Hot Time (Too Hot) at Artwater Festival

Artwater Rappers, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

NEXT TIME, how about more tents?

Countdown: 3 Days Till Artwater

Lips #1, originally uploaded by theturningman.

THE ARTISTS TAKE OVER Glendale Boulevard, between Brunswick and Glenfeliz, in Atwater Village this Saturday, 2:00pm to 10:00pm: More than 40 local Artisan vendors John Marshall High School artists 3 stages with 19 local bands Dance performances by Dance Garden and Heartbeat House Flavors With Love BBQ New Belgium Beer 55 Degrees Wine Function Drinks Create Your Own Succulent Garden hosted by Bittersweet Butterfly Rock Painting hosted by Los Angeles Parents Union Silk screening by Think Organic Short film screening by R3 Productions (8pm) Receptions at Little Bird, jFerrari and other art galleries The Artwater Music and Art Festival benefits Sonic Muze, raising funds for musical instruments and art supplies for Atwater Village, Los Feliz, Glassell Park and Silver Lake area schools.

Artwater Festival Returns April 26

EASILY THE MOST colorful annual event in Atwater Village, the Artwater music and art fest returns Saturday, April 26, 2:00 to 10:00pm along Glendale Blvd. As a warmup to the 2008 version, see The Turning Man's excellent photo gallery of last year's event.

If You Have Something Nice to Say...

...SAY IT ABOUT Atwater Village. Bekka Teerlink takes the east-side Art Crawl X down a few pegs, but makes mom proud with some kind words about our 'hood: The one discovery I did make is the galleries in Atwater Village. That's what people should be checking out (well, except for JFerrari Gallery - they weren't open so I never got a glimpse.) All these galleries get points from me for being friendly and welcoming - as well as for having something great to look at. If I were in the mood to relocate my studio - that's where I'd go. (And I was told there are empty shops on that stretch aching to be made into more galleries and studios.) Luckily it's still close at only a mile away. Yes, artists, fill up those empty shops! We could use a few more musicians, come to think of it. The Atwater Village mixtape has had enough Beastie Boys and Black Eyed Peas.

This Weekend: Art Crawl? More Like Art Sprawl

View Larger Map

COVERING THIRTY-TWO LOCATIONS in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Atwater Village, the tenth annual Art Crawl is this weekend on LA's east side. (Northeast side? North of downtown-ish side? East of Hollywood side?) I'm glad to see the quadfecta of Atwater galleries - Black Maria, LittleBird, J. Ferrari, Pounder Kone - all involved. Hopefully other Glendale Blvd. moms-and-pops will stay open late to distract the wandering hipsters. It's Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-14, starting 12:00noon each day. More at Art Crawl X. UPDATE: Nearby Eagle Rock's got its own art thang going on, 13 galleries on Oct. 13.

Artistic Self-Promotion Passed Along

A KIND NOTE from an excited neighbor: Dear Newbie, I am excited to present a new show at LittleBird that I have curated. This is my curatorial debut and would love it if you included something about the show in your blog! The opening reception will be Sat. Sept 22, 7-10pm. Thanks! Alicia Cheatham, LittleBird Gallery LittleBird Gallery is at 3195 Glendale Blvd., in the hipsterist strip of Atwater Village. More at littlebirdgallery.com.

Our First Summer Art Walk

MONTHS AGO, COVERING the proliferation of artistic venues along Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village, I mused, "If only they could schedule their openings on the same nights..." Voila, the first summer Atwater Art Walk, Saturday July 28, 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Go get your art on. jFerrari Gallery - 3015 Glendale Blvd. - Now showing a group exhibition of landscape paintings, Earthly Delights. Live music and live paintings by artist Dan Wooster. Black Maria Gallery - 3137 Glendale Blvd. - Opening reception for The Re-run Show, featuring works from memorable past exhibitions. Open bar and food, with a DJ spinning cool afternoon tunes and even maybe a surprise performance piece by Ladyspoke. Little Bird Gallery - 3195 Glendale Blvd. - Solo show featuring new works by Thomas Mulvane. Open bar and live music. Pounder Kone ArtSpace - 3407 Glendale Blvd. -Closing reception for Fully Fledged, an all women group show, including Artis Lane, Pamela Mower Conner and Dominique Moody.

Making Up for Lost Weekends

Orange Drain Cover Cat, originally uploaded by theturningman.

I HAVE BEEN RIGHTLY tsk-tsked for my absence from a shining moment on our neighborhood's spring calendar. The Artwater Music & Art Festival (previewed here) swept the sidewalks and storefronts of Atwater Village two weekends ago. Thanks to these kind persons, this is my blog's only first-person account: It wasn't culturally groundbreaking and we didn't stay overly-long, but my kid got to get her face painted, I met the sweet li'l old lady whose portraits are hanging at the J. Ferrari gallery, and Kaldi was selling espresso jello parfaits on the sidewalk. Overheard dialogue between a father and tween-age son as they walked toward one of the performance stage areas (the guitar case-toting son, ostensibly about to perform): Son: [grumbling] Aww, man! This looks lame! Father: [pleasantly clueless] What's that? You say you think it's going to rain? No, I was not boycotting. I was in Fillmore, of all places, for the annual pilgrimage to ride this cartoon-faced locomotive. Nothing personal. Let's enjoy together: theturningman's Artwater photos [Flickr]

Artists May Save Us From the Rain

IF THE RAIN CONTINUES these open studios might be a good way to participate in Saturday's Artwater Music & Art Festival. From Steve Stanard: Artwater Open Studio Tour Saturday April 21, 3:00 to 6:00pm "Here's your chance to meet neighborhood artists and experience their work in a casual setting. On this self-guided tour, you’ll see the art your neighbors are making right here in Atwater Village. There’s nothing to sign up for, and it's free." (Click to enlarge map.) Samuel Saga (drawing, painting) - 3149 1/2 Glendale Blvd., upstairs Christi McAva (painting) - 3181 Glendale Blvd., #6 - Enter at back door in alley Lorraine & Rick Heitzman (painting, drawing, jewelry) - 3251 Garden Ave. Cathy Ford (painting, photography) - 3910 Glenfeliz Blvd. Eban Leher (painting; adult content) - 3933 Legion Lane, off Dover Juan Rosenfeldt (painting, assemblage) - 3828 Valleybrink Road Ed, Vivian & Ian Flynn, Flynn Art Studios (painting, drawing, assemblage) - 3765 Legion Lane, off Sunnynook Just don't be surprised if upcoming exhibits include variations of a"wet shoeprints on studio floor" theme.

Causing a Row

CommunityWalk Map - Artwater Village

THE NEIGHBORHOOD MAY BE in serious danger of getting one of those Gallery Rows everyone talks about. Newbie friend Swirl Syndicate emailed me the scoop on the newest art scene in Atwater Village. Taking over the Heart To Heart Candies space at 3195 Glendale Blvd. is LittleBird Gallery. Artist opening and reception is planned for Saturday March 31, 7:00pm. So that's five galleries on that side of Glendale Blvd. If only they could schedule their openings on the same nights...