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. 4
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JULY 2018
Things happened here that matter to us… —Leonard Maltin
HOLLYWOODLAND, TELEVISION CITY, AND THE STREETS OF HOLLYWOOD PRESERVING THE PAST IN A CHANGING LANDSCAPE The neighborhood of Hollywood today is hardly recognizable as the scene of early filmmaking. There was a time when the agricultural roots of the community showed up in the form of crates of lemons in the background of some movies and when the famous Hollywood sign actually read Hollywoodland and announced a somewhat fanciful real estate development for studio people. Today, the population is far and away more diverse. Homelessness and development are major issues. And the search for the tourist dollar can get cheesy as people in celebrity costumes hustle for tips. Yet tourists and locals still turn to Hollywood for traces of the glamour, artistry, and humor which served as the foundations on which Hollywood was built. And so it was that in 1988, a plaque was laid in front of the building where the legendary deadpan comedian Buster Keaton was thought to have filmed his greatest movies. Thirty years later, there are a couple of problems with the plaque; it’s wearing out and becoming hard to read—and it’s in front of the wrong building. But on June 16, a new plaque was dedicated where the correct building used to be. The plaque was advocated and fundraised for by The International The iconic Hollywood Sign Buster Keaton Society. Placed in the sidewalk, it features a large image of Mr. Keaton and his entourage facing away from the camera and looking at the “Buster Keaton Studios.” Next to a silhouette of the actor are the words: “1920-1928 At this site stood the studio where Buster Keaton and his extraordinary team produced 10 feature-length and 19 short films that bring inspiration to filmmakers of every generation and laughter to audiences around the world.” The plaques continues with some additional information not included on the original poorly-placed plaque: CBS Television Studio
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NATHAN GLUCK AND DENNIS KOCH AT LUIS DE JESUS LOS ANGELES A pair of exhibits at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles demonstrates two distinctly different approaches to the manipulation of paper in the service of cultural commentary. “SOMETHING ELSE: The Collages of Nathan Gluck” celebrates the centennial of the late artist’s birth. Mr. Gluck is primarily recognized as Andy Warhol’s early commercial art assistant. But the show at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles presents an overdue retrospective of Mr. Gluck’s own work. Eighty works in the show range from the 1930s through 2008 and demonstrate not only Mr. Gluck’s own versatility and skill with collage, but also the wide-ranging possibilities of the art form in general. Works on display include photogram, steel engraving, gouache, watercolor, rubber stamps, and marbleized paper and exhibit stylistic influences of the decades in which they were created, such as cubism, surrealism, modernism, pop, word/text, and postmodernism. Subject matter reflects interest in all manner of arts—literary, musical, theatrical, and culinary, coupled with both literal and fanciful travel. While Nathan Gluck’s work demonstrates the artistry of collage, the art of Dennis Koch might be seen as the opposite. Mr. Gluck assembled. Mr. Koch excavates. “DENNIS KOCH: Beyond the Funny Farm! Crypto-K, Cutouts, Cut-ups, Copies, Mirrors, Membranes, and Temporal Algorithms” is the artist’s third show with Luis De Jesus Los Angeles. An installation of wooden newsstands features 100 vintage copies of LIFE Magazine, each carved, page-by-page, to reveal the contents. The results combine a whimsy reminiscent of Mr. Gluck’s artistry with a social profile reflecting a turbulent period in American culture. LIFE was the first all-photographic American News Magazine, perhaps presaging the current era of Instagram and Snapchat. Mr. Koch’s works combine celebrity images with dinners to be eaten in front of the TV and massproduced wristwatches. They also convey a period in which innocence was lost, President Kennedy’s Nathan Gluck Towards a new horizon, 12-8-1941 Gouache and collage on paper 5.25 x 7.25 in (13.3 x 18.4 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
Dennis Koch LIFE Cutout No. 036 (July 15, 1966, Watts Clocks), 2018 Cutouts Hand-cut magazine 10.5 x 13.75 in (26.7 x 34.9 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
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JULY 2018
3 “1916-1917 Under its original name of The Lone Star, this studio was used by Charlie Chaplin, who here produced 12 of his finest short films.” The names of the Keaton and Chaplin films rim the plaque. The dedication ceremony concluded with International Buster Keaton Society representative Alek Lev inviting everybody back in 30 years, when any mistakes made this year will be corrected. The plaque may be found at 1021 Lillian Way, near Eleanor Avenue. When the film industry began to migrate from the east to California, it not only became an economic backbone for the State, it became its image. Efforts to make Hollywood itself into a brand began almost immediately. Starting in 1923, a real estate syndicate began to develop a hillside canyon into Hollywoodland, famous for its giant sign, which now reads Hollywood and is famous the world over. Hollywoodland was a luxurious development with residential architecture inspired by that of France, Spain, and Italy. Taking advantage of the rise of the automobile, the area became a residential retreat, but one with easy The plaque now marking the accurate site where Buster access to the movie studios Keaton filmed his most noted comedies below. The name of the development became synonymous with the movie industry itself. One of the first residents of Hollywoodland was Benjamin Carré, an artist who created the look of great movies over a course of decades. The house that Mr. Carré designed for himself and his family on Woodshire Drive in 1926 and lived in for three years until his marriage ended was declared a City of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in June. Born in 1883 in Paris, Mr. Carré at a very young age was already engaged in scenic design for the Paris Opera. In 1906, he became a set designer in film, and in 1912, he came to the United States to make his way in the fledgling film industry here. He worked on the first sound picture, “Don Juan,” and the first talkie, “The Jazz Singer,” while living on Woodshire. He went on to create some of the most iconic images in cinema—the subterranean chambers and backstage setting of “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925), the Emerald City from Actor David Arquette, representing the Hollywood community “The Wizard of Oz,” (1939), and as influenced by Buster Keaton the home of the Smith Family of “Meet Me in Saint Louis” (1944). “There is no question that his work in films elevated that profession from merely a business to an art form,” said Mitzi March Mogul, a preservation consultant who prepared the application for monument status on behalf of the house’s current owners. Mr. Carré was a founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one of only two art directors among the original membership of 100. He was also known as a watercolorist, creating images of Los Angeles cityscapes. He passed away in 1978 at the age of 94. Another Historic Cultural Monument, adopted by the City Council the same day as the Carré house, looks at the preservation of Hollywood from a different angle. CBS Television City, on Beverly Boulevard in the Fairfax area, was built in 1952, when television was still very young. It was the first major studio built specifically for television. “What we have here is a factory, a complete factory for a brand new medium,” historian Alan Hess said at a hearing by the City’s Cultural Heritage Commission. “At the time television production was spread all over town,” said Mr. Hess. “The sets were built in one place. Rehearsal halls were in another. The studios where the cameras were were in yet another. A great deal of inefficiency. What William Paley, the head of CBS wanted to do was to create an entirely new factory for
The Benjamin Carré house continued on page 4
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producing television programs and going forward. And I think it speaks well to the design and architects that the building is still in use for its original use in 2018...It had four studios for a variety of types of programs— variety shows, serious theatrical productions by major playwrights, game shows, sitcoms, soap operas and other entertainment types were all produced in this one building.” The list of celebrities who have performed in the four studios of the Television City complex goes on and on. In preparing the application for monument status, Mr. Hess chose to call out several specific events, “which have a broader impact on United States cultural and political history.” This is where Elvis Presley’s first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” was broadcast. It is where the Smothers Brothers turned a 1960s variety show into a forum for dissent against the Viet Nam war, which got them kicked off the air. It is where Jack Benny, Red Skelton, and Carol Burnett’s shows became enormously popular, and where “All in the Family” broke ground by addressing social and political issues. The original buildings of the Television City complex were designed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman who were extremely important in shaping the architectural look of Los Angeles at that point in time. Supervising architect was another noted name, Gin Wong. They designed the buildings as simple, functional, and adaptable. There were, however, some touches of exuberance added, including a modern concept of an office/fabrication building as a glass cube glowing from within at night, and an iconic entry canopy with a distinctly Los Angeles look, where studio audiences were welcomed. “What makes it distinctive,” Mr. Hess said of Television City, “is that it has taken the industrial, functional elements of a factory and raised them into high art design.” City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell presents a The application for monument status was put forth by the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit preservation certificate declaring June 16 “Buster Keaton Day in the organization. The effort was initiated in response to news that a sale by CBS was under consideration and in an City of Los Angeles to Alek Lev of The International effort to be proactive. However, there is no project in the works at this point. Buster Keaton Society One key point of discussion in the nomination process has been the concept of a view corridor. Anyone who lived in Los Angeles in the 1950s and 60s will remember the complex as in a relationship to the community. The buildings could be readily seen from the Beverly or Fairfax. There were stories of celebrities wandering across the street to the Farmers Market for lunch. Seeing Television City was exciting, and its structures were an indication of Los Angeles’ status in the world of entertainment. Today, except for a limited opening on Beverly Boulevard, the complex is largely surrounded by fencing, hedges, and solar panels. Certainly, the security needs of 2018 are viewed differently from those of 1952. However, the result is that iconic intent of the facility is somewhat diminished. The Conservancy and CBS have reached an agreement whereby the original buildings on the property are protected and any future development, should there be any, will allow for a view corridor of 430 feet along Beverly Boulevard. In the process of preparing the application for monument status, the Los Angeles Conservancy and CBS forged a relationship of mutual understanding, respecting the value of a historic landmark and the need for flexibility in an entertainment medium, the technical needs of which are by no means the same in 2018 as they were in 1952. The designation of CBS Television City as a Historic Cultural Monument, “shows that development in Los Angeles doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu, who represents the Fairfax area, at the Council’s vote on the matter. “Today we can preserve a piece of L.A. history and protect our local economy at the same time. Can reverence for the golden days of Hollywood coexist with the changing demographics and urban pressures of the present? Film Critic Leonard Malltin and City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, who represents Hollywood, both say that it can. ‘You are true believers,” said Mr. Maltin at the Buster Keaton plaque dedication. “And we all share the same love and passion and belief and faith in cinema, if you want to get highfalootin’ about it, movies, if you want to speak more plainly…This is kind of hallowed ground…Things happened here that matter to us. And it’s astonishing to realize that some of those things happened over a hundred years ago.” In declaring June 16, 2018 “Buster Keaton Day in the City of Los Angeles,” Councilmember O’Farrell pointed to the continuing and returning studio-related businesses in Hollywood and to the presence of live theater as a continuation of tradition. There are many more hints of old Hollywood waiting in the wings to return to the spotlight. Film historian John Bengtson pointed out at the Keaton plaque dedication that there is an alley off of Cahuenga where Charlie Chaplin filmed “The Kid,” where Buster Keaton filmed “Cops,” and where Harold Lloyd filmed “Safety Last.” “So at this one alley,” said Mr. Bengston, “the three great kings of silent comedy each filmed an iconic masterpiece. Each movie has been inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. And you can still visit this alley today. So perhaps with your support, this alley will someday be recognized as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument.” To which Councilmember O’Farrell expressed an interest in making that happen. continued from page 1 Camelot had recently been killed, and uncertainty was a way of life. While Mr. Koch’s artistic process is painstaking, his results have a simple, direct quality about them, summed up in the short title of the magazine, LIFE. SOMETHING ELSE: The Collages of Nathan Gluck Through July 27 DENNIS KOCH: Beyond the Funny Farm! Crypto-K, Cutouts, Cut-ups, Copies, Mirrors, Membranes, and Temporal Algorithms Through July 28 Luis De Jesus Los Angeles 2685 South La Cienega Boulevard www.luisdejesus.com
Dennis Koch LIFE Cutout No. 119 (December 14, 1963, LIFE B/W JFK), 2018 Cutouts Hand-cut magazine 10.5 x 13.8 in (26.7 x 34.9 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles Nathan Gluck Reflections, 1-18-1999 Collage on board 9 x 12 in (22.9 x 30.5 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
JULY 2018
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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, Florence the dog, Harvey Slater, Kristine Schomaker, Madame X, Larisa Code, 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. How to reach us LA Art News 5668 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 323-387-9705
IT’S GETTING HOT OUT THERE. VOTE! We want to get the vote out. We need to get the vote out. And we want all of you to help. LA Art News is starting a poster contest to get out the vote. November 2018 will be the most important election of our lives. As 45 goes raping and pillaging the country with the full support of the Republican party, the rest of us need to get those that didn’t vote in the last election to the polls. Since Justice Kennedy is retiring, and we should question the circumstances surrounding that, voting Democrats into the Senate and the House is of the utmost importance. The Supreme Court has been hi-jacked by the Republican Party and that is unacceptable. Vote. Make a poster. Make two. If you can’t make one, get one from us. Post them. Talk to people. Find those that didn’t vote and get them engaged. It’s all of our civic duty to vote and we should not take tht for granted. Anyone paying attention? VOTE!! Thanks, Cathi Milligan Publisher, LA Art News
Contributions cathi@laartnews.com Calendar information margaretnelaart@gmail.com Sales - cathi@laartnews.com sign up for our newsletter at laartnews.com Where’s Monica? South La Brea Avenue
THE 13TH ANNUAL LUMMIS DAYS FESTIVAL The festival of Northeast Los Angeles A celebration of music, dance, poetry, art, theater, film June 1-3, 2018
Congressman Jimmy Gomez
Mariachi Voz de America
Luxora
more Lummis Day photos on page 23
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JULY 2018
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LA ART NEWS
GOVERNMENT NOTES
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ETHNIC STUDIES BILL ADVANCES AB 2772, which will make ethnic studies a graduation requirement in California schools, passed the Senate Education Committee with a 5-0 vote in late June. The measure is authored by Assemblymember Jose Medina of Riverside. Supported by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, and a coalition of educators and students across the state, AB 2772 would require high school students to take a semester of ethnic studies in order to graduate, beginning in the 2023-24 school year. The ethnic studies curriculum that will be implemented is currently being developed by the Instructional Quality Commission of the State Board of Education. “Ethnic studies courses engage students and help build culturally competent citizens,” said Assemblymember Jose Medina. “Requiring ethnic studies helps ensure that all students learn about the diverse histories of the people that make up America. I’m grateful that my colleagues on the Senate Education Committee recognize the need for ethnic studies in our schools and thankful for their support.” AB 2772 will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee. $9.7 MILLION IN STATE BUDGET FOR “THE CHEECH” The 2018-19 state budget, signed by the Governor in late June, allocates $9.7 million to support the development of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and Industry of the Riverside Art Museum, also known as “The Cheech.” The Cheech will reside in the City of Riverside and be a permanent home for Cheech Marin’s collection of Chicano art, including paintings, sculptures, and photography, the most prominent collection of its kind in the U.S. “I am thrilled that funding for the Cheech has been approved in the budget and grateful that the Governor and State Legislature recognize the importance of this Museum to Riverside and the entire region,” said Assemblymember Medina. “I have worked closely with Mayor Rusty Bailey, the City of Riverside, the Riverside Art Museum, and Cheech Marin for the past year to galvanize the development of this project and am thankful for their tremendous work and leadership. For too long, the story of Latinos and their contributions to the arts have been overlooked. The Cheech will help bring the real stories and rich history of the Latino community to all Californians.” “I have dreamed for many years of finding a home for the hundreds of pieces of art that I have spent much of my life collecting, protecting and showing, when possible, at major museums around the world,” said Cheech Marin. “The Riverside community has made this dream a reality, and I am overjoyed that this incredible museum will open in the heart of a community I have come to know and love.” The fundraising effort known as “Reach for the Cheech” has surpassed its first goal set a year ago. With these new funds allocated into the state budget, The Cheech has raised close to $13 million thus far which will help transform Riverside’s existing Main Library into a world-class arts facility. Singer/song writer Babyface thanks the LA City Council for honoring SOLAR Records in celebration of Black Music Month BLACK MUSIC MONTH IN LOS ANGELES (photo: Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office) The Los Angeles City Council, led by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, celebrated Black Music Month in June. Black Music Month was instituted by President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s. According to Councilmember Harris-Dawson, it was a time that marked the end of disco, slightly before the acceptance of hip-hop. It was known at the Boogie era, and that era was dominated by SOLAR Records. SOLAR stood for Sound of Los Angeles Records. A bevy of SOLAR performers were at City Hall to mark the occasion, including Carrie Lucas, wife of SOLAR founder, the late Dick Griffey, who said, “It was the Sound of Los Angeles Records, but is launched that sound to the world.” Virgil Roberts, lawyer for SOLAR said, “This was a company that was really grounded in Los Angeles. The artists came from Los Angeles. the songwriters, the producers…and what we represented was kind of the pulse of life in Los Angeles. And not only did we pick up the music, we also picked up what was going on in our city.” SOLAR was the first company in America to hold an anti-Apartheid telethon. And in 1984, it sponsored a free concert at the Roxy where, to gain admission, one had to show a receipt from voting. “So we like to think that not only were we a company that was on the creative edge, but we also were a company that supported the kind of change that we wanted to see in America,” said Mr. Roberts.
CONGRESS ONCE AGAIN SUPPORTS FUNDING FOR THE ARTS Congress appears to be once again rebuffing White House efforts to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and other federal arts and culture agencies. On June 14, according to the Arts Action Fund, the Senate Appropriations Committee not only did not support elimination of the agencies, but supported funding increases. The Senate matched a House of Representatives $2 million funding increase for the NEA and NEH, bringing their budgets to $155 million each for FY 2019. There is also a possibility that some additional funds will be added in the form of a new Louise Slaughter grant making fund, named in honor of Congresswoman Slaughter, a longtime staunch advocate for the arts who passed away last year.
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LOS ANGELES RIVER DAY AT CITY HALL June 6 was the annual Los Angeles River Day at City Hall. The theme for this year’s event was, “Visions of the River: Past Present and Future.”
“Five years ago we initiated the inaugural LA River Day,” said City Councilmember and river champion Mitch O’Farrell, “which is one way of taking a formerly ad hoc approach to the Los Angeles River and trying to bring all of the dedicated
advocates and experts together in one place.” “As it winds for 51 miles—nearly 32 of those miles within the city, the river’s wants and needs are as disparate as are its champions and enthusiasts,” said Councilmember O’Farrell. A dedicated revenue stream is in the works for river restoration which will allow increases in property tax collection, from a specific geographic area, to advance the goals of the district including habitat restoration, environmental restoration, brownfield remediation, infrastructure improvements, and affordable housing. Over 45 years, billions of dollars potentially will be reinvested in the river. Every year river activists are honored as part of the celebration. This year’s Defender of the LA River award was presented posthumously to Karin Flores. Ms. Flores, who passed away suddenly in 2017, was honored as, “a constant presence at public hearings and council committees, advocating for a revitalized, restored and wild LA river. “ The Hero of the Los Angeles River honor was presented to Shelly Backlar of Friends of the Los Angeles River (FOLAR). For 15 years, Ms. Backlar has sought to involve the public, including youth, in river awareness and sustainability.
Councilmembers Mitch O’Farrell and Nury Martinez honor River Hero Shelly Backlar at LA River Day (photo: Councilmember O’Farrell’s office)
LA ART NEWS
SUSTAINING LITTLE TOKYO
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Some neighborhoods of Los Angeles offer few clues as to what populations have lived there in the past or live there now. This is not true of Little Tokyo, one of Los Angeles oldest neighborhoods, and one that proudly wears its heritage. But the community of Little Tokyo, while historic and vibrant, currently occupies only a portion of the land that used to be considered within its boundaries. The incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II was followed by a land grab and successive waves of displacement. Today, Little Tokyo is identified most readily with East First Street, with its iconic architecture and such institutions as the Japanese American National Museum, Far Bar, and Fugetsu-Do. But Little Tokyo advocates are fearing encroachment once again. The City of Los Angeles is embarking on the process of creating and implementing a Civic Center Master Plan. Parker Center, which sits on land formerly considered to be part of Little Tokyo, is to be torn down. The vision is to replace it with a 24/7 civic center with housing and retail. Of particular concern is the property behind the First Street businesses, a large piece of land taken from Little Tokyo in the 1950s and now occupied mostly by parking. This land could end or being part of a new Civic Center with its back turned to Little Tokyo. Or it could be reincorporated into Little Tokyo, with such features as affordable housing, affordable commercial space, an expanded “Go for Broke National Education Center, community cultural space, public art, and/or green space or parkland. The only thing for sure at this point is that the Civic Center plan, together with the opening of the second busiest Metro transportation hub in the City and the forces of Downtown gentrification, is going to make First Street a very hot commodity. “The new civic center master plan will have paseos, green space and areas that we can connect to Little Tokyo and correct the wrong by saying we understand we did that wrong but now we’re going to connect our main area of Los Angeles, our civic center, our government center, with Little Tokyo, something that should have been done a long time ago,” said Councilmember José Huizar, who represents the area, at a recent Los Angeles City Council meeting. Since 2013 area residents and others with ties to Little Tokyo have banded together as Sustainable Little Tokyo, seeking long-term viability for the community. Change is inevitable, but Sustainable Little Tokyo intends to steer that change toward what works for the community. More information may be found at www.sustainablelittletokyo.org.
The city-owned property behind East First Street
East First Street in Little Tokyo
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9TH ANNUAL CONCERT IN THE PARK & FIREWORKS SHOW
Presented by Councilmember José Huizar in collaboration with the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce July 1, 2018 Eagle Rock Park Featuring The Spazmatics This year’s community honoree was Recycled Resources for the Homeless. Recycled Resources works to provide a safety net and basic necessities to all people experiencing homelessness in Northeast Los Angeles, including Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Cypress Park, Glassell Park, Montecito Heights, and along the Arroyo Seco.
LA ART NEWS
CRITTERS GOTTA CRAWL
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A parade of critters that roam the banks of the Arroyo Seco June 3, 2018 From the Southwest Museum to the Lummis Days Festival Sponsored by the Arroyo Arts Collective With puppetry by Beth Peterson, music by Cuba, dance by Danza Xipe Totec.
JULY 2018
MORE CRITTERS
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THROUGH WALLS: COMMUNITIES CONNECTING HERITAGE Six female muralists are participating in a cultural exchange between Cairo, Egypt and Los Angeles. The exchange is culminating in a mural on the side of the Highland Theatre at North Figueroa Street and Avenue 56. The mural will be celebrated Saturday, July 7, with a 6 p.m. gathering at the theatre, followed by an Aztec blessing and ceremony and a procession to Avenue 50 Studio for a reception. The project is sponsored by World Learning, Avenue 50 Studio, Oxy Arts, Highland Park Ebell Club, Council District 1, and individual donors.
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.
July 14, 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)
38. Highland Cafe 5010 York Blvd. 323.259.1000
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.
39. Kindness and Mischief 5537 N. Figueroa St. www.kandmcoffee.com
3. Namaste Highland Park 5118 York Blvd. www.namastehighlandpark.com
22. Tierra de la Culebra 240 S. Ave 57
40. Civil Coffee 5639 N. Figueroa St.
23. Cactus Gallery @ Treeline Woodworks 3001 N. Coolidge Ave
41. Possession Vintage 5119 York Blvd. www.possessionvintage.com
24. Huron Substation 2640 Huron Street Los Angeles, CA 90065
42. The Situation Room 2313 Norwalk Ave.
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
JULY 2018
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
43. Bookshow 5503 Figueroa St. www.bookshow.com 44. Vroom Vroom Bitsy Boo 5031 B York Blvd. 45. The Quiet Life 5627 N. Figueroa St. thequietlife.com 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.
33. Pop-Hop 5002 York Blvd. www.thepophop.com
51. Curve Line Space 3348 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90065
34. Social Studies 5028.5 York Blvd.
52. Green Design Studios 1260 N. Ave 50
35. Occidental College 6100 Campus oxy.edu
53. Checker Hall 104 N. Ave 56 checkerhall.com
36. The Glass Studio 5668 York Blvd. www.theglassstudio.net
54. Portico Collection 5019 York Blvd.
37. Earth Altar Studio 1615 Colorado Blvd earthaltarstudio.com
55. Art Walk Homes 317. S Ave 57 artwalkhighlandpark.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 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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54 12 44 16
41 48 14 31 13
31 36 47
4 29 34 9 9 3 4 26 33 19 52 38
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Visit us at NELAart.org LA ART NEWS
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NELAART GALLERY NIGHT SECOND SATURDAY JUNE 2017
Daphne Mangin, Critters Gotta Crawl Arroyo Arts Collective at Tierra de la Culebra Art Park
Mable Song, Pulling an All-Nighter Room & Board in a Mushroom at Cactus Gallery
Holly Wood, New Eyes Room & Board in a Mushroom at Cactus Gallery
Jan McCall, Critters Gotta Crawl Arroyo Arts Collective at Tierra de la Culebra Art Park
Jaime Chavez, Little Red Oscar Castillo, Red Chevy Wayne Healy, Wild Hollywood Latinx, A Group Show at Avenue 50 Studio
Heather Hoggan, A Word by Any Other Name (detail) Word of the Day, The Arroyo Arts Collective at Avenue 50 Studio
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
JULY 2018
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Frank Romero & Howard Swerdloff, Lowrider Truck Frank Romero & Howard Swerdloff, Chevy Fleetline Latinx, A Group Show at Avenue 50 Studio
Raoul De la Sota, Mar Abella, Isabel Martinez Latin, A Group Show at Avenue 50 Studio
Meagan Boyd, There is a Universe Inside of Me Namaste Highland Park
Loni Watson, Summertime on the Eastside West Coast Boroughs, DCA Toys, and Hecho En East Los at Highland Cafe Depth: A Life Drawing Session, The Artform Studio
Brian Tucker, Proximity’s Struggle
Chona Bernardo at Align Gallery
Deedee Cheriel, Science Will Be Used to Determine Facts Namaste Highland Park
LA ART NEWS
18
BUMPER CROPS & KITCHEN SINKS Did you get an awesome bumper crop of tomatoes this year? Did you go crazy at the Farmers Market and buy too many different, fabulous seasonal foods? Don’t worry! This recipe is like the best “kitchen sink� concoction you will ever sink your teeth into. Who knew that plums, tomatoes and cucumbers would love hanging out in a salad together?
bumper crop salad with magenta spreen & pomegranate vinaigrette 1 pound fresh garden tomatoes, cut into manageable pieces 1 large garden cucumber- I used a Japanese variety, cut into manageable pieces 2 large fresh plums, cut into manageable pieces NOTE- you can also substitute and/or add cut up melon to this mixture 1/4 cup julienned fresh basil 4-6 sprigs of fresh magenta spreen Dressing: 1/4 cup pomegranate white balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste Place the tomatoes, cucumbers & plums in a mixing bowl and set aside in the refrigerator. To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until it becomes emulsified. When the dressing is ready, pour it over the tomato mixture, and gently mix it into the salad. Be careful not to smash or pulverize the tomatoes, especially if they are extremely ripe. Place in the refrigerator and let the flavors from the dressing marinate the salad for about 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator, toss in the basil, and taste for salt and pepper. Separate into four serving bowls or salad plates, and distribute the magenta spreen leaves, sprinkling them over the top of each salad. This salad is an extremely simple way to use your abundance of stone fruit, melon, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Plums in particular go great with this salad. You can also experiment with honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fresh peaches. My favorite way to eat this is with a pasta spoon so that I can get some of the delicious pomegranate infused dressing with each bite. Yum! This salad will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, and also makes a great topping for grilled chicken, seared tofu, or grilled salmon. Recipe brought to you by Harvey Slater Holistic Nutrition & Wellness: 600 S. Lake Ave. Pasadena, Ca. 323-527-7430 Learn more at harveyslater.com Get more healthy recipes like this one at thewholedishblog.com
JULY 2018
19
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
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.
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!
Check out their web site for a wide variety of fun classes for all ages.
LA ART NEWS
ART AND PROTEST, TWO
20
by Tomas J. Benitez
“It is a sad and stupid thing to have to call yourself a revolutionary just to be a decent man.” David Harris, on the decision to resist the draft and go to jail in 1972; husband of Joan Baez. I had these words taped to my draft card when I was 21 and classified 1-A. Basically, I was classified as cannon fodder. Yet, I was very lucky to elude the draft and the war, although many others, my friends and family, were not so fortunate and suffered the consequences. We were kids, but we went to too many funerals in those days. However, I did not abate my opposition to the Viet Nam War and I wrote, as well as marched and protested and rioted, all in an effort to bring that tragic chapter of America to a close. We knew even then that the consequences would last several generations. We knew even then that what we did in a time of action would be the foundation of our character and souls for the rest of our lives. I wrote a lot about it, wrote a lot about what I saw, wrote about dead high school chums, and I wrote about the division in our county caused by the war. I also wrote about being proud to be a Chicano, at long last. Writing was my forte, so I wrote, all the time, and thus channeled my creative self into what I felt so strongly about, albeit jingoistic and didactic and propagandistic and generally, an un-ending volume of really terrible prose and poetry. But it didn’t matter. Visceral and cathartic, angry and sorrowful, raging and defiant, didn’t matter, I just wrote it. All around us was a mobilization of an entire community and indeed a generation, responding to a call for action, protests, meetings, sit ins, huge marches, and acts of civil disobedience. But also there was a remarkable output of art, visual, performance, musical and written. The cultural arts community responded to a critical time in the nation by doing what they do best, translating their creativity into political action, or is it translating their political action into art? Fifty years later, the push button issue seems to have become the inhumane incarceration of immigrant children by our own government, in particular, the zero tolerance policy of the Trump Administration. There are so many causes to choose from; the sanctioned wanton slaughter of our children in the streets and their schools, the decimation of women and gay rights, the destruction of our environment, the rise of hate and xenophobia, the doing away with human rights and constitutional laws and justice by the fascist takeover of our democracy. But the images of children, as young as three, sitting unaccompanied in a courtroom awaiting their deportation, and children sleeping on the floor in cages, and the crying voices of children as they are taken from their parents, all serve to have touched the nerve of so many decent people. The other night I was sitting with a group of friends, all creative people, making postcards to send to elected officials, protesting the treatment of the immigrant children. Brilliant, beautiful post cards, carrying a serious message but made with the panache of the creative self, or selves of my friends. And there was a myriad of beautifully created posters and signs at the march on June 30th. The Times just did a large article on the music industry response and push back against injustice. Most of the poetry readings I attend these days are rife with voices in protest. Even on social media, the memes and posts are creative and effective, more so because they are created by artists. You cannot separate the artist from the self, and if the self is creative, the art making is part of the expression. Once again, the arts are in the mix. Once again, artists are in the forefront. The push back against hate and fascism is growing in momentum and intensity. All that’s left for us, for you, to decide is where you stand. “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Bishop Desmond Tutu. (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.)
JULY 2018
Madam X
21
SOCIAL TROUBLE By Jen Hitchcock
Oh Goddess, my kid is a pre-teen. Help. And she really could not be more of a cliché pre-teen. Her eyes gather no moss with all the rolling they do. She reacts to everything I say as if it was the most boring, stupid, annoying thing she has ever heard in her life. I have dreaded the coming of this age knowing it would be hard, but now that we are actually here I find myself laughing more than anything. She is just so EXTRA. Like all her friends, my girl is obsessed with social media and wants very badly to be on it, on her own. And like most parents, I am flipping out about the idea of it. I go back and forth about it constantly. Is restricting it completely the way to go? I mean, is there any reason to make it easier for creeps, perverts and killers to get to my kid? But then I flip back. Does this technology make our kids more vulnerable then they were “back then?” Is social media and the Internet really the culprit in making it easier for creeps, killers and perverts to target? I was a young teen before the World Wide Web was yet a thing. And wouldn’t you know it-- my friends and I found a way to reach out to strangers and make bad thirteen-year old fueled choices when our parents weren’t paying attention. We did it with the CB radio that sat on my friend’s dad’s workbench in a musty corner of their cellar. We would sneak down, click in on and listen to the crackle until it would break and we would hear a trucker speaking in what seemed like a foreign tongue. Then another one would answer back. After listening for a while, shaking, we’d press the button on the handset and say something into it and then quickly depress the button giggling as we waited for a response. We got ignored for a while, our attempts at sounding grown up and legit only met with crackly silence. We didn’t know the right language. Eventually though, we figured out enough of the slang to start getting responses, and before you know it, posing as prostitutes (yes you read that right) we arranged to meet a trucker dude at one of the diners in our small town. We biked down to the restaurant, and sat and ate sundaes as we waited for the semi-truck we imagined him to drive to roll into the tiny parking lot. Halfway through our sundaes instead of the truck rolling in, my friend’s parent’s station wagon pulled in. Somehow they discovered our plan and who knows, may have saved us from a creep, killer or pervert. So then what about this question of social media? Do I keep it from her like a tantalizing mystery? Do I let her have it but helicopter mom over her at a time in her life when I believe she does really need her own space to grow and explore? The answer is I don’t know. Instagram and Snapchat are harbingers for her ascent to becoming an independent human. I will soon have no choice but to let make her own decisions and hope for the best. Never mind whether she is ready for this now, am I ready? Perhaps this is what scares me the most.
BOOK SHOW EVENTS Wednesday July 11th 7pm doors Historia Storytelling Night “Independence” Suggested donation Friday July 13th 7pm Hello, We’re Still Alive Hosted by Matthew Sherling Words & Performance Free Saturday July 14th 7:30pm Release party for Shits Fucked Zine Free
Brian Mallman
Tuesday July 17th 7pm sign up Comedy Open Mic Hosted by Sumukh Torgalkar Wednesday July 18th 8pm-9:30pm Angry Nasty Women Feminist writing group All women welcome. Five dollar donation Friday July 20th 8pm Friday Night Poetry: They’re Just Words Hosted by Ingrid Calderone Poetry open mic & featured poets Saturday July 21st 7pm Marnie Olson book signing Author of “Grateful” Free Thursday July 26th 8pm Laughterhouse 5 Stand-up Comedy Show! Suggested donation Friday July 27th 7pm-9:30pm Zine & Meet A social gathering for fanzine makers Bring your stuff to work on Hosted by Shits Fucked & Devil’s Claw Distro ONGOING EVENTS and WORKSHOPS COLLAGE & CRY Every 1st Tuesday of the month 7pm-9:30pm Collage art night five dollar donation EAT ART OPEN MIC every 1st Friday of the month 8pm sign ups Poetry and Prose open mic free
Stuart Rapeport
LA ART NEWS
22
ART HAPPENINGS AROUND LOS ANGELES PRESENTED BY SHOEBOX PR UPCOMING OPENING: Incendiary Devices: A Kamikaze Show at PØST PØST 1206 Maple Ave, Los Angeles, 90015 July 5th 7-9pm Wood, Paper and Paint Block and Line: New Work by Annie Stromquist The Loft Art Studios and Galleries 401 S Mesa St, San Pedro, 90731 Opening July 5th 6-9pm Laura Cooper: Tangle PØST 1206 Maple Avenue #515, Los Angeles 90015 July 6th 7-9pm Little Britain Vita Art Center 28 West Main Street, Ventura, 93001 Opening July 6th 6-9pm Opening & Artist Reception - Sharon Louise Barnes solo show Band of Vices 5376 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90016 Opening July 6th 6-9pm 25ALT by Kat Monk ShockBoxx 636 Cypress Ave, Hermosa Beach, 90254 Opening July 7th 6-9pm Andrea Patrie | Opening Reception Fourth Element Gallery 210 N. Broadway Avenue, Santa Ana, 92701 Opening July 7th 6-10pm Emory Douglas: Bold Visual Language Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions 6522 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, 90028 Opening July7th 2-6pm Lucas Murgida: None of This is Real Nery Gabriel Lemus: Yearning to Breathe Free - Opening CSUF Grand Central Art Center 125 N Broadway, Santa Ana, 92701 Opening July 7th 7-10pm Old Broads: “It’s About Time” Opening Reception Riverside City College 4800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, 92506 Opening July 7th 3-6pm OUT LOUD: A Cultural Evolution Art Theatre Long Beach 2025 E 4th St, Long Beach, 90814 July 7th 130-4pm Reception: Xavier Cázares Cortéz: Fingers Are Crossed UCR ARTSblock 3824 Main St, Riverside, 92501 Opening July 7th 6-8pm Tiny Visions and Rising Stars of Los Angeles opens July 7th The Hive Gallery and Studios 729 S Spring St, Los Angeles, 90014 Opening July 7th 8-11pm Emerge: The Artists of First Street Gallery Inland Empire Museum of Art 1334 North Benson Ave, Suite D Upland, 91786 Opening July 8th 2-5pm Kim Abeles 3.9 in The Closet in Shoebox Projects CSUN Arts Alumni Small Works Fundraiser Shoebox Projects 660 South Avenue 21 #3, Los Angeles, 90031 Opening July 8th 1-4pm 2018 LA Artcore 4th Annual Juried Exhibit Reception La Artcore Brewery Annex 650 S Avenue 21 # A, Los Angeles, 90031 Opening July 8th 3-5pm Spell Check at PØST, a Kamikaze event PØST 1206 Maple Ave, Los Angeles, 90015 July 10th 7-9pm Without You, I’m Nothing - Opening Reception Gallery 417 417 South Hill St. Los Angeles, CA Opening July 12th 6-8pm Intersecting at the Edge: Karl Benjamin, Heather Gwen Martin and Eric Zammitt Claremont Museum of Art 200 W. 1st St., Claremont Opening July 13th Buried ALIVE Cactus Gallery 3001 N Coolidge Ave, Los Angeles, 90039 Opening July 14th 6-9pm Exhibit La - A Group Show Art Share-LA 801 E 4th Pl, Los Angeles, 90013 Opening July 14th 7-10pm Lesley Kice Nishigawara: Repeat - Artist’s Reception Moving at a Snail’s Pace in Geological Time - Artist’s Reception Irvine Fine Arts Center
JULY 2018
14321 Yale Ave, Irvine, 92604 Opening July 14th 2-6pm
7313 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, 90046 To July 14th
Opening Reception Martin Bruinsma, Rikki Niehaus & Simon Berson Lois Lambert Gallery & Gallery of Functional Art 2525 Michigan Ave Ste E3, Santa Monica, 90404 Opening July 14th 6-9pm
Juliao Sarmento - L.A. Prints Mixografia® 1419 E Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90011 To July 14th
The Millennials Utopia 445 1st Street, Long Beach, CA, Long Beach, 90802 Opening July 14th 4-6pm Monkeys & Typewriters ShockBoxx 636 Cypress Ave, Hermosa Beach, 90254 Opening July 14th 7pm Opening Reception: Pulse - Gallery 1 Sharon Barnes Gallery 2 South Bay Contemporary SOLA Gallery 3718 WEST SLAUSON AVENUE, Los Angeles, 90043 Opening July 14th 4-7pm PaperWorks: Refolded Opening Reception Brea Gallery 1 Civic Center Cir, Brea, 92821 Opening July 14th 7-9pm PØST: Kamikaze - Let Me Eat Cake PØST 1206 Maple Ave, Los Angeles, 90015 July 14th 7-9pm Saturday receptions and openings at LACDA LACDA Los Angeles Center for Digital Art 104 E 4th St, Los Angeles, 90013 Opening July 14th 6-9pm Opening Reception: “Transform, Transmit”, Ariel Brice Open Mind Art Space 11631 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, 90025 Opening July 14th 7-10pm StARTup at The Kinney Startup Art Fair 737 West Washington Blvd, Venice, July 19th 6-10pm Betsy Enzensberger - Summer Art Series HaleARTS S P A C E 395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 156 & 158, Santa Monica, Opening July 20th 6-9pm ONGOING EXHIBITION Artist & Researcher 2 Hoyt Gallery 1975 Zonal Ave, Los Angeles, 90033 To July 6 Flashpoints: A Collective Response MuzeuMM 4817 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90016 To July 6th Poetry of Scale & Space Surrogate Gallery Projects (behind Vromans) 686 E Union St, Pasadena, 91101-1820 To July 6th ASAD FAULWELL, PHANTOM KATY ANN GILMORE, VISUAL FIELD DENK Gallery 749 E Temple Street, Los Angeles, 90012 To July 7th Daniel Silva at Baert Gallery Baert Gallery 2441 Hunter Street, Los Angeles, 90021 To July 7th Linda Sue Price “Connections” opens at TAG Gallery TAG Gallery 5458 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 To July 7th Paper Giants L.A. & Erica Entrop Lois Lambert Gallery & Gallery of Functional Art 2525 Michigan Ave Ste E3, Santa Monica, 90404 To July 7th Visual Dessert Sugarmynt Gallery 810 Meridian Ave South Pasadena 91030 To July 7th Unapologetic Flowers and Small Stories Claremont Museum of Art 200 W. First St., Claremont, 91711 To July 8 Hox Zodiac Opening Reception Building Bridges Art Exchange 2525 Michigan Ave, Ste F2, Santa Monica, 90404 To July 9th Carrie Minikel Art Produce 3139 University Ave, San Diego, 92104 To July 14th It’s Snowing in La AA|LA
Richard Bruland solo show WHOA! Opening Reception Lawrence Gipe: Another Cold Winter Lora Schlesinger Gallery 2525 Michigan Ave Suite B5b, Santa Monica, 90404 To July 14th Shizu Saldamando - To Return Mirame Bien - Curated by Rudy “Bleu” Garcia Charlie James Gallery 969 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, 90012 To July 14th Elijah Pierce and Leroy Almon The Good Luck Gallery 945 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, 90012 To July 15th Painting Installation at MOAH High & Dry: Land Artifacts Opening Sant Khalsa - Prana: Life with Trees Lancaster Museum of Art and History - MOAH 665 W Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster, 93534 To July 15th Carbon Art Exhibit opening Fellows of Contemporary Art 970 N Broadway, Ste 208, Los Angeles, 90012 To July 20th Austin Irving and Andy Dixon Wilding Cran Gallery 939 S Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles, 90021 To July 21st Martin Cox + Linda Stelling: Opening Reception Fabrik Projects 2636 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, 90034 To July 21st Nettie Wakefield at Jason Vass Jason Vass 1452 E 6th St, Los Angeles, 90021 To July 21st “Way Out Now” Diane Rosenstein Gallery 831 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, 90038 To July 21st Yasmine Diaz: Exit Strategies Women’s Center for Creative Work 2425 Glover Pl, Los Angeles, 90031 To July 23rd See-Saw, the work of Dan Callis & Tina Linville Golden West College Art Gallery 15744 Goldenwest St, Fine Arts Bldg., Huntington Beach To July 26th Forrest Kirk “Body Count” Chimento Contemporary 4480 W. Adams Blvd.,, Los Angeles, 90018 To July 28th Aili Schmeltz & Jason Manley: Fixed/Flux JAUS 11851 La Grange Ave, Los Angeles, 90025 To July 29th Museums LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LACMA) Hidden Narratives: Recent Acquisitions of Postwar Art To January 6, 2019 A Universal History of Infamy: Those of This America To October 6, 2018 UCLA HAMMER Made in L.A. To Sept 2nd 2018 MOCA Real Worlds: Brassaï, Arbus, Goldin To September 3, 2018 Lauren Halsey: we still here, there To September 3, 2018 MOAH The Forest for the Trees To July 15, 2018 The Robot Show August 4 - September 30th, 2018 GETTY Artists and their Books/ Books and their Artists To October 28th, 2018
23
ARTISTS ON THE LOS ANGELES RIVER SITE AND RESPONSE
The days when it is heard said, “Los Angeles has a river?” may be coming to an end. Los Angeles does indeed have a Los Angeles River, and big changes are coming—both in terms of the restoration of the riverbed itself and in terms of the many communities that line the river’s banks as it makes its way across the City. Now is the time for residents of those communities to make their voices heard as to what they want that change to look like, and as to how to make the infusion of interest and money into the watershed work for them. Toward that end, a group of artists and believers in art has come together as the LA River Public Art Project (LARPAP). LARPAP believes that “a robust and coordinated public Arts and Cultural infrastructure is essential to the success of Los Angeles as a world class creative city.”The group is hosting a series of summer dialogues on life and art along the river. In June, noted artists Leo Limón, Judy Baca, Chaz Bojorquez, and Saber-Fine shared their artistic relationships with the LA River. On July 14, three more river artists—Lauren Bon, David Rosenboom, and Beatriz Cortez—will discuss “Artists on the River: Site and Response” at Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park.The LA River has long captured the imagination of artists, who have seen the landscape as fertile ground to produce public projects, performances, films, guerrilla happenings, and more. This panel explores the opportunities and challenges that artists Artists Saber-Fine, Leo Limón, Judy Baca, and Chaz Bojorquez face with this complex and mythic site, and the meaning they have found in that engagement. discuss their artistic relationships with the Los Angeles River Marc Pally, public art curator, will moderate. The public is invited to participate in the sharing. LARPAP is launching an archival collection of cultural events, art works, and installation popups that have occurred on and around the LA River. Members will be facilitating the collection of these stories at the July 14 event. An ultimate goal is to create an “Art Barge” that will travel the river and beyond, presenting an interactive history of the art that has flourished along the Los Angeles River.Artists on the River: Site and ResponseSaturday, July 14, noon-2 p.m.Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park2944 Gleneden Street, Elysian Valley/FrogtownFreewww.losangelesriverpublicartproject.org
MORE LUMMIS DAY
continued from page 5
Mostly Kosher Superbean
Scarlet and the Fever
LA ART NEWS
“THE SCIENCE OF VOCATION”
24
BY JEREMY KAPLAN OF READ BOOKS
My son, notwithstanding Bunyanesque portions of his existence allocated to staring contests with computer & IPOD screens, is something of a throwback to bygone days. He believes in science. To be specific, I recently heard him utter this phrase: “I adhere to the scientific method.” There was context to his declaration; I just haven’t provided it. Yet. Listen, I’m happy to have a college boy working at READ Books. In addition to gleefully applying his labor to all the little things that my so-called soul, subsequent to eleven years of bookstoring, rebels against (cleaning covers, covering dust jackets, paying heed to the alphabet), College Boy manifests a skill set (smiling at & speaking to customers) which certain people (my wife) allege that his father (me) lacks. Thus, I found it odd to come upon my wife, the very same one I referenced in the previous sentence, lecturing our son, the aforementioned College Boy, about procuring a job with an employer not named Mom or Dad. Upon hearing her offering him words of specious encouragement (“You should apply for jobs all over Eagle Rock & Highland Park!”), I intervened. “What’s wrong with working in a bookstore?” the author protested. “I like the kid. He’s got all sorts of potential. Knows the whole damn alphabet, and who knows what else.” This wife person proceeded to construct a rock-solid case for the existential experience of “getting a job” based on stalwart concepts such as character and independence and accomplishment and experience. When I reminded her that my son’s current role model—his dad— possesses all those qualities in spades, my current wife reminded me that I “got jobs” at an early age. And she was right. With Herculean effort, the heir to my (mis)fortune wrested his brown eyes away from one of his screens and gave me the once over. “What was your first job, dad? And please state at what age.” “McDonald’s,” I complied. “Sixteen. ‘Twas the summer after sophomore year & my parents sent me away from home with the following instructions: “Don’t come back home until gainfully employed.” “Describe the experience,” he said. “And don’t be afraid to utilize anecdotes illustrative of the whole.” “I fear no anecdote. I fear no whole. I was a line cook, College Boy. On the first night of training, my mentor, a permed linebacker from Genoa-Kingston High School, dropped a semi-cooked beef patty on the floor, picked it up, put it on a bun, & told me that wasting food is bad. Was this official policy? I’ll never know.” “I have observed,” said my son, “that you have not pursued a career in the culinary arts. How now?” Rewinding the super-8 film of my mind, I came upon a memory that felt truish. “I was fired. No, wait. I quit. No. No. I was fired, because I quit going to work. That’s the ticket. My friend Pat had purchased a thing he wanted to share with me. I cannot say what. I could. But I shan’t. So, I skipped work for the purpose of sharing, which is not a sin in some bibles. And then the next night I was scheduled to work, I had no decent excuse for skipping the previous night. Hoping, if I were patient, that a good excuse would someday arrive, I skipped work again. And then the next night, still lacking an excuse, I… well, son, I guess the moral here is obvious. In the act of getting and nearly keeping a job, I learned this: good excuses, much like hope & success, never arrive. Feel free to use that. Go ahead; write it down.” Rather than the sound of scribbling, my words of wisdom were punctuated by the smack of palm on flesh. I turned to my wife, her hand still glued to her forehead, and instantly caught her drift. “Come to think of it,” I came to think aloud, “Burger-flipping was not my incipient trade. When I was in middle school, i.e. Jr. High, I had a paper route. There you go. Your father was a paper boy first, and from thence derived the independent, accomplished, experienced character standing before you. The end. God bless all jobs. They’re so good for you.” “Our newspaper deliverer,” noted my son, “is a bald, middle-aged man in a car. Were you that?” “My chest was bald, and I had a 5-gear bike that I might have utilized if my route had been longer than four blocks. It wasn’t. And I was paid less than $3/hour. Definitely not bald man wages.” “A similar demographic,” College Boy persevered, “is employed by the local burger purveyors.” “What’s your point, College Boy?” He cleared his throat and declared: “I adhere to the scientific method. Mom over here presented her hypothesis: The act of procuring a job, and presumably keeping it, is a boon to one’s soul. Dad provided evidence, which I have observed to be… what’s the word?” “Compelling?” “Yeah. No. ‘Goofy.’ And then we have the variables: Era, geography, economy, your mental issues. Perhaps during the Kennedy Years, or whenever the hell you were my age, jobs were plentiful in your prosaic Midwestern village, even for a young man who was, say, unhinged. But in 21st century, neo-liberal California, with that sumbitch Trump in the White House, and middle-aged family men compelled to flip burgers & deliver papers, how does a College Boy who believes in science get the crappy-wage job that you once found and lost with the frequency of a clown stumbling in & out of a canoe?” I scratched my hirsute chest. “I dunno.” “Perhaps I’m damned to a life of bookselling,” he declared. “Unless Amazon & Kindle put us out of business,” my wife noted hopefully. “Speaking of which,” added College Boy: “Newspapers. I notice you aren’t presently employed in whatever remains of the journalistic field. How now?” “Oh there’s a story,” I chuckled loudly in an attempt to drown out my wife’s slanderous groan. “I delivered ‘The Midweek,’ affectionately referred to by the cognoscenti as ‘The Midreek,’ which was rumored to have a meager readership. So speaking of science, I decided to conduct my own experiment. Rather than deliver papers in the conventional manner—to one’s doorstep— I buried them in an empty lot next door to my house. My hypothesis was that nobody would notice, and nobody did, until after half-a-year, when some entrepreneurial bastard decided to build a house on that empty lot, and in the process of digging a foundation, thousands of newspapers flew skyward like so many birds. Wingless birds. Came right back down like a tickertape parade. There it is. Uh-huh. Science!”
JULY 2018
KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER MARCH
25
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LA ART NEWS
26
LOCAL ALTAR MAKER RECEIVES TOP NATIONAL HONOR Los Angeles altar maker Ofelia Esparza has received one of the nation’s highest art awards. She has been named a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) created the awards “to highlight the breadth and excellence of the artistic traditions found in communities all across the United States.” They are the United States’ highest honor in folk and traditional arts. This year’s nine recipients will each receive an award of $25,000 and will be honored at an awards ceremony and a concert in Washington, D.C. in September. In addition to their artistic value, each of the Heritage Fellows’ art forms also reflects the community they come from and the history of the tradition.
Ofelia Esparza was born in 1932 in East Los Angeles, where she has lived her entire life. She has shared the practice of altar making with her community for 40 years.
Traditional altars are multi-level structures which honor those who have passed on before us. They are
typically adorned with photographs, foods, flowers, and other relevant objects. The Chicano practice of altar making is rooted in Mexican Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Ms. Esparza learned her craft from
her mother and great grandmother, and in turn she has passed that knowledge on to her nine children, as well as to students during her 30 years as an elementary teacher and multicultural instructor for district teachers—and to countless residents of East Los Angeles and beyond.
In 1979, Ms. Esparza created one of the first large-scale public altars in the U.S. at Self Help Graphics. Her
work
has
been
featured at the Los Angeles
Ofelia Esparza in her altar installation dedicated to her mother and the great cooks of her family. Imix Bookstore, 2006.
County Museum of Art,
the Japanese American National Museum, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and the first Day of the Dead exhibit in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2018, she installed a monumental permanent altar celebrating the City of Los Angeles in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
This year’s other honorees include a Palestinian embroiderer, an Appalachian fiddler, an Anishinabe
black ash basketmaker, an African American quilter, a rodeo tailor, an R&B musician, a pair of FrancoAmerican musicians, and a traditional music and dance advocate.
Past honorees have included bluesman B.B. King, Cajun fiddler and composer Michael Doucet, sweetgrass basketweaver Mary Jackson, cowboy poet Wally McRae, Kathak dancer and choreographer Chitresh Das, and gospel and soul singer Mavis Staples.
Ofelia Esparza and her daughter Rosanna Esparza Ahrens at their altar installation celebrating Los Angeles at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, 2018
Ofelia Esparza’s altar honoring Sister Karen Boccalero, founder of Self Help Graphics. Part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, 2017.
JULY 2018
27
LA ART NEWS