Friday mornings at Seattle’s Best Coffee in the Hotel Alex Johnson downtown.  The coffee is black as death, but the conversation serves to breathe life into our community through a culture based on creativity. What we dream of, plan for, and put into action directly affects our downtown via the paint-filled vein that runs through its center –Art Alley.

In 2013, Art Alley was in trouble. Participating businesses and the city were unhappy with the state of the alley, and were considering shutting it down. In an attempt to stop this, the community banded together and the Art Alley Artists’ Guild was born. This group is tasked with taking responsibility for the alley, and the issues that arise with it.

But who is the Guild?? The guild is YOU. The guild is the artists that paint in the alley and the community that wishes to see it continue. The community benefits from Art Alley, and so the community is responsible to keep it an asset. The very rare and special thing about this is that it’s one of the few things that WE as a community care for without interference from government entities. That is why as a guild member, we are proud to know that every time we walk into a meeting, we are taking part in something bigger than just the maintenance of an alley, we are developing social change. We are using this tool that we have to develop innovative and exciting new ways to make our world a better place..

This is what we promised to those building and business owners that asked for our help, and it is so much more. In order for this to continue, we need your help, and we are very serious about this part. Art Alley is not promised to us. It is something we work for in order to receive its benefits.

More people are needed for this to continue. Please attend our meetings and help us keep this incredible thing that we have. We promise not to overwhelm you, or put anything on your plate that you aren’t prepared for. We are a community that works as a family, and that is a very rare and special thing.

We need you.

Every Friday. 8am. Seattle’s Best Coffee. Hotel Alex Johnson. Downtown Rapid City.

-Siamese

Graffiti artist, Art Alley Artists’ Guild member