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 6 NO. 7
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OCTOBER 2018
“UNDISCOVERED AMERICA” A Mural Rediscovered
A significant work of public art in Los Angeles’ Arts District is once again being seen as it was meant to be seen at its creation 25 years ago. The mural “Undiscovered America” was painted in 1992 by Earth Crew 2000, a collective of graffiti artists and crews who came together to acknowledge the greatness of the ancestral cultures that resided, and still reside, in the Americas. The imagery represents indigenous cultures from Alaska in the north to Argentina in the south, positioned in relation to a medicine wheel in celebration of the healing of relationships among all peoples of the world. The mural is historic in that it is considered to be the first fine art mural in the area that was, in 1992, considered to be an industrial edge of Downtown and Skid Row, but soon became known as the Arts District. The “Undiscovered America” project was born out of time of serious social unrest. The City had been torn apart by violence, racial divides, and economic injustice. It was also a time when the country was abuzz about the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ alleged discovery of America. Earth Crew 2000 came together in this context as “a collective of Graffiti writers from different crews and cultural backgrounds willing to bravely paint Earth Crew 2000, “Undiscovered America” murals with solutions and messages of unification with the same passion and spirit of the Mexican Muralism tradition known worldwide for their highly visible public art statements.” The crew made murals calling attention to the perils of environmental degradation and to the greatness of the Root People, the indigenous nations and cultures of Los Angeles and the Americas. The 20 original members of Earth Crew 2000 included noted artists Erick “Duke” Montenegro, Benjamin James Frank Jr., Rogelio “Angst” Cabral, and Joseph “Nuke” Montalvo. They were brought together in 1989 by Helen Samuels, following the death of a friend due to gang violence. The “Undiscovered America” project was originally commissioned by SPARC as one of its citywide Neighborhood Pride murals. Sponsorship was provided by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Earth Crew 2000 has since painted murals in Los Angeles, Mexico City, Brazil, and Turkey, and has worked with Amnesty International, the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, and Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. blesses the restored “Undiscovered America” mural
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GOVERNOR VETOES ARTS AND CULTURE EDUCATION BILLS Advocates for arts and culture education had a rough go of it in Sacramento this year. Two major pieces of legislation—The Arts for Every Student Act and a bill supporting Ethnic Studies—passed both houses of the State Legislature, only to be vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown. The Arts for Every Student Act, introduced by State Senator Ben Allen, would have created a grant program to encourage the delivery of high-quality visual and performing arts programming to all students. California law requires arts education for every K-12 student, but the reality is that only 38% of pupils in the State truly have access to arts instruction. Students in lowincome neighborhood schools are far more likely to go without access to arts. Image: Ethnic Studies Now, ethnicstudiesnow.com The bill, SB933, was sponsored by the California Alliance for Arts Education. It had the support of more than 60 organizations, including Arts for LA, Angels Gate Cultural Center, CalArts, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Inner City Arts, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Pasadena Unified School District, South Pasadena Arts Council, and Side Street Projects. The Governor’s veto message was short. “Nurturing creativity is certainly one of the most important responsibilities of teachers and local schools,” wrote the Governor. “But under our philosophy of local control, this is a matter best handled by individuals at the school level, not at state headquarters.” However, Joe Landon, Executive Director of the California Alliance for Arts Education issued a statement pointing out that, while the veto is a disappointment, the coalition that came together around Senator Allen’s bill was able to secure a $44 million grant program to jump start arts education and student health services in the state budget signed in June.
Image: California Alliance for Arts Education, artsed411.org
The Ethnic Studies measure, AB2772, was proposed by Assembly Member Jose Medina. It would have assisted school districts in the establishment of ethnic studies classes as a graduation requirement. “The history that students learn in school is typically narrow in focus and perspective,” said Assembly Member Medina. “Requiring ethnic studies helps ensure that all students learn about the diverse histories of the people that make up America…The goal of AB 2772 is to allow all students to gain knowledge of one’s history and community while also helping students feel more connected and empowered by the curriculum. Studies have proven that attendance, and the GPA of at-risk high school students, have improved when culturally relevant pedagogy is added to the curriculum.” “School districts already can, and are, requiring ethnic studies for graduation,” the Governor wrote in his veto message. “While I recognize the value of these courses, I am reluctant to encourage yet another graduation requirement, especially when students are already overburdened by multiple tests and endless hours of homework.” Previously, in 2015, Governor Brown had vetoed a bill that would have created standards for optional Ethnic Studies classes.
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OCTOBER 2018
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Native American reservations across the country. “Undiscovered America” is a significant work in terms of its artistry, its relationships to a specific time in Los Angeles history, to a specific neighborhood, and to broader indigenous cultures. But for some time, it has stood tagged and obscured. Now, as the mural’s message again resonates in a turbulent time, a collaboration on the part of original Earth Crew artists, TEKIO, Art Share, the Art District Community, Los Angeles Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar, One Global Family Foundation, Four Worlds International Institute for Human and Community Development, and contributing individuals has brought the mural back to its original grandeur. On September 15, the restored mural was presented to the public. “Undiscovered America” is protected now as a Grandfathered Mural by LA Cultural Affairs, under the City of Los Angeles Mural Ordinance. “Undiscovered America” may be seen on the outside of Tokiwa Foods, 843 East Fourth Street, Arts District.
Earth Crew 2000, “Undiscovered America” (detail)
FRANKENSTEIN AT 200 In honor of the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelly’s penning of her classic novel, Corey Helford Gallery in Boyle Heights is presenting a wide-ranging art exhibit of all things Frankenstein. There are images related to the novel itself, and a plethora of images demonstrating the hold the monster has on pop culture. The Boris Karloff-style Frankenstein’s monster is represented, of course. But so are other movie incarnations, and on to the less frightening Herman Munster and Franken Berry. There’s also some terrific pop-culture fusion, that sends the monster to a Shag-style cocktail party and introduces him to Disney’s Alice in a pot-infused Wonderland. Frankenstein 200th Anniversary Curated by Chogrin Through October 13 Corey Helford Gallery 571 South Anderson Street www.coreyhelfordgallery.com
Eric Gonzalez, Power Couple
Rodolfo Loaiza, Green Life
Bennett Slater, “It Has Never Lived. I Created It”
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WDCH Dreams The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles came alive for a few days in late September and early October, thanks to a collaboration between artist Refki Anadol and the LA Philharmonic. The show, entitled “WDCH Dreams� represented a merger of archival imagery and state-of-the-art technology.
Photo: LA Art News Photo: LA Art News
Photo: LA Art News
Photo: LA Art News
OCTOBER 2018
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PLEASE VOTE! HELP SOMEONE VOTE!
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, Florence the dog, Harvey Slater, Kristine Schomaker, Madame X, Larisa Code, Margaret Rozga, Tomas Benitez 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.
It’s getting real folks. Time to vote these folks out. We have witnessed some of the most outrageous behavior by the Republicans as well as Brett Kavanaugh. They may confirm that man. What is going on? Where did there decency go? I know it’s been gone for awhile but really...what would John McCain say? Good lord...I can’t believe I just wrote that. I’ve called Senators Flake, Collins, and Murkowski and spoke my peace with their voice mail and one human assistant. Please call. And vote. Help someone vote. If anyone needs a ride to a polling place, let me know. I’ll come get you. Our very freedoms depend on this. It appears that there’s whole group of people that have lost all that is decent within them. I’m kind of at a loss. But I am not hopeless. I have this here mouthpiece to yell from the top of my little mountain, Mount Washington, stop the madness!! Back to art. Thankfully we have that. See art. Make art. Love art. 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?
MOONS
ArtCenter College of Design “Moons” at ArtCenter College of Design takes the viewer through the depth and breadth of what those rocks doing laps in space have meant to us from our third-planet vantage point. Our moon was long-known to drive men mad. Then, four specks circling Jupiter challenged our ability to see ourselves as the center of everything— thank you Galileo Galilei. We began to speculate that there might be human-ish or monkey-type beings on our moon. (And according to the movies we made, when we encounter those beings, we will kill a couple; hey, it’s what we humans do). It turned out there were no monkey beings. But we looked up at our personal moon, and our thoughts turned to romance; we got all mushy. But wait, it turns out there are lots and lots of moons. They are varied, and they are intriguing. They are fodder for the scientist AND fodder for the artist. And it is in this intersection that the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery at ArtCenter demonstrates once again what it does so well, showing us where science and art, the mind and the soul, find joint inspiration and overlap. Moons Through December 16 Curated by Stephen Nowlin Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery ArtCenter College of Design (Hillside Campus) Pasadena www.williamsongallery.net/moons.
Tim Hawkinson Thumbsucker, 2015 Plaster & Urethane Foam 40 x 40 x 40 inches Courtesy the artist & Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco
Penelope Umbrico Everyone’s Moon 2015-11-04 14:22:59 computergenerated video made by scrolling through the 436” long image file, Screenshot 2015-11-04 14.22.59. The resulting video presents more than a million frenetic moons falling and raising to the sound of indeterminate static.
Penelope Umbrico Screenshot 2015-11-04 Archival Pigment Print, 11 x 436 inches Courtesy Bruce Silverstein Gallery, NY
Voyage to the Moon, 1827
LA ART NEWS
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OCTOBER 2018
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LA ART NEWS
GOVERNMENT NOTES
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LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC TO TURN 100 The Los Angeles Philharmonic, which is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary, was honored at the Los Angeles City Council meeting of September 26. Councilmember José Huizar announced that the Phil will be kicking off a resident fellows program. “This program provides comprehensive, early-career training in order to assist exceptional musicians from historically under-represented populations with the performance experience, audition support, and mentorship needed to compete for positions in ensembles nationwide,” said Councilmember Huizar. “And certainly, in a city as diverse as ours, that program is much appreciated.” The Los Angeles Philharmonic performs at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. It also does substantial work with youth in communities including South L.A., Rampart, and East L.A. FILIPINO AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH On September 28, the Los Angeles City Council introduced October as Filipino-American History Month. Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, who represents Historic Filipinotown, which has been home to local Filipinos since at least the 1940s, said that Los Angeles continues to foster a relationship with the Filipino community, including the 2016 designation of the Pasig River in Manila as a sister-river to the Los Angeles River. Councilmember José Huizar, who represents a large Filipino community in Eagle Rock and Northeast Los Angeles, introduced the day’s honorees, including the Los Angeles Doce Pares Eskrima, which promotes the learning and preservation of traditional Filipino martial arts, and the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. CA PROTECTS NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL RIGHTS Governor Jerry Brown has signed two measures introduced by Assembly Member Todd Gloria aimed at preserving the cultural rights of Native Americans. AB 2836 deals with the repatriation of artifacts and remains. The measure requires the University of California (UC) to update their processes for the repatriation of human remains and cultural items. Despite current federal and state laws governing the return of remains and artifacts, including the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), application of these statures has been inconsistent and, in some cases, ignored. This includes the UC with nearly all campuses and museums failing to repatriate at some level which has resulted in several Native American tribes being unable to properly pay respect to and honor the history of their ancestors. AB 1248, meanwhile, affirms the rights of students to wear cultural adornments at graduation ceremonies. This includes such significant items as feathers in native cultures. It also extends beyond Native American cultures to include such items as African kente cloth. “California is a place of rich diversity. We take pride in our communities, neighborhoods, and who we are as people – and we are proud to be a place for everyone. Every Californian deserves the right to honor their heritage and celebrate who they are,” said Assembly Member Gloria. “These measures empower students to recognize their cultural identity on one of the most important days of their lives and allow Native American tribes to pay respect to their ancestors and history. As the Legislature’s only enrolled tribal member, I sincerely thank Governor Brown for his signature on these important bills.”
Lunch, haircuts, and connections to needed services at the NELA Homeless Connect Day in Eagle Rock, October 4. Sponsored by Councilmember José Huizar.
R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER: INVENTIONS AND MODELS Edward Cella Gallery
R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) dedicated his life to making the world work for all of humanity. He was a philosopher, lecturer, and the author of some 28 books. He was also an inventor, solving issues and creating right living within the fields of housing, shelter, transportation, education, energy, ecology, and poverty. An exhibit currently at Edward Cella Art & Architecture offers a look at Mr. Fuller’s visions and inventions. The exhibition centers around the Inventions portfolio, a limited-edition print collection of Fuller’s key innovations including the 4D House, the Dymaxion Car and the Geodesic Dome, representing just a few of the more than thirty patents he holds. Examples of structural design demonstrate how his work crossed the usual divisions among disciplines, functioning as science, engineering, architecture, design, and art.R. Buckminster Fuller: Inventions and ModelsEdward Cella Art & Architecture2754 S. La Cienega BoulevardThrough November 3www.edwardcella.com
Buckminster Fuller, Non-Symmetrical, Tension-Integrity Structures, From Invention Portfolio, Edition 7 of 60, 1981 Screenprinted clear film, a duotone screenprint on Lenox 100% rag paper, and a blue backing leaf of Curtis 100% rag paper, 30 x 40 in. (76.2 x 101.6 cm) United States Patent Office no. 3,866, 366, filed August 7, 1973, serial no. 386, 302, granted February 18, 1975, inventor: Buckminster Fuller
OCTOBER 2018
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ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF OF PLAZA DE LA RAZA: Plaza de la Raza is sad to announce the passing of our beloved Rosalie Portillo, Wednesday, September 12, 2018. She was for many years the Store Manager of La Tiendita, our onsite boutique; indeed she started with the place when it first started up well over twenty years ago. Rosalie was much more to us; a maven to a legion of artists and craft artists, authors and other creatives who came to the store and shared their work, and she was called “Grandma” by a throng of children who came to Plaza to take classes. She served Plaza as the oldest, rather, the longest running employee, first coming to the campus in the late 1980’s. Her charm, her smile, her heart were all hallmarks of the hospitality and spirit of Plaza de la Raza. She was a master of rescuing ducks and geese caught on fishing lines at the park, often calling all the agencies to be called and insisting they come save one more. She also took in stray cats and dogs that were dumped at the park, finding them homes or often taking them home herself. She loved children more than adults, and perhaps animals over humans, but she had a heart big enough for all of us. She was a great foil to a practical joke and we had one staff member who particularly enjoyed teasing her time and again, known affectionately as her adopted son Tomas. But she had dozens of “adoptees” who flocked to her and loved her. To know her was to love her like family.
She always had some weird kind of yummy chip or good snackie stashed away for visitors, thus we all took a turn wandering into the store to see what she had, along with always having a bag of sweets from some exotic bakery or place she had a knack for ferreting out. She had an infectious laugh and could cheer you up on the worst day. She fed our stomachs and she fed our souls, and was beloved by the entire community. In 2016 she was named an Unsung Hero by the California Community Foundation, a wise choice. Even when she found out she was suffering the cancer that would take her life, she continued to work in the store until she couldn’t. It was where she was happiest, and it was her refuge. She was a touchstone for the campus and the community. She made an imprint on the cultural center and in our lives, and although gone, she will long be remembered.
Rosalie is survived by her children, Rose and Joseph, her grandson Ryu, as well as so many others who loved her like their other mother. She is also survived by the Jimenez family who adopted her into their own clan, including Maria, Gabriel, Rigo and his girls, Angie, and the staff who loved her including Rebecca, Frances, Kay and Carolyn, plus the thousands of visitors, generations of children, hundreds of parents, and a legion of artists.
If you have been lucky enough to have ever encountered a powerful life force such as was Rosalie Portillo, you’ve been blessed, for someone like her sheds her grace on you and gives you more light than you had before, making your life better. That was our Rosalie. Farewell. Rosalie Portillo, PRESENTE!
(Celebration of Life: Monday, October 15, 7-9:30, Plaza de la Raza)
LA ART NEWS
CITY COUNCIL HONORS LATINO ARTS AND CULTURE FIGURES
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Latino Heritage Month was celebrated September 18 at Los Angeles City Hall. This year’s event was chaired by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who was joined at the podium by Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilmembers José Huizar, Gilbert Cedillo, and Nury Martinez, and Cultural Affairs Department general manager Danielle Brazell. Honorees for Latino Heritage Month 2018 included major individuals and organizations in Latinx culture, and in the culture of Los Angeles in general. Jaime Jarrín is in his 60th season as a Dodger broadcaster and is the Voice of the Dodgers in Spanish. Several City Councilmembers referred to having grown up in households with Mr. Jarrín’s voice announcing games over the radio. Mr. Jarrín expressed his affection for the Dodger organization saying, “There is no organization in major league baseball that respects the community more than the Dodgers.” Bill Esparza is an expert on the regional cuisines of Mexico and Latinx foods of Southern California. He is the author of “L.A. Mexicano,” published by Prospect Park Books and writes extensively on Mexican food. While at City Hall, Mr. Esparza put in a plug for decriminalization of street vending, saying, ““Please support our street vendors…it’s not just great food…but these are communities.” Molcajete Dominguero, represented by Luis Aguilar and Gladys Vasquez, was honored as a purveyor of Latinx-oriented clothing, jewelry, paper goods and more. Created by vendors, for vendors, Molcajete Dominguero’s events include over 70 shopping options focused on the local community. Self Help Graphics & Art, represented by director Betty Avila, was honored for 45 years of fostering the creation and advancement of new works by Chicanx and Latinx artists working in printmaking and other art forms. The organization works at the intersection of arts and social justice. According to Councilmember Rodriguez, the honorees were chosen, “for their incredible contributions to art, food, the history of Los Angeles in making us who we are, being proud of who we are…”
The City administration has recently expanded the number and scope of its Cultural Heritage Month celebrations. “This is the way in which we get to demonstrate to the entire world that we are a multiethnic global city,” said Ms. Brazell, “that celebrates belonging and culture as our key strategies—to our economic vitality, to our quality of life, and really to the history of this extraordinary city.” As part of the celebration, the cover artwork for a highquality catalogue featuring works Latino Heritage Month celebrants: City Councilmembers by local artists José Huizar, Gilbert Cedillo, Monica Rodriguez, was unveiled. The honorees Jaime Jarrín, Bill Esparza, Betty Avila for Self annual catalogue, Help Graphics, Councilmember Nury Martinez. (Photo: produced by the Councilmember Huizar’s office) Department of Cultural Affairs, serves as both a living document and as an archive for future Angelenos to reference. This year’s cover artist is Victor Horcasitas.
LA CONGRESS MEMBERS GET GOOD GRADES IN THE ARTS The Americans for the Arts Action Fund has released its annual Congressional Arts Report Card. Twenty-one of 53 California members of the House of Representatives received A’s, and the Los Angeles delegation did quite well overall. House members received their grades via a scoring system based on 12 indicators of support for the arts: Membership in the Congressional Arts Caucus, Steam (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) Caucus, and/or the Humanities Caucus=4 points each. Signing any of four “dear colleague” letters to the House Appropriations Committee in support of increased funding of federal cultural agencies=5 points each. A major floor vote on arts funding=60 points. A floor vote on after school funding=4 points. A floor vote on the final tax reform bill with impact to charities=2 points. Participation in the congressional high school art competition=2 points. A special recognition for outstanding pro-arts leadership=40 bonus points. (This applies to none of the Los Angeles delegation.) The results for the broader Los Angeles area Congressional Representatives: Steve Knight (R), grade: B Julia Brownley (D), grade: A+ Judy Chu (D), grade: A Adam Schiff (D), grade: A+ Tony Cárdenas (D), grade: B Brad Sherman (D), grade: B Grace Napolitano (D), grade: B Ted Lieu (D), grade: A+ Jimmy Gomez (D), grade: B Norma Torres (D), grade: B Karen Bass (D), grade: C Linda Sánchez (D), grade: A Ed Royce (R), grade: D Lucille Royal-Allard (D), grade: B Maxine Waters (D), grade: B Nanette Barragán (D), grade: B Alan Lowenthal (D), grade: A
Rep. Adam Schiff, A+
Rep. Ted Lieu, A+
The A+ grades earned by Congress Members Brownley, Schiff, and Lieu put them among the top 46 Congress Members in terms of support for the arts.
Rep. Julia Brownley, A+
OCTOBER 2018
A MECCA OF BOLD, RETOLD
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Celebrating West Hollywood
The City of West Hollywood, from a Tongva settlement, through its glory days of rock, its rise as a gay beacon, and into the present, is the subject of “A Mecca of Bold, Retold,” a 140-foot long temporary mural by Aaron Glasson. The mural is sponsored by the City of West Hollywood Arts Division. It was commissioned in celebration of “Summer on Sunset: A Tribute to the Summer of Love,” a series of activities through which the West Hollywood Travel + Tourism Board is promoting the City. Mr. Glasson depicts a variety of figures who have been instrumental in aspects of West Hollywood’s celebrated history—among them: Moses Sherman, founder of Sherman, now known as West Hollywood; silent film actress Allah Nazimova, whose parties at her Garden of Allah mansion were risqué and legendary; writer Dorothy Parker, known for her wit, her roundtable discussions, and her championing of civil rights; Rudi Gernreich, who pushed the boundaries of fashion design while living openly as a gay man; Sunset Strip rock legends Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix; and gay rights champions Harry Hay and Morris Kight. “A Mecca of Bold, Retold” may be viewed through December. The mural is located at William S. Hart Park, 8341 LeLongre Avenue, but is best viewed from Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.
The Sunset Strip The LA Pride Parade
Dorothy Parker
Morris Kight
Rudi Gernreich
LA ART NEWS
THE FACE OF THE CITY
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New Murals
Black Light King (detail) M & M Distributors, 1953 S. Alameda Street, South Central
Pola Lopez, “Generational Continuity” York Blvd. and Avenue 50, Highland Park
Robert Vargas, Angelus Mural (in progress) By Pershing Square, Downtown
JT Burke, “In Paradisum Cantavit” (detail) Fabric Projects, 2636 S. La Cienega Blvd.
OCTOBER 2018
Ester Petschar, Saint Michael Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 4509 Mercury Avenue, El Sereno
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COUNCILMEMBER GILBERT CEDILLO’S 5th ANNUAL LATIN JAZZ & MUSIC FESTIVAL September 29 and 30 Sycamore Grove Park
At the Highland Park Independent Film Festival Booth
Councilmember Cedillo sits in with Cold Duck
Dayren Santamaria/Made in Cuba
Quetzal
Richard Montoya gets his groove on to Cold Duck
LA ART NEWS
NELAart
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On the Secon Elysian Valley, art and eateri the updated l
Northeast Los Angeles Arts Organization, Inc.
October 13, 2018 - 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
20. Toros Pottery 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd 323.344.8330 torospottery.com
2. Bike Oven 3706 No Figueroa
21. Kinship Yoga/Wonder Inc. 5612 Figueroa St.
3. Namaste Highland Park 5118 York Blvd. www.namastehighlandpark.com
22. Tierra de la Culebra 240 S. Ave 57
4. Offbeat 6316 York Blvd www.offbeatbar.com 5.Twinkle Toes 5917 N Figueroa St (818) 395-3454 6. Future Studio 5558 N Figueroa St. 323 254-4565 futurestudiogallery.com 7. Collective Arts Incubator 1200 N. Ave 54 collectiveartsincubator.com 8. The Art Form Studio 5611 N Figueroa St. Suite 2 www.theartformstudio.com 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. The Rental Girl 4760 York Blvd. http://therentalgirl.com 19. Mindfulnest 5050 York Blvd. 323.999-7969
OCTOBER 2018
23. Cactus Gallery @ Treeline Woodworks 3001 N. Coolidge Ave 24. Huron Substation 2640 Huron Street Los Angeles, CA 90065 25.Baldry Studios 401 Mt Washington Dr. 26. MAN Insurance Ave 50 Satellite 1270 N. Ave 50 323.256.3151 27. TAJ • ART 1492 Colorado Blvd. www.tajartinc.com 28. The Greyhound 570 N. Figueroa St. 29. Urchin 5006 1/2 York Blvd. 30. Arroyo Arts Collective @ Ave 50 Studio 131 North Avenue 50 arroyoartscollective.org 31. Living Room 5807 York Blvd. livingroomhome.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. Earth Altar Studio 1615 Colorado Blvd earthaltarstudio.com 38. Highland Cafe 5010 York Blvd. 323.259.1000
39. Kindness and Mischief 5537 N. Figueroa St. www.kandmcoffee.com 40. Civil Coffee 5639 N. Figueroa St. 41. Possession Vintage 5119 York Blvd. www.possessionvintage.com 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. Portico Collection 5019 York Blvd. 46. The “O” Mind Gallery 200 N. Ave 55 theomind.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 rockrosegallery.com 49. Leader of the Pack 5110 York Blvd. www.leaderofthepackvintage.com 50. Pop Secret 5119 Eagle Rock Blvd. 51. Curve Line Space 3348 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90065 52. Green Design Studios 1260 N. Ave 50 53. Checker Hall 104 N. Ave 56 checkerhall.com 54. Fahrenheit Ceramics 4102 North Figueroa St. fahrenheitceramics.com 55. Urchin 5006 1/2 York Blvd. 56. Oneg Shabbat Collaborative Gallery 5711 Monte Vista Street, 90042 (inside Temple Beth Israel)
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nd Saturday of every month galleries, businesses, and artists in Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, , and Lincoln Heights open 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
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NELAART GALLERY NIGHT SECOND SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2018
Nancy Citron, The Ride of Life Nancy Citron, Viva la Vida The Revival at Cactus Gallery
Lore Eckelberry, Rachael The Face of Color at Avenue 50 Studio
Fahrenheit Ceramics
Val Echavarria, Exploring Cultural Roads #2 Val Echavarria, Exploring Cultural Roads #1 Threads at Avenue 50 Studio
Malik Pope, Works Inspired by Downtown 81 at Urchin Vintage
SHOP ART +
FUN GIFTS IN
EAGLE ROCK
& ONLINE! 5024 EAGLE ROCK BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90041
LeannaLinsWonderland.com
MON - THUR: 12 -7PM FRI - SUN: 11AM -6PM
Introductory Classes Our introductory classes are a fun and affordable way to experiment with glass fusing techniques and are offered in Portland, Bay Area, Santa Fe, New York and Los Angeles. Learn more at classes.bullseyeglass.com
Bullseye Glass Resource Center Los Angeles 143 Pasadena Ave, Suite B, South Pasadena 323.679.4263 bullseyeglass.com/losangeles
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Mark Verillo, The Gold Standard (keys) Mark Verillo, Red Square The Gold Standard, Arroyo Arts Collective at Avenue 50 Studio Scott Froschauer, Word on the Street Signs TAJ • ART
Krista Parada (kap_90), Hijas del Sol at Mi Vida
Brandon Ruiter at Mindfulnest on York In partnership with Instituto Cultural Mexico Los Angeles, Avenue 50 Studio presents Tlatelolco ’68-Never Forget!
Holly Wood, My End is My Beginning The Revival at Cactus Gallery
LA ART NEWS
RED KURI SQUASH & PEAR SOUP
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1 small red kuri squash, roasted, seeded and cut into pieces (about 3 cups) 1 stalk of celery, chopped 1 medium carrot, chopped 1 small onion, diced 1 Asian pear, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tsp. fresh minced ginger (or 1 tsp. dried) ½ tsp. Chinese 5 spice 3 quarts vegetable broth 1 can full fat coconut milk Sea salt and pepper to taste Fresh ground nutmeg or fennel pollen for garnish 1 cup of baby arugula leaves In a medium soup pot, combine the squash, celery, carrot, onion, ginger, 5 spice, and vegetable broth. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rolling simmer, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the pear, and simmer for about 10 more minutes. Transfer the soup to a high-speed blender and blend until it is pureed into a velvety texture. Be careful not to create combustion in the blender. Start on a very low speed then increase speed gradually. You can also puree using an emersion blender. Return to the pot and add the coconut milk. Taste for salt and pepper. Warm it back up if needed, but don’t boil the soup or continue cooking it any further. Cover and let sit for about 15 minutes. Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkle of fresh ground nutmeg or fennel pollen, and sprigs of arugula. Harvey Slater is a Holistic Nutritionist, Chef & Nutrition Blogger. He practices holistic nutrition at his office in Pasadena, and offers nutrition coaching and healthy living courses on-line. You can find more healthy recipes like this one on his blog: thewholedishblog.com
LANDSCAPES AND LAND DWELLERS Diego Cardenas at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
A time-lapse video installation of more than 10,000 images of the eastside of Los Angeles, together with 60 wall-mounted photographs, make up “Landscapes and Land Dwellers: Photography of Place by Rafael Cardenas,” at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. The photos are slices of life, ranging from panoramic to detail. “It’s fascinating to me how LA is such a huge part of my identity,” says Mr. Cardenas. “I have inhaled this air for over 40 years. The city is definitely part of my process and continues to shape my photographic trajectory.” “Landscapes and Land Dwellers: Photography of Place by Rafael Cardenas” Through March 25 LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 501 North Main Street, Downtown www.lapca.org
Rafael Cardenas: La Loma
OCTOBER 2018
Rafael Cardenas: In Perpetuum
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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.
Molten Metal Works 3617 San Fernando Rd Glendale, CA 91204 moltenmetalworks.net 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 Intermediate Ceramics Pottery Class 6 class sessions $240 Check web site for start date
Toros Pottery 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041 323.344.8330
A Place to Bead 2566 Mission St San Marino, CA 91108 626.219.6633 aplace2bead.com
Blue Rooster Art Supply Company blueroosterartsupplies.com blue@blueroosterartsupplies.com 4661 Hollywood Blvd LA, CA 90027 (323) 302-5613
Find a variety of jewelry making classes, including stringing and wirework.
They offer a variety of art classes. Check their web site for more information about their classes and events. Ave 50 Studio 131 No. Avenue 50 323. 258.1435 avenue50studio.org Guitar Lessons. Salsa Lessons too! Check their web site for more information for this and other classes. Center for the Arts Eagle Rock 2225 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock, CA 90041 info@cfaer.org (323) 561-3044 www.cfaer.org Check out their web site for a wide variety of fun classes for all ages.
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. Leanna Lin’s Wonderland 5024 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041 323.550.1332 leannalinswonderland.com Check Leanna’s web site for a current list of workshops and events. Fahrenheit Ceramics 4200 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042 323.576.2052 fahrenheitceramics.com
Community Woodshop 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. Stained Glass Supplies 19 Backus Street Pasadena, CA 91107 626-219-6055 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. Los Angeles County Store 4333 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039 / 323-928-2781 Please check their web site for a listing of all of their classes and special events. Sugar Mynt Gallery 810 Meridian Ave. South Pasadena, CA 626.222.7257 sugarmynt.com Paint and Pinot Twice a month. Check their web site for more detail. Holy Grounds Coffee & tea 5371 Alhambra Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90032 323.222.8884 Check out their workshops!
Welcome to the neighborhood!
WINE OF THE MONTH Larisa Code
Note: Create joy, one sip at a time. Featured Wine: Soave Vintage: 2016 Color: Straw (white) Varieties: Garganega Price: Under $15 Country: Italy Region: Verona Hey, I fractured my big toe, feel like shit; I feel sorry for myself. But, I don’t feel sorry for you, because you can drink up this delicious Italian Soave. I was raised with Italians, surrounded by Italians; Christmas Eve was a wine fest, but predominantly red. Then, in my college years, I spent some time in Italy, and I was like, holy shit, Italian whites are amazing, full of character, and my teeth look much better after a night of white vs. red. This wine is full of peach, honeysuckle, and citrus on the nose and in your mouth. It has a long, acidic finish. I always think of Soave as a table wine, nothing special—but this one is special. The Tamellini family has been making wine for three generations. They are environmentally friendly in their wine making practice; instead of insecticides, they use the ‘sexual confusion’ practice. All wines are vinified and aged in stainless steel. Nice and nice, all of it. Pair this wine with fish, with salad, or with rice and beans. Pair it with someone you find delicious (your Romeo or your Juliet). Then pair it with make-outs and pillow talk. Listen to soft music or listen to the traffic outside (I pretend it is the waves in the ocean). A bunch of rosemary in a jar will smell good, be romantic (to me), and will look nice with the bottle. Just drink it and pair it with your happiness, because you never know when a giant piece of concrete will fall on your toe. That is a fact! I’d like to make a toast to the clouds in the sky, please visit us more often.
LA ART NEWS
CULTURAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION
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by Tomas J. Benitez
There is a museum that has been awarded 169k to “decolonize” their operation and collections. I don't know about their board leadership and staff other than the statement by the director who has said she wants to be more inclusive. Good for her. But does that mean that mainstream, meaning mostly major and mostly white institutions, are going get more money to do the right thing now? And what about places dedicated and founded in ethnic specific communities with a legacy of leadership, programming and audiences that reflect the diversity of our overall community, say like Plaza de la Raza? Can they get funding to ‘decolonize’ too? What does that mean to those groups? How does CEI impact what they do already, which is to promote inclusion, equity and access as part of their core mission? I believe Plaza, JANM, or CAAM would appreciate a nice chunk of that change. Hey they'd take half of that money, and make it go twice as far because they have become expert as doing that very thing. It reminds me of about thirty years ago, Post L.A. 1992, when all the biggies got bags of "Outreach" money, to sponsor their 'drag out the colored kid days' or some such, something they did not program nor include in their budget unless they got the extra bucks. Oh, I know I am being a bit cynical and caustic, but I was noisy about it then, and I am noisy about it now. Well, most of the majors in L. A. today are a lot more enlightened from those days, as is their leadership, although there continues to be a big gap between leadership at the board and staff and curatorial level and a true representation of diversity. So I'm not sure if I feel okay with all of this quite yet. I suppose incentivizing good practices and better citizenship, particularly with public funding, is one way to go about it. But again, what about those community cultural arts groups that have been practicing good citizenship for nearly 50 years? This cultural equity and diversity and inclusion thing comes with some trick corners. There is a new report recently out that is a follow up to an initial 1994 report about the Smithsonian Institution and Museums that was called "Willful Neglect.” It pointed out major gaps in collections, employment and recognition of Latinos in the national archive and the SI system. It set forth a series of goals and objectives for the SI to respond and develop as they endeavored to become more representative, diverse and inclusive. I am proud to have participated in that first report. But the new report, “Invisible No More”, released by UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center and the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, states that although there have been some improvements the SI remains very far behind the goals it set twenty-five years ago. The Latino Center at the SI has done great work and has outstanding people working for them, some are friends, and they have created outstanding programming. Still there is no Latino museum on the mall to accompany the brilliant African American and American Indian Museums. Perhaps they should take some Cultural Equity and Inclusion training, or do they have to be incentivized to do the right thing as well? I believe the arts is once again in leadership in developing a better and more inclusive America. In particular, and I commend the County of LA Arts Commission, which has stepped up with internal changes, and developed new programs and training to help arts organizations address greater inclusion as we endeavor to achieve Cultural Equity. Whether by design, neglect or ignorance, a lack of inclusion hurts an arts and cultural institution, and the reality is that greater diversity is a good thing. It involves fundamental change, but as we know, change, a true examination and sincere change takes time, and is hard, for any and all organizations. That cynical eye, that caustic voice is still part of me. So I leave with this final admonition: follow the money. Besides improved diversity numbers, who, what and how is equity and inclusion being supported, funded and incentivized. Follow the money. (Tomas Benitez was born and raised in front of a TV set in East L.A. His film SALSA: The Movie was produced in 1988. He has also written for Fred Roos, Starz Encore Films, CBS, and several other producers. In recent years he has written extensively about East Los Angeles including an ongoing, online saga about his home life, titled “The Gully”. Several of his stories about East L.A. and The Gully have been published by Blue Heron in an anthology of new American fiction, and he is editing two addition collections to be published in 2018. Tomas is the former Executive Director of Self Help Graphics & Art.)
SIDEWALK SALES by Carol Colin
Our sidewalk sales are turning into a kind of networking hub. At least one friend comes by every day we're out there. Today it was Rosamaria. We've made the acquaintance of so many interesting neighbors- oldtimers and newcomers. Today we met an animator, a chef, a bassoonist, a musician who casts bronze bells, an architect, a painter, a screenwriter, and a man who works at the local garage and does very convincing cat imitations. Also a 5 or 6 year old boy who told me "You have a lot of very beautiful things." Another little boy who bought two old-timey highbutton shoe hooks because he likes tools. His mother is a fashion designer, and his brother likes to paint. Not to forget Stan, who walks his dog and his bird, Seymour, and any number of neighbors on daily walks or runs who nod or say hello. I love it. We always wave to Clara, who sells tamales kitty-corner across the street from about 8 to noon, (sometimes we buy a tamale for lunch), and Delia, who runs the dairy store next to the tamale cart, and who buys things from us. She sends runners to bring her things she wants to look at, and then sends money back. People have given us snacks. They've sent family members to see us. We've met Oscar the barber down the block, and his wife Rosa. We've been befriended by Silly Willy who sells concessions at Dodger Stadium. We now know Jen and Erica who run Kitchen Mouse and Topo. It's just a question of who will we meet tomorrow, and what kind of dog will they have? (Carol Colin and Ted Waltz are Highland Park-based artists. They can be found many Saturday mornings/early afternoons outside at Monte Vista and Avenue 54.)
Madam X OCTOBER 2018
LAMBDA LIT FEST
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By Jen Hitchcock
I had a gay old time as one of the official booksellers at the LAMBDA Lit Fest launch day event (running from September 29 to October 6). This is the second year of the weeklong celebration of LGBTQ authors and literature. This year the launch day took place at the Japanese American Cultural Center in downtown Los Angeles. There were about fifteen or so vendors that included everything from LGBTQ small press publishers, to organizations such as The Feminist Library on Wheels (FLOW) and Bookswell, a comprehensive calendar of author appearances at bookstores and festivals in Los Angeles. Throughout the day there were a variety of workshops and panels that festival participants could attend. One such workshop was Taking the Tragedy Out of LGBTQ Young Adult Fiction: Writing Fun, Fluffy, Romantic Queer Teen Stories, moderated by Amy Spalding. Martine, a writer and Arts Education Facilitator attended the session and found it “playful, fun and rooted in the celebration of the love stories that inspire us to write, live out loud and lead with joy.” She was especially moved and inspired by her realization during the session that it is empowering to simply have a “meet-cute” moment celebrated for the simplicity of living. Grief and trauma of course matter, but so does play. Says Martine, “I am grateful to LAMBDA Lit Fest for making space to have conversations that respect youth-driven writers and their readers.” Other workshops and panels (to name just a few) were one focused on how to best navigate being queer in the world of TV writing, a panel that gave space for queer sex workers to tell their stories, and a workshop offering authors tips and tricks on how to give a confident and entertaining read. There was also a variety of author signings throughout the day including a two of my favorite LGBTQ writers, Myriam Gurba (Mean, Painting Their Portraits in Winter) and MariNaomi (Kiss and Tell, Dragon’s Breath, Turning Japanese). The Lit Fest continues with a full week of community programming; a plethora of LGBTQ centered literary events (Sept 29 – Oct 6) all over the city, hosted by a rainbow of different venues, everything from bookstores to bars. To name just a handful of these venues-- Book Soup, Avenue 50 Studio, WEHO Library, Beyond Baroque, June Mazer Lesbian Archives, Akbar and my own shop, Book Show. If you are not familiar with LAMBDA or the Lit Fest that takes place in our good city, I recommend signing up for their mailing list and following them on their social media. Events highlighting and celebrating LGBTQ literature and supporting the writers who create it is especially important now, when the president of our country is pushing hard to not just keep us in the margins, but to eradicate our voices completely. All the info you need is here: lambdalitfest.org and lambdaliterary.org
BOOK SHOW EVENTS Tuesday, October 2nd 7pm-9:30pm COLLAGE & CRY Collage art night Five dollar donation Friday, October 5th Yes Femmes Lambda Event Featuring: MariNaomi, Joshua Jennifer Espinoza, Chris Belcher Daviel Shy, Katherine Agard, Stephen van Dyck Saturday, October 13th 7pm-9pm Made in LA Anthology Reading Tuesday October 16th 7pm sign up Comedy Open Mic Hosted by Sumukh Torgalkar Wednesday October 17th 7pm doors Historia Storytelling Night “Fight or Flight” Five dollar suggested donation Thursday October 18th 7pm to 9pm Postcard Embroidery Workshop Taught by Elly Dallas All welcome, no experience necessary. Five dollars Tuesday October 23rd 7pm sign up Comedy Open Mic Hosted by Sumukh Torgalkar Wednesday October 24th 7pm -9pm Asking for Elephants: Stories of Bicycling Across India Mary Ann Thomas’s LA book tour stop!
Drawing by Highland Park artist Stuart Rapeport
Thursday October 25th 8pm Laughterhouse 5 Stand up comedy show Friday October 26th 8pm Friday Night Poetry: They’re Just Words Hosted by Ingrid Calderone Poetry open mic & featured poets
LA ART NEWS
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ART HAPPENINGS AROUND LOS ANGELES PRESENTED BY SHOEBOX PR UPCOMING OPENING: October 4th Calafia: Manifesting the Terrestrial Paradise Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art 5500 University Pkwy, San Bernardino, 92407 Opening October 4th 5-8pm Connection Art Exhibition; Laura Letchinger & Piece by Piece Castelli Art Space 5428 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, 90016 Opening October 4th 6-9pm William Turtle: An Undiscovered Legacy The Loft Art Studios and Galleries 401 S Mesa St, San Pedro, 90731 October 4th 6-9pm “Women Photograph the World” - Female Photographers The Ebell of Los Angeles 743 S Lucerne Blvd, Los Angeles, 90005 Opening October 4th 530-8pm October 5th Fabrik Expo Art Fair The REEF L.A. 1933 S Broadway, Los Angeles, 90007 October 5-7 Hwy 62 Open Studio Tour Collective Show Reception Gallery 62 61607 Twentynine Palms Hwy, Suite H, Joshua Tree, 92252 October 5th 5-8pm
Opening October 6th 6-10pm Milieu featuring Erin Harmon and Devon Tsuno LAUNCH LA 170 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, 90036 Opening October 6th 6-9pm Nature Worship Exhibit Reception Mash Gallery 1325 Palmetto St., Los Angeles, 90013 Opening October 6th 6-9pm Open Show Los Angeles #48: Photo Independent The REEF L.A. 1933 S Broadway, Los Angeles, 90007 October 6th 1-3pm Opening Reception Craft and Folk Art Museum 5814 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, 90036 Opening October 6th 6-9pm Soo Kim, Homesick for a Better World Renée Lotenero, Sprawl DENK Gallery 749 E Temple Street, Los Angeles, 90012 Opening October 6th 6-8pm Tony Pinto and Kristine Schomaker Talk Artists and Community The Art Institute of California - Orange County (Santa Ana, CA) 3601 W Sunflower Ave, Santa Ana, 92704 October 6th 10am-1pm Un-Identified Objects Opening Reception Orange County Center for Contemporary Art 117 N Sycamore St, Santa Ana, 92701 Opening October 6th 6-11pm
Photo Independent Art Fair The REEF L.A. 1933 S Broadway, Los Angeles, 90007 October 5-7
What we do in the Shadows FOLD Gallery 453 S Spring St, # M7, Los Angeles, 90013 Opening October 6th 7-10pm
Skulpturengarten The REEF L.A. 1933 S Broadway, Los Angeles, 90007 October 5th to October 7th
October 7th
October 6th The Art of The Dreamkeepers Tarot Liz Huston 453 S. Spring Street, #M5, Los Angeles, California 90013 October 6th 6-10pm https://www.facebook.com/events/447703819051481/ Artist Talk - “Insect Mammal” Coagula Curatorial 974 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, 90012 October 6th 3-5pm Craft and Folk Art Museum, Opening Reception Craft and Folk Art Museum 5814 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, 90036 Opening October 6th 6-9pm Empire of Dirt | Opening Reception H Gallery + Studios 1793 E Main St, Ventura, 93001 Opening October 6th 6-8pm FIELD NOTES TAG Gallery 5458 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 Opening October 6th 5-8pm Functionless Forms Studio C 260 W. Bonita Ave, Claremont, 91711 Opening October 6th 6-9pm I Pity da Poe Exhibition The Hive Gallery and Studios 729 S Spring St, Los Angeles, 90014 Opening October 6th 8-11pm I See You - a video by Dee Weingarden LACDA Los Angeles Center for Digital Art 104 E 4th St, Los Angeles, 90013 October 6th 6-9pm In Conversation - Chelle Barbour with M.G. Lord Band of Vices 5376 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90016 October 6th 4-6pm Johnny Otto’s Water & Spirit Art Show Radiant Space 1444 N Sierra Bonita Ave, Los Angeles, 90046 Opening October 6th 7-10pm Metamorphose Fourth Element Gallery 210 N. Broadway Avenue, Santa Ana, 92701
OCTOBER 2018
Ann Phong and Cao Ba Minh Tandem-Solo Exhibit Reception! LA Artcore 120 Judge John Aiso St Ste A, Los Angeles, 90012 Opening October 7th 1-3pm Lauren Mendelsohn-Bass | Sugar Coated, Artist Talk Shoebox Projects 660 South Avenue 21 #3, Los Angeles, 90031 October 7th 2-6pm
Coastline Community College Art Gallery 1515 Monrovia Ave, Newport Beach, 92663 Opening October 12th 6-8pm October 13th 50/50, Fifty/Fifty: The Creative Magic of Collaboration The Progress Gallery 300 S. Thomas St., Pomona, 91766 October 13th 6-9pm Brewery Artwalk and Open Studios - Fall 2018 Brewery Artwalk 2100 N Main St, Los Angeles, 90031 October 13th and 14th 11-6pm “But we can’t say what we’ve seen” Tiger Strikes Asteroid Los Angeles 1206 Maple Avenue Ste 523, Los Angeles, 90015 Opening October 13th 7-10pm Far Out: Movement through Form and Color | Exhibition Art Tour Union Station Los Angeles 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, 90012 October 13th 10-11am Field of Vision - Opening Reception Monte Vista 1206 Maple Avenue, 5th floor, #523, Los Angeles, 90015 Opening October 13th 7-10pm Gay Summer Rick: Skyways and Highways BG Gallery, Santa Monica 3009 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, 90405 Opening October 13th 6-9pm Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours // 17th Annual Hosted by Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours October 13th 14th 20th and 21st Indoor and Out Cactus Gallery 3001 N Coolidge Ave, Los Angeles, 90039 Opening October 13th 6-9pm John Waiblinger | The Beauty of Men LACDA Los Angeles Center for Digital Art 104 E 4th St, Los Angeles, 90013 Opening October 13th 6-9pm Pasadena ARTWalk 2018 600 E Green St, Pasadena, 91101-2020 October 13th 11-6pm
October 11th
Protest - Opening Reception Art Share-LA 801 E 4th Pl, Los Angeles, 90013 Opening October 13th 7-10pm
Opening Reception: Perfectly Impossible Castelli Art Space 5428 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, 90016 October 11th 6-10pm
Robbie Conal: The Cabinet of Horrors Track 16 1206 Maple Ave, #1005, Los Angeles, 90015 Opening October 13th 7-10pm
Reception and Artist talk for “Four Artists/In Paint” The Art Gallery at GCC 1500 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, 91208 Opening October 11th 5-8pm
Specter of Documentation Durden and Ray 1206 Maple Ave #832 LA 90015 Opening October 13th 7-10pm
October 12th
October 18th
Art Extravaganza Coastline Community College Art Gallery 1515 Monrovia Ave, Newport Beach, 92663 Opening October 12th 515-8pm
Peter Ivancovich | Natural/Wonder, Artist Talk Fabrik Projects 2636 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, 90034 October 18th 730-930pm
Atlas Portal: Poyen Wang + Kio Griffith Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles 1137 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, 90024 Opening October 12th 6-9pm
October 20th
Indigenous Resistance: Maya Intellectuals and Cultural Survival Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions 6522 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, 90028 Opening October 12th 7-9pm Matthew Lax: “Brunt Drama” Los Angeles Contemporary Archive 709 N Hill Street Suite 104-8 (upstairs), Los Angeles, 90012 Opening October 12th 6-10pm Route, Rut, Lane: A Karkhana Collaboration at Shoebox Projects Shoebox Projects 660 South Avenue 21 #3, Los Angeles, 90031 Opening October 12th 7-9pm Spatial Reality | curated by Jesse Damiani Space Gallery at Ayzenberg 39 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, 91103 October 12th 7-10pm Tony Pinto | Modern History
9+Visions and Open Studios at the Artists CoOp 1330 Gladys Ave, Long Beach, 90804-2436 October 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th noon to 5pm Peter Ivancovich | Natural/Wonder, Solo Exhibition Reception Fabrik Projects 2636 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, 90034 October 20th 6-10pm
THE ART OF THE SENTENCE
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by Margaret Rozga
I love Sunday morning. Yes, I get to sleep in if I so choose. Yes, I have time to make banana chocolate chip pancakes if I’ve a taste for them. But as a writer I have something even better on my plate. #SundaySentence. That’s a Twitter hash tag for a delicious writer-enhancing project started by novelist David Abrams. The directions are simple. Post the best sentence you’ve read during the past week. Erika Dreyfus participates, and I first learned of this practice when I started to follow her blog, Practicing Writing. She posts a sentence each week naming the author, but otherwise serving up the sentence “out of context and without comment.” So that is what I do. I’m usually unable to say more. The sentences I choose tend to be long, to push to the limit of the 280 characters Twitter permits. In fact, I sometimes do not post what was really my favorite sentence of the week because it’s too long. Rebecca Solnit wins this prize for a long and therefore un-tweet-able #SundaySentence in her essay, “Why the President Must be Impeached.” Most sentences in this essay are long, but the one I loved ran to 161 words, and that’s only counting the words after the semi-colon. I also wanted to, but could not, tweet a long Paul Krugman sentence that tucked bits of helpful background information in after the subject and ended with four climactic phrases: “In both countries the ruling parties — Law and Justice in Poland, Fidesz in Hungary — have established regimes that maintain the forms of popular elections, but have destroyed the independence of the judiciary, suppressed freedom of the press, institutionalized large-scale corruption and effectively delegitimized dissent.” Parallelism often works to great effect. Among the first things I learned about my syntactic tastes is that I’m a great admirer of skillfully handled sentence complexity. I also admire the short crisp sentence used for emphasis in a context of longer ones, but the short crisp sentence out of that context loses much of its zest. Once I couldn’t resist tweeting this series of short sentences from Richard Price: “You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road.” I had enough characters left to include in that tweet a short apology for playing loose with the rules, but David Abrams himself told me I need not apologize for doing so. I appreciated his reassurance. The one word “No” set off as a sentence gives me a buzz. Generally, however, I’m won over by and choose a single grammatical sentence. Frequently I choose a sentence that begins with an introductory subordinate clause. The main clause then picks up steam and emphasis. This Christian Kneeler example, after a particularly long introductory subordinate clause, actually concludes with this syntactically arranged heightened significance on the words “heightened significance.” He writes, “Since the forces of climate change we face today continue to accelerate exponentially the rate of wildlife extirpation and species extinction, the alarm sounded by writers over the last century and a half takes on a heightened significance.” Being on the alert for #SundaySentence possibilities has, I think, made me a better, more attentive reader. It’s not that I didn’t previously appreciate a writer’s ability to convey a precise tone and nuanced meaning by the use of exact and unexpected choice of word, phrase, simile, or synecdoche. Take, for example, the impact of the unexpected phrase at the end of London-based Somali poet Warsan Shire’s sentence: “no one leaves home unless/ home is the mouth of a shark.” Drinking in all this sentence says about immigrants risking their lives, I want to find more of Warson Shire’s work. I want to spread the word. I’m eager for Sunday and a chance to do so. I want to feel that deeply and write that well. I appreciate even more the art and work of writing. Paying the focused attention helps my writing. In revision, I look critically at the many compound sentences I usually write. Thinking of the complex sentences with introductory or mid-sentence subordinate clauses I admire, I see where I can make changes to achieve the same effect. Same goes for predictable adjective-noun combinations that await the infusion of a little sugar, spice, vinegar or hot pepper. How much does content I agree with influence my appreciation of style? I’ll confess that something upbeat has for me an advantage. Carmen Giménez Smith served up something to my taste when she wrote, “if I had a time machine, I would go back to the twenty-five-year-old me and say it’s all good, you’re amazing and you always will be.” I’m unlikely to find beautiful and want to amplify through a tweet a sentence that asserts an idea I find wrong-headed. A writer’s thinking has to win me over, and part of bringing me around lies in how the thinking is measured and presented. Content and style work together, if not as the flour and milk, then as the banana and chocolate chips, of the writing I applaud. To tweet or not to tweet is actually not the main question. How to become a more insightful reader and writer is. Poet and essayist Mary Oliver wrote in Upstream sentences I very much admire. I could take up the freedom David Abrams offers with his flexible rules and tweet them as a #SundaySentence. Maybe I soon will. In the meantime they fit here. “I didn’t think of language as the means of self-description. I thought of it as the door—a thousand opening doors!—past myself. I thought of it as the means to notice, to contemplate, to praise, and, thus, to come into power.” That’s the endgame. Margaret Rozga is currently working on a series of poems inspired by the work of Joan Miró and other Catalan artists. Three of these poems appeared recently in Leaping Clear. http://www.leapingclear.org/blog/
DAMES “DAMES: A Visual Tribute To The Women Who Inspire Us,” curated by Squared Co, continues at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland in Eagle Rock through November 4. Pictured: Joey Chou, Morticia & Wednesday.
LA ART NEWS
“THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED APPLICANT”
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From the files of READ Books, December 29th, 2011. A job interview for the post of “Official Bookstore Dog” with one Florence; A Dog. Transcribed by BARLOW; A Bearded Lizard (FLORENCE, a fetching Australian Shepherd mix, lolls belly down on the couch at the front of the store. A cultivated canine, educated at the best pounds & obedience schools, Flo has been nominated for this position by our highest-ranking Village Idiot. The hiring committee consists of three bipeds. Two of Florence’s inquisitors, seated on adjacent red chairs, are male bipeds— the first being a slim, antebellum GENTLEMAN who behaves as if he’s in charge here; the second an earnest YOUNG MAN/dog lover—and the third is a professional WOMAN seated on a blue chair to the Gentleman’s left.) GENTLEMAN: Hi Florence! We’re told by the Village Idiot that you are the greatest dog ever. True? FLORENCE: Well I am loyal. And he is the Village Idiot. Uhhh… TRUE! YOUNG MAN: Who’s a good dog? You’re a good dog. Yes you are! GENTLEMAN: Heavens to Betsy, you’re the perfect mutt for the job. Let’s vote now so we can… WOMAN: I’d like to make sure the nominee understands what being the Bookstore Dog entails. It includes, but is hardly limited to, the duty of meeting & greeting all bookstore denizens. The bookstore Dog must possess exemplary temperament: calm, impartial, dispassionate. In short, a doggie role model. FLORENCE: (Scratching herself ) Well, sounds like I’m your bitch. I’m fair, smart, and calm. True! WOMAN: Good dog. So, in addition to our biped clientele, Florence, READ Books is frequented by many quadrupeds: dogs, cats, lizards (nods at transcriber), as well as the occasional sextuped. When disputes arise between them, we expect you, as animal adjudicator, to behave in a judicious, unbiased manner. YOUNG MAN: (Scratching the dog’s belly) Are you a good dog? Who’s the good adjudicator? FLORENCE: (Licking Young Man’s hand) I am! Me, man! I’m the ab-whatchuhmucallit! True! (At this point, LLOYD, a mailman, enters READ Books and hands a letter to Woman. After perusing the front of the envelope, she opens it and begins to read. Lloyd, as usual, rushes off wordlessly. As her eyes scan the text, a fretful expression forms on Woman’s face. Clearing his throat, Gentleman forges on.) GENTLEMAN: So I reckon the Village Idiot is right again. This dog’s surely the best, bless her heart! WOMAN: We might want to read this letter from Primo the Cat, a graduate of Florence’s obedience school. It alleges that Florence attempted to hump a cat against its will, and forcefully sniffed the butts of other vulnerable pets. Allegedly while under the influence of Milk-Bones. This is rather disturb… FLORENCE: I like Milk-bones! True! GENTLEMAN: As do all decent American dogs, I do declare! This here dog is guilty of loving America! WOMAN: But have you ever humped a cat, or sniffed a critter’s buttock, without consent? FLORENCE: (Standing on all four legs atop the couch, howling) I don’t know! Have you? I eat Milk-bones! What do you eat? This is a $&*@ing bitch hunt! Lady, I’ll bite your face and pee on your best carpet! And guess what? I like Milk-bones! True! Mmm mmm good! WOMAN: Perhaps then you’d like the opportunity to clear your name, little doggie? FLORENCE: (Rolling onto back, feet in air) Damn straight. I’m a good dog. Best in class. WOMEN: Then I move that the committee take a week to investigate these allegations… FLORENCE: (Back on all fours, whimpering) Lady, it’s like this. The bastards at Purina Cat Chow & Battery Books have formed a cabal to prevent me from attaining the power that I’ve busted my butt to attain every since I was a young pup swallowing Milk-bones whole and— sweet Lassie I’d kill a cat for one of them Milk-bones right about now—and if you keep on accusing me of butt-sniffing & cat humping, I will make it my life’s work to bury every cat that ever wonders into this bookstore after you rightfully hire me to be your Bookstore Dog, since I have proven indubitably that I respect cats and would be fair to every one of the purring little shits. Now where’s that Milk-bone? God! I love Milk-Bones! True! (At this point, Youth, now flinching, has returned to his seat, which he slowly scoots back a few feet. Noting his colleague’s apprehension, Gentleman springs to his feet waving his handkerchief.) GENTLEMAN: Well I do declare, I have a question! I am madder than a wet hen a-listenin’ to these accusations that don’t amount to a hill of beans! (Wipes brow with handkerchief ). Florence, if you are half as agitated as I am, then I am surely twice as agitated as you! (Florence scratches herself ). It’s a fact! These Purina Cat Chow people are a-fixin’ to frame you! They’re afraid you’re getting’ too big for your britches! And y’all thought they could sink no lower than when they booted good ol’ Checkers out of the White House, but this, my best friend, is the lowest yet! Any biped who even dreams of voting against Florence here best wake up and quit the human race; no better than an alley cat in a minnow fishing pond. I do declare! (The Gentleman faints, collapsing daintily upon the bookstore floor.) WOMAN: (Staring at supine Gentleman). I’m not sure if that counts as evidence. Or even a question. FLORENCE: I got evidence! True! My calendar! (Calendar in teeth, Florence trots over to the Woman and drops it at her feet. She picks it up.) WOMAN: This is a 1977 calendar entitled: “Hot Disco Cats…” (perusing calendar) with pictures of hot cats in disco poses. And there’s absolutely nothing written by you inside. FLORENCE: I have no thumbs! (Woman shakes calendar and a lot of Milk-bone bits & crumbs fall out.) I liked Milk-bones and disco! A lot of dogs did! I still like Milk-bones! Hire me! (Florence pees on her leg.) (The Woman looks from her pee-stained leg to her colleague, Youth. Youth shrugs.) YOUTH: Gosh. This is a tough one. On one paw there’s the alleged humping, angry barking, and peeing on your leg. Yet the dog’s testimony was strangely compelling, what with the calendar and the Milk-bones. Such passion, right? (Woman stares askance at him). Okay. So maybe we should have that investigation? IN NEXT MONTH’S LA ART NEWS: Will Florence get the job she has been groomed for? Or will the machinations of bitter commie cats thwart her ambitions? Stay tuned!
OCTOBER 2018
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FROGTOWN ARTWALK The 11th Biennial Art Festival Along the Los Angeles River September 22
On Clearwater Street
Matthew Rosenquist plan:d Gallery
Michael Todd’s studio
Mimi Phan, NhĂ A house, a home, a family Installation homage to the millions of Vietnamese who died trying to flee for a better life, and those that were left behind
Olga Ponomarenko at Cactus Gallery
Lane Barden, Confluence (Arroyo Seco) Lane Barden, Confluence #2 Fry Architects
LA ART NEWS
THE NOTION OF FAMILY
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CALIFORNIA AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM “The Notion of Family” at the California African American Museum (CAAM) provides a rare opportunity to see major works by several of the greatest of African American Artists in an intimate setting. Included here are Faith Ringold’s “The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles” (1997) and Jacob Lawrence’s “The Birth of Toussaint” (1986). Prints by Romare Bearden and John Biggers are included, as are photographs by Carrie Mae Weems and James Van Der Zee. The works, which span the 18th-21 centuries, collectively demonstrate the power of family and community despite, or even because of, generations of slavery and the violent ripping apart of the family unit. There is great power to be found here. Yet the imagery in accessible and inviting. Collectively, the artists of “The Notion of Family” demonstrate that, while there is no valid stereotype as to what constitutes African American Art, in a museum world still dominated by the white, Euro-centric experience, there are many, many African Americans who rank among the greats of American art. For both its theme and its artistry, this is an exhibit not to be missed. The Notion of Family Curated by Vida L. Brown Through March 3 California African American Museum Exposition Park www.caammuseum.org
Romare Bearden Quilting Time, 1981 Lithograph Collection of Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum California African American Museum Foundation Purchase
Faith Ringgold The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles, 1997 Serigraph ink on paper Collection of the California African American Museum Gift of Impressions Limited Atelier
John Biggers The Upper Room, 1983 Lithograph Collection of Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum California African American Museum Foundation Purchase
Carrie Mae Weems Untitled (mother and daughter), 1990 Gelatin silver print 1/5 Collection of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
OCTOBER 2018
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LA ART NEWS
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