If you’re looking for unique and offbeat (even quirky) things, then the Mendocino Coast will be heaven for you. With its beginning roots in the 60’s, the Mendocino Coast art community continues to draw to it an eclectic lot. Some of our claims to fame include…
The Artists
International artists – Larry Fuente’s mixed media piece “Game Fish” (1988) has become an icon in the permanent collection at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Fuente created a flamboyant multidimensional collage, made from colorful toys and game pieces such as dice, yo-yos, Scrabble tiles, badminton shuttlecocks, toy soldiers, poker chips, ping pong balls, and dominoes.
Fuente also created a 3-dimensional globe for Ocean Planet, NASA’s annual oceanography educational event, using turquoise, gold, silver, and shimmering rhinestones to gloriously define the masses of land and water that make up our world. It will be on exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.
At the annual Mendocino 4th of July parade, Fuente often delights the crowd with one of his “art” cars.
“Art with a Pulse” – Tatto artists, Madame Chinchilla and Mr. G. (also owner) perform their body art at Triangle Tattoo & Museum. Founded in 1986, it is one of only a few museums in the world dedicated to the display of tattoo artifacts. Located in downtown Ft. Bragg, across from the Guest House Museum, the collection is fittingly housed in one of the town’s original Victorian store fronts. Triangle Tattoo & Museum is open 7 days a week from noon till six P.M. All ages are welcome. Admission is free. School and personal tours are given upon request. Please call in advance.
Eleven segments of the Discovery Channel documentary, “Tattoo! Beauty, Art & Pain” were filmed at Triangle Tattoo & Museum. The one hour program includes interviews shot in the studio and great close-up stills from many of the museum’s current exhibits. Madame Chinchilla is author of the books “Stewed, Screwed, Tattooed” and “Chi Chi in Cyberspace” (a children’s book), and Electric Tattooing by Men, 1900-2004.
Mendocino Stories
A collection of nature lovers, poets, artists, musicians, writers sharing their stories, poetry, music, and art.
And A Musician
Gene Parsons often shares stories with friends about his time with The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Nashville West. Parsons invented StringBender in 1968, and has been building and installing them in musicians’ instruments ever since.
Activities
For an upscale and completely different picnic experience, try a guided, llama trek. Treks can be tailored to your desires, from napping on the beach to spending hours painting a waterfall. Gourmet lunches from cold sandwiches to hot meals are available.
Mendocino Outdoors, the premier guidebook for outdoor fun and adventure on the Mendocino Coast, has been updated in 2017 as an ebook for the 5th Edition. You can buy a copy at Smashwords.com, the Apple iBooks Bookstore, Amazon’s Kindle Books, and Barnes & Noble's online store.