LA ART NEWS A R T S A N D C U LT U R E F O R A L L O F L O S A N G E L E S VOLUME 4 NO. 11
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FEBRUARY 2017
“IN AMERICA, WE DON’T ARREST ARTWORK” A battle over artistic freedom took place in the halls of the United States Capitol in January--not on the House or Senate floor, but literally in the hall. Every year Congress Members sponsor art contests for students in their districts. Winning entries then hang in Cannon Tunnel, connecting the Capitol and the House office building, for a year. The current winning artist from the State of Missouri’s first congressional district is David Pulphus, a recent high school graduate. His painting depicts a confrontation in the streets of St. Louis. Its many elements include police with boars’ heads and guns draw. There is a demonstrator depicted as a wolf, and a large image of a black man in a mortarboard crucified on the scales of justice. A press release from Mr. Pulphus’ Congress Member, Wm. Lacy Clay, last May announcing Mr. Pulphus’ win described the painting as, “a colorful landscape of symbolic characters representing social injustice, the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri and the lingering elements of inequality in modern American society.” Representative Duncan Hunter of California took umbrage at the depiction of police as “pigs.” He took down the painting (which by this point had been hanging in the capitol for six months). Representative Clay, joined by Representative Alma Adams of North Carolina and Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, rehung the painting. They were joined at the event by members of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus. “As a practicing professional artist and retired 40 year college art professor, I am appalled that Congressman Hunter would take any action that would degrade and censor a high school student who was chosen as an official winner of the Congressional Art Competition,” said Representative Adams. “Representative Hunter’s actions not only disregarded and disrespected Representative Clay’s decision to award Mr. Pulphus with this special Congressional honor,” continued Adams, but also silenced the very Congress Art CAP real experience of those citizens in Mr. Clay’s district--and more specifically this young student’s right as David Pulphus, “Untitled #1,” acrylic an artist to express himself.” The re-hanging of the picture was not, however, the end of the story. Over the next several days, Republican Congress Members kept taking the painting down and dropping it off at Representative Clay’s office. Representative Clay kept putting it back up. Speaker Paul Ryan, appearing on a radio show, stated that the painting had “slipped by.” That let to a quick response from Representative Clay, who issued a statement reading, “From the beginning, this has really been about just two simple things...standing up for my 18-year old constituent, and defending the 1st Amendment. “This painting by David Pulphus, just like the other 400+ entries, was accepted and approved by the Congressional Art Competition and it has been peacefully displayed in a public forum for more than six months. “The only difference is that the Speaker and his Republican colleagues are attempting to suppress free speech with their own brand of retroactive, vigilante censorship against my continued on [page 2
WOMEN’S MARCH LOS ANGELES 1-21-17 DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
On January 21, 75,000-plus women, men, and children swarmed the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, in a wide-ranging, post-inauguration display of feminism and a demand for human rights for all. The Women’s March was an arts event--and not just because the signs were great, or because there was some serious costuming. Everyone knew going in, it was going to be huge. No one really anticipated just how huge. But the night before, there was something in the air. Driving around Lincoln Heights and Highland Park, one could see young people in storefronts making signs. People were getting ready. The morning of, it was darn near impossible to get on the Gold Line. So the event really began, not Downtown, but with getting there, with people walking south on Figueroa with signs, with choreographing ways of mobility through the City. Downtown, it was impossible to get any more people into Pershing Square. So people merged from side streets into the march. Not to discount in any way the enormous amount of work on the part of the organizers, but at this point, everybody became an event producer, and everybody stepped up. The Women’s March became one of those rare occurrences about which, years from now, people will continued on page 2
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constituent. Apparently, they believe that the 1st Amendment does not protect him. That’s not only mean-spirited and wrong, it’s also unconstitutional.” “In America, we don’t arrest artwork,” Representative Clay and Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland wrote in a letter to Speaker Ryan. The two representatives said that Congress does not have the power to censor citizens based on their political viewpoints in the name of official “decorum.” Most media accounts of the controversy include cropped images of Pulphus’ work, cut to play up the boar-headed police. What is missing from these images is the largest figure in the painting, a wide-eyed young man peering in from the back. In its entirety, the artwork is clearly a personal piece, depicting the artist’s observation of the world around him. During the Martin Luther King weekend, the painting was taken off the wall again. Representative Dave Reichert of Washington said that he had petitioned the Architect of the Capitol’s office to remove it. Representative Reichert called the painting “a slap in the face to the countless men and women who put their lives on the line everyday on behalf of our safety and freedom.” The office of the Architect of the Capitol found that the painting violated a building rule against subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature. This was despite the fact that there is statuary of advocates of slavery in the building and despite the fact that there have been other student artworks hung in the Cannon Tunnel that deal with potentially controversial subjects. The painting is now hanging, at least for the time being, in Representative Clay’s office. Representative Clay indicated that he would appeal the Architect of the Capitol’s decision. He promptly received support in this from the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Authors Guild, College Art Association, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Free Speech Coalition, Index on Censorship, PEN America, Vera List Center for Art and Politics, and Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts. “At a time when we have a new administration and nationwide concerns about free speech,” reads a statement from the responding organizations, “the censoring of an artwork because of its viewpoint is a deeply disturbing and divisive act in an already polarized nation.” On February 3, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Paul Ryan, and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy met as the House Office Building Commission. Democratic Leader Pelosi was the sole, and therefore losing, voice in support of keeping the painting on display. “The removal dishonors our traditions and violates the First Amendment,” said Leader Pelosi. continued from [page 1 say, “Were you there?” There are many in Los Angeles who are scared--as women, as immigrants, as beings who depend on clean air and water for survival. Artists, visual and performance, give voice to what is for some hard to speak. Artists give voice to fears. And also to aspirations--to what is good, just, beautiful, and transcendent. At the Women’s March, we were all artists.
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THE BOOK: A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ART FORM “Chapter: Book Arts in Southern California,” at the Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM), is a thorough exploration of the art form and its local roots. There are works by over 60 artists, presses and organizations, with pieces drawn from the 1960s to present day Zines. The artists reach back in time, to a world before technology, when books were individually and painstakingly created. But the exhibit primarily pays homage to accessible technologies. Xerox machines, personal printers, and community presses led to the rise of book art--joining Fluxus, mail art, conceptual art, performance art, and feminist art in an art-for-the-masses sensibility. At a time when books increasingly are said to be replaced by technology, it is interesting to see an exhibit documenting how technology has led to the dissemination and celebration of the book. A highlight of the CAFAM show, and of the genre in general, is its broad sensual nature. Many of the pieces in the show may be touched (cautiously). The beauty of visual art is melded with the tactile experience of a book and with the power of words. The CAFAM curators do an excellent job of documenting the fact that book Cheri Gaulke, Bonnie Thompson Norman, Betye Saar, Sanctified, 1990. Letterpress, handbound. art is indeed a Southern California art form. Beginning in the 1960s, local arts notables such as Wallace Berman, Ed Ruscha, and Barbara T. Smith embraced book art. From 1973 to 1991, the Woman’s Building incorporated book art in its programming, offering a creative process over which a female artist or collective could have complete control, including concept, Sandow Birk, American Qur’an, 2016. A nine-year content, production, and distribution. project to transcribe the entire Qur’an by hand Beginning in the 1970s, Los Angeles’ according to historic Islamic traditions, and to illuminate punk and queer Chicano subcultures the text with scenes from contemporary life. Over 300 embraced publishing as an affordable gouache paintings were reproduced for a commercially and culture-friendly art form. The printed book. The hand-drawn lettering references the academic world accepted publishing graffiti in the artist’s neighborhood. as an art form through programming at Otis College of Art and Design and Scripps College. Examples of all of these aspects of book art history are part of the exhibit, as Tm Gratkowski, Banned, 2017. Site-specific installation are contemporary examples of modern Zine art and commentary on censorship, timely in the current of decommissioned library books. The title refers to political climate. bands of texture and color from rows of book covers and Exhibition artists include: Kim Abeles, Jacki Apple, Edgar Arceneaux, Artichoke Yink Press/C.K. Wilde, Lisa Anne Auerbach, John Baldessari, Wallace Berman, Sandow Birk, Terry Braunstein, Brighton Press, Eugenia P. Butler, Rebecca Chamlee, Anne Covell, Joyce Cutler-Shaw, Debra Disman, Carol Es,
pages, and to the act of banning books by governments and institutions.
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Patricia Fernández, Cheri Gaulke, Adah Glenn, Golden Spike Press, Tm Gratkowski, Lauren Graycar & Harsh Patel, Nancy Jo Haselbacher, Melissa Huddleston & Benjamin Lord, James R. Hugunin & Theron Kelley, Christopher Kardambikis, Susan Elizabeth King, Darin Klein, Suzanne Lacy, Los Angeles Contemporary Archive, Madre Tierra Press, Daniel Marlos, Cynthia Marsh, Howard Marshall, Kitty Maryatt, Charlene Matthews, Vilma Mendillo & Laura Stickney, Carter Mull, Katherine Ng, Bonnie Thompson Norman, Lisa Occhipinti, Ooga Booga, Otis Laboratory Press, Laura Owens, Raymond Pettibon, Elliott Pinkney, Pia Pizzo, Sue Ann Robinson, Allen Ruppersberg, Ed Ruscha, Betye Saar, Scripps College Press, Susan Sironi, Alexis Smith, Barbara T. Smith, Joey Terrill, and Linda Vallejo. Chapters: Book Arts in Southern California Craft & Folk Art Museum Through May 7 www.cafam.org
Ed Ruscha, Every Building on the Sunset Strip, 1966. Offset lithograph. Rusha’s books were commercially printed in unsigned, ongoing editions. This re-imagining of the artist’s book opened the genre to the possibilities of mass-production and distribution.
Suzanne Lacy, Rape Is (second edition), 1976. Offset printed, screen-printed cover. The book was sold sealed. To open the book, the reader needed to tear the sticker, an action the artist intended to echo the violence of the act of rape.
Charlene Matthews, Ulysses Project, 2011-2013. The James Joyce novel, transcribed in gel pen on wooden poles.
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STAFF Publisher/ Creative Director Cathi Milligan Managing Editor Margaret Arnold Intern Vince Caldera Contributors: Margaret Arnold, Cornelius Peter, Brian Mallman, Amy Inouye, Stuart Rapeport, Cathi Milligan, Jennifer Hitchcock, Jeremy Kaplan, Harvey Slater, Kristine Schomaker, Larisa Code, Desiree Cormier LA Art News is published monthly at the beginning of each month. LA Art News is available free of charge. No person may, without prior written permission from LA Art News, take more than one copy of each monthly issue. Additional copies of the current issue are available for $1, payable in advance, at LA Art News office. Only authorized LA Art News distributors may distribute the LA Art News. Copyright No news stories, illustrations, editorial matter or advertisements herein can be reproduced without written consent of copyright owner.
ACTIVISM AND ART! So how are you all doing out there? It’s been a surreal month. Who would have thought that the country would be in the mess it’s currently in. What are you going to do about it? How are you dealing with the upheaval and uncertainty? Did you go to the march? I know some of our local community members went all the way to Washington for the march. Thank you. You know what we do? We resist the power grab. We create art that speaks out against the tyranny. We march. We contribute. We fight for the truth. We stick together...and we can be grateful to live in Los Angeles, CA. Look around you to find groups you can join. Organize one yourself. March and protest and create and together we can get through the shit show. Afterall, we have each other!! And Saturday Night Live! (did you see Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer? epic!) Thanks, Cathi Milligan Publisher, LA Art News
How to reach us LA Art News 5668 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 323-387-9705 Contributions cathi@laartnews.com Calendar information margaretnelaart@gmail.com Sales - cathi@laartnews.com sign up for our newsletter at laartnews.com Where’s Monica?
SAVE THE DATE: The Highland Park Time Capsule will be opened June 25, 2041 at 10 a.m.
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FEBRUARY 2017
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LARGE SCULPTURES CELEBRATE NORTHEAST LA A major piece of public art was dedicated at the end of January at a gateway intersection into Northeast Los Angeles. The newly-dedicated Riverside Drive Bridge connects Cypress Park and Elysian Valley. The adjacent heavily-trafficked corridors of North Figueroa Street and San Fernando Road lead to nearby Lincoln Heights, Highland Park, Glassell Park, Atwater Village and South Glendale. At the bridge dedication celebration, Mayor Eric reminded attendees that this is where, in 1769, Father Juan Crespi named the City of Los Angeles. But until now there has been little to suggest that the intersection of these busy streets was anything more than an unofficial freeway--to remind motorists that this is a neighborhood filled with families and artists. As of January 30, a roundabout now slows cars down and directs them around a collection of nine stone sculptures. The 8 to 12-feet tall sculptures, created by Freya Bardell and Brian Howe of the local design firm Greenmeme, are cut with 3D scanned faces of individuals from the local area. The figures will soon be surrounded by seasonal, native landscaping. The roundabout had been in the planning stages for a number of years. The new Riverside Bridge features a protected lane for bicyclists and Stone sculptures by Brian Howe and Freya Bardell pedestrians. The design of the roundabout is functional, facilitating the capture of stormwater. At the dedication of the bridge and roundabout, Mayor Eric Garcetti offered instructions for those unfamiliar with the concept of roundabouts: wait until it’s clear, go in, remember to exit or you’ll just keep going around.
“STATE OF THE UNION,”
Mayor Eric Garcetti in the Roundabout
City Engineer Gary Lee Moore, Mayor Eric Garcetti, former Councilmember Ed Reyes, and current Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo celebrate the longawaited completion of the Roundabout
at Brainworks Gallery, addresses the gamut of emotions--fear, outrage, hope for a better future--experienced in the wake of the presidential election. Erin Adams, Kristine Schomaker, and Diane Williams curate works by 18 artists. 5364 W. Pico Boulevard, through February 25. www.brainworksgallery.com Vincent Tomczyk, Portable Optimism. “I’m optimistic that we add the colors back - which have bled out.”
Cintia Alejandra Segovia, A Big Beautiful Wall. “The video shows the absurdity of trying to divide two neighboring countries with a wall. Especially when they share products from multinational corporations.”
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stARTup In contrast to most art fairs, where artists display their work in orderly rows of booths, the stARTup Art Fair is an intimate experience. The annual show, featuring independent artists who work outside of gallery representation, is held at the Highland Gardens Hotel in Hollywood. Artists exhibit in suites surrounding a swimming pool, and guests stroll the premises. Some of the artists move the furniture out and hang their art on the walls. Some incorporate the setting, placing work in kitchenettes and bathrooms and on headboards. Still others repurpose rooms into full-fledged installations. January 27-29, Room 225 became Hotel C'est Foutu, where artist Dani Dodge toiled the entire weekend at a sewing machine, helping visitors mend their broken hearts. In Room 134, guests of AWOL got a taste of what it was to spend the winter in a supply hut near Antarctica, waiting for the weather to clear sufficiently to allow exploration of the South Pole. A couple of doors over, Steven Wolkoff invited guests to move dried acrylic paint words around on top of the bed, creating their own poetry. stARTup draws artists from the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. Fair Director and Co-founder Ray Beldner says that he created stARTup in response to changes in the art world and the shift from a gallery-based economy to an art fair system.
Steven Wolkoff channels Janis Joplin (who died at the hotel)
Dani Dodge mending all that hurts
AWOL’s periscope in the bathroom
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GOVERNMENT NOTES
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LOS ANGELES SUBMITS BID FOR 2024 OLYMPICS The City of Los Angeles has submitted its bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The bid package is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of many city agencies and the independent LA24 Committee. The package includes negotiated agreements with 30 other involved entities, including USC, UCLA, the City Department of Recreation and Parks, and neighboring cities. Los Angeles joins Paris and Budapest as Olympic hopeful cities. A committee of the International Olympic Committee(IOC) will tour Los Angeles in April. In July, City representatives will present to the full IOC in Lausanne. A final decision will be made in September. The IOC is made up of 90 members. It includes such recognizable names as Anne, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom, and Albert II, Prince of Monaco. It also includes sports administrators from across North America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia. The Olympic bid comes after months of discussion during which Los Angeles elected officials sought to ensure that the City would not be left on the hook for any unanticipated expenses incurred in presenting an event of such magnitude. “This is the only city in the world that has previously hosed two Olympics that produced a surplus at the end of the games,” said Councilmember Paul Krekorian at the January 17 City Council meeting, “and with the protections that are now in place in this MOU, with the insurance that is now in place, with the tremendous oversight capacity that we have, I’m absolutely convinced that this will be the third Olympics that produces a surplus and will benefit the residents of Los Angeles for many generations to come after the games conclude.” A lot of the potential for a profitable Olympics comes from the fact that venues and resources are already in place here, while other host cities have had to construct or create them from scratch. The LA84 Foundation continues to fund youth sports programs to this day. “It will be a gift that keeps giving from 2025 until well into the future,” Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell said of the 2024 games. The January 25 Los Angeles City Council meeting was a commercial for the Los Angeles bid. A long line of Olympic athletes showed up to voice their support. Angela Ruggiero, a four-time Olympian in ice hockey from Southern California, who is now on the IOC executive board, spoke to the social impact and social legacy of the games, citing how many people the Olympics inspire. “The Olympics are inspiring because of their ordinariness,” said five time Olympic medalist in swimming John Naber. “You saw a lot of Olympians step up here, and I bet everyone of you can look at us and find somebody who looks like you or looks like your kids or sounds like your cousins. There’s somebody to relate to, and the Olympics offer a sport for everybody. You can be big and tall, or you can be small and agile. You can win a gold medal for standing perfectly still and pulling a trigger. There’s something in the games for everybody…The thing that’s amazing about the Olympics is that we’re not extraordinary people. We’re ordinary people who found a way to accomplish extraordinary results in the field that mattered most to us…If we host the Olympics in Los Angeles, it’s our children, it’s our neighbors’ children, it’s our friends, it’s our cousins, it’s our haberdasher, it’s the person who does the laundry who will be inspired to accomplish their personal dreams.” STEAM CAUCUS AND CABINET NOMINEE Members of the Congressional STEAM Caucus, which works to support the integration of arts and design into science, technology, engineering, and math education, joined Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon at a press conference January 30 to oppose the confirmation of the President’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. In attendance were STEAM Caucus founder and co-chair Suzanne Bonamici and caucus member Earl Blumenauer. “DeVos has no understanding of public schools,” said Merkley. “She never attended nor worked in public schools; she didn’t send her children to them; I don’t know if she’s ever even volunteered at one. The only qualification that Ms. DeVos has to be in President Trump’s ‘Swamp Cabinet’ is the hundreds of millions of dollars that she and her family have donated to Republican candidates over the years. Pay-to-play has no place in our public schools.” Representative Bonamici added that Ms. DeVos, “has no understanding of the complexity of curriculums or education policy.” ASSEMBLYMEMBER TAKES ON FAKE NEWS Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez, who represents the eastside of Los Angeles in the State Legislature, has introduced a measure designed to give students the analytical tools necessary to spot “fake news.” “Recently, we have seen the corrupting effects of a deliberate propaganda campaign driven by fake news,” said Assemblymember Gomez. “When fake news is repeated, it becomes difficult for the public to discern what’s real. These attempts to mislead readers pose a direct threat to our democracy.” Gomez cites a recent study by Stanford’s Graduate School of Education that shows that the inability to distinguish fake news from real news is particularly pronounced among young people. Young people tend to accept information as it’s presented, rarely questioning where the news originated or verifying its content. “AB 155 will call for educators to incorporate civic online reasoning into their high school curricula,” said Gomez. “Such a curriculum will prepare Californians to recognize the difference between news intended to inform and fake news intended to mislead.” The measure, if passed, will direct the Instructional Quality Commission to develop and adopt curriculum standards and frameworks that incorporate civic online reasoning for English Language Arts, Mathematics, History, Social Science, and Science. NEA ELIMINATION? Nothing has been officially announced as of press time, but “The Hill” has reported that the Trump administration considers the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to be on the chopping block. California’s state arts agency, the California Arts Commission, is working with federal partners such as the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and Americans for the Arts to obtain information and coordinate action. “The impact of the NEA is essential, and wide-reaching,” says a statement from California Arts Council Director Craig Watson. “Each $1 in NEA grant funds leverages another $9 from other public and private sources. The grants and programs that the NEA administers are powerful examples of how the arts are a vital part of our everyday lives. This power can be seen in communities across the nation, and California is no exception. Yet, the NEA’s $148 million budget represents just 0.025% (about three one-hundredths of one percent) of federal non-defense discretionary spending.” In fiscal year 2016, the NEA awarded $8.6 million in direct grants to California organizations.
FEBRUARY 2017
THE LA ART SHOW
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January 11-15, 2017 Los Angeles Convention Center 100 Galleries, 19 Countries 200,000 Square Feet of Art Produced by Kim Martindale
Mads Christensen, Timothy Yarger Fine Art, Beverly Hills Ray Gross, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Lindsay Scoggins by Art All Ways (animation) continued on page 12
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More of the THE LA ART SHOW January 11-15, 2017 Los Angeles Convention Center 100 Galleries, 19 Countries 200,000 Square Feet of Art Produced by Kim Martindale
Dosshaus by bG Gallery, Santa Monica
Doma Collective, Argentina
Fred Tieken, Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles
Cospace Contemporary Art Gallery, Shangai, China
Yi Hwan Kwon, CMAY Gallery, Los Angeles
Nelson De La Nuez, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Namaste Highland Park Yoga Studio | Art Gallery | Tea Shop www.namastehighlandpark.com
Vinyasa Flow| Power Lunch | Candlelight Flow | Prenatal Kids Yoga | Yoga Sculpt | Mixed Level Flow
5118 York Blvd | Los Angeles | CA | 90042 FEBRUARY 2017
Erin Currier, Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
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NELAart SECOND SATURDAY GALLERY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS FOR February 11, 2017
Please visit NELA Art Gallery Night on Facebook for last minute complete listings. Arroyo Arts Collective at Avenue 50 Studio “Love and Hate.” This gathering of art explores the complexities of love and hate and the overlap of these fundamental emotions. Gwen Freeman and Leonard Greco curate with artists Bibi Davidson, Gwen Freeman, Christopher Anthony Velasco, Paul Torres, Leonard Greco. Avenue 50 Studio *”Celestial Mosaic.” Works by Emi Motokawa. Brings the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, one of the most influential scriptures of Buddhism, to light in the simplest and most accessible of ways through the lens of hip-hop and wide-eyed souls occupying the space of another realm. *”Black & Brown Love is Revolutionary.” A show that gives praise to art that is unapologetically Black, Brown, Resilient, and Powerful. Avenue 50 Studio Satellite Gallery Ernesto Vazquez: Prints Bike Oven Spoke (N) Art Ride Meet at the Bike Oven for a fun, slow-paced bicycle tour of art galleries. Blinkie lights recommended. Meet at 6. Roll at 6:30. Book Show Readings and Revelry. Release of Angel Meat, a collection of pieces by Laura Lee Bahr, starring Francesca Lia Block, John Skipp, Andrew J. Stone. 8 p.m. co-LAb Gallery “Upside Down.” Artists explore their worlds from an upside down and opposite approach. Everyone’s version of feeling Upside Down can look, feel and inspire differently. Collective Arts Incubator Limanalia: New Works, a series of solo artist exhibitions curated by Summer Peterson. The series begins with paintings and installation by Rachid Bouhamidi and live performances by the Ecstatic Energy Lab and The Elbow Orchestra. Future Studio Photo Friends of the Los Angeles Public Library, photo prints sale continues. Namaste Highland Park “Selected Moments in Blurred Reality” by Roshida Abira Ali. A benefit for Wisdom Arts Laboratory with music by Ecstatic Union. Rock Rose Gallery & Production Studio Love and Peace NOW! Local artists, PCC graphic design student prints. Social Study “Beautiful Creatures,” a storefront display by local artist Diane Williams. The artist’s work parallels her background as an Asian American female as she examines culture through her personal experiences, combining neo-surrealism with a narrative as the other. While on York Boulevard: Align Gallery, Vapegoat, Mi Vida.
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On the Secon Elysian Valley, art and eateri the updated l
Northeast Los Angeles Arts Organization, Inc.
February 11, 2017 - 7pm - 10pm
(Individual Gallery Hours May Vary. CHECK Gallery web sites for individual information. Just because a gallery is listed does not mean it’s open this month)
1. Avenue 50 Studio 131 No. Avenue 50 323. 258.1435 avenue50studio.org
21. The Market 1203 Avenue 50 www.themarkethp.com
2. Bike Oven 3706 No Figueroa
22. Bob Taylor Properties 5526 N. Figueroa St. 323-257-1080
3. Namaste Highland Park 5118 York Blvd. www.namastehighlandpark.com 4. Offbeat 6316 York Blvd www.offbeatbar.com 5. Council District Office #1 Gil Cedillo 5577 N. Figueroa St.
23. Cactus Gallery @ Treeline Woodworks 3001 N. Coolidge Ave 24. The York Check out their dog friendly patio. 5018 York Blvd. 25. Ball Clay Studio 4851 York Blvd. ballclaystudio.com
6. Future Studio 5558 N Figueroa St. 323 254-4565 futurestudiogallery.com
26. MAN Insurance Ave 50 Satellite 1270 N. Ave 50 323.256.3151
7. Collective Arts Incubator 1200 N. Ave 54 collectiveartsincubator.com
27. TAJ Gallery 1492 Colorado Blvd. www.tajartinc.com
8. Meridian 5007 1/2 York Blvd. meridianstorela.com
28. The Greyhound 570 N. Figueroa St.
9. Vapegoat 5054 York Blvd. 323.963.VAPE 10. ETA 5630 N. Figueroa St. 11. Adjunct Positions 5041 Coringa Dr. 12. Matters of Space 5005 York Blvd www.mattersifspace.com 323.743.3267 13. Mi Vida 5159 York Blvd. 14. Vintage Tattoo Art Parlor 5115 York Blvd. 15. Antigua Coffee House 3400 N. Figueroa St. www.antiguacoffeehouse.com 16. Align Gallery 5045 York Blvd. www.aligngallery.com 17. Leanna Lin’s Wonderland 5204 Eagle Rock Blvd. www.leannalinswonderland.com 18. Panorama Press House 4700 York Blvd. www.thepanoramapress.com 19. Mindfulnest 5050 York Blvd. 323/ 999-7969 20. Toros Pottery 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd 323.344.8330 torospottery.com FEBRUARY 2017
29. Urchin 5006 1/2 York Blvd. 30. Arroyo Arts Collective @ Ave 50 Studio 131 North Avenue 50 arroyoartscollective.org 31. O & M Leather 5048 Eagle Rock Blvd www.ommleather.com 32. Vapeology 3714 N. Figueroa St. 323.222.0744 33. Pop-Hop 5002 York Blvd. www.thepophop.com 34. Social Studies 5028.5 York Blvd. 35. Occidental College 6100 Campus oxy.edu 36. The Glass Studio 5668 York Blvd. www.theglassstudio.net 37. Good Eye Gallery 4538 N. Eagle Rock Blvd. www.goodeyegallery.com 38. Highland Cafe 5010 York Blvd. 323.259.1000 39. CucuArt Gallery 4704-06 Eagle Rocl Blvd. 323.202.0672 40. Civil Coffee 5639 N. Figueroa St.
41. The U Space 2626 N. Figueroa St., suite C 42. The Situation Room 2313 Norwalk Ave. 43. Bookshow 5503 Figueroa St. www.bookshow.com 44. Vroom Vroom Bitsy Boo 5031 B York Blvd. 45. The Slow Down Gallery @ Random Gallery 200 N. Ave 64 46. co-Lab Gallery 5319 York Blvd. www.co-Lab.com 47. Apiary Gallery at The Hive Highland Park 5670 York Blvd. www.thehive.la 48. Rock Rose Gallery 4108 N. Figueroa St. 323.635.9125 49. Imperial Art Studios 2316 N. San Fernando Rd. 50. Pop Secret 5119 Eagle Rock Blvd. 51. Showboat 6152 York Blvd. showboatgallery.com 52. Leader of the Pack 5110 York Blvd. www.leaderofthepackvintage.com 53. Short Hand 5028 York Blvd. shopshorthand.com 54. Living Room 5807 York Blvd. livingroomhome.com 55. The Quiet Life 5627 N. Figueroa St. thequietlife.com 56. The luxelust life Vintage Furniture 6095 York Blvd 57. The Erin Hanson Gallery 2732 Gilroy St. erinhanson.com 58. El Diablo Moto Cartel 5657 York Blvd. www.eldiablomotocartel.com 59. Possession Vintage 5119 York Blvd. www.possessionvintage.com
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nd Saturday of every month galleries, businesses, and artists in Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, , and Lincoln Heightsopen their doors a little later in the evening and welcome visitors. Use this map for locations of ies, grab someone you love, get some dinner, and enjoy some art. Friend NELA Art Gallery Night on Facebook for last minute list.
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Visit us at NELAart.org LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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NELAART SECOND SATURDAY JANUARY 2017 Silk Degrees by Dan Monick at Showboat
Zukunftspläne by Chantal deFelice at co-LAb
Selected Moments in Blurred Reality by Roshida Abira Ali (detail) at Namaste Highland Park
FEBRUARY 2017
More stormclouds by Jaime Chavez at Mi Vida
Stormclouds by Jaime Chavez at Mi Vida
17 Roll Down Your Window by Karen Reitzel at Social Study
I Told U Nothing Was is Real by Rafa Rivas at Vapegoat
Selected Moments in Blurred Reality by Roshida Abira Ali (detail) at Namaste Highland Park
New work by Antonio Mendoza at Align Gallery
Jacqueline Myers-Cho at Mindfulnest
FEATURED CLASS
Design for Drop-Out Vessels February 24–26, 2017 Explore the process of designing and creating these elegant vessels.
Bullseye Glass Resource Center Los Angeles 143 Pasadena Ave, Suite B, South Pasadena 323.679.4263 bullseyeglass.com/losangeles
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
NIGHT ON BROADWAY
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75,000 people gathered on South Broadway Downtown the evening of of January 28 for a giant street party celebrating the historic corridor’s place in the cultural and commercial life of Los Angeles. “Night on Broadway” is part of City Councilmember José Huizar’s “Bringing Back Broadway” initiative, a decade-long program to reactivate vacant commercial space, increase transit options, and celebrate the history of the National Register Historic District. A highlight of “Night on Broadway” is always the opportunity to visit the street’s classic movie theatres and experience live entertainment in the midst of movie palace grandeur. Outside were seven blocks worth of entertainment, including live music and art installations. Headliners this year included Mayer Hawthorne, Oingo Boingo Dance Photos by Alessandro Gentile / @gentileimages Party, and Las Cafeteras. “Night on Broadway” is the perfect event for Angelenos with a taste for the unusual. In one stroll up Broadway, a festival-goer may take in Dodgeball matches, Lucha VaVoom masked wrestling, Chessboxing, a Silent Disco, and a seven-story Ferris Wheel in the middle of the street. In the intersection of Broadway and 7th Street, William Close played his Earth Harp, the strings of which extended 12 stories into the air and out of sight. With “Flambé,” Two Bit Circus deemed the traditional dunk tank boring. When set off by a spectator with a good arm, the Flambé tank engulfed its occupant in 3,000 degrees worth of fire. “Night on B road way ” will return S a t u r d a y, January 27, 2018.
FEBRUARY 2017
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CLASSES IN NELA
Besides being a haven for artists and creative types, Northeast Los Angeles is the home of a fine array of arts classes, especially the industrial arts, but not limited to them. Below is a list of some of the businesses in the area that have classes. Do check with the facility to verify times and prices of their classes. As we find more places we will bring that information to all of you. Adam’s Forge 2640 N. San Fernando Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90065 Adamsforge.org You may email Nancy with questions at blacksmithclasses@gmail.com Please check their web site for a listing of all of their classes and special events. Check out a Discovery class. The Glass Studio 5668 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 323.387.9705 info@theglassstudio.net Check www.theglassstudio.com for a list of glasses ranging from glass blowing and torchwork to fusing and slumping and jewelry making. O&M Leather 5048 Eagle Rock Blvd. 323-274-4640 www.ommleather.com
Please check their web site for a listing of all of their classes and special events. They’re in a new location next to Community Woodshop. Cool new space! Rock Rose Gallery 4108 N. Figueroa Street Highland Park, CA 90065 (323) 635-9125 www.rockrosegallery.com Visit: Rock Rose Gallery News, Instagram & Twitter KIDS CREATIVE ARTS 2-4 yrs Art, Music, Movement Sat. 9:30am-11am, $5 LATIN PERCUSSION Sat. 12pm-2pm, Bring your conga, etc. Instructor Robertito Melendez, $15
Basic Leather Working Classes Leather 1 - Leather Basics $200 Leather 2 - Cutting and Skiving $200 Leather 3 - Hand Stiching $200 Leather 4 - Color, Finishes, and Leather $200 For information about scheduling call their store at (323)274-4640 or email them at ommeather@gmail. com Toros Pottery 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041 323.344.8330 Mon. 11:30am-2:30pm Class Mon. 6:30pm-9:30pm Class Tues. 6:30pm-9:30pm Tues. 4:30pm-6:00pm Thurs. 6:30pm-9:30pm time Fri. 11:30am-9:30pm dio time Sat. 11:30am-1:30pm ent
Molten Metal Works NEW LOCATION 3617 San Fernando Rd Glendale, CA 91204 moltenmetalworks.net
Adult Adult Adult Class Kids Class open studio open stuKids & Par-
Blue Rooster Art Supply Company blueroosterartsupplies.com blue@blueroosterartsupplies.com 4661 Hollywood Blvd LA, CA 90027 (323) 302-5613 They offer a variety of art classes. Check their web site for more information about their classes and events. Sugar Mynt Gallery 810 Meridian Ave. South Pasadena, CA 626.222.7257 sugarmynt.com
RINCON RUMBERO EAST w Troy Parker 3rd Sat. 3-6pm. Bring your drum $5 New! FREE FOR ALL Artist Only Creative Night Every Wed. 6-9pm, Artist bring your own supplies. Table & Hospitality provided. $10 GUITAR - Please call regarding interest. Six students required. Free Weekend Workshops for Youth: “A Sense of Place: Art, Literacy, Music workshops, Community Garden 3rd Saturday: Rumbero Workshop with Troy Parker Ball Clay 4851 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 310.954.1454 ballclaystudio.com Intermediate Ceramics Pottery Class 6 class sessions Check web site for start date $240 A Place to Bead 2566 Mission St San Marino, CA 91108 626.219.6633 aplace2bead.com Find a variety of jewelry making classes, including stringing and wirework. Bullseye Glass 143 Pasadena Ave. South Pasadena, CA bullseyeglass.com They offer a full range of kiln forming glass classes as well as regular free artist talks.
Paint and Pinot Twice a month. Check their web site for more detail.
Leanna Lin’s Wonderland 5024 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041 323.550.1332
Los Angeles County Store 4333 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039 / 323-928-2781
Check Leanna’s web site for a current list of workshops and events.
Please check their web site for a listing of all of their classes and special events.
Community Woodshop NEW LOCATION 3617 San Fernando Rd Glendale, CA 91204 626.808.3725 www.community woodshopla.com These guys offer a wonderful selection of classes from beginner to advanced, membership, and private lessons. Please check their web site for more information and a list of classes. New Stone Age Mosaic Studio 1754 Colorado Blvd Eagle Rock They offer mosaic classes on Mondays and Tuesday. All classes are on going and open to all skill levels.We also do mosaic birthday parties. Call Mary at (323) 547-2021 for more information. Little Knittery 3195 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90039 thelittleknittery@gmail.com Beginning Crochet Saturdays 3:30-5:30 Tuesdays 1:00-3:00 Beginning Knitting Sundays 3:30-5:30 Wednesdays 1:00-3:00 Check schedule for new macramé classes Deb3321 3321 Pasadena Ave. Los Angeles, CA email: deb3321@gmail.com Uninstructed Figure Drawing Saturdays 11:00am - 3:00pm $5.00/hr Strictly Charcoal 11am - 1pm First two Saturdays of every month. Christine Haenen Artists Crit Saturdays Starting at 3:30 $5/session Crit with Karen For more information go to: http://www. deb3321.com/linda-vallejo-fall-2016 Stained Glass Supplies 19 Backus Street Pasadena, CA 91107 626-219-6055 Stained Glass Class Tues. 9-12 or 6:30-9:30 Wed. 9-12 or 6:30-9:30 Thurs. 9-12 or 6:30-9:30 Sat. 9-12 $95 - 8 weeks Tools - $45 - $125 Materials $45 - $100 Classes are ongoing Barndall Art Park 4800 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027 323.644.6295 http://www.barnsdall.org Check they’re web site for upcoming classes.
co-LAB Gallery 5319 York Blvd. http://co-lab-gallery.myshopify.com Check their schedule for fresh classes.
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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WE CHOOSE ART MELANIE PULLEN | VIOLENT TIMES
Written by Desiree Cormier from WeChooseArt.com Featuring Photographer Melanie Pullen Located at LA ART SHOW 2017 If you’ve read the We Choose Art L.A. Art Show Re-cap for 2016, you already know how we feel about Melanie Pullen. She, along with a few standout female performance artists, wowed the crowds (and us!) and stole the show last year… This year, Pullen was back to do it again! Her piece entitled “Violent Times” was a huge success at the 2017 L.A. Art Show and rightfully so! It was absolutely thought-provoking. Delicate, yet fierce. Beautiful, yet gory. Visually appealing, yet visually appalling. Overall, Pullen delivered big time and to tremendous crowds, over the course of the 5-day show. We Choose Art touched based with Melanie Pullen and got an in-depth look at “Violent Times.” From conceptualization to the team effort it took to make her visions a reality, to show time, Pullen shares all below: We Choose Art: I’m so intrigued with your work, your pieces are so captivating! Can you give me some insight into how “Violent Times” was conceptualized and brought to life? And a closer look into the bloody, gory, thought-provoking subject matter(s) that seem to drive your pieces? Melanie Pullen: I conceptualized and created this performance piece from the ideas and emotions that I’ve been exploring for over two decades in my work. It was a sort of culmination of this energy. For me, there has always been a lot of internalization hidden in the process of what I do and something I’m always touching upon is how society exploits women, sex and violence and I touch on these elements and try to break down aspects of this by using these social taboos in what I create. I mix emotions and put in things where they break through a social barrier or restriction. One of the things I’ve always been interested in is blood and how powerful it is conceptually, as it represents death but in contrast, it represents the ultimate which is the power of life and living. I find it’s a strong subject matter and interesting to see the effects it has on an audience. With this performance, I wanted to explore both the ceremonial and raw facets of violence, inherent in both nature and the human condition. To do this I decided to engage the bareness of what you’re left with when you are in a situation of torture or total loss of physical power which is the overwhelming sound of your heart and breathing. I wanted the sound during the performance to be my own breathing and as the physical sound evolves with a heartbeat moving from a relaxed state into a peak of anxiety or terror, in the piece the performers also fluctuate between the concept of inflicted human torture to a peak of barbaric untamed aggression. The blood becomes animalistic and takes on its own life and asks the viewer to question its meaning and the effects that violence, both real and simulated, have in different cultures. WCA: And how did you go about putting together the team of performers? How did you personally prepare for the show? How/what did you do to prepare the performers for the show? Pullen: To get this team together I pulled from my pool of creative friends that I admire and happen to hang out with, I kind of wrote up a story and presented it to my close friend Molly D’amour, who happens to be an amazing dancer who toured with Lady Gaga for years and a wide range of other vocal artists. I said I need to translate my idea into movement and so she worked with me to choreograph this idea. I wanted movement, but not “dancer movement” and she nailed it. She pulled some of her top girls and it just flowed… so it became this wonderful visualization of the concept. Drew Pluta did the sound in real time and again, we were just totally on the same page. I told him what I wanted and he nailed it. We recorded sounds and he knew it had to be in realtime so he made it live during the whole performance. Fo me, my preparation had to to with a lot of driving around late at night to think. I would play different heart beats as I drove and certain ones would put me into an anxious state, this was helping me create the concept and leading me to understand the effect certain tones have physically on someone. I’ve always had a high sensitivity to certain tones, which helped me choose the most uncomfortable tones. I also studied different methods of torture and decided I wanted to explore rope. So I worked with Master K and his assistant Remy to create Kinbaku “rope bondage” which is a sexual thing, yet in contrast, the rope is used in torture. So I found this contrast to be fascinating and the fact that rope bondage can be so artful and sculptural when done properly. Master K is known for this, and I worked with them for several days to create a concept for this which they brought to fruition. Ultimately the models being bound represented the total loss of power. I also worked with my makeup team, who helped me going way back to the beginning of my Crime Scenes, Saul Gallegos and Cat Cordova and their team, to create a look close to death, a torn yet beautiful look, pale and white that would contrast the blood that takes over the performance. WCA: And one last question is why do you choose art? Pullen: Art is my lifeline, it’s something I don’t know that I could survive without as I’ve never known a life without it. Melanie Pullen and her extraordinary team have delivered fantastic, show-stopping performances at The L.A. Art Show two years in a row. Us, here, at We Choose Art are absolutely riveted with the work we’ve seen and cannot wait to see what Melanie has in store for us in the future. See more of her work at MelaniePullen.com and stay up to date on her projects by following her Instagram @melaniepullen.
FEBRUARY 2017
HISTORY AND TWEETING
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By Jen Hitchcock
My religion is history. When faced with a crisis as the one that looms before us, as dire as the situation we are facing now, I turn to the past for comfort. When I find my gut clenching and am feeling helpless and lost because what is happening in our country and in our world seems to be insurmountable, or seems to be a neverbefore-experienced horrid force, I turn to history. I look back for answers to what is happening now because our current situations are all the result of a confluence of aspects of the past. And somehow, history helps take the “where did this come from” out of what is at hand, makes it less of an overwhelming phenomenon. If you know all the threads that lead to a knot, it is easier to untangle and render it less chaotic and more solvable, fightable, winnable. We will survive Donald Trump, prevail and be a better society for it. Now, the other thing I turn to for comfort is humor. While I am finding it incredibly hard to find chuckles in our political situation, I have been playing with the idea of how Donald Trump would have responded to historical events on Twitter. I present to you below, how Donald Trump would have used his tweeting fingers were he (and Twitter) around during other moments in history: DONALD TRUMP TWEETS HISTORY: “If Salem doesn’t fix the horrible afflictions going on, 25 bewitched and 17 possessions in 1692, I will send in the feds!” “Thy bestow hater and loser Indians with free blankets and Libs blame me for small pox! Rude!” “Haters and losers dumping tea in the harbor. Maybe ye should vote next time! Sam Adams hurt cause badly.” “Congrats President Herbert Hoover on inspiring the Bonus Army. We need to grow military! Bigly!” “Just tried to listen Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address—unlistenable! Totally biased.” Jen Hitchcock is the owner of Book Show, a book and gift shop on N. Figueroa St in Highland Park. 5503 N. Figueroa St, 90042. www.bookshowla.com.
BOOK SHOW EVENTS Saturday February 4 7pm-9pm $30 Sewing Workshop: “The Politics of Pockets” Women’s pockets suck! Learn how to make a proper pocket! Wednesday February 8 8pm-9:30pm Angry Nasty Women Writing Group A night of women-centered writing exercises and prompts! $5 or bring a snack. Friday February 10 7pm The Neon Lights are Veins Nolan Knight Book Release Party Free Saturday February 11 8pm Readings & Revelry Release party for Laura Lee Bahr’s book Angel Meat Featuring: Francesca Lia Block, John Skipp, Andrew J Stone Free Friday February 17 8pm Free Fall in Love with Swan World Press Poets! Featuring Jessica Wilson, Gerda Govine Ituarte, Ingrid Calderon, Timothy Morris Saturday February 25 8pm Les Bohem Reads and performs! Free Sunday February 26 4pm-6:30pm Balance & Flow Creativity Workshop Help start those projects you have wanted to start! A workshop of meditation, movement, writing and creativity. $47 ONGOING EVENTS and WORKSHOPS EAT ART OPEN MIC Monthly, every 1st Friday Poetry and Prose open mic 8pm sign ups COLLAGE & CRY Monthly, every first Tuesday 7pm – 9:30pm Open collage night! All materials provided. $5 or bring a snack to share.
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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ART HAPPENINGS AROUND LOS ANGELES PRESENTED BY SHOEBOX PR UPCOMING OPENINGS Breaking up with Amerikkka Human Resources 410 Cottage Home St, Los Angeles, California 90012 February 7th 7-10pm Pontus Willfors: Arbor Vitae - Opening Reception The Green Art Gallery at Biola University 13800 Biola Ave., La Mirada, California 90639 Opening February 7th 630-830pm Common Threads - a group exhibit, Art Share L.A. + MOPLA Angel City Brewery 216 Alameda St, Los Angeles, California 90012 Opening February 9th 6-9pm Guerrilla Girls: Not Ready to Make Nice Opening Reception Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art 5500 University Pkwy, San Bernardino, California 92407 Opening February 9th 6-9pm Jody Zellen and Daniel Rothman – News Wheel | Linda A. Day – Smaller Works LBCC Art Gallery Long Beach City College 4901 Carson St. Room K-100, Long Beach, CA 90808 Opening February 9th 7-830pm Linda Sue Price & Michael Flechtner at the Fine Arts Building Fine Arts Building (Los Angeles) 811 W 7th St, Los Angeles, California 90017 Opening February 9th 6-8pm Loren Philip // California Abstract The Mid-City Arthouse 5555 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90016 Opening February 10th 6-10pm Boiling Process 5: Mythodologies San Diego Art Institute 1439 El Prado, San Diego, California 92101 Opening February 11th 6-8pm Charles Garabedian and his Contemporaries L.A. Louver 45 N Venice Blvd, Venice, California 90291 Opening February 11th 3-6pm Diane Williams | Beautiful Creatures Social Study 5028 York Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90042 Opening February 11th 7-10pm Lisa Adams/Sight Specific College of the Canyons- Art Gallery 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Valencia, CA 91355-1803 February 11th 2-4pm To March 23rd Movers & Makers Opening Reception Lancaster Museum of Art and History - MOAH 665 W Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster, California 93534 Opening February 11th 4-6pm Powers of Nine - A Group Exhibition at 913 Highland 913 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038-2412 Reception February 11th 3-6pm Emily Wiseman- “Powerful” at Shoebox Projects Shoebox Projects 660 South Avenue 21 #3, Los Angeles, California 90031 Reception February 12th 3-5pm Pickles Galore Group Art Show; Linda Vallejo, curator Lamperouge Fine Art 660-6 South Ave 21, Los Angeles, California 90031 February 12th 1-4pm February Exhibits at LA Artcore LA Artcore Brewery Annex 650A South Ave. 21, Los Angeles, CA 90031 Opening February 12th 1-5pm Emily Halpern and Regina Argentin Neutra Institute Gallery & Museum 2379 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90039 Opening February 18th 6-8pm First Response Group Show Keystone Art Space 338 S. Ave 16, Los Angeles, CA. 90031 Opening February 18th 5-7pm It’s a Mess Without You: Photographs by Osceola Refetoff Porch Gallery - Ojai 310 E Matilija St, Ojai, California 93023 Opening February 18th 5-7pm Jeffrey Sklan / Christopher James / Spacegoth / 8333 Gabba Gallery 3126 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90057 Opening February 18th 7-11pm Opening reception, ‘Jason Rhoades. Installations, 1994 – 2006’ Hauser Wirth & Schimmel 901 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, California 90013 Opening February 18th 6-9pm Seeing Double - Opening Reception The Loft at Liz’s 453 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, California 90036 Opening February 18th 7-10pm
FEBRUARY 2017
1st Annual Anniversary Exhibition Open Mind Art Space 11631 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90025 Opening February 25th 7-9pm CASA Wine+Art Werkartz 1667 N Main Street, Los Angeles, California 90012 February 25th 6-9pm Lisa Adams “Petrichor” Michael Mancari “Motherboard” CB1 Gallery 1923 S. Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, California 90021 Opening February 25th 4-7pm We Are Many’ Art Show MCAU 220 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90026 Opening February 25th 730-11pm Annenberg Beach House | Personal Narrative Annenberg Community Beach House 415 Pacific Coast Hwy, Santa Monica, California 90402 Opening February 28th 6-8pm ONGOING EXHIBITIONS Landscapes of the Hyperspace by Parinya Champ The Icon Los Angeles 5450 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90036 To February 9th American Civics Subliminal Projects 1331 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90026 To February 10th Afterfear, a Dani Dodge solo show at HB Punto Experimental HB Punto Experimental 2151 Logan Ave Section B, San Diego, California 92113 To February 11th Kristy Luck: Soma Eastside International / ESXLA 602 Moulton Ave, Los Angeles, California 90031 To February 11th Marilyn McRae Neutra Art Gallery 2379 Glendale Blvd Los Angeles, CA To February 11th The Ecstasy of Mary Shelley Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions 6522 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90028 To February 12th Leslie Lanxinger - White Whale Coagula Curatorial 974 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, California 90012 To February 12th Sylvia Fragoso Opening at The Good Luck Gallery The Good Luck Gallery 945 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, California 90012 To February 12th Gay Summer Rick - Calm and Bright in the City of Angels The Loft at Liz’s 453 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, California 90036 To February 14th Jim Morphesis, Selected Works 1974 – 2016 GARBOUSHIAN GALLERY 427 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, California 90210 To February 14th Miles Regis - main gallery / Gay Summer Rick - projects room The Loft at Liz’s 453 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, California 90036 To February 14th
CB1 Gallery 1923 S. Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, California 90021 To February 19th Patrick Martinez - All Season Portfolio Charlie James Gallery 969 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, California 90012 To February 18th Twilight & Lowlifes Meliksetian Briggs 313 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, California 90036 To February 18th Dear President SBC at the LOFT 401 South Mesa St, 3rd floor, San Pedro, CA 90731 To February 19th The Faces Within at South Bay Contemporary South Bay Contemporary 401 S Mesa St, Fl 3rd, San Pedro, California 90731 To February 19th Arden Surdam : Hold Your Breath : Opening Reception SLOAN Projects Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave B5, Santa Monica To February 25th Kathleen Ryan, Weightless Again / Hans Bellmer Ghebaly Gallery 2245 E Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90021 To February 25th Kaz Oshiro: A Standard Honor Fraser Gallery 2622 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90034 To February 25th Peripheries, New Abstract Paintings by Richard Bruland Lora Schlesinger Gallery 2525 Michigan Ave Suite B5b, Santa Monica, California 90404 To February 25th Sarajo Frieden and Carol Sears LAUNCH LA 170 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, California 90036 To February 25th LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LACMA) James Turrell, Light Reignfall Through May 29, 2017 Picasso and Rivera Through May 7th, 2017 Toba Khedoori To March 19, 2017 MOCA Mickalene Thomas: Do I Look Like a Lady? to Feb 6th, 2017 GETTY Breaking News: Turning the Lens on Mass Media To April 30, 2017 Long Beach Museum of Art Ironic Icons: The Art of Valentin Popov To March 19th Orange County Museum of Art Forms of Identity: Women Artists in the 90s To April 2 MOAH- Lancaster Museum of Art and History Movers & Makers Opening February 11th Artist Talks Artist Talk: Glass Art in Los Angeles February 7, 2017 7pm - 8:30pm The Last Bookstore 453 S. Spring St. DTLA 90013
Street Meets Chic Opening Reception Pacific Design Center 8687 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, California 90069 To February 14th
In Conversation: Betye and Alison Saar California African American Museum 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles 90007 February 16th 7-9pm
All Women Are Dangerous Building Bridges Art Exchange 2525 Michigan Ave, Santa Monica, California 90404 To February 15th
Art Fairs
By the River group exhibition ACME. 2939 Denby Ave, Los Angeles, California 90039 To February 18th Counting the Days by Nike Schroeder & Listening Garden Show + Tell 374 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles, California 90012 To February 18th Gilah Yelin Hirsch PØST 1206 Maple Ave. #515 Los Angeles, California 90015 To February 18th Gisela Colon: Hyper-Minimal Diane Rosenstein Fine Art 831 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, California 90038 To February 18th Merion Estes: Lost Horizons & Cooling Trend Emily Davis Adams “Somewhere Between” “Peter Saul: Pop to Politics”
Palm Springs Art Fair February 16-19 Palm Springs Convention Center LA Art Book Fair February 24-26 Moca Geffen Expo Contemporary April 21-23 The Reef Photo Independent April 21-23 The Reef
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THE WHOLE DISH I love it when something really simple comes out delicious and nutritionally complex. Enter this quick, rainy day soup. If you want to go vegan, you can replace the sausage with cannellini beans, but since the sausage brings some flavor to the soup, you may need to ramp up the herbs and garlic to compensate. Tuscan Kale Soup with Sausage 1 pound of your favorite organic sausage (I like organic chicken basil or wild boar), cut up into pieces or made into meatballs 2 medium carrots cut into large pieces 2 celery stalks, sliced across the grain 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed or partially ground in a coffee grinder 6-8 cups vegetable of chicken broth, warmed 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary 1 medium zucchini, cut into hearty pieces 1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and sliced or chopped 1 tbsp. coconut oil or other cooking oil Sea salt & pepper to taste Heat the oil in a large soup pot and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook vegetables until they start to become tender. Add fennel seed and cook a few minutes more. Add warm broth and bring to a boil. Add sausage, garlic, and chopped herbs, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer on low just until vegetables are tender and flavors are rendered, about 15-20 minutes. Add zucchini and simmer for about 5-10 more minutes. Just before serving, add the kale and stir until it is wilted and mixed into the soup. Serve with lemon wedges, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or a good, grated hard cheese. Harvey Slater is a nutrition coach and chef residing in Highland Park. You can find more healthy recipes like this one on his blog: thewholedish.wordpress.com
PLANT OF THE MONTH Larisa Code
Note: Create peace, one garden at a time. Featured Plant: Nepeta mussinii/Catmint Decorative Ground Cover Full sun (minimum 4 hours direct sunlight) Drought Tolerant Oh, hi, so nice to be back in the swing of things. I spent my hiatus visiting a few of the medical facilities around Los Angeles and after that, a little visit to my home away from home, Mexico. Upon my return, I was so surprised to see the multitude of changes our ever gentrifying city has bestowed upon us. I once thought hedge funds were an urban myth, but now, I am a firm believer in their ACTUAL existence. As many of us know, money doesn’t mean intelligence, nor does success. But, in this world, alas, it does create quite a lot of respect. Maybe being smart isn’t so cool anymore. Just the other day, I made a purchase, it came to $11.81. I said, ‘I have a penny.’ The guy said, ‘Oh, no worries,’ and then proceeded to give me 19 cents change. "This is why I was giving you a penny." "I had already put in all of the info," he replied. THEN I went to another spot, where my total was $11.51 and I gave him $14.01, he offered me 49 cents change and put the rest in the register. I said, "No, that’s your tip." He threw the change in the jar, unaware of the $2.50 for him. This left me obsessing on how cheap he must think I am… Maybe we really are dumbing down as a society, no offense, it is feasible. Life is over simplified and people are doing less and less to stimulate their brains; no more phone books, dictionaries, thesaurus, or encyclopedias. Does anyone diagram sentences anymore? So, this month I give you a plant that couldn’t be simpler; the only deal breaker may be, there is no app to plant it. Well, there probably is, but that is not my forte’. My forte’ is soil, sun, water, bugs, wine, beer and French fries…the things that really make this world turn. The lovely ground cover Nepeta mussinii, or simply catmint, is not a ground cover for usable space. It is a decorative plant to border your beds, or fill in that empty section of dirt in your yard. Soft grey/green aromatic leaves form undulating mounds up to two feet high. The lavender blue 1/2-inch flowers in loose spikes arrive in early summer. After a heavy bloom, shear back the dead spikes, and a new arrival of blooms should follow. It readily re-seeds itself and will fill in any sunny area, so when planting space them 12 to 18 inches apart. Don’t worry, it will fill in. It also attracts pollinators, so good to have close to your veggie garden or fruiting trees. Catmint like catnip (same nepeta/mint family) is attractive to felines and at times, you may find one having a roll around in your garden, but fear not, catmint can take it and the cat will smell delicious. What’s the takeaway? Nineteen plus one equals 20, and catmint is a pretty, easy, low water, cat friendly, wonderful addition for your garden.
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
PEOPLE WHO DIED
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Jeremy Kaplan of READ Books “Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.” ~Groucho Marx Time’s a helluva thing. I labor to mitigate its impact in my daily runs by utilizing the artful restructuring of measurement. An 8-miler is really just a 1-miler repeated 8 times, thus I reassure myself upon the completion of a relatively facile mile that this need only happen 7 more times and then my suffering is all over. Apply this manipulative technique to, say, a healthy individual’s lifespan, and a 10-year chunk of 80-years can get one pretty damn near the finish line, even if one is not so inclined to race in that direction. But then, regarding time, forward is still the only way one can move. In that sense we may act & think like runners in a race, searching for a way to master time & distance, but ultimately we are treated like warm-blooded sushi on a conveyor belt, unaccountably shocked & chagrined when we discover that it’s our turn to be devoured. Today READ Books turns 10-years-old, but I’m not so damn sure that a celebration is in order. Certainly one attains pleasure in enduring; but when one endures over a span of a decade, many expire. David P, one of our original repeat customers, was an erudite gentleman & raconteur. I couldn’t talk to him much about books, because he read highfalutin fellas such as Wittgenstein & Russell whom I like to think are way above my head. In that sense I was like a pusher, procuring for the man materials that I pledged to never sample myself lest they hurt my head and/or expand my consciousness. Our common ground was people whose acquaintanceship we shared, most often people who taught school in Eagle Rock where David’s son preceded mine by a decade. He enjoyed telling stories—and I enjoyed listening to stories—about a particular ERHS math teacher who, when they met at quadrennial parent conferences, would stare dumbfounded across his desk at David and lament: “Do you know, sir, that there are students who do not appreciate the pertinence of calculus in the world?” Being a Wittgenstein aficionado, David indubitably appreciated the bemused sorrow of the adherent to abstruse knowledge. Anyhow, Mr. P’s weekly visits to READ Books were eventually replaced by a half-year’s absence; when one of our mutual acquaintances came by the store, I asked her if she’d seen him recently. Cancer, undetected in its early stages, travels fast in its latter stages. David P was, so far as we are aware, READ Books first mortality. We’ve missed him. David had lived near the Eagle Rock Community Garden, whose manager, Mike W, was also a habitué of READ Books. The self-proclaimed “Irritable Gardener”, Mike’s literary pleasure was Dumas and, in addition to grouchy gardening, he enjoyed the analogously solitary activity of writing. Sidelining as the editor of the TERA Newsletter, Mike wrote a pleasingly articulate & accurate article about our bookstore. An especially vigorous sexagenarian, he often walked the two-mile distance from home to us. An avid basketball player, he described himself as the world’s only 5’8” power forward. Subsequent to his prolonged absence from READ Books, we once again found out from mutual acquaintances that one of our favorite customers had been stricken with cancer. Mike passed away in 2016, no doubt wondering (amongst other things) what the hell was about to happen with this Trump clown. Sean didn’t read much, but he sorta wrote. He lived with his lady friend in a pick-up truck that, much to my neighbors’ chagrin, often found itself squatting in the parking lot behind our bookstore. The inhabitants of said truck ostensibly felt entitled to sleep on our property because Sean, when he wasn’t locked up in the pokey on account of drug use or larceny, sometimes performed odd jobs for the tax accountant next door to READ Books (until she accused him and his lady friend of larcenying them, though that’s neither here nor there). Our landlord didn’t grasp their parking logic, and insisted that they park elsewhere. After moving their vehicle to (one hopes) a more welcoming space, they continued to frequent our shop: Sean’s lady friend in an effort to sell us books that she usually yoinked from the free book pile at the library; Sean— probably conflating the disparate occupations of literary agent & bookstore proprietor— hoping to interest me in the recondite prison novel he was writing in a spiral notebook. There were spaceships and shanks and aliens and non-consensual sodomies and plenty of pen drawings in the margins illustrating these concepts & activities. There were no paragraphs or linear ideas or intelligible sentences. Didn’t matter. I am not a literary agent. So one day Sean’s lady friend strolls into the store, dumps a pile of books on my desk, and casually states: “Did you hear Eli died?” “No,” I admitted. “I did not. Who the hell’s Eli?” Turns out Eli was Sean. Or Sean was Eli. He had a pseudonym and a brain tumor. Apparently his lack of access to chemotherapy allowed him to maintain his robust physique, but one night he passed away in his pick-up truck with a decent head of hair and not much else. His lady friend is still in the neighborhood, bringing us books that we don’t really need in exchange for a few bucks here and there. Though admittedly ambivalent towards Sean/Eli, my wife & I were very fond of another addict we knew through the bookstore. As I recall, it was not on his first visit to the store that Teo invoked his relationship with Hemingway. It might have been his second. This dapper, pasty-skinned man with the faintly aristocratic English accent told us how his parents had often hosted the great writer at their Spanish villa. Since we live in a damn bookstore, it took us all of two minutes after his departure to fact-check a Hemingway biography in which we found a photo of a man sharing Teo’s last name and then some. There he was—the same aquiline nose & heavy brow as his son—drinking wine at a Spanish table with a white-bearded Papa. The books Teo sold us were never ordinary. He would park his dilapidated Mercedes in the red zone out front, saunter inside smelling like a 5’10” cigarette, and deferentially request that I carry his crates inside since he had a bum ticker weakened from decades of liquor, drug & nicotine abuse. His literary esoterica was often so obscure as to be worthless, though occasionally the kind of obscure harboring financial potential. Sometimes he traded his books for some rare, signed tome we were selling. Sometimes he took cash and showed up at the store a few weeks later looking as if he had been on a particularly hairy bender. On one occasion he borrowed several books without informing us, only to return them several months later with a rather convoluted story & a bruised conscious. He had impeccable manners, expensive taste, no job that I knew bout, a variegated education, and a sentimental warmth & candidness that rendered his sins—such as borrowing things that were not his—venial. It was not surprising when he showed up to the store some 50 pounds lighter than he had been a few months earlier, with a pace-maker to boot. It was a little surprising that he had gone cold turkey on the cigarettes. Teo was our first customer/friend whose death we anticipated. Last month I went searching for him on-line & found a website in memoriam. In photographs I was able to trace his life in reverse: from the dapper, vitiated man of culture dining in an expensive Los Angeles restaurant; to the hip teenager posing in 1960’s Windsor as if he were Rod Argent or a young Martin Amis; to the guileless child in Spain looking as if he’s about to be warmly embraced by a shirtless Ernest Hemingway. This child is unmistakably the same man I knew (bold & vulnerable & intelligent & lost), but only one-lap into what will be a race too brief. He will be modified, amended, & diminished by busted relationships, drugs, food, money, death, and books. But before that he was a child and everything that entailed. Like everyone & everything else, he was once brand new.
FEBRUARY 2017
THE POPE OF BROADWAY RETURNS
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A 70-foot tall image of Anthony Quinn looks down on South Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. His stance is taken from the actor’s famous role as “Zorba the Greek,” a dance performance frozen in time. It can also be taken as the posture of a horseback rider, riding the horse now barely visible on the Frank Romero mural next-door. It is the posture of a Christ image, with outstretched arms. And it is the shepherd-like posture of a Pope, earning the mural the title, “The Pope of Broadway.” The small parking lot below becomes a church-like setting. Artist Eloy Torrez created the mural on the side of the Victor Clothing Company in 1985. Torrez had already painted a “Legends of Hollywood” mural, and the owners of the Downtown building were interested in an image of a Latino celebrity. Torrez saw Quinn not only as a Latino icon, but also as emblematic of the the diversity of Los Angeles because of the varied roles the actor had played. Quinn had performed on South Broadway early in his career, a further rationale for the title “The Pope of Broadway.” “Anthony Quinn represents what is most majestic about being a Latino immigrant,” says Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar. Time and the elements took their toll on the popular image. For years, it flaked and faded. Quinn passed away in 2001. His son, actor Francesco Quinn, and Francesco’s partner, Valentina Castellani, began looking for a way to restore the mural. Francesco Quinn passed away in 2011, and the restoration project was on hold without funding. Councilmember Huizar advocated for the project as part of his “Bringing Back Broadway” initiative. The Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles and actor Edward James Olmos joined as a partners. The restoration ultimately was paid for with a $150,000 grant from property developer Greenland USA. And on January 24, a restored mural was celebrated. The restoration work was overseen by Torrez himself, working with mural restorer Art Mortimer. “In this fragile time, the Latino community is in need of such role models,” said Castellani at the restoration celebration. “…This mural is like the Hollywood sign to Latinos.” The restored “Pope of Broadway” mural may be seen from Third Street, just east of South Broadway.
Eloy Torrez, The Pope of Broadway. Painted, 1985. Restored, 2017.
Actor Edward James Olmos, Artist Eloy Torrez, Valentina Castellani, and Councilmember José Huizar at “The Pope of Broadway” restoration celebration
FLAMBÉ, BY TWO BIT CIRCUS, A HOT NEW TAKE ON THE DUNK TANK. NIGHT ON BROADWAY, 2017.
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
FAR BAZAAR
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It became clear that FAR Bazaar, January 28-29, was going to be anything but the typical art fair when photos started showing up on Facebook of artists arriving for set-up with jackhammers. Cerritos College had a built a new fine arts building, and the old structure was slated for imminent tear-down. So the college let the organizers of FAR Bazaar have at it. The atmosphere at FAR Bazaar was one of sky’s-the-limit, allowing for experimentation and unbridled creativity. FAR Bazaar 2017 was a partnership between Cerritos College and the Foundation for Art Resources (FAR). More than 50 rooms were taken over by artist collectives, artist -run spaces, graduate art students, and Cerritos instructors.
Alvaro A.S.F., FA4 Collective, Responsive Art to Mozart’s Symphony No. 41
“I Got Your Wall, Right Here” Avenue 50 Studio @ FAR Bazaar. Cerritos College Printmaking Collection and Woman’s March artist Installation.
Tracey Weiss, Carousel
JAUS
Alan Nakagawa, TIMED, w/ sound loop of a field recording of the interior of the Hiroshima Atomic Dome
FEBRUARY 2017
Kim Abeles, Head of Bernadette (In 1858, at the age of 14, Bernadette Soubirous saw the Virgin Mary.)
Narsiso C. Martinez, South Bay Contemporary
EVEN MORE LA ART SHOW!
Megzany, dialogue on the public art scene in Los Angeles, presented by The Agency
Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles
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Catherine Coan, Copro Gallery, Santa Monica
Eugenia Vargas Pereira, Talking Head Transmitters, Chile, Presented by Muzeo Anaheim
Red Truck Gallery, New Orleans
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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