Hotels/Motels (Unofficial Art Fair 2018)
December 14 & 15 @ The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows

The fourth installment of Hotels/Motels as an unofficial art fair was a rousing success! On December 14-15 over a hundred artists and curators converged with well over five hundred art lovers, vanguard patrons, and culture enthusiasts, at the historic Lafayette hotel in San Diego. New, and seasoned art collectors encountered a maze of hotel rooms transformed into galleries, stages, and project spaces. They were introduced to a diverse selection of San Diego and Los Angeles artists in an atmosphere that was both intimate and thought provoking. The interchange between artists and patrons led to meaningful new connections and unexpected acquisitions. Hotels/Motels guests left with not only the thrill of what they had just experienced, but many also leaving with original art for their collections. Most importantly, the goal of exciting a broader arts and culture community was realized! Crowds of new art viewers were swept beyond their comfort zone into enriching new territory. Artists, connected with new artists and curators, forming new relationships and future collaborations. This is what we had hoped for, and is just the beginning of what will be an annual event. Hotels/Motels will take on a new life as a yearly “Unofficial Art Fair” we hope to develop and refine as the future unfolds.
2018 included a series of dynamic performances in redefined hotel spaces. Both days presented interactive theatrical performances; “After Autumn Colors”, The Storybook Monologues”, and “Escape”, written and performed by Andre Urbano, contemporary interpretive dance curated and performed by Patricia Maldonado, with Niara Eustace and an original performance by Flavor Company Dance, Mitchum Todd . In addition, the Fallen Tree Exhibitions room had a full schedule of performances by Pall Jenkins of Black Heart Procession and Three Mile Pilot, Blue Buddah and David Lofton of OMB from San Francisco, spoken word by Chris Vannoy; Beat Poet Laureate of the USA, Igor Goldkind, Paval Sfera, special guest poets, and a series of open conversations and talks with San Diego artists and art professionals on “The Gift” of art. The Burgundy room was yet another activated space with a screening of ‘It's Gonna Blow!!!: San Diego's Music Underground 1986-1996’ by Bill Perrine, “Q&A: Commissioning Art with Collateral Collective” (panel discussions). On the other side of the street at THE HUB, there was live painting by Victor Villa, and an incredible performance by San Diego's "A New High".
Hotels/Motels (Unofficial Art Fair 2018) Artists & Curators
Alexander Salazar, Andre Urbano, Carolyn Brann, Cassandra Schramm, CM Curatorial, Collateral Collective, Colleen Veltz, Distinction Gallery, Edwin Nutting, Ellen Lane, Grace Gray Adams, James Watts, John Geary, Larry Caveney, Lynn Schuette, Michael Walrond, Mikaela McLeish, Nathaniel Clark, Nicole Deline, Patricia Maldonado, Press Works Art, Rebecca Romani, Richard ChauDavis, Maria ChauDavis, Richard Stewart, Stephanie Mansolf, Anna Feil, Nidia Castaldi, Sarah Tell, Thumbprint Gallery, Bryan Ricci, Chris Trueman, Christopher Kuhn, Claudia Morales Mccain, Devon Tsuno, Erin Morrison, Gregory Siff, Jackie Leishman, Julian Lombardi, Mhiachnoiti, Todd Smith,  Niara Eustace, Flavor Company Dance, Mitchum Todd, Victorio Villa, Chris Vannoy, A New High, Elizabeth Ayerle, Blue Buddha, David Lofton, Anqi Liu, Tiange Zhou, Brian and Ryan, Tony Allard, The People’s Opera Project, Marianne Goyette, Eric Wong, Barfo, Bob V, Eyegato, Nonie Cruzado, Chris Trueman, Erin Morrison, Devon Tsuno, Mhiachnoiti, Claudia Morales McCain, Christopher Kuhn, Bill Perrine, Igor Goldkind, Paval Sfera, Denise Lacarra, Pall Jenkins, Legend Nano Gallery Artists: Michael Snodgrass, David Krovblit, Regina Foster, Alexandra Eldridge, Joe Ramiro Garcia, Andrew Holder, Chuck Thomas, Michael Maas, Lucy Schappy, David Rudolph, Conrad Kern, Stacy D’Aguilar, Dan Mcstocker, Kristi L. Stout, Dr. Steven Wade Adams, Andrew Kaplan, Xenia Mateiu, Ashley Binder, Leah Siegal, G. Kim Hinkson, Stu Schwartz, Fred Marinello, Kristine Diekman, Parker Edison and the FRESH state, Victor Angelo, Jaime Jimenez PhD, Yvette Banuelos Roman, Morgan De Luna, Neil Kendricks, Lamia Khorshid, Teresa Mill, Xavier Leonard, Patricio Chavez, Carlos Castrejon!

"Making and marketing art in San Diego is not for the faint of heart, and the actual Hotels/Motels experience was rich and rewarding in many ways.

Christopher Knight, the LA Times critic, calls the market phenomena a distraction from the real business of art, and cities that it has adversely impacted mid-level galleries where the majority of artists exhibit. San Diego has a limited number of these galleries so an ancillary exhibition like Hotels/Motels can play a vital role for artists and the development of audience and buyers. 
Making and marketing art in San Diego is not for the faint of heart, and the actual Hotels/Motels experience was rich and rewarding in many ways. – Lynn Schuette
My experience is with the event recently held a the Lafayette Hotel by Eric Wong called Hotel/Motel (the unofficial art fair). I was an exhibiting artist and had a great time talking about and doing my work. The people coming through were a mix of everything which made things very interesting. It also mixed many of the different art scenes in San Diego, it was just very cool. The Unofficial Art Fair successfully pulled off being a fun, exciting and informative venue for artists, collectors, and fans. If you will have us, Maria and I would very much like to do this again next year. “
~ Richard Baer & Maria Ming Sum ChauDavis

" An art adventure!" – James Watts

Thank you for the opportunity. We had a lot of fun and I sold a couple paintings so it worked out good. – Cassandra Schramm

"I had such a fun time participating! I wish there could be more events like this around SD on a more regular basis. I really liked meeting the other artists and seeing their work." – Carolynn Brann
Thank you so much for all your work arranging the event and letting us participate. Our group was very pleased with the turn out, sales, and will apply to participate next year if you will have us. Overall a very special event, unique, and honored to be a part of it. – Stephanie Mansolf, Sarah Tell, Anna Feel, Nidia Castaldi
Fallen Tree Exhibitions