For the Starving Artist in you: Gallery a.k.a. serves substance of local, artistic excellence to the masses

Inside Neil Hughes' edgy salon turned hair Mecca – Disconnected– you can find another carefully calculated, colorful display to arouse your visual senses.

Gallery a.k.a., art gallery and (right-side) brainchild of curator and fellow contributing artist Jason Feather, aka J Feather. It may exist along the wall of the North Park salon, but the idea behind the gallery’s existence is a whole separate entity.

Gallery a.k.a. stands for Art Kills Artists, and its mission is to protect San Diego artists from becoming “starving artist” archetypes. By providing the space where artists can actively exhibit their work and sell their masterpieces without economic barriers, Gallery a.k.a. is frontier-ing the campaign against starving artists by way of selecting talented individuals who are starving for something more.

While Gallery a.k.a. supports the greater artist community, locals can be assured that the gallery’s intense screening process allows only worthy and original art work to be exhibited. Well-crafted and quality art made by talented artists appreciates in value; and buying art from up-and-coming artists ensures that price points are accessible to all buyers.

Gallery a.k.a. events showcase mostly local artists, some of which can be found on Ray St., a few blocks down from the gallery in North Park. Its upcoming show on November 14 “Border to Border”, which features artists from El Paso like Exist 1981 and Keith Spencer, will be the last until 2010. It will also be the last of the gallery’s monthly series of shows – for now.

For the future, Feather is thinking more avant-garde

Although the gallery has seen monthly art shows since June 2009, Feather has even bigger ideas he is itching to implement beginning at the start of the New Year. Feather wants to grow his involvement with local charities and expand his network outside of just “art”; Instead, Feather wants artists from every sphere to come together under the gallery’s roof and showcase their innovations and collaborate. Feather’s goal is to intertwine all facets of art – including fashion, hair, design, and music – to make even grander statements within the realm of the art community by opening participation up to the masses. Stay tuned.

To see what J Feather and other artists like Martha Martin and Jason Gould currently have on display, stop by Gallery a.k.a. anytime, as it’s open even during salon hours.

Discover more about Gallery a.k.a. at ArtKillsArtists.com.