Decked Out: Rolling On

Is it a surprise that Friday the 13th would be considered a lucky day to open a gallery show dedicated to Skater Culture?  With upwards of 60 Bay Area (+/-) artists contributing works to the show, it seems luck won’t be a factor. The opening reception for the show begins at 7:00pm tonight, this is what the hosts, Olive Hyde Art Guild, have to say about it.

The reception is an opportunity for the public to meet the artists and see their unique work. Refreshments will be provided by the Olive Hyde Art Guild. In addition, during the reception, the Olive Hyde Art Guild will award scholarships to 3 talented art students graduating from Fremont High Schools.

Before the show’s actual reception, I took a short trip to the Fremont Skate Park where by sheer coincidence I run into the man himself, Matt Richie. We literally pulled up at the same time, me in my car and he, in his Park Ranger vehicle. It took me a moment to recognize him while he strode about the park; its patriarch. I would find out, during our brief conversation, that not only is he the show’s curator but that the park itself is his brainchild. It’s a piece of work that took years and a legacy of which he is rightly proud.