Finally, Allegra Lockstadt and Andres Guzman have an excuse
to draw just because they want to. A steady stream of freelance work from
publications such as Bloomberg Businessweek and Rookie magazine have kept the
two MCAD graduates busy, but the duo is taking a break to make a series of
personal works for their exhibition, “Candy Arena,” opening at Paper Darts’
pop-up gallery space.

“We had a lot of discussions before we started about
enjoyment,” said Guzman, 26. “We talked about wanting to feel like a kid
again,” added Lockstadt, 25.

For them, that meant picking up a marker or a brush to draw
simply because they wanted to. The fun and

The Skinny:

• Fun Facts: Mention horses to Lockstadt, and the
  25-year-old illustrator might tear up over how much she adores them. Guzman, on the other hand,
  likes to make music in his spare time, and has created illustrations for several
  local Minneapolis musicians.
• Candy Arena 
• July 8-July 20
  Opening reception, July 10, 6:30-10:00 p.m.
• SooLOCAL
  3506 Nicollet Ave S.
  Minneapolis, MN 55408
• Event details

playfulness the two illustrators channeled is easy to spot when you look at Lockstadt’s floral patterns, or Guzman’s shapes resembling strange microbial organisms.

“All art has to come from the most pure, nostalgic childhood place,” Guzman said. “It’s peeling back the layers of crap adulthood has piled on top of you to find what you were in the beginning.”