Carlsbad Art and Culture

James Chute from the North County Times asked if the Carlsbad Music Festival is too cool for Carlsbad. He referenced the legendary artistic debacle of “The Bars” and suggested that the hangover once felt from the public outcry and eventual dismantling of the urban art piece might still be lingering, potentially preventing the coastal community from becoming a hotbed of “artistic tolerance and forward thinking.”

The development of an art scene begins with a seed. If the seed fits the community, its colors will not only shine bright, but will be appreciated and supported by those who view it.

Progressive art events have been creating excitement in the Carlsbad Village in the past few years including the always entertaining and occasionally controversial plays at the New Village Arts Theatre, the honeycomb of art studios of the NVA Foundry, the annual Carlsbad Art Splash, a wide variety of art and community based projects by Snyder Art, the ‘Thursdays on the Coast’ and the most recent Carlsbad Music Festival directed by Carlsbad native and current NY resident Matt McBane.

In the festival’s 8th year, McBane decided to run the event in its entirety in the Carlsbad Village over a three day period, where in past years the festival has taken place in locations both in and outside the village.

The event kicked off with its highly anticipated 2nd annual music walk where art, culture and music enthusiasts were invited to wander the village on a self guided tour of live music hosted at various village locations including Spin Records, the NVA Foundry, O’Ireland and Giacoletti.

For those who host, organize and frequent the blossoming art scene in the Carlsbad Village, being cool has never really been a priority, but if artistic tolerance and forward thinking is the new cool, then the Carlsbad Village is becoming one hip place!