Art Walk Preview for December, 2008

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — It's the last Downtown Art Walk for 2008, a year that saw an increase in gallery-goers and galleries. Next year will be a rougher road––as it is for all––but organizers are steadfast in their aim to see Art Walk move forward.

Also, while an end-of-the-year reflection is so 2007, it's a good time to congratulate Bert Green of Bert Green Fine Art. He began the Downtown Art Walk a few years ago to promote artists and galleries. It's now become a way for Downtown to be known.

Here's your guide to what's going on around Art Walk this week -- including gift ideas -- plus a video giving a tour around last month's affair.

Downtown Art Walk from blogdowntown on Vimeo.

This tour around the Downtown Art Walk was directed by Ed Fuentes last month. It features interviews with Mark Acetelli, Rachel Maxi and Estevan Oriol.

Quick Notes: Motion L.A. and Gallery X’s “The Chaos before X-Mas” (129 E. 3rd); Tiara Café (127 E. 9th) will have free wine tasting; mention “Art Walk” at siptea (852 S. Broadway) and you can nab a free iced or hot tea; and Raw Materials (436 S Main St) will host demonstrations of “Get Your Sh*t Together” (GYST)–– business software for artists.

Nutcracker: On the corner of 6th and Main, a temporary gallery space in the Pacific Electric building will showcase “Signs of LA,” photography by Francisco Arcaute. At 8pm, the City Ballet of Los Angeles will take to the space to show off rehearsal of a special Nutcracker performance featuring the music of Duke Ellington. It's a 1944 take on the classic show.

ICONoclast: At Last Laugh (129 E. 6th), the work of Estevan Oriol (interviewed in the above video) is spotlighted in a stop on Van's ICONoclast tour. Proceeds from food, beverage and a silent auction benefit the Midnight Mission's Christmas Day brunch.

Los Angeles Central Library will offer back story on the current exhibit “L.A. Unfolded: Maps from the Los Angeles Public Library” with co-curators, Glen Creason and Gloria Gerace. LAPL / 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm / 2nd floor Getty Gallery

G727 If the powers that be decreed Downtown was only allowed one more mural ever be painted on the exterior of a wall, it should with G. Gronk Nicandro as the center figure. Until then, go to “Prints, Drawings and Studio Findings Sale” at G727 (727 S. Spring) and see the exhibition that centers around and incorporates the studio/residence where the artist has lived and worked for more than 15 years.”

FIDM Museum & Galleries will hold “Art to Wear” featuring Robin Wagner (FIDM Faculty, Suicide King), Sharon Cohen (FIDM Faculty, Bicron Design), Claudia Grau (FIDM Alumna, Grau Design), and Joe Viboonviriyawong (FIDM Alumni, Vilaiwan Jewelry). Also, FIDM and Zero One Gallery presents “Membrane: Art meets Fashion,” billed as “a mixed media show of conceptual fashion, digital and fine art from Los Angeles based artists.” FIDM Downtown LA Campus / 919 S. Grand

Phyllis Stein Art offers a “Smorgasbord: A Group Feast” that features works by Cecille Carriere, Jesse Chapo, Nolan Hendrickson, John Hyde, Sam Lubicz, Rachel Maxi, Tom Patton, Anne Vanderlaan and William Waggoner, an “array of art treats running the gamut from high to low, fine to fun.” Phyllis Stein Art / 207 W. 5th in the Spring Arts Tower

"Towers of Gold:" At Metropolis Books (440 S. Main), Frances Dinkelspiel reads from "Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California." Hellman was a founder of the Farmers and Merchants Bank and a highly influential figure in Downtown's development. He was also Dinkelspiel's great, great grandfather. The reading takes place at 7pm.

Coldsprings Fine Art just opened "1000 Teddies," an installation by Philipp Jordan; and continues Yosemite Winter, photography of Ben Dewell. Just for Art Walk, the "humorous equine art" of Sylvio Teixeira will also be on display. Coldsprings Fine Art / 215 W. 3rd

JANM: Off the beaten art walk path, the Japanese American National Museum offers “Twenty Years Ago Today” that notes the 20th anniversary of the California Community Foundation’s Fellowships for Visual Artists. Curated by Kris Kuramitsu and Rita Gonzalez, this exhibition showcases the cultural emergence Los Angeles based painting, sculpture, photography, installation, performance, video and film, and experimental media. JAMN / 369 E. 1st

Springs Arts Collective Gallery is the show within the show, a constant flow of art and music that’s become a must stop and see. This month, they are featuring works from Drew Baker, Eric Bickford, Fatima Jamil Faiz, Yong Han, Kate Savage and Natalie Young. In the black box room, Japanese performance art group Kushami will improvise dialogue with the use of projections and sounds. The style is dubbed “improvideologue” and the show is called "Field Trip.” Spring Arts Tower / 453 S. Spring / Mezzanine Level