Andrew Davis, the Detroit curator who can be found at AwwSweet, has done it again: Good Wood, his second skateboard art show has made it all the way from his hometown to the Brooklyn art space, Third Ward. Inspired by the documentary feature film "Beautiful Losers," which focuses on the subcultures of skateboarding and graffiti, the exhibition brings together 45 different artists who've designed a stunning selection of decks. Styles range from collage, graffiti, acrylic, oil, ink, silkscreen and photography to sculpture. Some of the big players in the show include Chuck Anderson (No Pattern), Nathan Fox, Leo Espinosa, Matt Gordon, Don Kilpatrick and John Breiner. (Full disclosure: I'm included in the show as well!)

The scene at the gallery during the Good Wood installation this week. Photos courtesy of Third Ward.

Davis recently graduated from Detroit's College for Creative Studies with a major in illustration and his first Good Wood show debuted exactly a year ago. I caught up with Andrew at the gallery this week to find out more about how this came about. "I thought of it because I saw that many artists were making their names through skateboarding; it also gave me a good excuse to reach out to artists I admired and establish a solid network for future shows I plan to curate." \

Davis provided the "canvas" - the decks - and the artists provided the work, which made artists even more receptive to his proposal. This year's version of Good Wood continues that trend and will also benefit Stoked Mentoring, a non-profit sports organization for youth, which will receive fifty percent of the profits from gallery sales.

I had a chance to discuss street art, skateboarding and painting with one of the artists in the show, John Breiner, who is a graffiti artist, an illustrator and a good friend of mine from college - School of Visual Arts, that is.

Fernanda Cohen: How does the theme of the show relate to street art?
John Breiner: Skateboarding was a vehicle for exploration throughout the city when I was a kid. At times, it went hand in hand with graffiti. They're both subcultures with a lot of the same players and mentalities.

FC: What was your reaction to "Beautiful Losers?"
JB: It felt like the start of the rest of the world catching on to what we had been up to for so long.

FC: What is the main difference between graffiti and painting?
JB: First and foremost, graffiti is illegal and usually done under very poor conditions - many times you're not even sure what colors you're using in the dark. You have to climb, run, and hide just to get to your "canvas," which adds a lot of pressure. You always have to watch over your own back while keeping your focus on your piece, that's what pushes graffiti so far from normal art. To me, that uncontrolled energy is way more freeing and enjoyable than painting in a perfectly controlled atmosphere. Outside you work in the moon and sun's timeframe, never your own.

Stop by the opening at Third Ward this Saturday, July 26^th, between 7 pm and midnight, where you can check out some short films by Josh Stewart, dance to DJ Brion Isaacs's music, have a drink or two, and buy a deck to help a good cause. The show will be up until August 10^th. Please check the website for information and directions. Third Ward, 195 Morgan Avenue at Stagg Street, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. Good Wood is sponsored by alldaybuffet, a social action brand for creative people, and Stoked Mentoring.

Fernanda Cohen is a Brooklyn-based artist who works in advertising, editorial, fashion, window display and social events mainly in the field of illustration.