Join us for the annual election of board members and business for the Downey Arts Coalition. DAC Meetings are open to anyone with a heart for improving arts and culture in Downey. We have put on art shows, theatre, film screenings, concerts, festivals and Make Music Downey. We could use more help, and also official members of the organization to help us grow.
12 Noon at The Epic Lounge, 8239 2nd Street, Downey, CA 90241, enter through L.A. Buns.
The Lakewood Artist Guild will hold their Spring Art Show and Sale for adults and children on Sunday, June 1st, at Mayfair Park 5720 Clark Ave and South St in Lakewood. Registration is Friday, May 30th, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 31st, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Reception of artists and sales on Sunday, June 1st, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., with awards presented at 3 p.m. Prizes ranging from $250 to $15 to be given in all categories of fine art for master artist to beginner with three student divisions of ages 5 through 18. Prizes also will be bestowed courtesy of Supervisor Don Knabe’s office, the city of Lakewood, and the Lakewood-Long Beach Soroptomists. Also a drawing table with merchandise and gift certificates courtesy of local retailers will be available for all attendees to enter for chances to win. For more information call or (562) 421-8212, or E-mail Lakewoodguild@yahoo.com or http://www.lakewoodartistguild.com/.
June 14th is our free, open and public music festival MAKE MUSIC DOWNEY. More information will be released soon, but we have an exciting line-up of artists all over town, and on the main stage at the Downey Civic Center. With over 70 music performances scheduled, it is sure to be a mosaic of musical sounds across the center of the city, with every genre represented: Latin, World, Rock, Folk, Punk and more.
Local hit groups such as Las Cafeteras, Ceci Bastida, Chicano Batman, Salt Pedal, QuintaPenas, Nancy Sanchez, Downey’s own Honey Whiskey Trio and many others.
Our venues include the main stage outside of Downey City Hall, the Eclectic Roots stage at the historic city hall archway, downtown eateries such as Mambo Grill and Porto’s Bakery, arts and entertainment venues The Epic Lounge and Stay Gallery, as well as First Baptist Church of Downey, the Downey Music Center and other outdoor spots.
The day kicks off at 11AM, ends at 6PM. For more information visit www.MakeMusicDowney.org.
Stay Gallery is hosting it’s first annual ‘STAY YOUNG’ Festival Of The Arts to celebrate our local student talent.
Over 60 curated art works will be displayed by artists from Downey High, Warren High, and Downey Adult School.
Exhibit opens on Thursday, May 29th from 6p – 9p
ASB members invite the community to come together on Saturday, May 31st for a family friendly day of fun filled activities.
Stay Gallery is located at 11140 Downey Ave, north of Firstone Blvd.
Stay Gallery is hosting a unique show where music collides with the visual arts. Friday May 23rd is the opening reception of REALITY MALFUNCTION, a group art exhibit by Alfonso Salcido II, Rene Decasas, Ozzie Juarez and Julian Keith, plus a special performance by WAX CHILDREN. Event begins at 7PM, suggested donation at the door.
Stay Gallery is at 11140 Downey Avenue, north of Firestone Blvd.
From The Downey Patriot:
DOWNEY − What do you get when you mix distorted guitars and spacey reverb with a noisy wall of sound that meshes melodious riffs, jazzy drumbeats, and hypnotic — yet often indistinguishable — lead vocals?
A fan of alternative rock might call this psych-rock or shoegaze, but local followers of the reemerging subgenres recognize this as the rising, Covina-based band Wax Children.
Formed two years ago by lead singer Mr. Wall and guitarist Cal Jones, the self-proclaimed “bizzaro psychedelics” are now a quintet of twenty-something guys known not just for music, but for surrealist artwork, which will be on display at Stay Gallery later this month.
Drummer Julian Keith, who goes by the name “Fieldhouse,” joined the band early on after meeting Jones at an art exhibit in 2012.
“Cal and I were invited to display our artwork at a gallery. His art was right next to mine,” said Keith, who lives in Downey. “I had just come out of a band…and he was looking for a drummer. We kind of stumbled on each other.”
Keith played his first gig with the band the day after he agreed to join.
“Bizzaro-psyche is a bizarre twist on psychedelic. It’s very metaphorical, like being in a dream-like state. In a dream it doesn’t make sense on first glance,” he said.
“We use a combination of noise pop, shoegaze, slight jazz fusion — but we never tried to be one genre. We share the same favorite bands. But one guy loves delta blues and folk and another is heavy on punk and metal…we listen to a lot of stuff in the studio.”
However, music isn’t the only thing these guys are willing to make “bizzaro.”
Keith and Jones are also both accomplished artists who have displayed their surrealist and cubist pieces in several art galleries.
“My background with art started with me drawing on my notes in high school,” recalled Keith. “Painting is really a self-realization — I do it for myself. My angst in music becomes joy, but my angst in art is pain. I paint when something is bothering me.”
What’s bothering Keith lately? GMOs, or genetically modified foods.
“They’re feeding GMOs to children and they’re hazardous to your body,” said Keith, who will display work on the subject during a three-day exhibit at Stay Gallery called “Reality Malfunction.”
“This is the first time I’ve displayed in a while… ‘Reality Malfunction’ is just about expressing our angst towards society and bringing some realization.”
In fact, Wax Children released their third EP in February entitled “Angst,” but the group is already planning a return to the studio this year for a follow-up project.
“We’re actually working on two albums and talking to some record labels. If we get major airplay, that’d be nice, but we’re focused on finding a label that suits us properly,” he said. “We don’t want to make it too big, but we would like to make a career out of this.”
Ironically, the band’s name may describe much more about this group of young artistic rockers than one could ever imagine.
“It has different meanings, but for me, Wax Children is the realization that your childhood melts away as you get older,” Keith said with a smile. “So hold on to your childhood.”
To hear a sample of Wax Children’s music, visit waxchildren.bandcamp.com or facebook.com/waxchildren.
“Reality Malfunction” opens on May 23 at Stay Gallery and will feature the surrealist artwork of Ozzie Juarez, Rene DeCasas, Alfonso “Cal Jones” Salcido III, and Julian “Fieldhouse” Keith, along with a special performance by Wax Children.
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Published: May 1, 2014 – Volume 13 – Issue 03