Wireamsburg Art Hunt

James Marks is an artist based in Shreveport, Louisiana whose media include wire, pipe cleaners, chance, and good neighborliness. As the culmination of his 2 weeks relocating to New York City and his Summertime residency, James is organizing a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood of Williamsburg, thus transforming it into Wireamsburg.

James will hide his handmade wire sculptures of figures dancing, stretching, and gloriously becoming at various locales and neighborhood businesses – on utility poles, in coffee shops, atop dive bars, and more. Participants will be equipped with a page of helpful hints as they embark on their way to find and photograph the hidden treasures. Post and tag at least 10 of the #wireamsburg bunch and you’ll win a commemorative postcard designed by James himself.

For James, an unconventional show anchored in the urban great outdoors aligns with his chosen path as an artist. “I take the badge of an outsider as a compliment,” he said. “I feel like I’m making my own path and that it’s like the Outer Limits TV show or Outlander the series or something like that. I’m Jew-ish and I ascribe to a lot of Christ’s virtues but I’m agnostic. I am too Northern for the South but New Yorkers say I sure do have a funny accent. I like thinking of myself as an outsider.”

James’ practice involves weaving wire into figures in a rhythmic and ritual fashion, a process he’s been fine tuning for 40 years. He loves leaving the creations in unexpected places for strangers to find and interpret as they may. The joy of surprise and an unanticipated gift are as fundamental to his process as wire and pipe cleaners.

After the hunt, come celebrate with a pop-up and cookout back at Summertime from 2:30-4pm. James will be hosting with some of his favorite Louisiana dishes, including Cajun Sausage, King Cake, and Lime Sherbert Punch. Shop James’ collection of wire friends and meet the Wire Man live and in the flesh.