November Home Sales Highland Park 90042

Here are all the single family home sales in Highland Park 90042 from this November.  The high sales price was $630,000 (compared to $680,000 in October), the low sales price was $210,000 (up from $175,000 in October), and there was a median sales price of $360,000 (down from $405,000 in October).

Also check out the November home sales for Eagle Rock and Glassell Park/Mount Washington.

You can see what Highland Park homes sold in October here.

Have you been thinking about converting your home to solar-powered electricity? As both a homeowner and a Realtor with the EcoBroker and Green Realtor designations, I’ve thought about it for a long time. I want to reduce my dependence on fossil fuels, I want to do my part to End Global Warming, I want to save money on my utilities. Quite honestly, though, the high cost of the equipment, even with generous rebates, has stopped me.

Occidental College is installing a 1-Megawatt solar array on its campus. This is enough to power about 11% of the campus electrical needs, according to Patch.com news (http://eaglerock.patch.com/articles/oxy-offers-2000-solar-rebate). A public meeting was held last night to announce the plan to help neighboring residents and businesses save costs on installing solar by offering a $2,000 rebate that is in addition to any other rebates offered by government and utility providers. Oxy Physics professor Dan Snowden-Ifft gave an overview of the project and introduced representatives from SunPower, the manufacturer of the solar panels, and from Martifer Solar, the dealer who is responsible for the installation on the campus.

Residents and small businesses throughout the Northeast Los Angeles zip codes 90041, 90042, and 90065 qualify for the rebate, plus Oxy alumni, faculty and staff, students and their parents who live in Sunpower dealer areas and own a home.

Check out www.sunpowercorp.com/asp/Occidental for a good summary of the plan with links to registering for a free home evaluation and how to figure out the financial benefits of going solar.

I was pleased to see several past clients of mine in the audience along with other community members who are involved with such groups as the Eagle Rock Community Garden and TERA. If you missed the meeting last night, they are holding another one on September 14. You can RSVP to allianceprogram@sunpowercorp.com. Those of us who attended last night were able to sign up for a free home evaluation, but you can also sign up on the Sunpower website. In order to apply for the rebate, you have to have the permit from the City of Los Angeles for the installation, which can take several weeks to obtain. Why hurry? Because rebates come and go and if the government or utility that offers the rebate runs out of the allotted funds, you lose out.

If you don’t want to invest in a solar system right now, they even have a lease program that still qualifies for the $2000 rebate!

This is a positive outreach from Oxy to the community. This is the kind of partnership between government, business, and educational institutions that can make our community better and greener while it benefits individual homeowners. Save Money! Go Green!

Would you like to ride your bike more but feel intimidated by the dangers of riding through city streets? Try joining an outing sponsored by a bicycling organization. It’s safer to be in a group and you will learn how to ride safer on your own.

It had been a long time since I’d ridden my bike. But when I received an email inviting me to join an Urban Expedition exploring Highland Park by bike, I thought why not? It was only 7 miles and promised to visit some interesting sights, so what better way to ease back into cycling, have some fun and learn something?

From their website, www.cicle.org: Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange (C.I.C.L.E.) is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles working to promote the bicycle as a viable, healthy, and sustainable transportation choice.

The Urban Expedition happens about once a month. There were at least 30 riders on this trip, several of whom were volunteers with bright yellow vests who helped guide and keep everyone safe. We met near the Arroyo Seco Stables and rode up the bike path in the LA River to the Audubon Center in Debs Park. Did you know that Debs Park is the 4th largest park in the city of Los Angeles? It has over 150 acres of largely wild hillsides with mostly native plants to hike and explore. The Audubon Center was opened in Debs Park in 2003, and was instrumental in making the park safer and more accessible to families and individuals.

Did you know that the Audubon Center is the first LEED-certified building in the country? (LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The director of the Audubon Center, Jeff Chapman, told us about the site and then led us on a hike on the butterfly nature trail.

DEBS Park Audobon Center

Jeff is a regular participant on these urban bicycle adventures and he rides his bike to work from his home in Eagle Rock. The Audubon Center is a very kid-friendly place, offering lots of fun ways for kids to learn about and play in nature. For adults, there is a Solar System Hands-on Training for Maintenance & Design class that meets the 3rd Saturday of each month. For $20 per class, you can learn how to better understand solar systems for your own use or even to work in the field. For all ages, they offer a free Friday film night preceded by a bird walk. Check out all the possibilities at http://ca.audubon.org/debs_park.php.

We rode on to the Milagro Allegro Community Garden (www.hpgarden.org), a project comprising 32 garden plots, monthly educational classes and workshops on gardening and other topics, and an after-school nutrition, cooking and gardening program (“LA Sprouts”) for elementary school students aimed at promoting healthy eating habits. Check out their website to read about the history of how the garden was acquired, named and constructed, all good stories.

Millagro Allegro Community Garden

What I love about this garden is that it is yet another example of the population of individuals in Highland Park who think for themselves to find ways to make their community better for everyone. In this case, they saw a way to make a community garden out of a city-owned vacant lot that was slated for public parking in a neighborhood where there was already plenty of parking.

We cycled on to Cafe de la Leche, a coffee house in Highland Park that features the first bike corral installed by the City of Los Angeles. The owners of this popular spot are living the urban localism dream, in my opinion. Matt and Anya Schodorf live and ride their bikes in Highland Park, saw a need for a good local coffee spot and have very successfully opened one. But they went further: they recently opened Schodorf’s Luncheonette in the same block where they offer yummy sandwiches and salads from 11 till 3 everyday. Matt and Anya exemplify the diverse creative look and spirit of Highland Park. Check them out atwww.cafedeleche.net, stop in at the 2 venues, live some of their dream. Maybe you’ll have one of your own!

Besides meeting some interesting people, learning about some cool places, and having a nice bike ride, I learned some better bike routes through Highland Park. We started off along the LA River bike path to Debs Park, then took a circuitous route over to the community garden. To reach Cafe de Leche, we rode up Avenue 56 from Figueroa towards York (a more level route than I would have done on my own), then parallel to the busy York Blvd on the much quieter Buchanan Street. Circling back to the start of our trip we rode in the bike lane that extends along much of York Blvd.

I really enjoyed this outing and plan to do more. Slowly, Los Angeles is becoming more bike-friendly through the efforts of groups like CICLE and more. Even the mayor is more sensitive to the needs of bicyclists (especially since he was in a bicycle accident) and has pledged to add more bike lanes at a greater rate than has been done in the past. The City of Los Angeles will never become a city like Davis where the bicycles outnumber the people, but who would have thought even 10 years ago that we would have the support of City government like this?

Kudos to the bike activists! Here is a list of some of the resources, groups and events you can explore:

LA Bike:
www.la-bike.org

Sunday Funday rides and the annual LA River Ride:
http://www.labikepaths.com/

Mayor Villaraigosa’s Bicycle Plan:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/la-mayor-pushes-bicycle-plan.html

Lots of great how-to info plus calendar of events:
www.cicle.org

Bicycling in Highland Park

Just sold! 1051 Dexter Street is a short sale (they can be done!) that we brought on the market back in January, and finally closed escrow on May 27!  The list price was $349,000 and we closed at $371,000.

This is a house that has a lot of potential – built in 1921, it definitely needed some updating and cosmetic work, but the sellers had done some major upgrades, including foundation, front retaining wall, chimney and fireplace replaced and rebuilt in 2007, rewired electrical with upgraded circuits, and new floor tile in the kitchen and bath.

The best part of this house (in my opinion) was the terraced yard, with fantastic mountain views.

Additional Details:
2 bedrooms, 1 bath
864 SF on a 6,400 SF Lot
Bonus room above the one-car garage

If you would like additional information on how a short sale works and what is involved, give me a call at 323.243.1234.  I am a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) and can you walk you through the process!

WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT HIGHLAND PARK, 90042? Lots of things!

• It was the City of Los Angeles’ first suburb. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Park,_Los_Angeles
• It contains the city’s largest HPOZ. http://www.preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/highland-park which recently incorporated the Garvanza area to make it even bigger.
• It’s an easy commute to Downtown LA or downtown Pasadena by car, bus or the Gold Line. http://www.metro.net/
• The art scene is amazing. http://www.arroyoartscollective.org/. Best event is the annual Arroyo Arts Discovery Tour held the 3rd Sunday of November.
• There is an Artwalk the second Saturday of every month. http://www.nelaart.com/
• Chicken Boy lives here. 5558 N. Figueroa St. http://www.chickenboy.com/
• Great food! Lots of Latin foods from tacos to menudo, but there is more. Check out my Restaurant Guide. www.LADigs.com for names and addresses, but here are some highlights:

Cafe de Leche
The York
My Taco
Chico’s
Johnny’s
Schodorf’s Luncheonette
Folliero’s
La Abeja

• Super A Foods has handmade tortillas and much, much more. 5250 York Blvd. 90042. http://www.superafoods.com/
• Figueroa Produce has a real meat market, organic produce, a wide variety of ethnic foods–all at great prices! http://figueroaproduce.com/
• Galco’s Old World Market and Soda Pop Stop. 5702 York Blvd. Long for some orange Nehi or curious about Grapette? Over 400 kinds of soda here. Plus good deli sandwiches. http://www.sodapopstop.com/

What are your favorite parts of Highland Park?

Lots of interesting things going on in the market this week!  Let’s go through it quickly so you can get the scoop and get on with your weekend:

1. Did you see the “brand new hillside architectural live/work space” at 3126 Verdugo Place in Glassell Park?  We saw it on caravan last week, and it’s a cool property with FANTASTIC views and a neat rooftop deck with hookups for a jacuzzi.  It was listed for $649,00, which is a great price for the property but I wasn’t sure the neighborhood would stand up to a price that high.  Well, looking at the MLS hot sheet this morning I see that Verdugo Place is in escrow – which is GREAT news for the neighborhood!  We don’t know what price it’s in escrow at, but I’m hoping they got close to asking – or more!

2.  There’s a very cute little neighborhood (called “Floristan Heights” on title) located south of Colorado Blvd, off of Townsend Avenue, and it is filled with cute little houses (I know because I happen to live in this area!).  And one of those cute little houses just recorded as sold in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) for a tidy sum of $515,000.  1576 Glen Aylsa is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath and was recently renovated.  It was originally listed for $490,000.   This is more great news for this particular neighborhood – things are selling if priced right.  It’s not all doom and gloom around here!

3.  We saw some really great properties on caravan yesterday, and we want you to buy one!   Here’s a quick peek:

5500 Nordyke Street, Highland Park

5500 Nordyke Street, Highland Park: Wow, what a view!  This 3 bedroom, 3 bath home sits on a 0.59 acre lot, obviously with fantastic views.  It’s clean and updated and ready for you to move in and escape from the rest of the city on your private hill.  It’s in a great neighborhood in Highland Park, tucked away almost to Eagle Rock.  Listed for $499,000.

2652 Saxon Drive, Eagle Rock

2652 Saxon Drive, Eagle Rock: This house has a ton of space, although it may not look like it from the outside.  Four bedrooms, two baths in 1,700 SF, all sitting on a 3,060 SF corner lot.  It’s another Better Shelter flip, so it’s done up all nice and pretty and ready for you to settle in.  Another one that is tucked away in a nice neighborhood, and it has Eagle Rock schools, so even better.  Also listed for $499,000.

1517 Avenue 47, Highland Park

1517 Avenue 47, Highland P ark: I love, love, love this property.  I saw it when it was on the market as a distress sale, and I love what Elemental Homes (another fix-and-flip company) did.  The front house has two bedrooms, two baths and a open, airy floor plan.  The back house has two bedrooms, 1 bath.  The deck in the back of the front house is amazing.  It’s all amazing.  If I could buy it, I would!  Amazingly, it is ALSO listed for $499,000!  What a deal.

Alright, three great properties for you to consider.  If you are interested and want to see one of them, give me a call at 323.243.1234.  Or shoot me an email at keelymyres[at]gmail[dot]com.  Tracy is taking off to Peru in the morning for a little adventure, so I’m in charge – don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions/comments.

That’s it for now, have a great weekend!

It’s always hard to get back into work mode after a 3 day weekend, so if you’re wishing it was the weekend again, jot this down on your calendar for Saturday, July 10. It’s NELA’s Second Saturday Artwalk, of course!

From Amy Inouye:
Future Studio Gallery
5558 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles 90042
323 254-4565

Second Saturday and Opening Reception for An Exhibition of Quilts by Ruby Nishio

Ruby Nishio grew up in Los Angeles and was interned at Heart Mountain relocation camp during WWII. After returning to Los Angeles she began working at Cahill in Beverly Hills, sewing and designing wedding gowns. She was very talented and adept at doing patterns and creating wonderful gowns and custom clothing. For the past 18 years she has used her talents in creating beautiful quilts. Ruby Nishio is an amazing quilt artist and has won many awards for her work. This is her first one- person show.
Nishio has been sewing for over 70 years. She has done all types of handwork, from custom dressmaking, knitting, tatting, crocheting, and embroidery. In 1992, she transitioned into making quilts. The imagery she uses is taken from her personal interests. She loves gardening and many of the patterns she uses are of flowers and nature. She stitches fabric pieces together to form repetitive patterns that are then hand quilted. One quilt in the exhibition, Trip Around the World (1998), includes 2193(!) two-inch squares of flowered fabric where the stitched edges of each piece loses its sharpness and blends with the piece next to it, forming an impressionist patterned garden. In New York, New York (2005), echoes of the Statue of Liberty are depicted in the patterns, while the colors and fabrics are reminiscent of Broadway by way of the Ginza. Expressing her love of gardening and traveling, Nishio has created wonderful pieces that are truly works of art.
The exhibition will run till July 31 (on view by appointment).

Join us for a special Artist’s Tea: Sunday, July 25 from noon – 4 p.m.

Also, don’t forget to pick up July’s trading cards (Chicken Boy trading card #9 and a Ruby card)–they’ll be waiting for you in a bin inside the front door.

PS: Chicken Boy Shop will be open Second Saturday. We’ve gotten a few new items in to check out… like Tyvek pop art wallets and some magnetic jewelry…

* * * * *
On deck at Future Studio Gallery:
August: Manuel Gonzalez
September: Liz Mamorsky returns!
October: Fig Knit-On* (a Yarn-Bombing exhibit curated by Heather Hoggan)

November: Arroyo Arts Collective Discovery Tour
December: an exhibit of artists’ stuffed toys* curated by Edith Abeyta

*if you’d like to participate or get more info, sign up at the gallery Second Saturday

* * * * *
BOOK BOOTH HIGHLAND PARK is located next to the entrance of La Arca de Noe restaurant, 5570 N. Figueroa Street, LA 90042.

BOOK BOOTH is a free community art/literature project. The books and magazines found at BOOK BOOTH are all donated by your neighbors and are looking for new homes, so if you see something that interests you, please take it. If you have family-friendly books and magazines that you would like to pass along—just leave them at BOOK BOOTH. Please help keep BOOK BOOTH neat and trash-free.

*Some of the books at BOOK BOOTH are registered with bookcrossing.com, a free online book tracking service. If you find a label inside a book, there will be a an ID number that you can enter at the site and make a journal entry about the book and its ongoing journey.

A big gushy thank you to everyone who has been supporting BOOK BOOTH HIGHLAND PARK!

It empties out almost as soon as it fills up (we can’t figure out exactly what’s going on but we aren’t seeing the streets littered with pages, so we’re hoping it’s all good). We’ve pulled out The Tipping Point, Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (and So Can You), and Susan Sontag’s The Volcano Lover. (They’ll all go back to the booth as soon as we’re done reading them.) So, please keep bringing books and magazines (even CDs and DVDs) and taking stuff too. If it’s all filled up, drop them off at the gallery (ring the semi-hidden bell). You can drop them off Second Saturday also.

We plan on identifying other vacated phone booths so others can make their own Book Booth. Watch this space for the latest.

* * * * *
futurestudio.com
nelaart.com

chickenboy.com
http://www.chickenboysouvenirstand.com
FutureStew Vintage at etsy

lavatransforms.com

* * * * *

FYI: My Taco (6300 York Blvd.) has late night tacos (starting at 11 pm) on Saturday nights for your after art-ing snacking pleasure.

Remember when Alan Greenspan, former chair of the Federal Reserve, talked about the irrational exuberance in the stock market? You might not, because the quote is from a speech he gave all the way back in 1996! I see some of the same enthusiasm in the pricing of some houses on the market in our dear corner of Northeast Los Angeles. But the exuberance Greenspan referred to had to do with actual business being transacted. In today’s real estate market, I’m seeing irrational exuberance in some list prices, not in actual closed sales.
As I’ve said in recent blogs, I’m dedicated to attaining a fair market price for our real estate stock. But that doesn’t mean that sellers should be listing their homes at overly ambitious prices, because that does nothing to firm up actual sale prices.
Let’s imagine that you are in the market for a home. You are pre-approved for $500,000 and you want a 2 bedroom 1 bath home in Eagle Rock. You look on the computer every day to see if something new has come on, because although you think $500,000 is a lot of money to pay for a home, it is not easy to find a really good property in the right neighborhood for that price.
One day a property comes on that fits your criteria but it’s listed for $729,000. You wouldn’t even see it on the Internet because your search is limited to properties in the $450,000 to $525,000 range. But let’s say you are out one day and see an open house sign and stop in. Hmm. $729,000? Out of your league, you figure, and you leave.
Another day comes with a new listing for $525,000 that is pretty nice, but not quite big enough. Eh, you let that go because it’s at the top of your range and probably not worth it to you.
Another day you are looking and you see a perfect property for $475,000. Wow. You rush to call your agent and hurry over. There are already 5 other prospective buyers there with their agents and the buzz is loud. What’s the plan for multiple offers? How much do we need to offer to be in the running? Can we expect a counter if we offer enough over or are they going to take best and final? Do you think I can get the lender to pre-approve me for $530k? $550k?
Which property do you think might get the highest final sales price?

Coming Attractions From the Arroyo Arts Collective

There is so much to do around here! Luckily, many of these shows run for a few weeks, but if you want to attend the openings, you’ll have to pack most of them into Saturday, March 13!
GERARDO HACER: THE MYTH
PE Lofts Gallery, 610 S. Main St. LA 90017
Reception: Thursday, March 11, 2010 from 12:00 noon to 10:00 PM
Presented by The Avenue 50 Studio, with the support of Los Angeles Trade-Tech College (LATTC) at the Downtown Art Walk in the PE Lofts Gallery (corner of 6th and Main Street).
The work of Los Angeles–based sculptor, Gerardo Hacer, consists of monumental structural, metal, origami animals in bold, flat, solid colors. The centerpiece of the show, Gerardo Hacer: The Myth, is a 2-ton fourteen-foot Pegasus entitled, “Education Gives You Wings To Fly” that will be permanently installed at the gateway of the main entrance to Los Angeles Trade-Tech College’s new $250M campus. A former graduate, Gerardo was selected as the face of their multimedia campaign, “Trade As Art”. His works have received coverage from SoCal News, Huell Howser’s “California Gold”, as well as, featured on public transit DASH buses. Contact: Ashley Lund – 310-405-5285

ART AND ARCHITECTURE: MERGING THE CONTEMPORARY AND THE HISTORICAL
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles 90041
323.226.1617, www.centerartseaglerock.org
Panel Discussion: March 13, 2010, 4-6 pm
Panelists: Gwynne Pugh (Pugh + Scarpa), Isotta Poggi (Getty Research Institute), John O’Brien, Cielo Pessione
Bruno Bondanelli will be making a brief presentation on behalf of Italian Living Umbria at the end of the round table conversation and offering Baci Perugina for all.
FOLLOWED by NELAart Second Saturday Gallery Night 7-10 pm
The March 13, 2010 panel discussion about “Art and Architecture: Merging the contemporary and the historical” is particularly relevant at CFAER, a historically listed 1914 Carnegie Library Building, that was itself transformed into a multicultural community center for arts and culture.

ASSEMBLAGE & COLLAGE
Howeeduzzit Gallery, 821 S. Raymond #27, Alhambra 91803
626.458.8811, www.howeeduzzitgallery.com
February 21st – March 13th, 2010
Closing Reception March 13th, 2:00-5:00 PM
Featured artists: Kathy Carvalles, Ruth DeNicola, Charles Dickson, Jack Fenn, Clare Graham, Frank Gutierrez, Cookie Hanson, Cidne Hart, Heather Hoggan, Jeffrey Kibbe, Dave Lovejoy, Mavis Leahy, Jaime Sabatte, Richard Sculley, Suzanne Siegel, Joseph Sims, Richard Turner, Howard Swerdloff, LaMonte Westmoreland

THE VIRGIN MARY CHAINSMOKING AT THE BEACH AND A COUPLE OTHER REALLY AWFUL THINGS I SAW WHEN I DITCHED SCHOOL THAT DAY
Future Studio Gallery, 5558 N. Figueroa St., LA 90042
futurestudiogallery.com
Opening Saturday March 13, 7 to 10 pm, part of NELAart.com Second Saturday Gallery Night
Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta: Drawings, Piñatas, Videos, Prints, Collages, and Photographs
(Don’t forget to pick up your free Tati artist trading card at the gallery during the opening)
March’s Chicken Boy Trading Card #6, also available Second Saturday. (It’s CB, a guy’s guy, repairing his cycle)
CUENTOS DE HADAS
Avenue 50 Studio, 131 North Avenue 50, Highland Park 90042
323.258.1435, www.avenue50studio.com
Mercedes Gertz and Esau Andrade reinterpret fairy tales with photographs by Elizabeth Beristain
Opening Night Reception: Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 7-10 pm
The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present “Cuentos de Hadas” (Fairy Tales), an exhibition of works by two contemporary Mexican artists. Through a narrative language, Gertz and Andrade portray the female vs. male versions of fairy tales. The exhibit opens with an artists’ reception on Saturday evening, March 13, 2010 from 7 to 10 p.m. and closes on Sunday, April 4, 2010.
Mercedes Gertz. Using humor and sensuality, Gertz’s fairy tale series asks us to consider where women are in the 21st century. Her heroines are unapologetic symbols of female confidence. We sense in them a comfort with the body, with play and decoration. They confidently own the sensual, and relish in being a woman in charge. “These … fairy or folk tales … recur over and over through millennia in the guise of innocent stories telling us time and again that the docile, young body gets the prince, that the girl brave enough to venture into the woods—the space of men–meets her fate at the hands of the big bad wolf. Peter Pan lives forever as a boy, Wendy must grow up–it is her calling, her duty, her essential nature.” — Marlena Doktorczyk-Donohue, Art Critic, Essayist, Poet
Esau Andrade. Following in the footsteps of the Latin American surrealists, Esau Andrade twists reality, creating canvases bursting with color that are pop in nature. He instills a childlike exuberance into his delightful paintings. Andrade comes from a folk art background, as both his mother Guadalupe Valencia and brother Raymundo Andrade are also artists. He is mainly a self-taught painter, although attended La Escuela de Artes Plasticas de la Universidad de Guadalajara. “Unlike the candy colored confections of his more stylized folk art paintings, these other works by Andrade place him firmly in the surrealist tradition shared by many Latin masters. He retains a naiveté and originality with quirky images that are both charming and serious, and also remain indebted to his rich culture for visual symbols that are vivid and intense.” — Kathy Zimmerer, Artscene 11/2004
Elizabeth Beristain. Elizabeth was born in Mexico City. A graduate of the Escuela Activa de Fotografia and staff photographer for “El Reforma,” one of the top national daily newspapers in Mexico, she moved to Los Angeles as a freelance photographer and later became Photography Editor for the cultural publication Latino Weekly Review. A product of her Mexican mother’s artistic sensitivity and her Portuguese father’s decidedly more adventurous side, this subtle mixture of Old and the New World influences are germinal elements of Elizabeth’s artistry. Additionally, in devising the art direction of her own work, a wider range of crucial creative features shine through, from the world of opera, painting, music, and cinema, in a vision where a unique sense of artistry never intrudes with a boundless appreciation of our common humanity. Elizabeth has participated in various collective and solo shows, both in Mexico and Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband, cinematographer Gabriel Beristain ASC, BSC, and their two children Max and Victoria. She is currently at work on her new series, entitled Crowned Nuns.

And the Annex Presents:
A PRAYER FOR JUAREZ, A CURSE ON THE KILLERS
March 13 through April 4, 2010
Opening Night Reception: Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 7-10 pm
Alfonso Aceves, Ismael de Anda, Antonio Escalante, Judithe Hernandez, Cindy Suriyani, vincentmayakovsky

DECKED OUT – ART ON RECYCLED SKATE DECKS
Cactus Gallery, 4534 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 90041
323-256-6117, http://www.eclecticcactus.com
w/ Featured Artist Michael Pukac plus group show
March 13th – April 7th 2010, Gallery Hours: Weds-Sun 12-6pm
Opening Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 7-10pm
Group Show Artists: Amanda Sage, Motion One, Hans Haveron, L. Croskey, John Park, Spectr, Tommii Lim, Stix and Jones, Yuki Miyazaki, Nick Wildermuth, Ted Von Heiland, Anna Chung, Shahid Brown, Patrick Haemmerlein, Max Neutra, Jacob E. Roanhaus, Jose Carabes, Elle Seven, Liz Brizzi, Jonathan Bueno, Kelly Thompson, Carlos Ramsey, Dicapria, Mikolaj Wyszynski, Walt Hall, Art Martinez, Douglas Alvarez, Julie B., Delphia, Mike Russek, Amy Bernays, Krystle Smith, Alfie Numeric, and more.
Beats by Mr. Numberwonderful
Curated by The Imaginary Light Bulb Factory
10% of proceeds will go to Greenizm: a 501.3c rehabilitating neglected urban landscape into green skate parks in LA County while promoting the arts to skate culture.
More info: ArtSlant Event Page – http://www.artslant.com/la/events/show/92985-decked-out,
Facebook Event Page – http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=301594547342&ref=ts

MICK & FRIENDS: A COLLECTION OF ROCK & ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY
drkrm/gallery, 2121 San Fernando Road Suite 3, Los Angele 90065
323.223.6867, drkrmgallery@gmail.com
March 13th- April 3rd, 2010, Tue-Sat 11-5 Sun 1-4
Opening Reception Saturday March 13th 7-10pm
drkrm/gallery announces it first show of 2010, a group show retrospective of fine art Rock & Roll photographs. Featuring Ethan Russell’s 1968 portrait of John and Yoko, Cecil Beaton’s portraits of Mick Jagger on the set of the film Performance and Travis Shinn’s recent photographs of Morrissey and Marilyn Manson. The Exhibition will run though April 3rd. There will be an opening reception Saturday March 12 from 7-10 pm with several of the artists in attendance.
Also featured are images of Bob Marley from the 1980’s by Neville Garrick, Paul Zone’s photos of KISS playing a small Queens NY club in 1973 and a 1969 Grateful Dead concert in San Francisco photographed by Ryan Herz plus many more.
The Land of Odd Gallery, 4690 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles 90041
March 13, 2010 – March 27, 2010
Opening Reception: March 13, 2010 from 6pm to 12am
Come to The Land of Odd Gallery’s 5×7″ Group Show, opening on the evening of March 13, 2010 from 6pm to 12am. We will also be continuing our $100 and Under Art Show so if you missed getting to see it, now is your chance to come by and check it out. This event will be held in conjunction with the NELA 2nd Saturday art walk. As always refreshments will be served and the event is FREE!
We are proud to have the following artists participating in the 5×7″ show: Chito Arellano, Christie Bastet, Jeff Bertrand, Julie Bossinger, Deryke Cardenaz, Jennifer Cuellar, Brad Davis, Jolly de Guzman, Diane Harrelson, Chuck Hodi, Edith Ben Horin, Jinx, Bruce Kaplan, Patrick Quinn, Pablo Ramos, Monica Roache, Annalise Sullivan, Jason Sullivan, Melissa Sullivan, and Christopher Umana. Most of these works have been created especially for this event and have never been exhibited before, so come by and show your support.
We will also be continuing our $100 and Under Art Show, featuring the artwork of; Douglas Alvarez, Christie Bastet, Edith Ben-Horin, Charles Bennett, Terri Berman, Jeff Bertrand, Deborah Blanco-Flores, Chris Bonno, Heidi K. Born, Deryke Cardenaz, Bryan Collins, Emma Cooper, Josh Cooper, Creep Creepersin, David Daniel, Brett Gilbert, Jolly de Guzman, Brad Davis, William Reynolds Green, Joe B. Hall, Benjamin Harmon, Santiago Heredia, Nicholas Hernandez, John Hicks, Chuck Hodi, K. Howell, Chris Isner, Jinx, Bruce Kaplan, Amelia Lewis, Cynthia Llanes, Vivian Nguyen, Sean Madden, Demi Pietchell, Patrick Quinn, Pablo Ramos, Monica Roache, Glenda Rolle, Lisa Rosso, Therese Solone, Evil Paul Springer, Melissa Sullivan, Jason Sullivan, and Ckay Walker.
Mention the phrase — “The greatest FREE print on Earth” — and you may choose a FREE 5×7″ linoleum print. You might want to mention it to someone who works at the gallery. Otherwise people will just think you are weird.

MOSTLY SCULPTURE SHOW
Sea and Space Explorations, 4744 York Boulevard, Los Angeles 90042
March 13-28, 2010, Gallery Hours Friday/Saturday 1-6 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm
Opening Saturday March 13, 7-10 pm
This is a show of work that centers on material exploration. The six artists’ works are unified by their emphasis on process and innovation. Each artist engages in a pas-de-deux with specific materials in a poetry of making. In the tradition of Schwitters, Tuttle, Franz West, Kippenberger, and Genzkin, this work is strongly formal and has to do with specific methods of making. Encompassing materials from draped fabric to dyed carrara marble to sheetrock to newspaper to fireproof canvas to human stand-ins and fake flowers, the show is made up of work that is sculptural and mostly sculpture.
Artists: Kathryn Andrews, Alice Clements, Heather Cook, Patrick Hill, Alice Konitz, Brett Lund

MIRROR TO A WORLD
José Vera Fine Art & Antiques, 2012 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles 90041
323.258.5050, www.joseveragallery.com
Gallery Hours: Wed.-Sun. 11am-6pm
Opening Reception on Saturday, March 13th, from 6 – 9
José Vera Fine Art & Antiques invites you to join us for our upcoming exhibit, featuring the work of Irene Carranza in her solo show “Mirror To A World”. We are pleased to showcase her work from March 3 – April 11, 2010, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, March 13th, from 6 – 9 pm, in conjunction with the NELA ArtWalk. Please join us for wine, appetizers and a meet-and-greet with the artist herself.
Artist Statement: On the surface, Carranza’s work is about women; that is the subject matter. At a deeper level, however, the works are about issues that women face, and they pay tribute to the resilient female spirit. Some of the images explore challenges of identity that we confront as women as we attempt to reconcile modern life with traditional Latino culture. Thus the art can be viewed as affirmations of strength and celebrations of a complex yet incredibly diverse presence as female human beings. She also explores themes of beauty, nature, solitude, death and rebirth. Feminism is expressed in many forms-virgins, mothers, mermaids, maidens, field workers, musicians and prostitutes, reflecting on the tender aspects of mankind. Carranza prefers to work with organic and richly layered oil pastels, using mineral spirits to blend, achieving painterly results. She also works with acrylic and oil paints, and occasionally some printmaking, such as aquatints, etchings and collographs. The artist’s recent explorations of color are done with acrylic paintings on black-gessoed surfaces of canvas and wood, and oil pastels and oil bars on black museum board. She considers these pieces as transformations of darkness into light, or darkness and lightvying with one another. This fascination may come from early childhood memories of the Mexican paintings on black velvet she saw everywhere during visits across the border. It may also stem from her immersion in Catholicism growing up in religious schools and a deeply religious home, where the concepts of good vs. evil and light coming out of darkness were pervasive.

HOW OLD DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO BE AN ARTIST?
The Judson Studios Gallery, 200 So. Avenue 66, Los Angeles 90042
Saturday,March 13th , 6:00PM~9:00PM
Students of ROOM 13, an international network of student-operated art studios will show work at The Judson Studios Gallery as part of NELA Art Night. Three ROOM 13 studios, including James Foshay Learning Center in South Los Angeles, Eliot Middle School in Altadena, and Marjorie Street in South Bay, will showcase paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media, assemblage, muralart and animation at this collaborative art installation. The Judson Studios, an internationally known stained glass maker run by five generations of family members, was also the first home to the USC School of Fine Arts until 1920.
Room13 originated in Caol, Scotland in1994 and has grown into an international network of student-designed and operated creative studios. It now provides learning and business enterprise skills to students in Scotland, Britain, Nepal, India and South Africa, and is currently expanding to Mexico, Turkey, China and Austria. The director of theTate Galleries has called Room 13 “the most important model for artistic teaching in school that we have in the UK.”
In 2008, Light Bringer Project, a nonprofit arts provider, engaged with the program’s international trustees and decided to take advantage of this opportunity for our own public school children. Partnering with Project Design Studio, the organization launched the first ROOM 13 in America at James Foshay Learning Center in South Los Angeles. They proceeded to found ROOM 13 at Eliot Middle School in Altadena. The third, an dmost recent model, ROOM 13 at Marjorie Street, was formed early this year in the South Bay vicinity. Like its peers, each creative studio operates as a physical space flourishing within a public school or community setting and is solely managed by the students.ROOM 13 is dedicated to provingthe worth of the individual with with the support and mentorship of schoolstaff and community members. Facilitated by an artist-in-residence, also from the community, students work in teams, as partners or alone, determining the scope and content of their own creative projects. ROOM 13 artists also learn self-reliance by designing a business model that will sustain their own studio operation. TBWAChiatDay advertising has also provided support of the ROOM 13 network through the contributed help of its creative professionals.
Proceeds from the sale of artworks will benefit ROOM 13 studios.