Costa Makers community block party will bring art to the streets

Another festival is taking to the streets of Costa Mesa Saturday.

Costa Makers — a community block party — will feature displays, demonstrations and workshops from a bevy of local street artists and other creative minds.

“This is not your grandma’s craft fair,” said organizer David Trotter. “Come on now.”

The free event, now in its second year, will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Triangle, 1870 Harbor Blvd., and First United Methodist Church of Costa Mesa, just across the way at 420 W. 19th St.

The Triangle will be flooded with an array of food options, vendor booths and live entertainment. At the church, hundreds of art pieces will be on display and for sale.

The event is hosted in collaboration with the city of Costa Mesa, South Hills Church and the online outlet I Heart Costa Mesa.

Trotter said Costa Makers is intended to embody the vibe he believes the city is becoming known for: “street, urban, hip-hop, action sports.”

Costa Mesa-based painter Paul Ortega said he will bring seven of his original pieces to Costa Makers, including two special prints that depict slain rappers Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. He said a friend from his artist community recommended him to the event, which is being held right in his neighborhood.

“Any chance I see an opportunity to go to events like this or be a part of it, I’m jumping at the opportunity,” Ortega said. “There’s a lot of buzz around it.”

Since moving to the neighborhood around the Triangle about two years ago, Ortega said he has noticed an uptick in community events — including the Costa Mesa Art Walk he participated in last week. The area is becoming more active, he said, and he is excited to be part of its growth.

“Now that [my wife and I] have been here, I don’t think I could ever move out,” he said. “I think we’re stuck.”

Proceeds from Costa Makers will go toward bringing art classes to Rea Elementary School on the city’s Westside. For the last few years, the school has received regular art classes through Meet the Masters, a program that brings workshops to schools without arts funding.

Event organizers are trying to raise the $8,000 needed to keep the art program at Rea Elementary for another year by contributing 100% of food sales and 10% of art and vendor sales to the school’s PTA.

More than 300 artworks from Rea students will be on display at the church. Meet the Masters also will host a booth and guide children through hands-on arts projects.

In addition to highlighting the church and supporting a local school, Trotter said Costa Makers is intended to draw the greater community together.

“The church and Triangle Square are at the meeting point, in a lot of ways, with [the] Eastside and Westside of Costa Mesa,” he said. “We want the church and Triangle Square to be a place where all of Costa Mesa feels included, welcomed and a part of unity, entertainment, art and so forth.”

People from every part of the Costa Mesa community are emerging to contribute to the event. Local jewelry maker Laurane Elisabeth will showcase her wares just down the way from a display of photographer Melissa Brown’s work.

Other featured artists include writer Morgan Harper Nichols, who is known for her collaborative poetry art pieces on Instagram. Brian Peterson, creator of the “Home Sweet Home” mural at First United Methodist, will be on hand to spread awareness of his Faces of Santa Ana organization — which paints portraits of folks in the local homeless community.

Vendors from throughout Southern California will be present, too, selling clothes, home goods, candles, paintings, plants, cards and other items.

Free parking will be available at the Triangle, and a bike station will be located at First United Methodist.

For more information about the event, visit costamakersoc.com.

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