What happens when you combine local and international artists with blank skateboard decks?

A creative artistic display called 32 Inch Canvas.

Pete Emes and Mike Grimes, curators of the show and owners of Giant 45, collaborated with artists to create the display.

With blank decks in hand, Emes and Grimes started approaching artists about a year ago.

"Everyone we approached was really excited about it. In no time, we had all sorts of amazing artists together," said Grimes. "We decided if we're going to do this, we're going to do it good."

Saturday's opening show featured 65 artists, 15 of whom were from Calgary. More artists will be added as the show moves to Vancouver *, Winnipeg, Toronto * and Montreal *.

Although most boards are designed to ride, these decks are just for show.

Some artists had a year to work on their boards, but Moe Clark, one of four female artists featured in the show, received her board last Saturday.

"I designed this board to show the transient roles we all have in life," says Clark. A graphic designer at Alberta * College of Art and Design, she designed and finished her board in two days.

Local artist Brad Harms took the medium and tried a different approach. Instead of painting on the back of the deck, he designed the front.

"It's very freeing to move beyond the canvas to something that challenges you."

He was excited to see the show come together as he feels it really brings together street culture in all forms: art, music, fashion and culture.

The show not only featured artists' work, but was a gathering of art and skate culture.

"Skateboarders have a totally different mind set," said Brock Mitchell, 18, a skateboarder who came to see the show. "Most people just walk past stairs, but skateboarders stop and check them out. People walk up stairs, skateboarders jump down them."

Jerry Kozan, owner of Sk8ter, has been around skateboard culture most of his life.

"Skateboarders are passionate about what they do. The show captured the essence of skateboard culture. It's not something that can be described, it's something to be understood," he said.

Kozan purchased two skateboards at the show. He bought one created by Zephyr and intends to have a raffle or auction it off. The proceeds will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The show runs until Oct. 12 at Circa *, 536 9 Ave. S.E., in Calgary, Canada *. The decks can be viewed 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

This article was originally entitled "Boards all decked out" and was found at http://www.calgarysun.com/perl-bin/niveau2.cgi?s=Lifestyles&p=88666.html&a=1

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