Category: Events

  • Movie Club starts Sunday Jan 20

    Movie Club starts Sunday Jan 20

    The Downey Arts Coalition is sponsoring a new monthly movie club to bring highly regarded independent and foreign films to Downey audiences.  In partnership with the Epic Lounge, the evening will feature snacks, drinks, trivia, prizes and more.

    The debut film takes place Sunday, January 20th, with a screening of The Secret in Their Eyes, winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  As a bonus, this first event will be free.

    The Epic Lounge is at 8239 2nd Street, Downey, CA 90241 (at New St).  Event starts at 2:00PM.

     

     

  • Gil Hagen-Hill Featured Poetry @ Stay Gallery Thursday

    Gil Hagen-Hill Featured Poetry @ Stay Gallery Thursday

    Change of Venue: Stay Gallery 11140 Downey Ave.

    Gil Hagen-Hill was educated in southern California during the “placid” 1950’s  and “turbulent” 1960’s. He  received a B.A. in Theater Arts from C.S.U.L.A in 1973. Shortly  thereafter he became a member of  Scorpio Rising Theater founded by Alistair Hunter. From there to “The Burbage  Theater” ensemble housed  at the Century City Playhouse . . .some cable TV, a marriage, a beautiful  daughter, a divorce, another  marriage, a trip to Scandinavia, Ireland… He recently sold custom built  motorcycles, is now looking for a new incarnation.

    Gil began writing poetry in high school and in college. In 1994 he began finding poetry more  important in his life – by 2000 his work had appeared in a number of poetry journals on the east coast  and mid -west.

    He  has been published in Verses, Schuylkill Valley Art Journal and Rochester, New  York’s “Hazmat Literary Review.” On  the west coast he was proudly associated with Lummox Journal in its monthly  format as well working with  the Chief Lummox “Rain Dog” Armstrong on several projects including “Through a  Glass Darkly” and “Last Call.” He  has participated in writer’s work shops at Angels Gate Art Center.

    His poetry is hard to classify – sometimes confessional sometimes surreal – but always  evocative.

    New Location: Stay Gallery 11140 Downey Ave (& Firestone), Downey, CA 90241.  

    Series curated by Lorine Parks, lorineparks@verizon.net    Open mic at 7:30 PM

  • Downey Civic Light Opera “The World Goes ‘Round”

    Downey Civic Light Opera “The World Goes ‘Round”

    February 14 – March 3, 2013

    The World Goes ‘Round

    A compilation of songs drawn from Kander and Ebb musicals such as Cabaret, Chicago, Funny Lady, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and New York, New York.

    8:00 p.m. performances: February 14, 15, 16, 22, & 23

    2:30 p.m. performances: February 17 & 24

    8:00 p.m. performances: March 1 & 2

    2:30 p.m. performance: March 3

    ticket prices $35/$30

     

  • Downey Symphony Orchestra “Berlioz to Brahms”

    Downey Symphony Orchestra “Berlioz to Brahms”

    April 6, 2013     8:00pm     Downey Civic Theatre
    BERLIOZ:  Roman Carnival Overture
    CANTELOUBE:  Chants d’Auvergne             Parvathi Subbiah, Soprano
    BRAHMS:  Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98
    Downey Civic Theatre
    8535 Firestone Blvd.
    Downey, CA  90241
    (562) 904-7230

  • Downey Symphony Orchestra “Simple Pleasures”

    Downey Symphony Orchestra “Simple Pleasures”

    Downey Civic Theatres   January 26, 2013   8:00 PM

    Mozart:   Divertimento k. 138

    Neruda:  Concerto for trumpet and Orchestra    Conrad Jones, Trumpet

    Copland:   Quet City   Conrad Jones, Trumpet    Catherine Del Russo, English Horn

    Britten:   Simple symphony  Op. 4

    Downey Civic Theatre

    8535 Firestone Blvd.

    Downey, CA  90241

    (562) 904-7230

  • “Penney’s From Heaven” – staged reading Dec. 8, 2012

    “Penney’s From Heaven” – staged reading Dec. 8, 2012

     

    Downey Arts Coalition and the Stay Gallery presents a world premiere staged reading of two new plays by Daniel Houston Davila, our local playwright and expert on the Carmelas barrio that was located in Norwalk, CA through the 60’s.  The DAC presented two other plays from the series “Borderland: The Carmelas Cycle of Barrio Plays.” back in May, with “La Vida Lucky (1971)” and “El Bobo Bruto.”  Alistair Hunter, founding DAC artist, directs the readings.

    “PENNEY’S FROM HEAVEN” (1961)
    a one-act play by DANIEL HOUSTON DAVILA
    directed by ALISTAIR HUNTER

    MIXER ~ THEATRE ~ DRINKS ~ COOKIES ~ Q&A
    Live Music Performance by THE BLACK PAGES
    FREE ADMISSION

    Please RSVP, either on Facebook (click here) or email rsvp@www.downeyarts.org.  Thank you!

    Also presenting an early work-in-progress reading of
    PRICE TAGS (1966)

    Part of “Borderland: The Carmelas Cycle of Barrio Plays,” set in historical Norwalk, CA, the rural outskirts of Los Angeles.

    Cast: Leila Almas, Daniel Houston Davila, Claudia Duran, Linda Lopez, Mario Martinez, Marina Palmier, Jaime Zevallos.
    Graphic Designer: William Rademaker

    Penney’s From Heaven (1961) follows Nadia Valdez and her desperate hours waiting for her husband to come home whom she believes is gambling away their last hope for Christmas presents for the kids.

    Price Tags (1966) finds Sammy Gallardo, a struggling freshman at Cerritos college caught in a dilemma: protect his hemophiliac friend Remi from recklessly damaging his fragile body on a roller coaster at the Pike, or allow him to enjoy his life even if there are consequences.

    DAC presented Davila’s other plays in the cycle, La Vida Lucky, and El Bobo Bruto to a packed house at Granata’s this past May.

    DAC works to bring plays by local writers here to audiences in Downey to experience a slice of their own community and celebrate our shared experiences.

  • The W Art Show in Whittier Nov 16-17

    The W Art Show in Whittier Nov 16-17

    The Downey Arts Coalition is proud to be involved in the Whittier Cultural Arts Foundation’s annual art exhibit, November 16th and 17th at Parnell Park in Whittier.

  • Art on the Vine presents William Rademaker, Lissette Nicole De La Trinidad, Marita Nylen – Nov 3rd

    Art on the Vine presents William Rademaker, Lissette Nicole De La Trinidad, Marita Nylen – Nov 3rd

    Saturday November 3rd is our monthly “Art on the Vine” show, featuring local artists William Rademaker and Lissette Nicole De La Trinidad, along with Marita Nylén, a teacher and artist from Sweden who has fond memories of her time in Downey.  An evening of watercolors, ink, chalk, ceramics and photography.  Enjoy live music, food, and raffles of original artwork.  7PM to midnight at Mari’s Wine Bar, 8222 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241.

  • Sculpture workshop with Jorge Del Toro – Oct 23

    Sculpture workshop with Jorge Del Toro – Oct 23

    Downey resident and celebrated sculptor Jorge Del Toro will be featured as the demonstrator for the regular meeting of the Downey Art League, Tuesday October 23rd.  The free workshop takes place from 7 to 9PM at the Barbara J Riley Community Center at Apollo Park.

    In June the Downey Art League voted in a new board, comprising of president Andrew Wahlquist, who founded the Downey Arts Coalition.  Original Coalition members comprise the rest of the board, including Don Lamkin, Pat Gil, Carolina Del Toro, Lana Wahlquist and Donald Marshall.  Eddie Aguirre continues on the board after 14 years serving as the Downey Art League president.

    Join us for this first artist demonstration of the fiscal year.

    Jorge Del Toro  is from Chapala Jalisco, Mexico.  As a child, he was taught how to restore pre-Columbian artifacts.  He became intrigued by ancient cultures, particularly the Mayan.  He loved making miniature pieces of reptiles with Mayan influences.

    Jorge immigrated to the USA at the age of 17.  He graduated with honors from Huntington Park High School.  Jorge received several awards and recognition for his outstanding clay creations, making the front page of the local newspaper.  Jorge has attended, exhibited and received several awards from Cerritos College.  His artwork has also been exhibited in several galleries of the LA and Ventura counties, and at the American Museum of Ceramic Art, in Pomona, CA.

    Jorge’s main inspiration is reptiles, and portrays them with an astonishing level of detail and realism.  Most of Jorge’s artwork depicts a statement, hoping to draw attention to these unique, and often endangered species, and the environmental challenges they face.

    Although Jorge is mainly considered a Sculptor, he has recently been exploring a long felt desire to paint, and has demonstrated to encompass the talent as well.  As with his sculptures, his mostly abstract soft pastels/paintings, not only depict his interest in reptiles, but also the inner turmoil of suppressed feelings.

    The Downey Art League began informally in 1958, and was formally incorporated in 1967.  Since then it has provided a community gathering place for visual artists to learn new techniques and get their work shown out in the city of Downey.  Membership is open to anyone, and is currently $15 for the year.

     

  • Downey Arts Coalition meeting Sat Oct 27

    Downey Arts Coalition meeting Sat Oct 27

    The regular monthly meeting of the Downey Arts Coalition will be Saturday, October 27th at the Downey Theatre.  We meet in the green room.  The theatre is next door to the Downey City Library off of Brookshire and Firestone.  Enter through the office entrance directly across from the library.

    Meeting begins at noon, and ends around 1:30PM.  We talk about upcoming arts events, as well as ways that we can improve the city’s relationship with the arts.  There is a lot of opportunity here locally if you have an interest in any of the visual or performing arts, meetings are open to anyone.

    For more information, email Andrew at ajw@www.downeyarts.org