35 Years of Speed: Sonic Art Exhibit at ARK/8 in LA

Sonic the Hedgehog turned 35 this year, and iam8bit is marking it with a free weekend gallery show on La Brea. It's called 35 Years of Speed: The Sonic Art Exhibit, and it runs Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 at ARK/8. If you grew up blowing through Green Hill Zone on a Genesis, this one belongs near the top of your list of things happening in Los Angeles this weekend.

What's on the walls

The show pairs two kinds of work. More than 30 artists made new pieces for it, drawing on the games, the comics, the cartoons and the wider Sonic universe. Hanging alongside those is historical artwork pulled from SEGA's own archives, the kind of material you rarely get to see in person.

That mix is the draw. You get fresh takes from illustrators and painters who clearly have their own Sonic memories, and next to them you get a look at how the character was actually drawn and developed over three and a half decades. It's a fan show, but it's a well-sourced one.

iam8bit has been doing this for years. The company runs game-themed art shows and makes collectible vinyl and merch, so they know how to hang a room full of fan art without it feeling like a convention booth.

Meet Kazuyuki Hoshino

On Saturday only, Kazuyuki Hoshino will do a meet and greet from 2 to 3 PM. He created Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, two characters that have stuck around since the early 90s. If you want a word with him, plan your Saturday around that hour, because it's the one fixed moment of the weekend.

Practical info

Admission is free and the show is all ages. The organizers say you don't need to RSVP, though they'd like you to grab a free ticket on Eventbrite so they know you're coming. The Eventbrite listing puts the start at 11 AM Saturday, while its written hours say 10 AM to 7 PM both days. Both agree on a 7 PM close, so aim for late morning or later to be safe.

ARK/8 is at 115 South La Brea Avenue, on the stretch of La Brea between Beverly Boulevard and 3rd Street. Street parking along La Brea and the side streets is metered and gets tight on weekends. Metro's 212 bus runs along La Brea if you'd rather skip the parking hunt.

A free gallery show with a legendary character designer on hand is about as easy as things to do in Los Angeles get. Bring a friend who still argues about Sonic 2 versus Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

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