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Fueled
by lack of interest in doing shows he would describe as "cheese block"
art shows, Shon Walters set out to create an art show where he had control of
the environment. In late 1998 Shon returned back to his home town of Dayton after
a three year stay in the woods. He sought after a venue to show a series of paintings
that he had been working on for the past three years. Through some efforts he
found a gallery that hethought would suit the paintings. The day of the show he
was told that he was not allowed to show anything over 20 pounds because they
could not place screws in the walls. Most of the work was over 40 pounds declaring
that the show would not go up.
Shon decided to seek a more proper location
that wasn't a gallery. He would be in charge of the esthetics of the room and
he would promote and create the show himself and with the help of some friends.
This show was a small thought of what was really in mind for a later day.
Meanwhile, Erich Reith was bouncing around various warehouse buildings looking
for a place to create art and music. Each day he was growing with new work and
ideas. There was not only a personal need but one of a social being that needed
to be addressed throughout the art community. Wouldn't it be great if you could
go out in Dayton to eat some incredible food, have a beverage, watch a dance performance
and a band, and view and participate in every medium of art expression with your
family and friends? With the absence of any commercialized and overly pretentious
feeling?
Erich ended up in a shared warehouse space in the Weiler building
on Second St. that has since been torn down. At this point he was helping others
put on art shows with bands, as well as a three hour play within seven other plays.Shortly
after, Shon Walters moved into a 2000 sq. ft. space above Erich. They met at a
collaborative show that Shon had some work in. Erich introduced himself to Shon
and they shared in a conversation about their love of wood. Shon was then taken
to Erich's 150 sq ft. that was carpeted with a blanket of wood chips along side
of a lot of drums and all under a canopy of palm trees. Shon And Erich both knew
that a friendship had been born.
Several months later (due to lack of
heat) they were forced to move out. Shon took a space at the Front St. Building
with two glass blowers. Erich was also asked to move in. Luckily Erich accepted
the offer. Close to a year had passed and the two collaborated on what would be
there first art showing together along with a building open house.
Shon
was reading a book on Tibetan philosophies and came across a word, "Goloka,"
which means God's transcendual abode where he performs his craft. Not being a
religious man of any kind Shon dubbed the word to be the name of the studio in
which they worked. Soon after, the two of them met Mike Elsass. Mike was a
painter in the Front St. Studios who had partnered up with Sherri Witham. Sherri
owned a frame shop within and put on really good shows, but was soon to leave.
Mike asked, "the boys", to move in so that the shows would continue
and so he could keep the space.They accepted and moved into the 1800 sq. ft. space
where they put on their first Goloka show on December 7, 2001, named Janam
which means hello. This showed consisted of both their woodwork and some of Shon's
paintings and Mike's paintings. They had belly dancers with hand drummers, an
Indian buffet, three short films, a narrated slide show set to music, and the
band Fermata. The show drew around two hundred people and in their minds was a
great achievement toward what they had envisioned for the future.
Goloka
shows have been taking place two to four times a year since 2001.The shows have
consisted of artwork ranging from paintings, wood sculpture, furniture, ceramics,
hand blown glass, to photography, performance art ranging from a freak parade
set to music, a choreographed bike parade dance, a traditional African dance and
drum troop, plays, to modern dance ensembles from local schools and universities,
installation art ranging from a 22 ft. canoe with films showing on the cased sails
to a 300 sq ft. room completely covered with color squares and packages made with
color squares. Local and out of town music like rock, folk, hip hop, country,
bluegrass, punk, renaissance gypsy, and even a slavic orchestra has been included.
The food has ranged from an Indian buffet, a burrito buffet, to an all new eclectic
buffet that is provided by Goloka, friends and artists within the show. Sometimes
there are surprises like helicopters(maple seeds) falling and showering the crowd
or maybe a 6 ft. lobster, a whole dead pig, pink bandits, and even Santa Claus
showed up once.
In 2005 Goloka moved into a 4000 sq. ft. studio that would
provide them with the edition of two rooms devoted to installation art. There
is also a 2000 sq. ft. hallway for additional two dimensional work and entertainment.
The gallery grew when they expanded the show into three days with the addition
of Robert Corrigan as a driving force, expanding the gallery's popularity with
the website and mass printing of flyers, mailers, connections to the media, etc.
Robert also made over 200 gourmet waffles to order at one of the shows. The gallery's
attendance grew to over one thousand through out the course of the weekend. Goloka gallery exists because the possibility of reality being an ideal series
of perfect situations without flaws or bad times is ridiculous. Through creating
our own environment we strive to deliver an atmosphere that will do nothing less
than to warm the soul and celebrate that of which we live. The artists contributing
and relying on each other along with the audience creates an ecosystem for the
broad spectrum of art. Our passions enhanced and shared can only enrich all who
experience each other's passions leading to systematically altering all lives
for the greater good.
Goloka invites and encourages anyone to be a part
of the shows with your work, talents, food, or donations. It also tries to cater
to all ages and to accommodate a family style show. The gallery acts as a functioning
wood shop to Shon Walters and Erich Reith and painting studio to Mike Elsass.
Goloka is a not for profit gallery that only wishes to share passions with one
another. The concept of business is in no case a motivation. The gallery shows
are financially provided by the artists of the studio and help with friends and
supporters of the gallery. We would like to thank the following people and businesses:
Robert Corrigan, John and Marla Gutman, Bradley Cahill, Jason Dryden, Ryan Mccullough,
Craig Tirey, Joyce Genari, digital fringe, Arrow Wine, Jeet, Claypool Catering,
Frame Shop, Functional Fabrication, and Cori Graphics.
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