Category: Events

  • The Stars Align – Downey Symphony Concert Oct 22

    The Stars Align – Downey Symphony Concert Oct 22

    Join the Downey Symphony Orchestra for “The Stars Align” on October 22, 2016 at 8:00pm.  This will be a thrilling program featuring the powerful and expressive work by Gustav Holst, The Planets.  In keeping with the symphony’s tradition of commissioning new pieces, the concert also includes the world premiere of a composition by long-time Downey resident and well-established composer, Lars Clutterham.

    Read about the concert, the composer, and Downey Arts Coalition’s Cosmic art show at the links below:

    Downey Symphony concert pays tribute to Downey’s role in space exploration

    For Lars Clutterham, music is life

    Downey Symphony performance tied to Downey’s 60th anniversary

    the-stars-align

    ClassicalElements20160409 - 79

  • Poetry Matters contest winner: Peggy Dobreer – Oct 20

    Poetry Matters contest winner: Peggy Dobreer – Oct 20

    I’m Over the Moon!” says Peggy Dobreer.
    Winner of first prize for best poem in Poetry Matters’s Contest
    celebrating Downey’s aerospace connection, Peggy Dobreer
    will read her entry at Stay Gallery, for Poetry Matters October 20.
    Local poets are invited to come and read Downey-themed poems at the open microphone at 7:30.
    Contest Finalists Beth Ruscio and Don Kingfisher Campbell will also read.

    Dobreer will return to present the poem, “Astronomical Units of Flight,”
    Saturday night at the Downey Theatre preceding the Downey Symphony Orchestra
    Concert Saturday at the Downey Theatre, when Holst’s “The Planets” will be the featured musical selection.
    The Contest was sponsored by the Downy Symphonic Society.

    F00F

    the-stars-align

  • Last Green Salon of the Year – Friday Oct 21

    Last Green Salon of the Year – Friday Oct 21

    the green salon

    friday 21 october 16, 7pm

    casa la reina*

    featured poet: sarah tatro (aka sarah thursday)

    featured artists: alyssa wynne and hannah matus

    featured musician: manuel de jesus sandoval

    featured songwriter: melissa lussier

    open mic

    wine and vegan snacks

    this is the last salon of the year

    and on a different day than is regular

     

    bring something to share

    join the green salon on facebook

    *message for more information (to get directions)

     

    ~ ~ ~

     

    rain poem:

     

    how sweet

    to kiss

    as if a child

     

    the drowsy

    earth

    img_0348

  • Stardust Art & Film Festival Oct 2nd

    Stardust Art & Film Festival Oct 2nd

    On October 2nd, 2016, the Downey Arts Coalition and the City of Downey present a celebration of Art, Film, Space and Downey’s 60th Anniversary. “Stardust Art Festival” takes place 12PM to 6PM at the Downey Civic Theatre, with free movies provided by GlennFest Film Festival including Ice Age: Collision Course, the astronaut documentary The Last Man on the Moon, and the anime concert film Joe Hisaishi in Budokan: Studio Ghibli 25 Years.  The Aerospace Legacy Foundation presents a panel discussion about Downey’s role in aerospace history, “Journey to the Stars and Beyond.” There will be artist booths on the plaza, live music, food trucks, and “Cosmic,” a special curated art exhibit in the theatre lobby.

    downey-stardust-art-flyer-v11

    Downey Arts Coalition in partnership with the Downey Symphonic Society, Aerospace Legacy Foundation, Glennfest Film Festival, and the City of Downey present:

    “Stardust Art Festival”

    Sunday, October 2

    Downey Theatre and Ken Miller Plaza

    Art Walk noon to 6:00 p.m.

    vendors, music, food trucks, refreshments for sale

    Opening of Art Exhibit “Cosmic” in Theatre Lobby

    12:30 p.m. film Ice Age: Collision Course in the Downey Civic Theatre

    2:30 p.m. panel presentation: “Journey to the Stars and Beyond” by Aerospace Legacy Foundation

    4:00 p.m. film Last Man on the Moon (documentary on Gene Cernan and Apollo Program)

    6:00 p.m. film Joe Hisaishi in Budokan: Studio Ghibli 25 Years (concert film by the composer for anime master Hayao Miyazaki)

    introduced by Sharon Lavery, Music Director, Downey Symphony Orchestra

    Artists

    We’re proud to host a number of artists from Downey and beyond:

    ISABEL ACOSTA
    MARIANO ALBISETTI
    POLARIS CASTILLO
    JORGE DEL TORO
    DANIEL GALINDO
    CLAUDIA HERNANDEZ
    HANJO KIM
    MARTIN MONTANO
    RICKY OSTENDI
    PINCHI MICHI  (MICHELLE TAYLOR)
    MONIQUE PUCCIARELLI
    BILL RADEMAKER
    GONZALO SALAZAR
    MARICRUZ SIBAJA
    HECTOR SILVA
    JUAN SOLIS
    LUZ SPANKS
    ESMERALDA VILLALOBOS
    TERRY WALKER
    Live Music on the Patio
    12 PM – Olivia (Eduardo Aguilar)
    1 PM – Sean Blake & the Brethren
    2PM –  Merlot Embargo
    3:30PM – Hikari Taiko Drummers + workshop to try Japanese drums
    5:00PM – Prepare To Stop

    About the Films

    The Last Man on the Moon (4PM) is an impressively crafted, affectionate portrait of astronaut Gene Cernan and, by extension, the program that concluded with Cernan’s 1972 Apollo 17 landing. Conveyed in first person through the razor-sharp recollections of the now 81-year-old Texas rancher, the film traces Cernan’s career trajectory, going back to his days in San Diego as a hot-shot naval aviator, blending terrific archival footage with contemporary perspectives to quietly poetic effect. More information and trailers at www.thelastmanonthemoon.com.

    Ice Age: Collision Course (12:30PM – PG) is the fifth movie in the popular series from Blue Sky Studios. Manny the mammoth starts to worry when his daughter Peaches announces her engagement. Still unlucky in love, Sid the sloth volunteers to plan the couple’s wedding. To Manny’s dismay, nothing can stop the upcoming nuptials, except maybe the end of the world. When Scrat accidentally launches himself into outer space, he sets off a chain reaction that sends an asteroid hurtling toward Earth. Now, the entire herd must leave home to explore new lands and save itself from Scrat’s cosmic blunder. Website.

    Joe Hisaishi in Bodukon: Studio Ghibli 25 Years (6PM) Joe Hisaishi, one of the greatest composers of Japanese film music to date, conducts the New Japan Philharmonic (World Dream) Orchestra among a host of other musicians, including marching bands and choirs, numbering over a thousand musicians on stage, performing in the Nippon Budokan venue in Japan.  This concert celebrates 25 years of collaboration between Joe Hisaishi and Hayao Miyazaki and is a jubilee of the music that Hisaishi has composed for an assortment of the Miyazaki films, some of them re-arranged here and there for concert performance. Selections from the films are projected onto the enormous screen that looms over the orchestra to go along with the music. The selections are from “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”, “Laputa: Castle in the Sky,” “Porco Rosso”, “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Spirited Away,” and “My Neighbor Totoro.” (Review source: Yu-Ten Lee via Amazon.com)

    —

    This event is FREE and open to the public. Handicap accessible. For more information contact Downey Arts Coalition at contact@www.downeyarts.org or call (562) 419-ARTS (2787)

  • GlennFest Film Festival opens September 24

    GlennFest Film Festival opens September 24

    glennfest-special-needs

     

    The 5th annual GlennFest Film Festival brings movies of special interest to Downey, movies that you wouldn’t normally see in our area. Movies that aren’t mainstream, but explore the lives of minority people groups, or experiences from other cultural backgrounds. Best of all, the screenings are free with reservation from the website.

    Screenings this is year begin September 24th with an animated current film presented for children and young adults with special needs. This screening will accommodate the special sensitivities needed for that group, offered free with support from SEIU Local 721 and Southland Credit Union. 9am at the Downey Krikorian Theatre, visit Glennfest.com to RSVP.

    Films continue through October 9th, visit their website for a complete schedule.

    24 SEP CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS SCREENING
    09:00 AM
    25 SEP THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW + A SHORT FILM
    07:00 PM – $15.00
    28 SEP VIVA
    07:00 PM to 09:00 PM
    $ FREE
    2 OCT ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE
    12:15 PM
    $ Free
    2 OCT THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON
    04:00 PM
    $ Free
    2 OCT JOE HISAISHI IN BUDOKAN: STUDIO GHIBLI 25 YEARS
     06:00 PM
    $ FREE
    5 OCT LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
    07:00 PM
    $ FREE
    6 OCT WHAT SEPARATES US
    07:00 PM
    $ FREE
    9 OCT MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER
    01:00 PM to 02:30 PM
    $ FREE
    9 OCT 56 UP
    03:00 PM to 05:30 PM
    $ FREE
    9 OCT THE PASSIONATE PURSUITS OF ANGELA BOWEN
    06:00 PM
    glennfest-draft

  • Life In Print exhibit at Mary Paxon Gallery Sept 24

    Life In Print exhibit at Mary Paxon Gallery Sept 24

    lifeinprint

    The opening reception for a special poetry and art exhibit “Life in Print” will be held Saturday September 24th, 5 to 8PM at the Norwalk Cultural Art Center, Mary Paxon Gallery (3200 Clarkdale Ave, Norwalk, California 90650).

    Hannah Matus and Alyssa Wynne will host their first group exhibit at the Mary Paxon Art Gallery from Tuesday, September 13, to Saturday, October 1. All are welcome to the reception, which will feature live music and merchandise available for purchase (cash only, please).

    Hannah and Alyssa are collaborating to bring the world a show that is way past due. They aim to give a voice to those who have been hushed all their lives through Matus’s art and Wynne’s poetry. Together the duo will display approximately 50 screen printed pieces that will shine light on the dark moments in American history and culture, such as the social perspective on mental health/disability, white privilege/modeled minorities, women’s suffrage, and police brutality. “Life in Print” is best described by their official artist statement:

    We are icebergs waiting to
    pierce an approaching ship.
    Our words and appearance
    compile the 10 percent at
    the surface–but the mass
    that matters, the bulk of our
    being, is hidden underwater.

    This exhibition is the 90
    percent. It’s a voice for the
    unspoken words. It’s an
    image for the unseen
    details. We are icebergs,
    and we have pierced the
    approaching ship.

    Visit the facebook event page, click here.

  • An Afternoon in Paris, Downey Symphony Fundraiser, Sept 18

    An Afternoon in Paris, Downey Symphony Fundraiser, Sept 18

     

    Bonjour Mes Amis! “Afternoon in Paris Garden Party” Oh La La!

    To benefit the Downey Symphony Orchestra and Music in the Schools Programs

    Sunday, September 18, 2016 – 3pm to 7pm

    Rio Hondo Event Center, 10627 Old River School Road, Downey, CA

    afternoon-in-paris

    Indulge yourself on a divine French affair. Enjoy delicious food, wine and champagne, while being entertained by amazing live music. Splurge on live and silent auctions. Get in the spirit, and come dressed in French-inspired colors, be Chic in Chanel or Dior, or simply wear your French beret.

    For more information or to order tickets, email patgil@www.downeyarts.org

     

     

  • Downey Poet Steve Gross to Feature at POETRY MATTERS

    steve-1This edition of POETRY MATTERS – Thursday September 15th at STAY GALLERY –   will welcome Downey poet Steve Gross. For many years Steve curated the Angel’s Gate poetry readings in San Pedro, and worked to change the historic military site of Ft. MacArthur into a community cultural venue. He and his wife and fellow poet Zaida Ramos are avid supporters of our local poetry and arts activities.

     

    Steve’s poetry bristles with surrealistic images, spine-tingling stories and memorable people real and imagined. An enjoyable evening is guaranteed.

     

    Join the Facebook Event:

    Doors open at 7
    Open mike starts at 7:30
    Stay Gallery is located at 11140 Downey Avenue, just north of Firestone in the heart of downtown Downey

    Curated by Lorine Parks.

    Poetry Matters is free and open to the public.

  • Bill’s Shorts Two: Chart Topping Comedies

    Bill’s Shorts Two: Chart Topping Comedies

    Coming off of a successful first week, there are still three remaining shows to catch original, new, hilarious theatre here in Downey. The intimate format of the Epic Lounge makes this a dynamic performance to experience.

    BS2 Tshirt 2Bill’s Shorts Two: Chart Topping Comedies
    5 short comedic plays written by locally and nationally produced playwrights, Bill Blush, Megan Breen, Diana Burbano and Forrest Hartl.

    Produced by resident director Sylvia Blush, Bill’s Shorts Two is a collaboration between many talented artists. Inspired by the power of music, the playwrights have written stories tied together by themes exploring artistry, free-will, identity, sacrifices & the need to hold fast to a moral compass.

    Remaining Show Dates:
    August 22, 23 and 24, 2016 at 8pm
    Doors open at 7pm for Happy Hour

    Venue:
    Downey’s Eclectic Event Venue Epic Lounge
    8239 2nd Street, Downey, CA 90241

    For Tickets:
    Buy online and secure your seats at http://bpt.me/2579659
    or
    Reserve your seats and pay cash in person. Email us your request: BillsShortsThePlays@gmail.com

    About the Show:

    In 2013 Downey Arts Coalition sponsored Bill’s Shorts: a brief evening of one act comedies. It was a raucous one night only staged reading of four plays and a fully produced twenty minute romp in the dark all written by Bill Blush and directed by Sylvia Blush.Returning Summer 2016 is the husband and wife duo PLUS incredibly talented playwrights, Bill Blush, Megan Breen, Diana Burbano and Forrest Hartl.Bill’s Shorts Two: Chart-Topping Comedies is a fully produced eight show run of comedic plays inspired by the power of music.
    August 14 at 3pm and 7pm
    August 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24 at 8pmPre-Sale $10+tax use passcode: shortshorts
    Online $12+tax
    At the door $15 (cash only)Free parking. 90 minute performance. Good eats in the Downtown area.The Plays (in show order):
    French Toast by Bill Blush (10 min.)
    Mop in hand and a song in his heart a free-spirited techie challenges authority to think outside the box.

    Run To You by Megan Breen (10 min):
    An eccentric couple’s happy romance is put to the test when something vital to their bliss takes off to search for its own.

    Linda by Diana Burbano (10 min):
    A super bad ass story of finding your inner hero.

    Song of the Armadillo by Forrest Hartl (10 min): Adapted from a Bolivian folktale, Song Of the Armadillo follows the journey of Pichi, a small armadillo with big dreams.

    Damn You Kenny! by Bill Blush (30 min) A leader desperately tries to hold on to his group’s ethics as a bi-weekly meeting slowly spirals out of control.

    Producer/Director Sylvia Blush is a 2014 Mellon Fellow, 2015 Oregon Shakespeare Festival FAIR alum and 2016 Directors Lab West participant. Director Julianna Stephanie Ojeda is an emerging actor/director from the UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

    FEATURING: Chloe Tatiana Avila, Juan Enrique Carrillo, Jessica Delgadillo, Andrea Esparza, Alberie Rachele Hansen, Forrest Hartl, Taylor Hawthorne, Frank Ledezma, Melissa Legaspi, Gilbert Martinez, Tahirih Moeller, David Ohlsen, Julianna Stephanie Ojeda, Emmanuel Plascencia and Rocky Sanchez

    Designers: Geronimo Guzman (Set), Thompson Tran (Light/Sound), Gina Reynoso (Make-Up), Katy Macias (costume) and vocal coach Beverly Crain

    Stage Management: Chris Amador and Jennifer Calderon

    Producers: Sylvia Blush, Bill Blush and Forrest Hartl

    BillShortsMontage

  • Tamara Madison at Poetry Matters August 18th

    Tamara Front

    On Thursday, August 18th, Poetry Matters welcomes Tamara Madison, author of the collection “Wild Domestic” (Pearl Editions; July, 2011) and the chapbook “The Belly Remembers” (Pearl Editions, 2004). Her work has appeared in numerous small press journals and anthologies. Two of her poems have also been featured on Garrison Keillor’s Writers Almanac. Tamara is a California native who grew up on a citrus farm in the Coachella Valley. She has two grown children and teaches French and English in a high school in Los Angeles.

    Tamara Madison Facebook Event Link

    Doors open at 7
    Open mike starts at 7:30
    Stay Gallery is located at 11140 Downey Avenue, just north of Firestone in the heart of downtown Downey