Art Walk Preview for March, 2009
Ed Fuentes
"TRANSformal" — Kasarian Dane, Brent Hallard, Stephan Fritsch, Robin McDonnell, Richard Schur, and Nancy White are six of the nine artists to be exhibited at Pharmaka for the March edition of Downtown Art Walk. Joing then will be John Zurier, Mel Pr
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — With the time change, the March 2009 Downtown Art Walk will have a 6:59 pm sunset, just about the time the artists receptions begin -- assuming they all remembered to change their clocks. The forecast for 5th and Main is partly cloudy, with a high of 63 degrees before dipping to 56 degrees at sunset.
Pharmaka is a stop for "TRANSformal," the Los Angeles rendition of a traveling showcase featuring nine international abstract painters. The show is designed to "question the cultural and aesthetic differences" in contemporary abstraction. It first opened as "TRANS:Abstraktion" in November, 2007. By November 2009 TRANS will be at San Francisco's Meridian Gallery.
The L.A. version opens during Downtown Art Walk and you can meet the artists from 6 to 9 pm. It runs until May 2, 2009. An Artists' Talk will be held March 14th at 7pm. Pharmaka is located at 101 W 5th Street.
THE EXCHANGE at 114 W. 5th holds its official Grand Opening by featuring a model of the proposed Civic Center Park, funded as part of the Grand Avenue Project. Representatives will be on hand to discuss the features of the design.
COLLECTIVE THINKING: Todd/Browning, Phyllis Stein Art and the new Deborah Martin Gallery are wisely cross-promoting their gaggle of galleries at 207 to 211 W. 5th street and serves as a welcome to Deborah Martin Gallery, whose official opening is the day before Art Walk.
Todd/Browning & Polyester Books will exhibit a collection of tornado and severe weather photography by the late Eric Nguyen, co-author of "Adventures in Tornado Alley: The Storm Chasers."
Phyllis Stein Art will host S. Lee Robinson's "dynamic expressionist pieces" that teeter between balance abstraction and realism.
Deborah Martin Gallery opens with "Imagine," selected works by Susan Burnstine and "That's Amore" by Video Artist Yoshie Sakai.
MOVING ON: Gary Leonard recently took his gallery, "Take My Picture, Gary Leonard" to 860 S. Broadway. He plans to bring photography back to the personal experience of prints as an answer to "virtual" photography.
Dave Bullock's exhibition of industrial landscape digital photography continues at Niche.LA. Also showing is photographer Charlie Cho. Niche is located on the forth floor of the Springs Arts Tower, 453 S. Spring St, Suite 443.
Los Angeles Center for Digital Arts: "Rex Bruce gave up his car and spent two years riding public transportation recording images of the L.A. sky-scape as a meditation on the climate crisis . . . The resultant damage is visually appealing and painterly in texture and form while generating an atmosphere of technological and urban overkill, Los Angeles style." That about says it all. "Inverions" opens with a 6 to 10pm Artist Reception the night of Art Walk. It runs until May 2nd.
'UNFORGETTABLE': Capitol Records current release "Re:Generations" takes the music of Nat King Cole and links it to Hip-Hop, Modern Pop, Latin, Reggae and Rock artists. To visualize that concept, Crewest's Man-One was commissioned to do a mural at Capitol Records. The concept takes on new life as an art show, including works from other artists, at Crewest. Opening reception: March 12th, 6-9pm The show runs until March 29th. 110 Winston.
Bert Green Fine Art: Carl Ramsey's second show at BGFA continues his exploration of stylized themes on daily existence in and around the Historic Core. Loosely based on his own photographs, these artworks document just what is outside the door of BGFA. Also, Viva Hoffmann returns. Nicknamed "Viva" by Andy Warhol, her iconic paintings are a personal story using the visual language of traditional Indian, Chinese, Tibetan and Roman Catholic cosmologies. Opening Reception Art Walk Night, from a shorter 5pm to 7pm. It runs until April 25. 102 W. 5th.
Lot44 Coffee hosts Danny Hughes mixed-media "Names of Gods," an exploration of names and symbols. The shop is located at 257 S. Spring. In the same Douglas Building, the Atrium space will have art and a Live D.J. from 5pm to 7pm. It may be the first in a series of events using the Atrium as a community space.
Quick Looks: Company of Angels presents: L. O. L. Laugh with Class! A stand up Comedy show starring Rawle Lewis from Cool Runnings and Karen Anzoategui from the Ice House at the Alexandria Hotel 3rd Floor. Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles presents ScreenWalk at El Nopal Press (109 W. 5th). The mini-filmfest runs from 6-10 pm. Morono Kiang continues "Between the Borders," paintings by Varvara Shavrova (218 W. 3rd).
The Julie Rico Gallery presents "INTERACTIONS, an exhibition focused on abstract expressionism featuring artists of the Bunker Art Group. The Bunker Art Group is made up of artists from the former Soviet Union, and whom have origins from the underground art movement there. "The term bunker refers to the war bunkers that provided safety. The artists of this group have sought freedom of expression secure from government restriction." Opening Reception is from 6 to 9 pm. It runs until March 28th. 118 W. 5th.
Penelope Bullock on March 12, 2009, at 09:01AM – #1
The Skid Row Photography Club will be showing at the Regent Theater =]
Caryn Ho on March 13, 2009, at 09:31AM – #2
I'll be living here a month on Saturday. I can't believe it. So last night was my first art walk. I just went to a few places and tried to follow the Art Walk Map but found it too full of stuff. I think it would of been helpful if any gallery that was open had some type of distinct large signage outside to identify it as being on the Art Walk. Even balloons would have been helpful. I've seen that done in Venice and also other cities. I didn't expect the street artists. I loved that part and the music was really fun.
One observation is I went into Pharmaka, loved his art, and the artist/gallery owner was being harrassed by a large group of kids with a few adults. They came in, grabbed a bunch of food and ran out. I saw them gathering outside like a gang and talking about the next gallery they were going to hit. It didn't appear to me that they were there to be exposed to art and appreciate what they were seeing but were clearly there for free food and anything else they could grab. I really felt bad for this gallery owner because he was so upset he couldn't hardly talk with me about his art. It looked like a few galleries had private security but galleries shouldn't have to pay for that. I think the city should provide street security on Art Walk night. But it was my first art walk and so this was my observation.