Just a Short Walk Down the Alley

Next Sunday marks the return of Sierra Madre's annual . Each year the and an army of volunteers pull off a minor miracle in creating an event that is equal parts eco-tourism and street fair. Visitors from far and wide actually flock to Sierra Madre and the streets are full of happy, smiling faces.

I wish them all well – the vendors, the visitors, the docents leading the tours of the world famous vine, the local business owners, and the organizers. But to tell you the truth I find it all a little overwhelming. I have nothing against the event itself which is well-planned and executed and fun. I'm just a little more low-key, easily exhausted by crowds.

So this year I think I'm just going to sneak down the alley. That's how I usually walk to town – out through the back of my apartment complex on East Highland and down the alley past some rather industrial buildings that several artists have repurposed as work space/studios. My route ends on East Montecito next to the red brick Scott building where this year I will find the latest addition to the Wistaria Festival menu – the Art Alley.

Put together by the and pitched to the Chamber, this will be a gathering of strictly local visual artists and craftspeople displaying and selling their work. A little less street festival and a little more art fair. A little bit off the beaten path, but certainly worth the detour. Just like Sierra Madre.

Now strictly speaking it won't be in the alley. It will be in the parking lot to the west of the Scott building at 123 E. Montecito where normally folks stop for patio furniture sales. But since I am a lover of alliteration and since I am so excited to see what they will be showcasing just steps from my home I will let the name slide.

I'm told there will be over 30 artists displaying their work – painters, photographers, jewelry makers, fiber artists and more. And these aren't just part time hobbyists. Included in the line-up is local treasure Igor de Kansky whose work hangs in St. Vincent's Hospital, St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Claremont McKenna College, and many others. He tells me the pieces he will have at the Art Alley will be quite different from those on his website.

New ideas like this are good. And they usually take a long time to catch on. And for some it might seem like a long stroll down Montecito and away from the revelry on Baldwin. And it's definitely not the most scenic street in town. But between the mechanic and the public storage facility and the empty lot and the warehouse are some wonderful designs studios, historic buildings, and maybe a few sources of artistic inspiration.

I'm not sure we have ever achieved that full realization of East Montecito as an Arts District. Maybe we have and we just need to recognize it and accept it for all the quirky wonderfulness that is. Just like the Friends of the Arts and their bold new ideas to help each other's careers and ambitions. So I think it is the perfect location for this festival within a festival and I hope many people turn that corner and sneak down the alley.