Silo118 and the Squire Foundation will present A Window to the Arts, an evening of live painting, starting at 5 p.m. on First Thursday, Nov. 2, in a pop-up storefront art studio, 927 State St., Santa Barbara. The artwork will be on view through Nov. 4.

Visitors can watch through the windows or mingle with professional artists as they create masterpieces in one night of frenetic painting.

This is a chance to observe the magic that becomes a great painting as these artists navigate the complexities of creating large-scale works.

Silo118 and the Squire Foundation are joining forces to present the event on State Street, next to the Italian Pottery Store.

The hosts offered thanks to Marta Alligood, owner of the property, for letting them try something new, and for having the foresight to bring new energy to a district that is depressed with more than 30 empty storefront properties.

It is a fact that communities that focus on and support the arts as a major part of their business plan recover faster and sustain longer after a serious downturn or depression, the hosts said.

The art will be available for sale at pre-gallery prices; a chance to buy art directly from the artist while watching the process unfold. Buyers can select a piece in progress before it is finished.

Prices are generally below what these artists would typically command for their work, the hosts reported.

Artists confirmed to be participating are: Chad Avery, Vanessa Bley, Max Gleason, Tom Pazderka, Matt Sesow and Yumiko Glover.

Visitors will be able to meet Sesow, a Washington, D.C.,-based painter who will be in Santa Barbara for a three-week residency with the Squire Foundation, culminating with a solo exhibition at Silo118 opening Nov. 10.

For more information, contact Silo118 curator Bonnie Rubenstein, 301-379-4669.

— Emily Morrill for Silo118.