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.
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.
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
High culture takes a back seat this Halloween (October 27th) for “HOUSE OF TERROR” a Haunted House event to raise funds for the Downey Arts Coalition & Downey Art League. Facing your fears is an art form all its own, and this evening will be no exception.
Your donation is your admission, pay as you’re able either with advance tickets or at the door.
7901 7th Street, Downey, CA 90241 (click for map)
Saturday October 27, 2012
5PM to 11PM
Suggested donation at the door:
Adults – $10 donation for 1 pass.
Students with I.D. – $6.00 donation for 1 pass (limit 2 per ID)
Kids under 4ft free with adult (psychotherapy not included).
Advance passes available at the following locations at a discount:
Adults -$7.00
Students w/ I.D. – $5.00 (limit 2 per ID)
Kid s under 4ft free with Adult
CASH ONLY
Locations to buy tickets around Downey are listed below.
Why donate to the Downey Arts Coalition? The DAC is now under the umbrella of the Downey Art League, a 55 year old organization formed to bring local artists together to bring their work to the residents o Downey. The DAC provides a place for local arts advocates to gather monthly to get involved with improving the arts in our city. We operate a monthly art show of local and regional work, as well as monthly poetry readings, and events for all the various artistic disciplines such as theatre (Urban Acts reading series), film (Bumblebee & Balloonhead screenings) and live music. We are also a partner with Downey’s new Stay Gallery to create an arts and culture hub ignite change in downtown Downey.
Advance tickets available at: (check in advance for open hours)
Mari’s Wine Bar
8222 Firestone Blvd.
Downey, CA 90251d
(562) 869-6274
Gallery Frames
9033 Florence Ave.
Downey CA 90240
(562) 923-9666
L.A. Buns
8237 2nd Street
Downey, CA 90241
(562) 923-9038
Stay Gallery (Starting 10/13)
11140 Downey Ave.
Downey, CA 90241
(562) 334-5126
More locations to follow.
November 10th is the next Downey Open Mic– a great opportunity to bring your music, poetry, monologues or comedy acts in front of an audience that’s game for anything.
Hosted by the Downey Moravian Church at 10337 Old River School Rd., Downey, CA. The evening starts at 7PM and continues while there are acts to perform.
For more information and FAQ visit them on Facebook (click here)
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DOWNEY MUSEUM OF ART proudly presents its rebirth event, “A DAY IN DOWNEY: A Visual Arts Show.” We invite you to join us for an evening of visual art from our prestigious collection along side art from local artists, photographers, and students in the community.
Our mission is to create an event where our community can come together and discover the hidden gems that make our community special.
Guests will also enjoy LIVE MUSIC, WINE/BEVERAGES, FOOD, and MORE!
It’s an exciting time to be an artist in Downey, as the new Stay Gallery opens this week in it’s “phase 1” form. The volunteer run, but city sponsored gallery is meant to become a hub for the arts movement in Downey, and fuel for revitalizing downtown.
Join us Thursday night October 11th for their Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony, 6:30PM at the gallery 11140 Downey Ave.
Then come to party Friday night “Launch Night” October 12th, 7PM to Midnight. The event spills outside as well as in, with art, music, food, drink and more.
Purchase advance donation tickets at their Website.
There are a lot of fundraising needs to keep this gallery going in the best way possible. Read all about their plans at their recent Newsletter, and support as you’re able.
There are a lot of things planned for the future, sign up with their email lists and facebook to keep up with them.
This is the closing weekend for the Downey Civic Light Opera’s musical presentation of Gershwin’s “Crazy for You” at the Downey Theatre. Plenty of tickets available, and a production not to be missed. Performances Friday and Saturday at 8PM, Sunday at 2:30PM.
Read this great review by the Downey Patriot & Lawrence Christon.
Visit the Downey Civic Light Opera website for more information & tickets.
On the third Thursday of the month, Wine+Words monthly poetry night happens at Mari’s Wine Bar. The open mic begins at 7:30PM, with sign-ups before. A prominent poet is featured as a guest reader at 8:00PM. Lorine Parks curates the evening.
Kendall Evans won the 2010 Rhysling Award, long poem category, for “In the Astronaut Asylum Shadows,” in collaboration with Samantha Henderson, and in 2006 for “The Tin Man,” first published in Mythic Delerium. He has published over 100 poems in science fiction and horror magazines such as Amazing Stories. Fantastic Weird Tales, ASIMOV’S Science Fiction, Dreams and Nightmares. He has written “Night Ship to Never,” and “Red-Shifted in the Eyes of a Dragon.” Evans is at work on a ring cycle of four chapbook-length dramatic poems: The Mermaidens of Ceres, Battle Dance of the Valkyrie, Sieglinda’s Journey to the Stars, and The Rings of Ganymede.
The Downey Symphony Orchestra‘s 2012-2013 season opens Saturday October 20th with “Relishing Rachmaninoff,” a concert of classical music not to be missed. Musical Director Sharon Lavery brings us piano sensation Keenan Reesor, , who will perform Rachmaninoff’s riveting Piano Concerto No. 3 in F. Also a premiere performance of Joshua Roach’s “Overture Dodeca.” For more about the story behind the music, join us for a pre-concert lecture at 7:15PM.
Tickets are available at the Downey Theatre box office and website.
October 20th, 8PM at the Downey Civic Theatre.
