Art Walk Preview for July, 2008

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Downtown Art Walk is upon us once again. It’s July, and the walk will be a summer affair that brings the event its longest day of the year, by one minute. Sunset on June 12 was at 8:06pm and the July 10th sunset will be at 8:07pm. It will be 72 degrees when the sun fades away and dip to 69 degrees at 11pm. For those new to Downtown, Main Street is the split for addresses East and West.

Phyllis Stein Art debuts its new gallery with a ribbon cutting and artist opening reception. Council member Jose Huizar cuts the ribbon for the grand opening. Then artist Eric Small’s “Press 1 for English” explores geometry with complex paper sculpture and Jesse Chapo’s “Stateside” touches on themes of American ideas in a playful and compelling way. 207 W. 5th / Ceremony at 6pm / Artists reception from 7-10pm

Bert Green Fine Art opens Robert Reynolds’ large-scale sculptures that show when the politics of human affairs is repeated, it can be defined as farce. Also in the house is painter, actress and author Mary Woronov, who comes from the an American pedigree of art, the inner circle of Andy Warhol’s the Factory. “Allegorical emotional states” is the intent of her works. 102 W. 5th / Artist reception 6-9pm

Dalessio opens the Rob Tokarz’s solo show offering portraits of females with comic book visual subtext, a graphic art interpretation of the masters. Call it comix cubism. 838 S. Spring / Artists Reception 7-9pm

Chapman Windows again hosts The John C Hench Division of Animation and Digital Art at USC, also known as Hench-DADA. They continues their series of works by MFA animation students with “Brigade Parade”. In college art speak, “Brigade Parade” contains “animated experiments in non-theatrical socialization, installations and projections.” In Art Walk preview speak; Troymation are cool college toons. 750 S. Broadway / 6-10pm

Todd/Browning Gallery just re-opened from a West Hollywood location, the vintage & contemporary photography contained within the eccentric bookstore Polyester. 207 W. 5th

compactspace has “Desert USA”, new photos and video works by Deanna Erdmann. 105 E. 6th

Art Slave is one year old and will exhibit Neil Simon Poyuzina’s “A Dream Realized.” 216 S. Spring

Hippodrome “If you are not a native, it’s the quickest way we know–– to become an honorary Angeleno,” says the theme song of Esotouric’s Hippodrome, the floating art salon that circles Gallery Row stuffed with entertainment. It’s not an Art Walk shuttle, it’s a moving gallery of performance art that defies description.

Pharmaka continues “Rebel Legacy - The Abstract in Latino Art”, a show that says “Chicano art by its very nature was born out of rebellion and controversy, changing the way we looked at art and the world.” Curated by Kathy Gallegos, Director of Avenue 50 Gallery. 101 W. 5th

Comedy Walk version seven runs from 8:30pm-10pm at the New LATC Theatre, (514 S. Spring) and other nearby venues. Featured performers are Jason Dudey, Michael Goldstom, and Alysia Wood.

Crewest will “Write and Revolt” until August 10, 2008. 110 Winston

Gary Leonard Gallery has comics on the mind, as “Chicken Boy is Back” cartoons will be on display. Inspired by the 22-foot-tall statue that once held its bucket on Broadway near 4th, the group think tank of Amy Inouye, Stuart Rapeport, and Thomas “T.K.” Nagano created the single panel cartoon “Chicken Boy is Back” to fry downtown culture. 740 S. Olive / 7-9pm

Possum Saloon will reside inside the Regent Theater. Billed as an evening of art community and music, it will feature youth art group Theatre of Hearts. 448 S Main / 6-11pm

While you are near the Regent, look up over the marquee and glance at the mural “Main Street Recovery”as the late sun hits it. It will only take a minute.