3 Questions with Curator Bobby Beals

Curator, arts consultant and former gallerist Bobby Beals never really stopped working during the pandemic, but it’s been some time since the annual exhibit of new works from his Kamagraph line of artsy skateboards and merch could go the in-person route. Well, he’s baaaaaaaack with This Is The Day -- (4-7 pm Saturday, May 28. Free. Downtown Subscription, 376 Garcia St., (505) 983-3085). Featuring 40 artists from near and far plus a limited edition pair of decks sporting an Utugawa Kuniyoshi print, the new show is a bit of a departure for Beals, who generally donates profits from Kamagraph events to various charities and nonprofits—this year the bucks are going to the artists themselves. Since there’s nothing wrong with creative types paying the rent, we met up with Beals to learn a little more. (Alex De Vore)

You’re back with Kamagraph. It’s been a minute, right?

Actually, it hasn’t. During the pandemic, I did these skateboard shows, but online, with no show. Obviously we couldn’t be in crowds, we had to be home, so I just found people who were buying skateboards—I was literally texting clients. I was using that money to feed people. I didn’t really do the Zoom event thing, didn’t do new new decks, but [myself and various volunteer workers and chefs] made 500 meals a month...for the elderly and the disabled. I literally started out online like, ‘Who would like some burritos?’ I was pretty amazed. A hundred percent of that [Kamagraph money] went to that. I’d always picked nonprofits per each release, but people needed to eat and to have COVID-safe food delivery.

So what’s the need this time?

The need is actually artists. I want to raise money to make more skateboards, more merch, like a gallery would, I just split the proceeds with the artists who make the decks. Plus I’ve got this Kuniyoshi print deck about this samurai who gets attacked by a giant snake. He battles the snake, but it’s poisonous and he gets bitten and dies this awful death. It’s a folk hero story, and I really liked it because…I’m not a very outwardly political guy, but I feel like we’re battling this giant snake. There’s so much poison going on in the system and how we live. It’s difficult, so I just felt like this story kind of related in a way with skateboarding. I’m in love with skateboarding. There’s a freedom with that.

People who are in their 60s and don’t skate will buy these skateboards. They love the punk rock movement, the skateboard movement, because it reminds people of things of that time. It brings the youthfulness out in a lot of people.

I’ve got 40 artists this time—not all local, and some of them are repeats from previous Kamagraph shows. It’s just another canvass, I think, and I think art on skate decks has been around for so long, it’s absorbed into the culture.

I think the need is...OK, art is an outward expression of going inward, and during the pandemic a lot of people went inward. I know for me, with the silence, I thought, ‘Oh shit, I’ve got some things to work on. I want to feel healthier.’ And I think that this happened to a lot of people, so art is one of those things that’s an outward expression of that work. It’s the same thing with skateboarding. You can play football with a team, basketball with a team, but when those were all shut down? Well, you can’t shut skateboarding down and you can’t shut art down.

What can you tell us about the event?

For a person to put some wheels on a skateboard and go practice and fall and get back up, fall and get back up, fall and get back up—it’s pretty cool to watch that. I’ve mentored some kids 11-18 who skate, and they feel empowered. Because skating is not about what society is doing. It’s kind of interesting when someone is saying don’t do this, don’t do that—you start to think why? Why not skateboarding? Why not art? I’m 46, and I started skating at 40, and for me, when I’m out there skating, it’s...whatever puts that wind in your hair, y’know? You want that wind in your hair. Skating can be a convergence of punk rock, hip-hop, art; it’s such an individual thing, but what’s interesting is that I have fine art collectors, and I’ve sold them $10,000 paintings, and then they’re also out there buying skate decks and hanging them in the same rooms as their other pieces. Artists want to work on different kinds of canvas, and art on skateboards is just another canvas.

At the event, Skate School is donating the rails and mini ramps [for skaters], and we’ll have different sponsors and giveaways. The parents are gonna win some things, the kids are gonna win some things. I just don’t want anyone to walk away empty-handed. [Downtown Subscription owner] Casey Mickelson is so supportive and always has been.