The Middle of Nowhere, an art exhibit spearheaded by  Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, comes to the Adler/Smith Gallery on Mini Kinney in Santa Monica on Saturday, May 31.

The unique exhibit has been a year and a half in the making. One hundred skateboard decks were sent to renowned artists around the world as far as Japan, Peru, Thailand, England, Sweden, Switzerland, and more.  Some found their way into the hands of artists and skate culture legends like Craig Stecyk, Yusuke Hanai, Wes Humpston, Stacy Peralta, Thomas Campbell, and Ament himself, creating original, one-of-a-kind pieces.

 All 100 boards will be on display on Saturday, May 31, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.,) with Ament in attendance, and available to bid via an online auction that will be released soon.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit Montana Pool Service,  a nonprofit Ament founded in 2005. MPS has helped fund and build over 40 world-class skateparks in rural and Native communities across Montana and the Dakotas, with five more breaking ground this summer.

“Skateboards and art are like peanut butter and chocolate, or corn nuts and PBR,” Ament tells LA Weekly.  “So stoked to have many of the great pioneers, artists, and riders of skateboard art on the marquee for this incredible night supporting more concrete for the most isolated riders in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Montana Pool Service has five new skateparks going in Montana this year, with a bunch more penciled in for the future.”

Pearl Jam

Decks from left: Jeff Ament and Norton Wisdom (Courtesy Adler/Smith Gallery)