a large region, where many of us are happy to drive an hour or two for something fun or enlightening, and the HPPR Community Calendar is the place to visit for up-to-date information on what’s coming up!