On Saturday night the Apollo School of Music turned into a buzzing art gallery, showcasing the work of various local artists. The event, which was hosted in collaboration with NorCal Musicians Collective, was a night of bold designs, live music and collective spirit. 

Among the works displayed were prints, paintings, sketches and handmade jewelry, all from 15 different creatives living and working in Chico. 

One large display in the corner of the room featured black and white paintings by Rafael Orti. When asked which his favorite piece was, Orti pointed to a print featuring a pack of masked wolves surrounding a childlike figure, which he called “Innocence.” 

The piece, which was made of India ink, Chinese brushes and acrylic seemed to attract a lot of eyes, and Orti was enthusiastic to share his work. 

“When we’re kids, the world is this beautiful place … then the flowers start falling off,” Orti said. “Everything that was beautiful, we start seeing other parts of it. And then we start seeing how we’re surrounded by wolves”.

Art created by Daniil Loginov, under the name “HND.DRWN,” was also incredibly popular among guests. The designs, which drew from the worlds of dark tattoo culture, metal music and Russian folklore were made available on prints, patches and t-shirts.

Music for the event was provided by local self proclaimed “raverz”, Perfect Dark. The gothic electronic music felt like a nice disruption to the space, along with the colorful canvases and the room dedicated to explicit works of nudity. It was all an interesting juxtaposition to Apollo’s very clean and structured aesthetic. 

The gallery had an intimate feel, as guests moved from room to room to see the art of their friends. Most of them knew each other, whether closely or as part of being in the same circle. They exchanged hugs, took photos and danced together.

Every room was filled wall to wall with personality with local creatives baring their souls for all to see. Treated as a collaborative space, the spirit of collectivism was something that could be felt throughout the place. 

Kati Morris can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @daysofkati.