ARTISTIC PIT STOP

The Art Walk has been a featured tradition of the SEMA Show since the late ’80s, taking on many forms and artists. It began with promoter Bob Larivee talking with then-SEMA Board member Jim Davis. Larivee is a SEMA Hall of Fame inductee honored for his pioneering success with car shows. He started featuring art booths at the Pebble Beach and Meadowbrooks car shows, where he met with Davis. “I happened to mention art, and he liked art. He got me a spot right in the [SEMA Show] lobby, and I got together… maybe 15 or 20 [artists], and that was the beginning,” says Larivee.

Larivee was always particular about whom he brought to the Show. When asked to divulge further, he said, “A lot of designers would come to me and say they wanted to be a part of it, but all they did was paint cars. I said, ‘No, you got to paint a scene. You got to paint history.’”

MAKING A STATEMENT

Larivee, who continues to encourage artists to join the Art Walk, is immensely proud of the exhibit space and the artists found there. He sees the Art Walk as an integral part of the Show with a significant role to play. “I think it’s a chance to make a statement for the history of the sport,” said Larivee.

Ed Tillrock has been an artist working alongside SEMA since the rebirth of the Art Walk installment in 2013. Apart from featuring his work at the Show, Tillrock has produced artwork for SEMA, such as the association’s Hall of Fame inductee face sketches. A quick Google search of his automotive art will display a colorful mural of varying vehicle genres. “I think modern-day collectors and people involved in this industry like everything from a modern Porsche to an old hot rod to a dragster, and that’s how I’ve always looked at things. I like it all,” says Tillrock.

He continues, “I like old cars, and I like new cars, so for me, it kind of fits in with SEMA. If you walk around the Show, you’ll see an old custom. You’ll see a truck that’s jacked up 6 feet in the air with chrome underneath. Or you’ll see a Ferrari that’s a highly collectible car sitting next to a lowered C10 pickup truck. I think my art represents that.”

The Art Walk parallels the Show’s diverse offerings, but what can attendees take away from it?

For one, there’s the awe-inspiring artwork found all along the Art Walk. Every piece from every artist reminds us why we got into the industry in the first place and why we fight to keep it alive. As featured artist Tom Fritz puts it, “It’s about the American fascination with the strongest and the fastest.”

Fritz adds, “I’ve got this opportunity to create a celebration of the vehicles that, since this whole thing got started, we know them to be exciting and cool, and they can take you anywhere you want to go while you can control the power and the speed and all of these represent a type of freedom that essentially continues to define American culture.”

A PLEASANT ESCAPE

For a less esoteric reason, it’s a good step away from the Show’s hubbub. “It’s a long Show,” says Fritz. “A lot of miles on the feet, but it gives [attendees] a break, and that break is an opportunity to both find and lose themselves at the same time.” Whether it’s taking a step back to breathe or finding something inspirational to hang in the office, Show attendees will find something to take away from it.

And if there are any doubts about the caliber of the artists and their work, Fritz is ready to put them to rest. “It’s all different, and the quality is way high. It’s not a Sunday show in the church parking lot. This is worldclass work,” he says. The artistry behind every piece speaks for itself. If these artists were a racing class, they would be Formula 1 drivers.

While art has a voice that speaks to us, the true heartbeat of the Art Walk comes from the artists. “These artists are very in touch with the people they’re serving,” said SEMA Show Operations Director Lorri Monty who oversees the Art Walk and works closely with the artists SEMA features.

“[The artists] love talking to [attendees] about their art because it is something they feel passionate about,” said Monty. Making conversation over art at SEMA is no different than conversing over a feature build. Much like the unique vehicles scattered throughout the convention center, an automotive painting can spark the same passionate discussions for a fraction of the cost. “Maybe someone can’t afford one of these vehicles on display at the Show,” says Monty, “but maybe they can buy some really cool art.