The Downey Art Vibe released a postcard with a list of artists for this Friday’s “Taste of Downey” event on Friday at 5:30PM. Featuring the work of Downey native Jamie Lennon Rowland, and including works from the following:
What’s exciting for the Downey Arts Coalition, is that we have relationships with at least 11 of these artists, and several of them found their way to this show through our network of sharing local art news with each other.
Come out and support the event: good food, music from the Wise Guys band (swing), dancing, and of course, art.
The next meeting of the Downey Arts Coalition will be Saturday, September 24th, 1PM at Mari’s Wine Bar. 8222 Firestone Blvd. Across from Portos, parking in the back.
Everyone is welcome, it’s our chance to invest in our community and develop real programs for the arts– not just visual, but theatre, film, music, poetry, and more.
This is huge new for the arts in Downey, but I understand I’m biased. I grew up knowing artist Cliff Cramp, with our lives intersecting several times mostly through First Baptist Church of Downey. In fact, if you dig around, there are several works of Cliff Cramp still there, including a few day camp T-shirts.
In early 2000 I borrowed a couple authentic Civil War uniforms for a short film, Cliff was also an avid collector of military uniforms and accessories. He’s participated in the underworld of Civil War re-enactments, including dying several times in the movie Gettysburg.
Shortly after, at Cliff’s house on Downey Avenue, a garage fire wiped out much of his military collection as well as 10 years of art work and illustrations up to that time. It’s only a hunch, but that devastation must have played a role in his moving out of Downey closer to his job as an art instuctor at Cal State University Fullerton.
Watching Cliff’s work develop over the years has been an impressive journey. After the fire he moved strongly into the art of digital illustrating on the computer. You can check out his work at www.cliffcramp.com.
But this is a surprise, working on anything Star Wars seems out-of-reach because of how popular it is. I’ve been a fan-boy myself for quite awhile. Cliff Cramp has illustrated the cover art for the Blu-ray release. That’s really amazing to me, and a big congratulations to him. They look amazing.
“Art on the Vine” at Mari’s Wine Bar is this Saturday, September 10th, starting 6:30PM and going until 1:30 AM. This is the opening reception, but the art will be on display the entire month. This month we feature artists Rocio Alejandra Garcia and Carlos Durazo.
Rocio Alejandra Garcia was born & raised in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. As a child Alejandra was constantly drawing, she had an inclination for the arts. She learned to play piano, glass painting, jewelry making, knitting, welding; she was also involved in the School Theater, choir & ballet. Her parents influenced her love for the arts as they exposed her to poetry, plays, musicals, classical music, folk music, prehispanic art, folk art and modern art exhibits while living in Mexico. She migrated to the United States in 1993 to live with her paternal grandmother leaving her family and career of Architecture behind to accomplished her most desired goal, to obtain a degree from a renowned university in the U.S.
In 2001 Alejandra transferred to USC School of Architecture. It was there were she had the opportunity to take some art classes in ceramics and were she found the inspiration to sketch on a regular basis. It was through her sketches that she was selected as a Drawing teacher assistant for the incoming architecture students during her 4th year. Although she has not taken a painting class Alejandra decided to paint four years ago while going through difficult changes in her life.
Painting has being her medium of coping with changes and life challenges while raising four children on her own and working full time as a Sr. Project Engineer and Virtual Design & Construction Coordinator at Swinerton Builders. Her paintings reflect “Life” as a concept, an emotion, a cycle and change.
Carlos Durazo was born in Northern Mexico in 1957. He remembers his first art lesson with his grandmother in which she made a kite from materials found around the house. His family immigrated to the United States in 1969. Through junior high and high school, art was his favorite subject. After graduating high school, Carlos worked for General Motors Locomotive Division and continued his studies at East Los Angeles College where he began to think about becoming a visual artist. After working three years for GM, he was laid off. Fortunately, the United Auto Workers Union and GM sponsored a retraining program, which enabled Carlos to attend Otis Art Institute and earn a bachelor’s degree in studio art in 1987. Soon after, he and his wife Mercedes had an opportunity to move to New York. The plan was to visit for 6 months but the City had other ideas. They lived there for 13 years during which time they had three sons. Carlos attended CUNY at Queens College and earned a master’s degree in studio art in 1997. Carlos worked for Fortress, NY as an art installer, which gave him the opportunity to see a lot of great art. The Durazo family returned to the West Coast in 2002 and settled in Downey. Carlos became a substitute bus driver for Downey Unified, but is currently a substitute teacher for LAUSD. Carlos has taught beginning painting and drawing to children and adults at Alhambra Library, Rio Hondo College and Cerritos College.
Join us for the second “Art on the Vine” gallery at Mari’s Wine Bar on Saturday night, September 10th, 8222 Firestone Blvd in Downey. Our featured artists are both painters local to Southern California, Rocio Alejandra Garcia and Carlos Durazo. Jazz music performed by Sergio De La Trinidad and friends. Starts at 6:30PM and goes until late, and the art will be on display for the month of September. Last month was a great turn-out, and we hope to keep the art and wine flowing monthly, because we’re finding a lot of great artists right here in our home town.
I wanted to share a few updates on the news from the arts coalition, and status on some of the arts-related happenings of late. We’ve had a good run of stories in The Downey Patriot.
First, here is the article about this month’s gallery at Mari’s Wine Bar: Art Exhibit to Open at Wine Bar. The evening was well attended, and the art will continue on display until the end of this week. Our next gallery at Mari’s will be September 10th.
That led to an interview that I gave to Henry Veneracion about my role starting the DAC. A lot of quotes from the vision statement I had written, and goes into my background a little. I took my head-shot myself using an iPhone in my office at work. This article led to a lot of new people signing up on the website, which is great to see. I look forward to involving as many people as we find. Wahlquist Steps Into Role as Art Leader
At the same time there was an article about George Redfox’s efforts to finally achieve tax exempt status for The Downey Conservancy. The DAC is partnered with the Conservancy, as we share some of the same people and believe in the same vision of Downey as a city that cares about it’s cultural heritage, and wants to preserve it for the future. Conservancy Group Attains Non-profit Status
The week after we were able to place a picture of the Mari’s art opening. Downey Arts Coalition
At the same time there was an update to the status of the Downey Museum of Art, which has formed a new board and is working toward re-opening. Hope is Not Lost for the Downey Museum of Art
This week, there is an article about the four new shows that the Downey Civic Theatre has announced, as part of an effort by its new management team to bring top-quality performing arts events to our 700 seat venue. I have a small quote in there, because the new theatre manager Amber Vogel has been a friend to the DAC and we’ve discussed ways to open up the theatre to new opportunities for arts in the community. A Bold New Step for the Downey Theatre
On the Arts in Public Places front, the city’s contractor to bring us murals on the Downey Theatre and surrounding utility boxes seems to have been completed. There is a new online news magazine serving Downey called The Downey Beat, and they’ve posted photos of the murals as well as some community reaction. Avenue Theatre Mural Receives Warm Reception
The Epic Lounge on 2nd Street, across from the Porto's parking garage
In younger news is the re-opening of the Epic Lounge, at 8239 2nd St., which features night-club style entertainment in our downtown area. Along with live bands they regularly host, there is a new evening of comedy coming this Thursday, brought to you by a couple members of the DAC. The evening event is called “LAFFAHOLICS” and will feature two different improv groups, stand up, and more. Join the facebook event invite at this link.
On the other end of the spectrum is a monthly poetry reading at Mari’s Wine Bar, called Wine and Words, curated by Roy Anthony Shabla and John Brantingham, a partnership between the DAC and the San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival. This will be the third Friday of the month, beginning in October.
A lot going on. The next Downey Arts Coalition meeting will likely be coming soon in September, still to be announced.
According to a recent newsletter email from councilman Mario Guerra, work has been completed on a few of Downey’s new mural projects. This is one of the utility boxes near the city library.
Here is what the Avenue Theatre has been restored to.
Guerra writes,
This was just completed in the past few days as part of our public art program to help beautify our community… It looks great and adds an attractive element within our revitalized Downtown…More to follow. BTW, no general funds were used for these and future public art projects.
Hearing from the average citizen of Downey, people seem to like the face-lift. It does make the street look a little more cheery, and some have nearly mistaken it for a real film screening. I think we should get together a Downey flash mob, and dress like it’s the movie premiere of West Side Story with red carpet, classic cars, press photographers, adoring fans…
Tonight at Furman Park is a free concert “Pops in the Park” put on by the Downey Symphony directed by Sharon Lavery. 7PM, but get there early because you may have to park a ways and walk in. This is a great opportunity to support local music, not many cities can brag that they have their own orchestra.
Also, jump over to their facebook page and click “like.”
Absolutely free to the public, like music should be! Come watch this concert with your friends, family and meet a broad spectrum of individuals who also enjoy “The Sounds of Music”! Feel free to bring food, drinks, blankets, pets and the need to relax in a safe, stress-free environment under the stars!
line-up:
The Ragtime Dance, Scott Joplin
Selections from Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin, arr. Chuck Sayre
Overture to “West Side Story”, Leonard Bernstein, arr. M. Peress
Broadway on Parade, arr. Chuck Sayre
The Sound of Music, Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, arr. Robert R. Bennett
Hoe-Down from “Rodeo”, Aaron Copland
Lassus Trombone, Henry Fillmore
American Salute, Morton Gould
America The Beautiful, Samuel A. Ward, arr. Alfred Reed
Armed Forces Salute, arr. Bob Lowden
Marches (for Children Conductors), John Phillips Sousa:
(Semper Fidelis, Washington Post, King Cotton, El Capitan, Stars & Stripes)
The next Downey Arts Coalition meeting is Saturday July 30th, 12:30 PM at Granata’s Italian Villa on Downey Avenue. Have a passion for the visual and performing arts, and want to see great things happen here in our local community? We could use your leadership and involvement.
The Encore Playhouse on Downey Avenue was the home of the 1955 production of Harvey that brought John Hume to Downey, leading to the Downey Children's Theatre
