Carlsbad Art and Culture

Before Carlsbad was known as a village by the sea, and well before Carlsbad Village Drive and the incorporation of the city, John Frazier dug a well and began distributing water to guests at the local train station. A test was done on the water resulting in chemical similarities to one of Europe’s most famous spas Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), Czech Republic. An aggressive marketing campaign soon followed to attract visitors.

First it was the natural water found by John Frazier in the 1880s. After the Carlsbad incorporated in 1952, emphasis was shifted towards the beach and weather, luring thousands of visitors each summer. Carlsbad may be shifting towards another attraction.. local art.

For the past year and a half, carlsbadcrawl has aggressively set out to develop a more creative culture, based on personal expression and fueled by the arts. Interest in what we do has grown exponentially, April being carlsbadcrawl.com’s most visited month by far. The recent interest in local publications and recent success with the Carlsbad Village Art Surf is proof that things are shifting. We are extremely excited about the future of our community and welcome, whether for the natural water, the beach or the local art scene, all visitors.

Martha Ercegovic, a visitor to Carlsbad and temporary resident of North County, drags her brush across her canvas under scattered clouds. She captures a street, lined with cars and a church, but is initially drawn by the organic twists of the bordering trees. Her brushstrokes smudge thickness like the impasto of Van Gogh and she animates each branch with earthy values. A hill is introduced to a flat street like the awkwardly magnificent multiple perspectives of Cezanne and a bold distortion of form and non local color is reminiscent of the fauvists.

Artist: Marsha Ercegovic
website: marshaercegovic.biz

Local art is on the rise? What examples have you seen?