Ocean inspiration

Summer’s crowds are dissipating and now it’s time to do something for Huntington Beach’s locals.

A Surf and Art Walk will shut down Main Street to host a two-day celebration of Huntington’s music, art, businesses and, of course, surfing. Three blocks of Main Street will be blocked at Pacific Coast Highway to accommodate the fair, which is meant to showcase the beach-side spirit that dominates Surf City culture.

“This is a great opportunity for our local artists to show off what they do,” said Connie Pedenko, executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement District, which is putting the event on.

Josh Serafin, a painter who grew up in Huntington Beach, said the event is an important opportunity for local artists to see their work displayed.

Serafin, who works in oils, is also a surfer. He says a community that is so intertwined in the evolution of surfing should reflect that in its art.

“Huntington’s very trend-setting, very cutting edge. This type of show is helping the exposure for that,” Serafin said.

It’s no surprise to Serafin that there’s an abundance of ocean/surf-themed art coming out of the city.

“Our inspiration is derived completely from the coast,” Serafin said.

Gavin Gates is another Surf City native artist, but he doesn’t just make surf pictures, he actually incorporates surfboards into his art.

Gates recycles broken boards and creates chairs out of them. He’ll paint or stencil designs to personalize his pieces.

“When I think of art in Huntington Beach I think about crafts and surfing. To me art in Huntington Beach is art on the surfboards,” Gates said.

The globalization of the surf industry has led Gates to give local products more attention.

“It’s nice to support people that are local and keep people working,” Gates said.

Along with the collection of art, there will be many live acts to catch.

The International Surfing Museum will host a slew of local live surf music near PCH that continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

There will also be inflatable play equipment for kids. Little Gym will offer a workout station for toddlers and fingerprinting services will be available.

Saturday will see a special presentation of the surf film “Step Into Liquid” near Main Street and Olive Avenue. Dana Brown, the film’s director, will be there to take audience questions after the screening. The show, at 7:15 p.m., is free, but audiences will have to bring their own chairs.

A fashion show is scheduled near the same intersection for earlier in the day at 2 p.m. A runway will be set up giving local clothing stores an opportunity to strut their stuff, or at least to have a model strut their stuff.

On top of all that the street will be filled with all kinds of entertainers including singers, jugglers and even tap dancers. The hope for the multitude of entertainment is it will encourage people of all persuasions to experience a bit of Huntington culture, Pedenko said.

The Downtown Business Improvement District is hoping to get the area of Main Street closed to vehicles permanently, creating a promenade-like area where people can stroll across the street at leisure.

Pedenko said the group feels it would benefit visitors to downtown as well as the local businesses. The event is one of several test-runs toward that goal. “There’s nothing better than standing in the middle of the street and looking forward, you see all the way down the pier,” Pedenko said.

Gates is also a proponent of the idea because he believes it may alleviate traffic problems.

“Hopefully one of these days it’ll be every day, every night, that there’s no cars down there,” Gates said.