The 2017 Perrier Artist of the Year Eric Reiger (a.k.a HOTTEA) installs his artwork at the Third Street Promenade on Thursday, August 24, 2017.

The City of Santa Monica Government, in partnership with Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., is launching a series of temporary artworks intended to energize the downtown area and enliven Triangle Square and Third Street Promenade with a variety of art experiences and photogenic moments.

The grand debut leads with a colorful, immersive installation by artist HOTTEA who uses yarn and other mediums to create beautiful shapes and designs. A series of suspended, fluttering artworks will bring Triangle Square and the Third Street Promenade to life. A different art experience will be featured at each block of the Promenade culminating at Wilshire Blvd. Residents and visitors can choose to experience the artworks by entering the Third Street Promenade at Wilshire Blvd. or begin the exploration at Triangle Square on Colorado Ave.

HOTTEA is an Emmy award-winning artist having worked with clients big and small- from private home installations to entities like Google and Viacom. Over the years HOTTEA has been able to balance both corporate commissions while still keeping his roots in street art and graffiti. By continuing to do un-commissioned work on the streets non-destructively HOTTEA’s commissioned pieces have been given an edge over the rest using similar materials and techniques. By being able to research and install in everyday spaces one would not typically see art installations the artist has gained knowledge of how people interact with art on a broader scale. Some of the cities and spaces the artist has recently worked in include the Sydney Opera House, the beach of Barcelo Resort in Mexico, the Artmossphere Biennale in Moscow, Russia, the MADE festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil and NY Fashion Week.

“As people wander through Triangle Square and the Third Street Promenade, they will be greeted with rotating artworks that surprise and delight,” said Shannon Daut, the City of Santa Monica’s Cultural Affairs Manager. “This ambitious public art series creates the opportunity for residents and visitors to experience Downtown Santa Monica in new ways."

These installations will be on view from August 28 through November 1, 2017. There will be a brief departure for the holiday season, and then ROAM will continue to unfold for the next 9-12 months with several large-scale temporary installations at Triangle Square, simultaneously coupled with smaller and more surprising artworks and lush, mesmerizing projections along the Third Street Promenade, between Wilshire Blvd. and Colorado Ave.

“Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.’s mission is to create environments that foster positive social interactions and enliven public spaces with experiences that reflect the community’s rich history as a bastion of creativity,” said Kathleen Rawson, CEO of DTSM, Inc. “We approached the City of Santa Monica with the idea of a rotating public art series that would not only accomplish that mission, but also encourage people to explore, or roam, our authentic and vibrant Downtown. This is one of the most exciting projects we have embarked on and we are thrilled with the caliber of artists who will be sharing their work with our community.”

Artists featured in this series, include Faile, Andrew Shoultz, Jen Stark, Ben Zamora, Brenda Monroe, Danielle Garza, Jeanine Centuori & Russell Rock, Kate Johnson, Kristen Ramirez, Nataša Stearns, Nate Frizzell and Sean Yoro.

For more information, visit ROAMSantaMonica.com and also check out #ArtSaMo and #DTSantaMonicato follow the action or to share a photo of your ROAM experience.