Swapmeet Chronicles

TV Cafe is Closing Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:45:00 +0000

Well it is official the old TV Cafe will be closing it's doors this Sunday at midnight. The cafe opened its doors in 1987 and maintained a very retro 1950s facade. The exterior had various hand painted signs and a giant hamburger,drink and fries on the roof. The menu had everything from hamburgers to tacos, malted shakes and slices of pie. There were lots of old fashioned looking booths with tons of frames and memorabilia showing celebs and national events. A variety of old video game machines and ping pong machines adorned the back room.Today's this place could seem a bit cheesy, but as a history lover I enjoy these types of places. I didn't eat there often but there have been many times I stopped in to get a drink or a late night plate.

TV Cafe in its prime photo courtesy of their Face Book page

I stopped in last night just to say bye and eat some fries....

Lone interior, but it was like 2 a.m.

Can't go wrong with French fried sprinkled with pepper

Waffles with buttery love

Not sure why there is a sign for Carnitas Michoacan on their property but I am guessing the owners are either friends or the same owner???

If you want to grab a bite before they shut their doors the last day is Sunday, January 29, 2012 @ midnight. They are also selling everything in the building because it will be torn down.

Peace,

DJ

Grand Opening of Bow-Tiki Boutique: Friday, January, 27 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:47:00 +0000

Come join my friends at the grand opening of Bow-Tiki Boutique in Long Beach. Bow-Tiki specializes in turn of the century clothing and apparel as well as art, jewelry, and travel gear.

Grand Opening
Friday, January, 27 2012
7:00 p.m.-10.00 p.m.
322 Elm Ave, Long Beach 90802
Live DJ playing swing/jazz
Art work, wine, appetizers, and everyone is welcome to come dressed in your best turn of the century attire.
Follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bow-Tiki-Boutique/265386296851538

Watts Up: A Walk Through The City of Watts

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:43:00 +0000

The gardens of many of the families in Watts are filled with fruitful trees, corn stalks sky high and a wonderful array of vegetables and herbs.
Read the rest after the jump

On street level Watts has so much history and stories...if only those sidewalks could speak. In 1965 the first riot in Los Angeles was sparked with the arrest of a black man named Marquette Fry. Fry was arrested by white policemen after being found driving erratically on August, 11 1965. The encounter caused the already tense neighborhood to riot in protest against racial profiling and discrimination by police. The end result of the riots resulted in 34 people dead, and 1032 injured. Pieces of the city was also taken away with over 600 buildings damaged (Matei, Rokeach 302) When I did my drive-through the city last year with a fellow Wattero (Becerro) he explained that much of the history was destroyed. I was able to capture whatever stood today. Although, that era is long gone some of the relics of past destruction peak through the cracks.

white man's version of the Watts riots the aftermath original footage.

Amazing description by Kumasi of the Watts riots from a Black perspective...very moving
"That whole building is coming at you, brick by brick coming at your ass, the building, that is what we are throwing at you. The building, the bullshit, the rubble, the rubbish that we live in"......

Jordan's Hot Dogs

1330 E Imperial Hwy

Los Angeles, CA 90059

Best sandwiches in town

Need a motel with mirrors in the ceiling? well this fancy motel is the spot

Mirror Motel

1904 E 113th St

Los Angeles, Ca 90059

A well known neighborhood cafe that had been here since the 1960s..when I took the picture last year it was still open but word is this establishment is now closed.

Jordan's Cafe (closed)

11332 Wilmington Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90059

Pedestrian Bridge over Metro Blue line

The Watts Community Action Center WLCAC has been a place that has helped the community with resources, social services, education, and much more. This skate park was recently installed as upgraded efforts for local youth.

Photo from galley installation at the center

Graffiti Production across the street

"G" rides ain't a thing of the past here...

This alley was so interesting to me, it was like a magical garden shut down....the alley was no longer in use. Weeds overgrown and fenced off left this alley a forbidden zone. It seems like instead of cleaning it up the city rather have it shut down and forgotten. It was quite odd.

On a different occasion my friend Ani introduced me to a classic burger joint called "Hawkins House of Burgers" It was a humble joint with regular customers enjoying these big juicy burgers.

Hawkins House of Burgers
11603 Slater St
Los Angeles, CA 90059
(323) 563-1129

www.hawkinsburgers.com

Facebook Page

Twitter

Lone liquor store sign left... no liquor store or delicatessen in sight.

I only got to explore so much and definitely like to continue my journey documenting what I could of Watts.

Please feel free to comment if you grew up here, enlighten us with history, food reviews, or stories about this city.

Until next time good bye from Watts, California.

Sources:

Adam Matei, S., & Ball-Rokeach, S. (2005). Watts, the 1965 Los Angeles Riots, and the Communicative Construction of the Fear Epicenter of Los Angeles. Communication Monographs, 72(3), 301-323. doi:10.1080/03637750500206557
Havok, Ani Torres

News Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:19:00 +0000

The Harbor Area has been plagued with rumors about a serial killer after the murder of Cristy Alvarez last week. According to authorities, the rumors are false and Cristy's murder was the only recent incident in that area. However, there is still worry in the air because her killer is still on the loose. Last night I went to her memorial sight to leave a candle and it really was an eerie feeling. I just wanted to pay my respects even thought I did not personally know who she was. Her murder sparked me interest and concern in the community and people are coming together to mourn and help the family. Today there will be a fundraiser for her family at a private residence in Wilmington and tomorrow there will be a peace walk with the community and the Brown Berets from her memorial site to Banning Park.

Here is the Daily Breeze story about the murder

Fundraiser today January, 14 2012

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_19730735?source=pkg

Cristy Alvarez found near train tracks on L Street and Hyatt

The only other confirmed murder was in San Pedro when Eva Tice was stabbed on Christmas Eve on her way back from church.link

I hope these ladies rest in peace

In other news yesterday was the 44 year anniversary of Johnny Cash "Folsom Prison Blues" Geesh how time flies but in order to honor that rare moment here is Johnny. More on this story here

I also have to start a new book I promised to read like years ago I pulled it out of my bookcase

so its a start.

Revisiting Pelican Bay Art

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:37:00 +0000

This post was originally from 2007 when I first started the blog. However, I decided to re-vamp and revisit the old post . The majority of the art work was from inmates who were serving S.H.U time up at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City California.

"This is where the inmate eats, sleeps and exists for 22 1/2 hours a day. He spends the other 1 1/2 hours alone in a small concrete yard." NPR.org

In recent news:
July of this year Pelican Bay S.H.U and other supporting prisons in California went on a hunger strike in demand of proper living conditions and human rights. The following photographs consist of three different art shows from 2006-2007. One of the shows was curated by our very own Slanguage Studio Chinatown Gallery in 2006. The artwork was a collection of pieces and items gathered in correspondence by artist Dixi Swift . The other two shows where curated by small galleries in Long Beach and San Pedro by other organizations. As conditions and regulations have gotten harsher artwork like this has been hard to send home. For a minute Pelican Bay authorities started stamping mail with a big red stamp ruining some of the work. Other times the artwork never reached its destination and was destroyed. I am not sure the status of artwork today; nonetheless, this might be a last of its kind in this condition without authority alterations.

Insider Art Presents "Ballpoint Creations"

Controversial but thought provoking
Artists: Robert Tamayo, Jesus Gonzalez, Raymond Casares and Steve Carotan
Artist connect to their family and friends through Pelican Bay walls
Long Beach, California 2007

Check out the rest after the jump!

This next show was at the Slanguage in Chinatown Los Angeles, California June 2006. The premise of the show was displaying hand drawn artwork from inmates at Pelican Bay. Robert Tamayo was also featured in this show along with other artists.

The last set was an art show in San Pedro, California July 2007 and it was a mix of inmate artist from a variety of prisons in California including the SHU

Original Text: This color one is actually Not done with any colored pencils, crayons or markers THEY are not allowed to have that in the S.H.U but what they do is they soak magazines in water and squeeze the ink out then they use that to have color in their drawings, pretty creative thinking!

Peace,

Dona Junta

San Diego: Chicano Park

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:38:00 +0000

I finally got a chance to upload these photos form a recent trip to San Diego's Chicano park; a great use of urban space.

Lunch at this bomb fish taco spot...the micheladas were off the hook.

Seafood Bar Mariscos La Cacho

3120 Main St, Chula Vista, CA 91911

(619) 422-2287

Happy Anniversary to Us!

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:41:00 +0000

For my five year wedding anniversary I decided to make an early dinner to share with the familia. I used a recipe that my comrade Ritzy P over on LA East side gave me a while back. I added a bit of my twist to it and it came out pretty yummy. I also made a pasta recipe that my mom had gave me. Check out the recipe below

Happy anniversary to us!

Ingredients:

Baby Bok Choy
Fresh Ginger (minced)
Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Garlic (minced)
Sliced mushrooms
Ground Turkey
Garlic salt
pepper
Olive oil
soy sauce (to liking)
fish sauce (1) tsp

The bok choy leaves are already trimmed off this steam I would have more prep pictures but I decided to do this post half-way though my cooking =)

Mixture before the turkey...ginger smells so good

In a separate bowl season raw ground turkey with soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper---set aside.
In a large skillet heat up olive oil and add garlic, ginger, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, bok choy. Saute for about 5 minutes or less until the bok choy is slightly withered. Mix in turkey and fish sauce-- you can also add half a cup of water or more to get the mixture from drying out. Cover and keep mixing until turkey is cooked thoroughly. Add garlic salt or salt to your liking, or add more soy sauce.

Mom's Cold Pasta

Cold Spaghetti
Red and Green Bell Peppers sliced
Purple onions sliced
Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
Kraft grated Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning (dry)
Pasta seasoning (dry)
Shredded carrots
olive oil tsp
optional: sliced red bell pepper marinated in olive oil (from jar)
a few diced canned tomatoes (garlic, basil, olive oil flavor)

Toss the spaghetti first with balsamic vinegar dressing and olive oil. Add then the cut up vegetables, mix and get a good coat on everything. Mix pasta seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning in small bowl. Add as much season and mix it in as desired..enjoy

Enjoy

Love,
Dona Junta

Documentary: Playground (Child exploitation in the U.S)

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:02:00 +0000

I ran into this trailer of Playground a documentary on child exploitation in the U.S on another blog and I found it relevant to my studies. I am currently finishing an upper division course in Child Abuse and Prevention as well as a Sociology of Sexual Behavior course in which we studied aspects of commercial sex. This documentary talks about the issues of child exploitation in the U.S which is to close for comfort. I seen the statistics that state there over 100,000 registered sex offenders in CA alone. Check out more about the film below.

DOCUMENTARY FILM “PLAYGROUND”
Sexual exploitation of children is a problem that we tend to relegate to back-alley brothels in developing countries, the province of a particularly inhuman, and invariably foreign, criminal element. Such is the initial premise of Libby Spears’ sensitive investigation into the topic. But she quickly concludes that very little thrives on this planet without American capital, and the commercial child sex industry is certainly thriving. Spears intelligently traces the epidemic to its disparate, and decidedly domestic, roots—among them the way children are educated about sex, and the problem of raising awareness about a crime that inherently cannot be shown. Her cultural observations are couched in an ongoing mystery story: the search for Michelle, an American girl lost to the underbelly of childhood sexual exploitation who has yet to resurface a decade later.
Executive produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Steven Soderbergh, and punctuated with poignant animation by Japanese pop artist Yoshitomo Nara, Playground illuminates a sinister industry of unrecognized pervasiveness. Spears has crafted a comprehensive revelation of an unknown epidemic, essential viewing for any parent or engaged citizen.

Wise Latina: Expressions of her barrio known as Wilmington

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:29:00 +0000

It is great how in the past few years the younger generation of Wilmington residents have been bringing the city to light from its usual forgotten past. This new generation cares about the community and wants to see it thrive. Organizations like Slanguage art studio, WECAN, The Wilmington Wire, have gave a voice to young artists and those concerned with community issues.

Anabell Romero is no exception this "Wise Latina" has been expressing her ideas and concerns as part of the Wilmington City Council and journalist.

Read her first blog post as community correspondent of San Francisco's NPR station, KQED.

Mi Barrio: Growing up in Wilmington

Where have I been?

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:49:00 +0000

Good question, well not blogging latey. As many of you may know or maybe not know I am still an undergraduate student. I been very busy carrying on a full-load of classes and working full-time. I miss my dear blog and going off on new adventures, but of course I have to prioritize. I will be blogging more in the next few weeks because I will have a bit more time. For now, I am mostly reading books and not blogs! go figure. This weekend I will be reading 5 chapters of an older book called, Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser which is a book written about the rise of the fast food industry and as he desribes "The dark side". In addition, instead of reading the fun and disgusting facts I have to somehow incorporte Schlosser's ( sort of theory) and compare it to Max Weber's theory of rationlization. As most Modern theory classes I have to seek the real meaning of what the writer is saying not just the basic premise. Anyhow I just though I would update you all a bit on my whereabouts.

Be back soon!

Dona Junta

San Pedro: Gaffey Street Pool

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:40:00 +0000

Photo from Flickr

Gaffey street pool in San Pedro is tucked away on the hillside along Gaffey near 34th street. I started going to this pool with my older brothers back in the early to mid 90s. My brothers would go every day in the summer and come home baked from the sun rays. When I got a little older I started going with them. To get into the pool area you literally had to go up some broken wooden stairs on the side of the hill? Once past the deadly stairs a short walk though overgrown grass leaded you into the decaying pool facility.
Gaffey Pool was also the place where I first learned to swim. My brother started showing me in the shallow area and I caught on pretty quick. He also threw me in a few times which was not that funny to me! Gaffey pool was really blue and beautiful compared to the other local pools. The funny thing was that no matter how hot the day was there was always a cold breeze where the pool was located because of the ocean nearby. I remember it cost 50 cents to go in and the attendant gave you a netted bag and a pin to put your stuff away.
Unfortunately they shut down the pool in 1997 because it was in dire need of repairs. It was not the end of the pool anyhow, because years later vandals would start using the pool as a graffiti yard. It became a film location as well for tv shows such as, Cold Case.
I loved Gaffey pool when I was a kid but I also appreciated it when it was abandoned. There has been no word on restoration, I called the department of recreation to find out but no response yet. It would actually be nice if it was restored to its original status. However, I am glad that my brothers and I enjoyed the last of the pool's history.

Here is an article on the rich history of the pool.

SP military historians, community plunge into effort to restore pool It seems like everyone wants to save the Gaffey Street Pool. Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA) - Monday, April 24, 2000 Author: Donna Littlejohn

Longtime San Pedro residents love to reminisce about the sun-drenched summers they spent splashing in the aqua, blue-tile pool with an ocean view.
For local military historians, the pool in Angels Gate Park represents a priceless treasure from World War II.
But despite the pool 's many fans, bringing it back as a Los Angeles city community pool won't be easy.
Facing up to $1 million in repairs, supporters of a movement to restore the historic pool and reopen it to the public acknowledge it's an uphill climb.
"With its potential for public use and its historic value, this could all be neatly wound into one very cool community project," said Steve Nelson, director of the Fort MacArthur Military Museum. "Everybody who comes and looks at it says what a great idea, but there's no `sugar daddy' yet."
The pool , drained in 1997 when repairs were deemed too costly by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, sits empty , beneath the cover of trees in the park.
"The pool has historic significance and the community really misses using it," said Phil Orland, Harbor District supervisor for the Department of Recreation and Parks Pacific Region. "But it's very costly, and we've been waiting for some type of budget to rebuild the bathhouses. We've been waiting and waiting."
Asbestos removal from the changing room bathhouses, and making the pool handicapped accessible complicate the prospects of rehabilitation.
So for now, the pool remains unused -- except by vandals who chip away at its historic tiles and apparently warm themselves with bonfires at the bottom of the 10-foot deep section.
Graffiti mars one end of the Olympic-size pool .
An old stairway leading from Gaffey Street up to the pool recently was removed because it was unsafe.
Toni O'Donnell, city pool manager at Banning Pool in Wilmington, began her aquatics career as a junior lifeguard at Gaffey Street Pool at 3351 S. Gaffey St. in the 1970s.
"I've always thought that was the most beautiful pool the city has," O'Donnell said. "I love that pool . It's a pet project of mine."
Nelson's interest in the pool is historical. While he acknowledges it could take years, he's launched a move to bring it back to its former glory.
The former World War II Army base pool was opened on June 12, 1943, and is part of the military history of Fort MacArthur in San Pedro.
In the 1950s, it was transferred to the city of Los Angeles, serving generations of residents as a community pool .
"This was one of the premiere pools in Los Angeles," Nelson said.
Slowly, he's piecing together the history of the pool that was built with funds raised from an Army road show -- "Hey, Rookie!" starring red-haired actor Sterling Holloway, who at the time was stationed at Fort MacArthur.
Written as a morale-booster for the troops, "Hey, Rookie!" -- an army parody -- was featured in local performances at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles and the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium (April 28 and 29, 1942).
"We had all original music," said Ralph Fetherolf, 82, of Hesperia, who played clarinet with the show's band. "There was a lot of comedy and a lot of parody, but there was some serious music, too."
The original cast billed itself as "The Yardbird Club" and began as a mobile entertainment troupe along the West Coast.
"Troops were stationed all along there, from Huntington Beach to Malibu, and they were not allowed to wander around," Fetherolf said. "So we went around and played shows for them and that evolved into the show they called `Hey, Rookie!' "
After an eight-month stint playing to packed houses at the Belasco Theater and other local spots, the entertainers traveled abroad for two years, putting the show on for troops in North Africa, India and Italy where some members of the cast came under enemy fire.
"I think we entertained more troops than any other one group during World War II," Fetherolf said, noting that audiences in North Africa sometimes swelled to 11,000.
The road show raised $250,000, which was used to build the Gaffey Street Pool and a second pool that still serves military personnel on Fort MacArthur's lower reservation -- named Hey, Rookie Pool No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
If the pool is restored, Nelson would like to see the changing rooms preserved as much as possible.
Among his ideas is recreating the "Hey, Rookie!" production as a fund-raiser.
Through contacts with former "Hey, Rookie" band members like Fetherolf and Andrew Ilnicki, 85, of Lawndale, Nelson has managed to collect the sheet music and several programs with photographs from the show.
Holloway, who went on to play on "The Life of Riley" television show from 1953-58 and appeared in numerous other stage, film and television productions, died in 1992 at age 87.
While he doesn't have a script or film of the show, Nelson does have the 78rpm record albums containing all the show's musical numbers with titles like "It's Great To Be in a Uniform" and "I Met a WAC From Hackensack."
A 16mm color movie was made of one of the performances at the Belasco Theater, Fetherolf said, but he doesn't know where it is. He said Columbia studios bought the rights to the story and believes a motion picture was eventually made.
The play was viewed by Gens. George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower, who gave it an award.
"People who saw the show back then loved it," Nelson said. "Would it work today? I don't know. It was a simpler time and humor wasn't as sophisticated."
Nelson, who still has the pool 's 1943 dedication plaque at the military museum in Angels Gate Park, hopes someday it will be preserved along with other remaining structures on the old army base as a historic site for future generations.
"A hundred years from now, if this is all still intact, what an absolute gold mine," he said. Anyone with information or memorabilia of the "Hey, Rookie!" production or of the Gaffey Street Pool during World War II can call Steve Nelson at 310-548-2631.Caption: 1, The once popular Gaffey Street Pool at Angels Gate Park in San Pedro has been dry since 1997. Restoration of the pool would cost an estimated $1 million. Steve Nelson director of the Fort MacArthur Military Museum, hopes to restore the pool to its former glory.

I was not able to locate any photos of the pool back in the days and for sure we never owned a camera. If anybody has any memories or photos I would appreciate seeing them.

I think I wrote this because it is really hot today!

Peace,

Where are my readers??

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:21:00 +0000

Do I even have any?? I need to blog I know, I have been so busy hopefully I get a surge of energy and get writing!

Defiant Chronicles: Saturday, April 30, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:34:00 +0000

Defiant Chronicles is the documentation of the rusty and beautiful concrete layers of the city. The unwanted streets tell us history while the broken structures breed color into art.

From Museum website:

The Museum of Latin American Art presents “Defiant Chronicles,” the second exhibition organized by MOLAA for its new satellite space called The Collaborative. Co-curated by MOLAA Curator Idurre Alonso and Slanguage Founders Mario Ybarra Jr. and Karla Diaz, the exhibit focuses on representing current strategies for artistic production derived and influenced by urban and street art including graffiti, stencil and stickers. The exhibition is comprised of two multi-media installations by artists aka, Acamonchi from Tijuana, Mexico and Los Angeles-based artist aka, Perl from the graffiti female collective FDS (From the Streets). The invited artists share a similar concern for utilizing artistic tactics of research-based projects, documentation and investigation. The exhibition challenges the traditional approach to street art/graffiti as a practice that is meant to be singled-out from its place and context, exclusive to an insider audience and contradicts the perception of urban art as a male dominated art form that rarely addresses gender issues in its content. May 1 through July 24.

Opening Reception April 30, 2011

7 p.m. - 9 p.m

Show runs till

July 24, 2011

Location: The Collaborative,

421 W. Broadway, Long Beach.

Phone: (562) 570-1930

Swapmeet Chronicles will be participating in the show with photographs documenting the forgotten streets of Wilmington and South Central.

"Dino's"

"Drink and Wash"

"lonely virgin"

Paintography: Featuring Works by Tonan

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:28:00 +0000

This Saturday, April 9, 2011, please support WECAN in another notable exhibition featuring many talented artists including my comrade Swoe FDS. This show will feature the unique, morphed photographs of L.A landscapes through the eyes of Swoe.

Strapped with a point-and-shoot digital camera Swoe does not need any fancy gear to get that right image. Swoe has a keen eye for photography and can manipulate his images into one of a kind creations.

When I asked Swoe what inspires him to take photos he said, it brings him happiness. However, it is also for the same reason graffiti writers paint spots; because of that relationship that one has with a part of the city. When a writer paints a spot they own that spot for that moment, that part of the city is theirs when they look back at their painting they feel good. The same things goes for photography you get to document something and share it with everyone to see.

The images that capture Swoe's attention are mostly buildings and of course people. Buildings can range from skyscrapers to old decrypted buildings. The mere angles dimensions and perspectives of these buildings are an intriguing part of his photos. The majority of his photos, he describes, are taken while driving which makes it that much more exciting. When it comes to shooting images of people he prefers capturing people in their natural state.

His theory for those that enjoy photography but do not have the means for expensive equipment is that it should never cost much to get creative. Everybody can make the most out of what they have. It is almost like a badge of honor when you accomplish something for nothing...

Legs That Dangle

4th street in full color-Boyle Heights

Ghost Corner

Check out his photographs and the rest of the talented artists in paintography.

Here is the info for event.

"Paintography"

The exhibition will open April 9, 2011 during LONG BEACH DOWNTOWN ART WALK and will be a collaboration with AMC Gallery at Phantom Galleries LB. It will exhibit single art pieces by multiple artist and media, and will be surrounding the theme "Paintography." Each artists will adress through their art what is Paintography or what it means to them or how it inspired thier work.

Featured Artists:

Edith Bogarin

Anthony Castro

Jimmy Centeno

Swoe FDS

Armando Cortes

Gail Forde

Francisco Martinez

Wesley Pacleb

Gloria Sanchez

Emilio Venegas

Publish Post

WECAN (Wilmington Enrichment Community Artist Network) promotes and supports the arts in Wilmington and the greater Los Angeles area through art exhibitions, performances, cultural events, and workshops.Based in the “Heart of the Harbor” we are a collective dedicated to providing and inspiring others to create and engage within the community through art. By creating a platform for engagement, we hope to spark interest in others throughout our area.

WECAN www.facebook.com/wecanart

Art, Music & Culture (A.M.C.) www.efrenluna.webs.com

Phantom Galleries LB www.phantomgalleriesla.org

LONG BEACH DOWNTOWN ART WALK www.lbdaw.org

NOTE: During this exhibition music will be played in the front and back of our gallery simultaneously there is going to be so much going on that day! THIS WILL BE AMC GALLERY'S LAST SHOW AT THIS SPACE!!! SO COME OUT AND SUPPORT!!!

"Yeah that's my gallery...but just got the news... since gov Brown eliminated RDA funding...that will be my last show as I will be needing to vacate the space the next day...hope to see you! Pass the word! thanks! Lets show them what they are going to miss out, ART, MUSIC & CULTURE!!!" -Efren Luna

Scaling the Wall Opening Reception: Friday, March 18, 8 – 11pm

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:59:00 +0000

Cella Satellite Galleries presents

Scaling the Wall

“…It’s me yelling to the whole world…I exist. I’m here.” – Wel, from Graffiti Verite

Los Angeles — Cella Satellite Galleries, is pleased to present Scaling the Wall. Curated by Trina Calderón and Miah Jeffra, the exhibition features graffiti and graffiti-influenced works by a diverse group of writers and artists in California.

Scaling the Wall comprises large-scale bombs by four of Southern California’s best female writers, and a white-wall display featuring six artists straddling the worlds of street and gallery institution, through various media.

Inspired by the groundbreaking MOCA street art retrospective, Art in the Streets, opening later this year, Scaling the Wall attempts to act as complement to Art in the Streets’ largely male roster of artists, while also discussing the complex and evolving relationship between street art and the arts institution.

Artists featured are PERL FDS, JERK, OPIA, KUTA ONE HEM BWS, ROOTSYSTM, ogdarthvader, LOVER ONE, C.1, Proto and Alberto Aviles Molina. The bombs, thrown up on bifurcated wood panels, will be auctioned on opening night, then divided at the close of the exhibition. Proceeds will benefit ArtStorm, an aerosol art non-profit organization that provides self-sustaining world-class Urban Art and LifeSkill programs for at-risk youth in Los Angeles. Aerosol paint for the bombs is provided by Montana Store Los Angeles, in Echo Park.

The opening reception will be Friday, March 18, from 8 – 11pm. The evening will feature live painting by Collective Aesthetics. Sound equipment to be provided by Looport and DJ Mixter Ed will spin records for the opening event.

Cella Satellite Galleries is located at 10816 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood. Gallery viewings are by appointment. For more information, please contact Shannon Currie Holmes at 213.291.7908 or info@cellagallery.com.

EXHIBITION AND GALLERY EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Press Release by Trina Calderon

Black Roses In the City of L.A: This Saturday, March 12, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:06:00 +0000

Land Mark, Inc. & Opia proudly present:

I am also pleased to announce this art exhibition is being curated by my comadre, Opia FDS please come down and support all her efforts in putting this show together. This event is featuring different generations of female graffiti artists from Los Angeles as they get together in collaboration for this special event. There will also be all female DJ's mixing some tight beats and vendors selling one of a kind merchandise. If you need supplies make sure to support Landmark shop pick up some stuff. Save the date! see ya there!

Saturday - March 12th, 2010

10:00am - 6:00pm

Location:
Land Mark, Inc.
6709 S. San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA 90003

"Black Roses...in the City of L.A."

A live graffiti art event showcasing blossoming female talent in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas. The title of the event is symbolic for the rarity of artists themselves within a male dominated sub-culture. Each artist represents her own mysteriously unique style that stands out as does a black rose within a throng of red roses.

Event photography by:

www.AmayzunLA.com

Eris (www.HuskeyRadio.com)

Merchandise Booths:

Ezabel Jewelry

Rotting Fresh

Rebourn Jewelry

Sand One Silkscreened merch.

Opening Set:

DJ Sweet (10 am - 12 pm)
DJ Madame X (12 pm - 2 pm)

Closing Set:
DJ Michelle Q (4 pm - 6 pm)

http://www.blackrosesinthecityofla.blogspot.com/

www.twitter.com/blackrosesla

www.landmarkinc.net

www.lagraffitigirls.com

www.huskeyradio.com

www.twitter.com/teamhuskeyradio

Tales from 14th Street: Forgotten Oldies

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:41:00 +0000

"Tales from 14th Street" Is a look back at childhood days living in San Pedro California. I will share the fun and not so fun adventures of living in the hood during the 80's and early 90's. If anybody grew up in this area during that time please email or comment anytime and share your stories or thoughts.

I guess by now if you are a regular reader then you come to realize that I am very nostalgic and I have been since I was a kid. I love remembering the lost and forgotten, now don't get me wrong I am still up on game with the present and the future but why not love your own history?

The year is around 1990 and the hood homies have been partying hard almost every weekend. If you read before, my window used to face the back of the apartments, so I was always awakened by all the noises. The funny thing is that nobody ever complained or hardly called the cops most likely because it was "todos los concidos" which means all the people we knew. Everybody also seemed way older even though most of them where just teens. Now like before there is always those oldies that sick in your head from a certain time, even though an oldie has been an oldie forever some oldies stay stuck in time (make sense?) Dam aside weed what drugs where people doing back in 1990? lol something mellow I suppose if oldies are involved!

I think people where making-out or getting high when this song used to be on....but they always bumped it.

The Hood Taught Me A New Word

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:52:00 +0000

New blog rant on L.A Eastside.....

The Hood Taught Me A New Word

San Pedro: Peck Park Pool circa 1986

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:55:00 +0000

News-Pilot, April, 4th 1986......Now 25 years ago (click on photo to enlarge)

Peck Park Pool in San Pedro is a childhood/teen landmark for those of us who grew up in the area. Generations of kids have visited the pool during summer break. I started going to Peck Park pool around 1996 before that I used to go to Gaffey pool but when I moved I started coming here. My friends and I would "mob" up Summerland to get to the pool. During that time is was the awkward years for my friends and I. The boys started to become interested in girls and the girls in the boys. However, the boys acted a bit more immature about it. My friends and I would wear T-shirts because if we dared go in our swimsuit it was boy drama. Most of the time our peers went to the pool to check out that certain boy or girl of interest. It was not surprising to find couple kissing in the canyons after the pool closed. During the years I was going I never seen graffiti in the pool. By that time there was a heavy duty steal fence and censored lighting. The photo above was from a 1986 News-Pilot article. During the mid-1980s graffiti was at its early stages in Los Angeles and in San Pedro. The pioneers of graffiti where themselves starting out experimenting with bombs and pieces.

My memories of graffiti in San Pedro started during the late 1980s. I would see full blown pieces and characters in alleys around my neighborhood. Down the street from my house there was also a huge wall across from train tracks that graffiti artists would paint on. I can not recall many of the names from back then, however, there were a few talented artists that came out of San Pedro as well as out of towner's coming to paint the tracks.

The article was about the problem that was happening with the pool constantly being vandalized. The methods back then failed because it was such a new problem. They tired leaving the graffiti up instead of buffing it in order to prevent more, that equaled to failure. They thought about barbed wire fencing however, worried about liability issues if someone got hurt climbing the fence. Here is a good quote from the original article:

"Graffiti is a reality and if we cover it before someone sees it we're not doing ourselves a favor"

Back then it seemed like a losing battle, from what I can read some of the work is pretty legit for that time period. Some of the most legible is.
Smurf
Dream On
PWL= Park Western Lomas which was a local gang in the area
RSP 3rd= Rancho San Pedro Third Street, established local gang

Peck Park Pool lives on for a new generation of kids, minus the graffiti.

Peace,

DJ

"Cocktails" Photographs by Bruce Ecker and C.W. Ellis

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 07:17:00 +0000

Last Thursday at the monthly San Pedro Art walk I seen a wonderful black and white photography exhibit at Lauren Kilgore's Studio Gallery 339. The photography exhibit was called "Cocktails" by Bruce Ecker and C.W. Ellis. I was really taken back by this exhibition because the photographer had captured many of the best historical bars in San Pedro. I have a fascination with historical bars, so to see that he had beautifully documented these relics was amazing. I wish I had a chance to meet the photographer but her was down the street at another show, however, his work is great and gets my appraisal. The framed prints are for sale for $200 which is not bad at all and a catalogue for about $20 which is awesome. The show ends January 31, 2011 and can be viewed by appointment only.

Lauren Kilgore's
Studio Gallery 339
339 West 7th Street, San Pedro, California
90731
(310) 514-1238

Are the Paisa Bars Disappearing?

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:12:00 +0000

Hello, just a reminder my latest blog post titled: Are the Paisa Bars Disappearing? is over on LA Eastside this time so please take the time and check it out. Thank you.

Click on link here...

Are the Paisa Bars Disappearing?

Swapmeet News Briefs

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 06:14:00 +0000

Here are some current events complied regarding crime in Los Angeles and Mexico along with my random rainy day photos. Please feel free to comment because feedback is much appreciated here at Swapmeet Chronicles. Now let us do the dam thing!

Rain?

The rain has been hitting Los Angeles, however, that makes up for all the drought we had in the past. So enjoy!

The Grim Sleeper

A few years ago the LA Weekly did a series of news stories focusing on a string of murders (mostly women) that had occurred over a period of 25 years in South Los Angeles. The women found murdered where mostly Black, and many whom lived the hard life of prostitution. Many of these cases where never reported in the media. The LAPD received much criticism for not ever making the murders public.For many of these victims the cases became cold. Finally after a re-opening of these cases DNA evidence linked an alleged killer to 10 victims all murdered between 1985 and 2007. It was not until 2008 that LA Weekly crime reporter Christine Pelisek started writing and researching the murders and dubbed the killer " Grim Sleeper" because he had taken a 14- year break between murders.
This story struck me for a couple of reasons. First of all it should the harsh reality of crime that never gets reported especially crime in low-income neighborhoods with the residents being mostly minorities. It almost seemed like most of these women did not matter because of the fact that they were mostly prostitutes and Black. The killer was also very illusive he managed to charm these women and unfortunately they became vulnerable to him. Here is the original story as read on LA Weekly.

There’s a small room at LAPD headquarters where the public isn’t allowed, where the door is quickly shut to the hall, where arguments erupt and frustrations fester. It’s off-limits to most other detectives, no press allowed. Lest anyone forget, a memo on the wall says so.

The six men inside call themselves the “800 Task Force” even though they no longer occupy Room 800, having moved to a lower floor of Parker Center to make room for a sex-crimes team. Their new room is cramped, the desks piled with mounds of paperwork. What is striking about their space is its main wall, heavily papered with photographs of dead young women.

Most of the bodies were found in the same vicinity around South Los Angeles.

July 2010 an arrest was finally made.
Lonnie David Franklin Jr was arrested at his home in South LA near Western Ave were most of the murdered bodies were found. The alleged killer was discovered through DNA evidence retrieved from his 28-year-old son. His son had recently gotten arrested and his DNA matched. All new inmates are now required to swab for DNA samples. The DNA was familial to that of Franklin's DNA and the victim's.

Lonnie David Franklin Jr house in South LA were the arrest was made.

Courtroom photo of now 58-year-old Franklin

This week in an even more shocking revelation the LAPD released over 100 photographs and videos of women found in Franklin's home most of the even posing nude. Police hoped that somebody would recognize some of these women which could be potential victims.

Up until now the LAPD has received hundreds of calls from people giving tips on some of women. LAPD identifies 21 of 160 women in Grim Sleeper suspects photos.

For a full list of the 160 check out lapd.org Warning some of the pictures are creepy because some of the women look like they are dead.

No justice in Mexico!

Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, was killed in Juarez recently by a masked man in revenge for wanting justice for her daughter. Rubi Frayre Escobedo was found murdered and dismembered in 2008. Her boyfriend Sergio Barraza, was the prime suspect. Barraza was arrested and later released because lack of evidence even though he confessed to the murder and told authorities where the body was to be found. Now how ridicules and corrupt can that be?? It is a shame that the criminal justice system in Mexico has to be so dirty. To add insult to injury the boyfriend joined the "Zetas" cartel right after his release. Talk about harsh. Read the rest of the story here

30,000 have been killed in Mexico since 2008.

Most inmates die on death row of suicide and other natural causes as opposed to being executed.

John Levae Post was found dead in his cell in San Quinton's death row this week. The causes were unknown. It can take years for an inmate to come up for execution and the majority die before their date. The last inmate to be executed in California's death row was Clarence Ray Allen and before him was the infamous Crip co-founder Stanley Tookie Williams.

From LA Times...Since capital punishment was reinstated in California, 52 condemned inmates have died from natural causes; 18 have committed suicide; 13 were executed in California; one was executed in Missouri; five have died from other causes; and one cause of death is unknown, corrections officials said.As of Dec. 21, 2010, there were 717 offenders on California’s death row, authorities said.

Clarence Rey Allen

Stanley Tookie Williams

Random Van brought back memories...

Asta la proxima.

Sources:

The Daily Beast

LA Weekly

KTLA.com

Ceviche Jimenez

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:07:00 +0000

Last month I was honored to get a chance and taste this excellent homemade ceviche made by Rogelio Jimenez, father of my dear friend Ana. She had always mentioned her dad made the best ceviche ever, so actually tasting it, her praises were confirmed. I had ceviche from many restaurants and homemade as well however, this one is def on top of that list. The fish was super fresh (shark I think) it was just flavorful and perfect. I also ate it the style they are accustomed to on a tostada with a thin layer of mayo, topped off with avocado and fresh salsa yum yum....

Special Treat: Shrimp empanadas

Wilmington: Missions Down "B" Street

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:43:00 +0000

We used to drive by Figueroa and Harry Bridges (B street) to Wilmington on a weekly basis. That was the usual route my dad used on the way to church . Most of what I remember is seeing the same scene like a movie set as we passed by. The ironic thing is that scene did become a movie set for many films. The three buildings I remember vividly were Shipwreck Joey's, an old Mexican restaurant (or bar not sure) and a liquor store. Thanks to " Life in Wilmington" on Face Book I was told that the liquor stores name was called North star liquor. I still have not heard a response about the restaurant that might remain a mystery.From what I recall I do not remember ever stopping at the liquor store with my parents, I just remember how dark and seedy it looked to me at night. The only time I passed by on foot was when I walked from San Pedro to Wilmington in my teens.
Shipwreck Joey's basically was a cabaret style topless bar that was not well liked by some. The main reason is because of the sign and the building was very noticeable from all angles. When you would drive on the freeway entering or leaving the Harbor Area the first thing you would see was a bright yellow sign that said "Topless" in huge letters! The place had been painted so many times however, the signature architecture remained unforgettable. When I finally was able to drive myself all this was gone, so I am trying to see if I can re-create some of those memories of that street.

For a long time I tired to find some kind of information on these buildings. I did run into four good images of the different facades of Shipwreck Joey's. I think this building was the most memorable. Although many people hated it and wanted to see it gone it was well loved by the movie industry.

In 2000 almost none of these buildings or houses that were nearby existed anymore. Everything was basically bought out by the port of Los Angeles for re-development. Businesses that once lined this gritty industrial corridor north of Harry Bridges Boulevard -- Keep On Trucking, Shipwreck Joey's Cabaret, World of Birds and many others -- have been erased, leveled to make way for a harbor terminal expansion and road-widening project. (Zahniser B1)

This amazing photograph is was taken between 1979-1980. The photographer is John Humble and it is currently part of the collections at Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. Check out the rest of John Humbles collection, I really like his style because he loves the raw and gritty parts of the city. It is even more intense because he got to capture many images no longer in existence mostly from the 1970s and 80s.

Shipwreck Joey's in the movie " To Live and Die in LA" (1985) Photo from Seeing Stars. I think at one point after this is was painted a bright red with bold yellow letters.

Shipwreck Joey's used in " Fight Club"( 1999) it was transformed into "Lou's Tavern" Photo from Seeing Stars

This is the only photograph that I was able to find of what was North star Liquor. I was hoping to find more original photos but no luck. This scene is also from "Fight Club" (1999) and it features Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in front of it. Photo from " This Pedro Thing"

Helen's obsession with Shipwreck Joey's

Helen (Rest in Peace) was an odd women. I first met her as a kid back in the mid 1980s. She used to come to our house because her and my parents used to go to the same church. Helen looked liked maybe she was mixed with Mexican and Samoan or even Filipino.She was over weight and usually wore long skirts or moo-moos. She was deeply into the Catholic religion and had a very strong personality. She was always real blunt and not shy at all. The reason I say she was odd is because; she basically was a wanderer who roamed from house to house of church friends sleeping on couches, or even front porches. She seemed somewhat mentally ill at times. All the people like my parents forgave her because her state of mind. We never knew much about her background her age,or anything personal she mostly ignored you when you asked her anything. One funny memory of her was when we used to go onto the 110 freeway North and just as we were passing "Shipwreck Joey's" topless bar she would start yelling and screaming to " God" that she wanted that place shut down. It would not fail she did it every single time. The day Shipwreck Joey's went out of business she swore god made it happen because of her. She died about ten years ago of an illness.

The place mostly got a bad reputation because it became an eyesore but some shady business did happen there much like in the movies.

The former prosecutor could have been sentenced to a maximum 10 years in prison and fined $5,000, but the lighter sentence was given in exchange for his testimony at the September trial of co-defendant Stephen Gotter Bach, 41, of Inglewood. Bach worked as a bartender at Shipwreck Joey's Topless Cabaret in Wilmington -- where the securities theft scheme reportedly was devised -- and at Frontview Cabaret in Harbor City.( Simons A3)

Here is a Los Angeles Times story about the rise and fall of Shipwreck Joey's

Topless Bar Loses Its Shirt to a Truck Stop; [South Bay Edition]
GREG KRIKORIAN. Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext). Los Angeles, Calif.: Sep 6, 1990. pg. 3
Abstract (Summary)
[Rocco Grieco]'s plans for the 55,000-square-foot property that straddles the east end of the Harbor Freeway follow the closure in early July of its only tenant, Shipwreck Joey's, which opened in the 1970s. On Aug. 1, Grieco signed a 10-year lease for the property.In addition to the diner, Grieco said, the property will include a snack bar, six truck-wash stalls, trucking scales and several showers. "In the Harbor area, there's no place for these guys to go in and just shower unless they rent a hotel room," Grieco said. "These guys need these kinds of services."
Then again, [Robert Castagnola] said, it was Grieco's decision. And Grieco, owner or co-owner of several apartment buildings in San Pedro and Wilmington, has shown over the years that he knows something about business. "Rocco does have a nose for money," Castagnola said.The dirty dancing already is gone from the corner of B and Figueroa streets in Wilmington. And a year from now, the way Rocco (Rocky) Grieco figures it, he'll really be cleaning up at that corner.In more ways than one.By then, Grieco said, Shipwreck Joey's, a once-popular topless bar that closed in July, will be just a memory. In its place will be a diner.On the dusty lot next door, there will still be trucks, Grieco said. But instead of using the lot for parking, truckers will be using Grieco's new six-stall truck wash and scales.And if all goes as planned, the 37-year-old San Pedro real estate agent will have several indoor showers on the site, another feature of a deluxe truck stop for drivers who once cooled their heels between hauls with beers at the bar.Grieco's plans for the 55,000-square-foot property that straddles the east end of the Harbor Freeway follow the closure in early July of its only tenant, Shipwreck Joey's, which opened in the 1970s.

On Aug. 1, Grieco signed a 10-year lease for the property.Shipwreck Joey's, for years a landmark of sorts in the Harbor area, was hard to miss. With a bright orange exterior, opaque windows and the form of a bare-breasted blonde beckoning clientele, the bar was an eyesore to many, eye-catching to all.It also was the latest in a list of tenants that occupied the 4,000-square-foot Art Deco-style building constructed in the 1930s. And like the others, from the original Bayview diner to a later nightclub to a country and Western bar, Shipwreck Joey's did great business for years.But as shipyards closed in the port and other topless bars drew away customers, business at Shipwreck Joey's began sinking in the late 1980s. And when the owners of the huge lot that housed the bar put the land up for sale in 1988, leaving its future in doubt, it seemed just a matter of time before Shipwreck Joey's would close.Grieco thought about leasing the site and opening his own topless bar But that idea did not sit well with his wife, Joanne, he said."I went to a couple of topless places to see what their business was like. And I found they made big money," Grieco said. "But when I told my wife I was thinking about opening a topless place myself, she said, `You're crazy.'"She was against it from Day One."After considering other possibilities, including a small shopping center, Grieco said he came up with the idea of converting the property into a sort of super truck stop after watching the number of trucks along Figueroa Street and the Harbor Freeway."I counted 1,000 trucks going to and from the port in one hour. I know that sounds unbelievable, but it's true," Grieco said. And that number, he said, gave him a new idea."A full-service truck stop" is how Grieco describes it.The plans, Grieco said, call for converting the old bar into a 1950s-style diner that is convenient for truckers but that caters to a broader clientele."I'm not going to make it too nice so truckers won't come in, or too rough so yuppies won't come in," Grieco said. "I just want a place where I could bring my kids for breakfast."In addition to the diner, Grieco said, the property will include a snack bar, six truck-wash stalls, trucking scales and several showers. "In the Harbor area, there's no place for these guys to go in and just shower unless they rent a hotel room," Grieco said. "These guys need these kinds of services."Maybe so, but even some of Grieco's friends wonder how he would have made out if he had opened a new topless bar after the close of Shipwreck Joey's."I've got mixed emotions," said one friend, Robert Castagnola, 31, a Teamster who once frequented Shipwreck Joey's. "I think he'll do well, but I tried to persuade him to go with a topless place because he could have made a fortune with the right management."Then again, Castagnola said, it was Grieco's decision. And Grieco, owner or co-owner of several apartment buildings in San Pedro and Wilmington, has shown over the years that he knows something about business. "Rocco does have a nose for money," Castagnola said.So will Castagnola be as likely to visit his friend's diner as a strip bar?"Yeah, I'll go there," he said. "You know Italians, we stick together."

If you happen to drive by passing Figueroa and Harry Bridges (was B Street before) today, it is all still under construction for a new waterfront redevelopment project. It is amazing how much different this area will look after so many years of griminess. In an odd way I will definitely miss the old history but as you all know that is just me I like anything rusted up. If you are interested in seeing the future plans check out the Draft EIR.

Alrato,

DJ

PS has anybody actually ever been inside Shipwreck Joey's? don't be ashamed if so lol we love insight. Also please let me know if anybody finds out the name of that bar or restaurant next to North Star Liquor.

Sources:

GREG KRIKORIAN. "Topless Bar Loses Its Shirt to a Truck Stop :[South Bay Edition]. " Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext) 6 Sep. 1990,Los Angeles Times, ProQuest. Web. 2 Nov. 2010.

Zahniser, David. "PORT OF IMPASSE - Harbor department, last business still locked in talks." Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA) 5 Sep. 2000, LOCAL: B1. NewsBank. Web. 2 Nov. 2010.

Simons, Teresa. "Ex-deputy D.A. sentenced for role in securities theft." Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA) 30 Oct. 1984, NEWS: A3. NewsBank. Web. 2 Nov. 2010.

The Faces of Skid Row Opening Reception at Crewest Saturday, October 2, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Doña Junta) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:28:00 +0000

Photo from Salon.com

I always appreciate a good art exhibition that captures a real message about true life and issues we face in society. This Saturday Crewest Gallery the presents the " Faces of Skid Row." Living in Los Angeles everybody knows where skid row is located and the history behind it; however, sometimes we forget that many of the people who live on skid row are humans too with difficult life challenges. Weather it is an addiction to drugs a mental disorder or just a lost soul they can not be forgotten as members of our society. I have volunteered many times at the Union Rescue Mission and seen the need some people go through on a daily basis. From older men to women and children the reality of it is not pretty. The show will feature photographers, artists of many medias. I commend Crewest because it has not forgotten about their neighbors since Crewest is located in the vicinity of skid row. Here is more details vis their website...

All donations will be going to the Midnight mission!

With live spoken word performance by Mike the Poet and beats by DJ Phyz Ed

About the Exhibit:

Faces of Skid Row is an exhibition and fundraiser to bring awareness and focus

on the homeless living in the Skid Row area

of Downtown Los Angeles. Graffiti artists, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, street artists and fine artists have all come together as one. Bringing you an exhibition full of sincerity, hope, reality, and essence. Addressing core issues revealed through eye-catching, heartfelt art.

Exhibiting Artists:

Bob Motown, Branded, Dash, Dave Kawano, Dytch, Else, Enik, Eriberto Oriol, Estevan Oriol, Euth, Ezra, Graham Walzer, Gregg Stone, James Gillette, Juan Balandran, Lalo Alcaraz, Man One, Michael Pizarro, Mike Street, Oscar Magallanes, Philip Lumbang, Preston Craig, Shing Yin Khor, Sims, Smear, Thomas the Messenger, Two Rabbits, Mas, Ruthie Pie

Featured Artist: Mason Brown

Curated by: Luna George

Additionally, a donation jar will be located inside Crewest all month long and 10% of all art sales for the month of October will be donated to The Midnight Mission.

When: Opening Reception Saturday, October 2, 2010 and show runs until October 31, 2010

Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Crewest Gallery
110 Winston St. Los Angeles, Ca 90013

Check their website for more details on the show and related events
Crewest Gallery