Hasta La Ideas

A mobile art house tours the U.S., promoting health, happiness and creativity

Mark Warren Jacques and Seth Neefus, two Portland,OR-based “artists, musicians, skateboarders, friends, and idealists,” set off two months ago on a shared dream to create Free Life Center, a traveling art exhibit that represents the artists’ spiritual relationship with Mother Nature and earth.

Influenced and inspired by the free spirits of their friends and colleagues, the pair created a large-scale, freestanding installation as a place to invite and encourage creativity. The piece consists of a one-room structure constructed from salvaged building materials, with uses ranging from a gallery space to an event site. From the mismatched planks to radiating geometric designs, the handmade room celebrates a DIY ethos and a handcrafted sense of style that literally demarcates a safe space for a similar “energy and spirit.”

The installation has been traveling through the Pacific Northwest (packed into a box truck) since this past June, and will make its next stop in San Francisco at Gallery Hijinks. At their various locations, Free Life Center has been hosting a variety of community events including musical performances, artists’ workshops, drawing parties, and more. During their journey the artists have also been creating original pieces of art that are available for sale wherever Free Life Center makes stops. You can also check out their site for extensive documentation of the project.

The goal of Free Life Center is for all those that experience it to walk away inspired to live a more healthy and creative life. The show runs through 25 July 2010, with the opening reception taking place on 23 July 2010 from 7-10pm.