melissamasatani | The Argonaut Newsweekly

Patricia Faure ,’a major force’ in the L.A. art world, dies at 80

Posted by melissamasatani | Oct 30, 2008 | News - Features, Santa Monica |

Patricia Faure, described as “a major force in the shaping of the Los Angeles art world,” died of natural causes early October 21st. She was 80. The Samuel Freeman Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, formerly known as the Patricia Faure Gallery, issued a statement, saying, “It is with great sadness that we must announce the passing of Patricia Faure. “All who knew her owed her a debt of gratitude for her gifts of grace, poise and elegance. A champion of artists and a passionate supporter of the arts, Patty was a major force in the shaping of the Los Angeles art world. Without her, many like myself would not be where we are today. She will always be remembered.” Margaret Neilsen, an artist Faure represented starting in the 1980s, remembers her as someone with “style.” “She lived life on her own terms and she was a true believer in the power of art,” Neilsen says. “The L.A. art scene would have been a much less colorful place without her presence. “Her passing leaves a void — we will miss her support, her insights, her advice, her great stories about Hollywood and the art world, her finely honed wit and humor, her fine art of flirtation, her discerning eye and her wonderful and unique voice.” Faure was born April 8th, 1928, in Milwaukee, and moved to Los Angeles...

Dream Halloween to benefit children

Posted by melissamasatani | Oct 23, 2008 | Entertainment |

“The LA Scene” comes to Barker Hangar in Santa Monica for the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) 15th annual Dream Halloween Los Angeles from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, October 25th, at the Santa Monica Air Center, 3021 Airport Ave. Honorary event chairs Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow Smith join host Jamie Lee Curtis in support of the foundation, which is dedicated to children in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “Worldwide there are more than two million children living with HIV and an additional 15 million who have been orphaned due to AIDS. Events such as Dream Halloween Los Angeles allow us to raise critical funds to support these children in need,” says Joe Cristina, founder and board chair of the foundation. “Our gracious sponsors, event attendees, performers and volunteers have helped us to raise more than $30 million since our inception in 1993.” Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Priestley, Melina Kanakaredes, Marlee Matlin and Doris Roberts will serve as honorary vice co-chairs for the event. One-of-a-kind dolls created in the likeness of Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow Smith will be presented to them by Bob Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer of Mattel, Inc., and Jerry Storch, chairman and chief executive officer of Toys”R”Us, Inc. A one-of-a-kind Hot Wheels made with Valderrama will be presented to the actor by Tim Kilpin,...

No Spitting No Kidding — a Conal retrospective

Posted by melissamasatani | Oct 16, 2008 | Entertainment |

Very little slips past Robbie Conal. Words, their meanings, their usage, take on new significance when one listens to this Mar Vista artist. Not that it should be a surprise, given his signature style — a word and a head. “I love words, I love colloquial American English,” Conal says. “I think it’s the most subversive form of communication on the planet — the language is capable of turning itself inside out and shaking official English from the bottom up, altering the meaning.” Words and images — the two go hand-in-hand for this New York son of union organizers. Educated at Stanford, Conal does not make art for art’s sake, he makes art as a means of expressing how he feels, what he sees, and what he thinks should be addressed. “Words are just vehicles for expression, they’re not actual expression, they’re vessels,” Conal says. “It’s what you put into the words that really counts […] that’s why, combined with images — the images affect the meaning of the words.” And what for many could be an idle task, a doodle habit, becomes for Conal a compulsion, an active form of resistance. “I’m not trying to make a million dollars or change anybody’s mind,” he says. “It’s just my means of expression.” Conal moved to Los Angeles in 1984, when Ronald Reagan — whom he dubs the “Teflon President”...

Del Rey celebrates the ‘big 5’

Posted by melissamasatani | Oct 16, 2008 | News - Features |

The Del Rey Neighborhood Council, will celebrate its fifth year of existence and the 105th anniversary of Del Rey, with its annual Del Rey Day in conjunction with the Community Annual Race for Education 5K Run/Walk to benefit Short Avenue, Playa del Rey, Braddock Drive, and Stoner Avenue elementary schools. The event is scheduled for Sunday, October 19th at Glen Alla Park, 4601 Alla Road, Del Rey. The Run/Walk will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. with registration beginning at 7 a.m., and will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival is free, with food, drinks and performances by area schools and organizations, as well as the Taiko Center of Los Angeles’s taiko drumming performance. “We will have clowns, entertainers on stilts, as well as tables and booths,” says Mark Redick, president of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council. “We set out soliciting people so that each of the tables will have something to give to or offer the community, and not have commercial products.” The business community in Del Rey has stepped up to offer prizes for the giveaway raffles, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will be present to give information on energy efficient light bulbs and educational materials, Redick says. “Our goal is to bring the people of the community together.” From the first event in 2003, the Del Rey Neighborhood...

‘The Other Venice Film Fest’ makes its solar-powered return

Posted by melissamasatani | Oct 9, 2008 | Entertainment |

The Other Venice Film Festival, billed as the only solar-powered film festival on the planet, returns for its fifth annual showing Thursday through Sunday, October 9th through 12th, at Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice. As the West Coast’s answer to the festival in Venice, Italy, The Other Venice Film Festival was founded by Reuben “Ruby” de la Casas, as a regional festival for local filmmakers. More than 90 films will be screened at the festival, which also features live music, DJs and other art forms, according to information on the festival’s Web site. The Other Venice Film Festival also honors “filmmakers who exemplify maverick filmmaking by creating stunning and poignant cinema” with the Abbot Awards, named for Venice founder Abbot Kinney. This year’s awards ceremony will be held at 8 p.m. Sunday, October 12th, at the Electric Lodge, with music by Michael Jost, a flamenco guitarist. Categories of the awards include Audience Choice and Local Maverick Spotlight. Opening night begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 9th, with a cocktail party and kicks off the screenings at 8 p.m. with Catherine Hardwicke’s Thirteen, 2003’s film festival darling. Based on the story of Hardwicke’s 13-year-old family friend Nikki Reed, the film has come to resonate with audiences worldwide. “When [Reed] was going through a tough transition in her life, I tried to help her find creative, not destructive activities,” Hardwicke...