Fresno Famous

McArtHop.

You know, as in ArtHop at McDonald's. First Whole Foods, then Bobby Salazar's, and finally McDonald's. It's a natural progression for ArtHop stops, don't you think? Even if you find it troubling, it's no joke. This month the Downtown McDonald's on Abby and Divisadero will feature the watercolors of Pat Hunter.

Hunter, whose Gallery II Studio is located on Shaw, paints detailed watercolors of some of Fresno's landmark buildings. She's co-authored a book with Janice Stevens, Fresno's Architectural Past (buy it on Amazon). The pair will be at McDonald's showcasing their work and signing books. Ronald is rumored to make an appearance, but there's no word snack selections.

There's movement afoot in downtown's north end, just south of McDonald's. Growth in the Cultural Arts District- the area bordered by Tuolumne to the south, Divisadero to the north, H Street to the west and P Street to the east- is on an exponential upward trend. Already home to two of the city's major museums, the District is host to nine ArtHop stops this month, two opening for the first time.

Start the tour of the neighborhood at Bill Bruce Studio. Bruce, artist and jazz DJ on KFSR, will host the live music of Roger Gonzales and the On the Fly trio, a mix of jazz and blues. Be sure to pause outside, and look up: muralist Francisco Vargas recently completed painting one of Bruce's works on the Studio's old sign.

From there head over to new ArtHop spot, the offices of the Woodward Shakespeare Festival. Featuring the eerie, phantasmagorical landscapes of Linda Pitts, the show[s theme corresponds to the Festival's "The Summer of Magic and Madness." A Midsummer Night's Dream opens July 20th.

Old ArtHop stalwart the Pearl Building is back in business this month, a few blocks west of the new L Street hub. A variable potpourri of young artistic talent awaits, with work by Brianna Smeds, Shannon Hunter, Monica Geigle, Mycow, Creighton Geigle, Josh Wigger, Vicente Aello, Jason Graham, Eatcho and more. There's always music and a party atmosphere.

For a more refined gallery experience, walk a few steps south to Club Jinnaka, where Broadway Studios artists Robert Amador and Nigel Robertson will show new works. Robertson is known for his haunting portraiture, especially self-portraits. Amador provides some levity in subject matter, if not in tone, with drawings and sketches of unicorns and the like.

The neighborhood's heavyweight, Arte Américas, will show a new exhibit by Los Angeles-based Lalo Garcia. "His work is 'religious,'" explains curator Armando Torres. "Though all of the imagery is so inextricably linked to Mexican-American Culture that it is more 'Cultural' than anything else. His work ranges from the photorealistic (earlier work) to very contemporary styalised religious iconography. The main part of the gallery has a very somber, meditative feel as a result. It's a lovely show, even if the gallery feels a bit like a cross between a church and a gallery." This is the first exhibit to showcase the rage of Garcia's work.

End the tour of Downtown's bustling new nabe at Broadway Studios, where you can explore 25 different spaces. Live jazz will be playing in the developing front commercial space. If jazz isn't your thing, head to Tokyo Garden for the monthly post ArtHop rock show, featuring Rademacher, Gypsy Cab, and Josh Tehee.

For more information or directions, check the ArtHop map!