Local artist brings color to village

CARLSBAD — On Dec. 10, local artist Bryan Snyder hosted his third annual solo art show, “Young at Art,” to celebrate art, community and local talent in the Carlsbad Village.
North County residents packed Snyder’s 400-square-foot Carlsbad studio on State Street to see his newest paintings and get a closer look at his most recent public art installment, drip-painted birdhouses that had been placed around the Carlsbad Village.
Local musician Nathan James performed live during the “Young at Art” show. Nearby Paradise Pizza and Bull Taco catered the event.
“The studio fills up pretty fast, but the great thing about it is that people go outside and it turns into a block party,” Snyder said. “The show isn’t just about the art inside; the people that are up are part of the art too.”
Many friends, family and other Carlsbad artists attended “Young at Art,” which coincided with Snyder’s 30th birthday.
“He was always artistic as a child,” Laura Geiselhart-Andlauer, Synder’s aunt, said. “He’s come so far and it’s outstanding; my favorites are the paintings of John Lennon, but I want to buy several things.”
While copies of Snyder’s 2011 Carlsbad Crawl calendar, the drip-painted birdhouses and other merchandise was for sale, Snyder said he doesn’t judge a show’s success based on how many paintings he sells, but by the number of people that attend.
Snyder spent weeks preparing for the show; selecting just the right layout for his paintings and making sure every aspect was in order. “It’s not about the art on the walls, it’s the catering, the music — it’s a giant multimedia presentation in a way.”
His attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed, as show attendees circled the tiny studio to take a look at what was on display.
“His stuff is really, really cool,” Carlsbad resident Bryan Schramm said. He recently learned about Snyder’s work and attended the event with several friends. “I’ve never been to his studio before but I have seen his stuff around the Village.”
A Carlsbad native, Snyder has long been a supporter of public installations and art shows that start conversations and bring the community together.
He documents these projects — ranging from a giant paper mache polar bear to drip-painted traffic cones — on his blog at www.carlsbadcrawl.com.
“Anything related to art is pretty much necessary for the community; culture is one of the important parts of a thriving community because it brings people together,” he said. “What’s a community without friendship and without a personal bond?”
To learn more about Bryan Snyder’s artwork and his creative process, visit www.snyderartdesign.com.