The "SKATE & CREATE 2024" event, a 2-day workshop experience, will be held at The Skateboarding Hall of Fame Skateboard Museum at 1555 Simi Town Center Way, Unit 230, Simi Valley, CA 93065. The event will take place from noon to 9pm on Saturday, February 3rd and from noon to 5pm on Sunday, February 4th. Open to all ages, participants can register for various affordable classes, workshops, and competitions led and judged by professional artists, graphic designers, cartoonists, guitarists, drummers, and mentors from the skateboarding industry and community.
The cost of classes ranges from free with a $5 admission fee to $50. The majority of classes fall within the $10 to $25 range. All proceeds will go towards fundraising for the Skateboard Museum.
Ryan Winn and Matt Lorentz, graphic artists for Hawk Clothing, will be joined by Raven Cruz-Fadden, designer for Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and Christian Barrowclough, artist for Powell Peralta Experience, to instruct artists on how to prepare a used skateboard deck and create a painted artwork to be displayed at the Hall of Fame. Skateboard decks and art supplies will be provided.
US Olympic skateboarder Bryce Wettstein from Stereo Skateboards and Logan Earth Ski prodigy Kelley Apanowicz will be hitting the mini halfpipe area with skaters of all ages, serving as mentors to help them improve their skills. Apanowicz, who is only 10 years old, expresses her excitement about inspiring new skaters and sharing the skateboarding world with others. Following this, there will be a fun hour-long skate contest where students can win prizes for categories like Most Improved Skater and Skater with the Biggest Smile, with the judging done by Kelley Apanowicz and San Diego Padres ambassador Padre Libre.
Renowned artist Peter Whitley, known for his work in the Skateboard Hall of Fame, will be leading several quick sketch sessions from noon to 4pm. These sessions will focus on observation, figures in action, environment, and composition in pencil. The sessions are free with a $5 admission fee, and materials will be provided with sketchbooks available for purchase. Students are encouraged to bring their portfolios for review during the sessions.
Skateboard Hall of Famer and experienced musician Steve Steadham from Citizen X will be offering a drum class and a guitar class alongside Chris Armes, the lead guitarist for Agent 51. The drum class will have a maximum of 4 students, while the guitar class will be limited to 6 students.
There will also be a Bonsai Design class led by Bonsai Master Jordan Farar, which will be open to a maximum of 8 students who are 18 years and older. This 2-hour class will focus on the art of bonsai, including trimming, shaping, and transferring bonsai into a pot, and will take place from 11am to 1pm.
Furthermore, singer, songwriter, and ukulele player Bryce Wettstein will be leading a 45-minute music class on How To Write A Song, where she will work with the entire class from initial concepts to a final live performance. Wettstein is excited about the opportunity to inspire others and create alongside them at The Hall of Fame, expressing her happiness in being able to inspire individuals of all ages and keep the inspiration flowing.
Skateboarding photographer and former professional skater Freddie DeSota will be instructing alongside other photographers at the indoor halfpipe, while both professional and amateur skateboarders showcase a range of tricks. The lineup of featured skaters includes Tibs Parise, Bryce Wettstein, and Kelley Apanowicz. According to Freddie DeSota, "I'm thrilled to share my knowledge of capturing great skate photos from a skater's perspective. We will cover topics such as composition, timing, flash, and positioning."
Skateboarder and DJ Blake Sterger, who holds the world record for the most consecutive laps on a pump track (602), will be teaching the fundamentals of DJing, with students getting hands-on experience behind the turntables.
Citizen X, the band led by Steve Steadham, will be making a tour stop at the Hall of Fame and will be performing a free show from 4pm to 5:30pm on Saturday, February 3rd.
The grand opening events for the new art installations Johnny Rad’s Blue Tile Lounge 2024 and The Portraits of The Bones Brigade Experience by Ben Jay will take place from 7pm to 9pm and are free with the $5 entry fee. Artworks from both exhibitions were originally featured at the sold-out Bones Brigade Experience at Vans in 2023 and will feature new pieces as well.
On Sunday, DC Comics Batman artist Danny Miki, comic book artist ZanderComix6, and cartoonist Matt Lorentz will lead Beneath The Mask, a two-hour comic class focusing on expressions, hero and villain character design, and storytelling through sequential art. Students are encouraged to bring their portfolios for critique.
Kelley Apanowicz, a skateboarder, will lead a one-hour skate jam session on Sunday at noon, followed by a skate contest with prizes at 1pm.
Artist Matt Lorentz will assist students in making vibrant Valentine's Day cards, complete with free stickers to place inside the envelopes.
The Skateboarding Hall of Fame, which is a non-profit organization, houses a 10,000 square foot Skateboard Museum, as well as a gift shop, pro shop, and indoor skatepark.
