My Weblog

The Echo Park Time Travel Mart

The Echo Park Time Travel Mart is a store front that fronts as a store but is really a "non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write." they offer "drop-in tutoring, after-school workshops, in-schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications."

The recently opened 1714 Sunset Blvd. location is one of several around the country and was conceived by Dave Eggers. There is a story behind the idea of creating semi fictional stores such as San Francisco's Pirate Supply Store that you can look up online, but the important thing is that it's a great idea and cool art friendly space that the community can relate to and the local kids can benefit from.

Check it out and volunteer!

SLGA Art Shows

Tons of great art stuff coming up (and going on) in the Five Boroughs (permanent post)

SLGA Openings:November February 7- 12

The Trinity @ Thinkspace

featured New works and an installation from Tony Philippou, Zach Johnsen & Marion Bolognesi

Opening Reception: Friday, Feb. 8th 7-11PM Show runs through March 8

Sunset Junction Block Party Saturday December 8 7-10 p.m.

Skip the mall this year! The shops of Sunset Junction are having a Holiday Block Party December 8 7-10 p.m. Over a dozen of your favorite shops will be staying open late, offering new art exhibitions, music, live events and special one night only discounts. All within easy walking distance of the Sunset Junction in the heart of Silver Lake.

Recently several additional boutiques opened in the neighborhood joining old favorites and adding new energy to what has already become a neighborhood destination. Please join us December the 8th and redisicover what you already new, Silver Lake is one of the last destinations in Los Angeles for individually owned shops that provide one-of-a-kind clothing, gifts, art and more.

More participants and events being added daily

Hope to see you there!

Reform School
Kelly Green
Come To Mama (live DJ, Cocktails and Sale)
Hung on you (live DJ, Cocktails and Sale)
Junc (Art Exhibition and Sale)
Giant Robot
Bar Keeper (Party, Special Holiday Cocktails and Sale)
Sunset Orange
Le Pink
Secret Headquarters
Serifos
Matrushka
Rag Mopp
Living Room
Thinkspace Gallery (Art Exhibition)
S B London Gallery (Art Exhibition)
Pull My Daisy (Party and Sale)
Sunset Blvd. 3200 Block
Gallery Revisited (Art Exhibition and Sale)
Sumi's
Mesh and Lace

Felt blub is Coming this Sunday

FELT CLUB: XL HOLIDAY featuring MAKER SQUARE
Sunday, NOVEMBER 18, 11am-6pm | LACC, 855 N. Vermont Ave., LA CA 90029
Tickets are $5 at the door—or visit one of these locations and get your tickets in advance for half off! Kids under 12 are free. There are no online ticket sales.

What in tarnation is Felt Club: XL Holiday?
On Sunday, November 18, from 11am-6pm we're hosting 75+ artists, crafters, and designers from SoCal and beyond who'll show off their latest and greatest D.I.Y. wares for your handmade-shopping pleasure! Visitors will also enjoy fresh and delicious eats and drinks from renowned Eagle Rock eatery Auntie Em's Kitchen. You'll also enjoy happy shopping music from our DJs, Dirty Robot and Lance Rock. With your $5 admission, you'll receive a ticket to win a fantastic door prize, and the first 250 visitors will be treated to swag bags full of cool magazines, craft patterns, coupons, buttons, li'l gifts and samples from our sponsors and vendors (sneak peeks are viewable in our Flickr pool!). Last but not least, we're offering a full roster of hands-on craft classes throughout the day. Click here for a full list of classes and descriptions.

Silverlake Art Collective Open Studio Art Tour

The Silverlake Art Collective is having their Open Studio Art Tour November 2-4, check it out!

The Silverlake Art Collective is an organization of artists in Silverlake and its environs.
Each year, we produce an Art Walk to open our work and studios to the public. We invite you to meet us and view our artwork in person then or through personal contact. Follow each thumbnail to a larger image and contact information.

Thursday 10.18.07: BENEFIT FOR KIME BUZZELLI

on October 18th, at the Echoplex in Los Angeles there will be a benefit for our friend Kime Buzzelli. proceeds go to help kime cover costs of an upcoming surgery to have a tumor removed.

For those that dont know Kime is an amazing artist and even better person who runs Show Pony in Echo Park. The event itself sounds rad with a great lineup of musical guests including Lavender Diamond, Entrance, Winter Flowers, Long Lost, Blank Blue, Animal Magik

There is also promise of special surprise guests. along w/ an art auction, through out the night hit + run will be silk screening kime's art on to t-shirts for guests. Also Dirtypilot.com is currently selling off a bunch of her paintings.

What a great way to help Kime out! Get well soon!!

Art Crawl X October 12-14

The Art Crawl is next weekend and that's a good thing because it puts a face on a the new(ish) east side art scene that as a whole is elusive due to the fact the galleries don't all line up in a row and there isn't a Blum and Poe to anchor the area. Fortunately what the region does provide young galleries is a chance, an opportunity for the resourceful and hardy to experiment. Like weeds these galleries see opportunity in the cracks. The last couple of years has seen a growth spurt. Quality galleries have emerged, survived beyond a year or two and even established themselves with moniker of respectability.

That's what makes this years Art Crawl so promising and an opportunity for new viewers to see what this area has to offer as the galleries are putting on their best face for the event. Because the Art Crawl spreads across four districts I recommend a game plan. A couple minutes looking at what the galleries have to offer online and a map will help you focus on the shows you want to see most. A list of galleries, exhibitions and a map can be found here.

I recommend starting out at M&A and fanning out from there not only because they will be providing free loaner bikes but because they have a really great exhibition planned. If you don't know M&A is an outdoor exhibition space dedicated to experimentations in architecture that are not strictly practical but rather blur the line between architecture and art inviting the viewer to reassess the context and possibilities for both.

For their contribution they will be unveiling DENSITY FIELDS "Defying classification as either sculpture or architecture, the piece will flex with a gesture that extends imaginary lines of force beyond the small courtyard, seeming to pierce buildings and features in the neighborhood."

Then be sure to check out all the SLGA galleries, located in the left navigation collum as the areas best examples of emerging and established artists.

Aaron Rose Interview on Abla

I first got wind the Swerve, a three-day festival of film screenings, music, art and related activities, about a month ago when I noticed the postcards in the neighborhood shops. The point of view and style of the collateral had sense of familiarity. Then I noticed the extremely impressive visual art lineup and the fact that there was finally an event on the eastside that reflected the creative spirit of the community and I got excited. Add to that the fact someone is finally using the entire Barnsdall facility to its potential and, well, it would be a stretch to say I went into convulsions but a friend did ask about the foam coming out of the corners of my mouth.

How did this event suddenly...

Swerve Festival Needs VOLUNTEERS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Swerve Festival seeks willing and able bodied people this weekend for the first annual festival of film, music
and art. Do you like parties and outdoor activities? Do you have good organizational and people skills? If you do, then Swerve Festival is looking for you!

We are looking for volunteers in the following areas: film screenings, live music events, gala events and production set up and break down.

Volunteers must be able to work a minimum 4-hour shift on any of the 3 festival days, and a maximum 8-hour shift. Volunteers must be able to come in for volunteer orientation prior to the festival dates and have their own insurance and transportation.

Volunteers will get a limited edition Swerve Festival T-shirt and tickets to festival events.

If you would like to volunteer, send an email to:

volunteer@swervefestival.com

Conversations with Gronk and Ricardo Garcia

Conversations with Gronk and Ricardo Garcia this Thursday

Metro Gallery / Thursday Sept. 20, 2007 / 7:30 pm / RSVP

"Please join us for a conversation with artists, Gronk and Ricardo Garcia as they discuss their paintings, their inspiration, and the details behind their interesting collaboration, "Momento." The exhibition will run through September 29 at Metro Gallery. Please RSVP as this promises to be a great
night of conversation and art."

If you know even a little about the Los Angeles art scene you know what a long shadow Gronk's cast. This sounds like an absolutely fabulous opportunity don't pass it up!

www.metrogallery.org