Sacramento photographer hopes to bring color and life to neglected neighborhood

SAYS COULD USE A BIGGER SPLASH OF COLOR AND LOVE. WELL, THIS IS THE MOMENT STUART GAO HAS HIS LENS FULLY TRAINED ON THIS WALL IN NORTH SACRAMENTO. I’M ALSO LOOKING TO GET MY LINES ARCHITECTURALLY STRAIGHT A FORGOTTEN SPACE. SO YOU REALLY SEEING WHAT THE BUILDING IS? SOME WOULD SAY A BLIGHTED SPACE AND WHAT THE WALL IS. THE WALL IS HIS CANVAS CAPTURING A FLASH OF REFLECTED LIGHT AND TRYING TO CREATE A FLASH OF INTEREST FOR HIS COMMUNITY. I SEE PARTS OF NORTH SACRAMENTO THAT NEED LOVE AND AND I’M PHOTOGRAPHING THOSE PARTS AND HOPING THAT IT WILL BE LOVED AGAIN FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, GAO, A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, HAS STALKED THESE STREETS LOOKING TO CHRONICLE WHAT HE SEES WARTS AND ALL. HERE’S ONE OF HIS PICTURES THE TIGERS MESSAGE I WISH YOU WOULD LOVE ME AGAIN. A LAMENT FOR SO MUCH HERE. SO THAT TOUCHED ME A BIT. I REALIZED THAT IT ALSO APPLIES TO THIS AREA BECAUSE THE AREA IS NEGLECTED. IT LACKS INVESTMENT AND HAS DONE FOR MANY YEARS. SO THAT PHOTOGRAPH HAS INFORMED THE REST OF MY SERIES. GAO WANTS HIS WORK TO BRING MORE PRESSURE TO THE POWERS THAT BE TO SEE WHAT HE SEES AND SPUR REVITALIZATION. WE’RE ONLY THREE MILES FROM THE CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL HERE. I THINK A BROADER AUDIENCE BEYOND SACRAMENTO, BEYOND CALIFORNIA, WOULD BE QUITE SHOCKED TO SEE THE CONDITION OF NORTH SACRAMENTO, SINCE IT IS SO CLOSE TO THE CAPITAL OF OF ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST STATES IN THE WORLD. SO I THINK I’D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT SOME IN SACRAMENTO MAY BETTER RECOGNIZE THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS NEGLECTED WALL. THIS IS THE OLD THRIFT TOWN. IT’S A SACRAMENTO ICON. THRIFT TOWN, A DEL PASO HEIGHTS MAINSTAY BARGAIN SHOP FOR GENERATIONS AND FEATURED IN THE MOVIE LADY BIRD FROM A MURALIST POINT OF VIEW, IT IS A GIGANTIC STATEMENT PIECE. IT IS A GIGANTIC WALL LIKE GALT JOHN BLAIR LIVES HERE AND WORKS WITH GRAFFITI FOR GOOD. HE’S PLANNING A SHOW FEATURING GAL’S COLLECTION CALLED I WISH YOU WOULD LOVE ME AGAIN. THE GOAL RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY LOCAL ARTISTS TO MAKE THIS SPACE COME ALIVE. HE’S HAD PEOPLE APPROACH HIM ALREADY. HOW ABOUT A MURAL? CAN WE PUT A MURAL THERE? AND IT’S LIKE, THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO DO. GETTING THERE WILL TAKE MONEY AND COMMITMENT. BLAIR SAYS THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN ART. I WANT TO RAISE MY SON IN A BETTER SPACE. I WANT HIM TO SEE GREAT THINGS WHEN HE’S WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND NOT BE SCARED, NOT BE SURROUNDED BY BLIGHT AND GAL, YOU’LL KEEP CLICKING HIS SHUTTER UNTIL SOMETHING CLICKS. I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THERE IS BEAUTY IN NORTH SACRAMENTO, CERTAINLY, AND THERE CAN BE BEAUTY IN IN IN SMALL MOMENTS IN NORTH SACRAMENTO. WELL, THERE IS A WAY YOU CAN HELP GIVE SOME LOVE AGAIN TO DEL PASO HEIGHTS GAL AND BLAIR ARE HAVING AN EXHIBITION THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 3RD AT THE NEVER BOARD GALLERY. THAT’S AT 1518 EL PASO BOULEVARD. IT’S SCHEDULED FOR 6 P.M. IF YOU WANT TO GO THERE AND THEN CHECK THIS OUT. THE ARTISTS HAVE PUT THEIR MESSAGE IN BIG, BOLD LETTERS ON THAT BUILDING THEY WANT TURNED INTO A NEW, VIBRANT MURAL. IT’S SAYING IT WILL SAY EVENTUALLY, I WISH YOU WOULD LOVE ME AGAIN. AND THEY BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE WILL. AND EDIE THEY’RE LOOKING TO RAISE SOMEWHERE AROUND $15,000. I THINK IT’LL TAKE THAT MUCH TO BRING IN THE RIGHT KIND OF ARTISTS, TO MAKE THE RIGHT KIND OF STATEMENT FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU KNOW, THAT GOAL IS SO

The backdrop of Paris in the Olympics reminds us of the rich art that defines that city. In its own way, Sacramento has come to define its art culture in recent years through murals.Photographer Stuart Gow thinks one part of Sacramento could use more big statement pieces.Gow is working at a mostly forgotten space in Del Paso Heights.He looks for beauty in the blight, recently photographing a tagged fence that reads, "I wish you would love me again." It's a sentiment that sums up his mission."I see parts of north Sacramento that need love, and I'm photographing those parts and hoping that it will be loved again," Gow said.Gow wants his work to bring more pressure on the powers that be to see what he sees and spur revitalization. "We're only three miles from the California state Capitol here. I think a broader audience beyond Sacramento, California, would be shocked to see the condition of north Sacramento. Since it's so close to one of the wealthiest states in the world, so I think I would like to highlight that," Gow said.Some in Sacramento may recognize the other side of the neglected wall. It's Thriftown, a Del Paso Heights mainstay bargain shop for generations, and featured in the movie Lady Bird.Like Gow, John Blair lives here and works with Graffiti for Good.He is planning a show featuring Gow's photo collection called "I Wish You Would Love Me Again."The goal is to raise enough money to pay local artists to make the wall come alive.Blair said this is about more than art."I want to raise my son in a better space," he said. "I want him to see great things down the street, not be scared, not be surrounded by blight."Gow will keep clicking his shutter until something clicks for his neighborhood."I want people to see that there is beauty in north Sacramento, certainly. There can be beauty in small moments in north Sacramento," he said.The show will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Never Board Gallery on Del Paso Boulevard.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

The backdrop of Paris in the Olympics reminds us of the rich art that defines that city.

In its own way, Sacramento has come to define its art culture in recent years through murals.

Photographer Stuart Gow thinks one part of Sacramento could use more big statement pieces.

Gow is working at a mostly forgotten space in Del Paso Heights.

He looks for beauty in the blight, recently photographing a tagged fence that reads, "I wish you would love me again."

It's a sentiment that sums up his mission.

"I see parts of north Sacramento that need love, and I'm photographing those parts and hoping that it will be loved again," Gow said.

Gow wants his work to bring more pressure on the powers that be to see what he sees and spur revitalization.

"We're only three miles from the California state Capitol here. I think a broader audience beyond Sacramento, California, would be shocked to see the condition of north Sacramento. Since it's so close to one of the wealthiest states in the world, so I think I would like to highlight that," Gow said.

Some in Sacramento may recognize the other side of the neglected wall. It's Thriftown, a Del Paso Heights mainstay bargain shop for generations, and featured in the movie Lady Bird.

Like Gow, John Blair lives here and works with Graffiti for Good.

He is planning a show featuring Gow's photo collection called "I Wish You Would Love Me Again."

The goal is to raise enough money to pay local artists to make the wall come alive.

Blair said this is about more than art.

"I want to raise my son in a better space," he said. "I want him to see great things down the street, not be scared, not be surrounded by blight."

Gow will keep clicking his shutter until something clicks for his neighborhood.

"I want people to see that there is beauty in north Sacramento, certainly. There can be beauty in small moments in north Sacramento," he said.

The show will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Never Board Gallery on Del Paso Boulevard.

Sacramento photographer hopes to bring color and life to neglected neighborhood

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