Vacant building or blank canvas? This weekend, local artists in collaboration with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership will blur the line with phantom galleries and temporary public art installations in vacant downtown buildings.

Chalk artists Stephanie Olivera and Jen Cimeglio will transform the façade of 1018 J Street by painting a temporary chalk mural as part of a live Second Saturday show from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The two-panel mural will feature a Japanese theme and span approximately 320 square feet. A new mural will be painted live every Second Saturday throughout the summer to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Chalk It Up! on Labor Day weekend.

Contemporary artists Amber Dias, Sally Worthing and Kelli Trapani will display their latest works as part of a temporary exhibit, Only Time | Reflecting the female perspective. The exhibit will be on display in vacant storefronts at the 800 J Lofts along 8th, 9th and J streets.

“Art is an important part of any city and especially Downtown. I’m happy to promote the arts in any way and make people stop in their normal routine and appreciate their surroundings,” said Dias. “Working in an vacant space wasn’t a challenge. I was able to take unconventional objects in the space like a drop cloth, paint cans and a metal rack and make it into something new. I married my art to the building.”

The installations and mural mark the beginning of West of 16th Street and East of the River – a series of downtown arts-related events and programs that showcases Downtown’s public art, cultural history and architecture through temporary art exhibits, walking tours and artists-in-action events. The series is produced by DSP, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC), Center for Contemporary Art, Crocker Art Museum and Chalk it Up!, and was inspired by the Mayor’s For Art Sake Initiative.

“We wanted to provide a way to support our identity as an arts-friendly city and affect change with a minimal budget. Using vacant spaces seemed like a natural match,” said DSP Programming Manager Julia Beckner. “Downtown is home to our region’s best public art, museums, theaters and arts groups. We reached out to local arts organizations to develop programs that connect Downtown’s history and cultural amenities.”

In addition to the art exhibit, pedestrians can experience Downtown’s impressive collection of public art and historic architecture on free public art tours presented by the Crocker Art Museum and SMAC. Tours are offered throughout the summer and fall, with special lunchtime chats and Second Saturday tours on topics ranging from the Crocker family legacy to Downtown’s collection of Chicano art. This weekend’s tour focuses on Merle Serlin’s collection at the Cal/EPA building at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 12. For full details on all West of 16th Street and East of the River events, visit http://www.downtownsac.org/secondsaturday.