NELA Live

Historic estate sale in Garvanza this weekend

This estate sale one is unique to the Northeast and its place in local history. The hope is to keep some of the items local.

This weekend, starting Friday, March 28 at 8AM and ongoing through the weekend, the collection of  local residents, Bill Baker and Florian Gabriel will be on sale at their 1897 Colonial Four Square home at 200 N. Ave 66, north of York and west of the 110 Fwy at Marmion Way/Ave 64 exit. -- not far from Judson Studios.

The house is filled with 55 yrs. of designer, decorator, and artist treasures. Florian was a former designer of Stephen Crane & Associates, and well known in the Tiki design movement in Los Angeles and was a volunteer at the Southwest Museum. He collected numerous cultural items that may be of interest.

Tons of great attic items are to be brought down each day for the 1st few days of the sale. (As room allows.)

If a sale like this appeals to you, please come out and take a look at the sale, support a local resident and see this home's recently restored exterior recognized with a recent 2007/2008 HPHT award.

Vernal Equinox - Rite-of-Spring - Ostara

Our early ancestors were deeply aware of changes in the seasons, and changes in the heavens above them.  Indeed, our ancestors ignored such changes at their peril.

While they may not have known the physical dynamics or the astronomical term Vernal Equinox, as the days lengthened and grew warmer, the ancients were aware of a coming time of balance between dark and light.

Our early ancestors would be busy now, making final repairs to their plows, preparing their draft animals to pull the plows, checking their store of seed corn to plant.  Their survival in the next year would depend much upon the corn seeds they were about to plant.

Thus, rituals that marked spring planting time celebrated the fertility of the earth, the viability of the seed, and entreated the gods and goddesses to ensure an abundant crop.

The ancient Saxons celebrated these rite-of-spring rituals with an uproarious festival, called by some Ostara, commemorating the goddess of rebirth and fertility, Eostre, and seeking her blessing upon the fields and crops.

When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the Saxon tribes of the north, they attempted to convert the tribes to Christianity. These missionaries decided to spread their religious message slowly throughout the populations by allowing the people to continue to celebrate feasts of the old ways, but to do so in a Christian manner.

As the Christian celebration overtook the old ways, the goddess name, Eostre, eventually morphed to the modern word and spelling, Easter.

In A.D. 325, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Christian Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox, further blending the ancient Rite-of-Spring celebration with Christian Easter.

Self Awareness Workshop At Arroyo Seco Library 3/22

Caught at a crossroads? Having trouble with your career or personal relationships? Then come to our  free workshop and see if self-help author Richard Blacker can shed some light.

Blacker, author of "Finding Your Path Through Life: A personalized guide to making life decisions that are right for you," teaches an anxiety-free way to make choices based on your unique personality.

The workshop will include exercises to enhance your self-knowledge. Even if you're content with your current path, stop by and gain a deeper understanding about life choices and decision-making skills.
All ages welcome.

Saturday, March 22, 2008  2 PM
Arroyo Seco Regional Branch Library
6145 N. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA  90042
(323) 255-0537

http://events.lapl.org/viewEvent.cfm?eventID=17329
More information about Richard Blacker:
http://www.middlepathpress.com/MIDDLE_PATH.html

"I Know You"

January Art Show at Future Studio Gallery
Opening: Saturday January 12, 2008
7 to 10 pm

"I Know You"  ~~  an interactive installation by Amy Inouye

I know a lot of people a lot of ways. Friends, relatives, clients, vendors, neighbors, artists, musicians, poets, civil servants, members of special interest groups, animal rescuers, folk dancers, accordionists, preservationists, and, of course, Chicken Boy-related.

I put the names of everyone I thought would return my phone call on little cards, threw them in a bag, and randomly drew fifty names. These names go up on the wall and if you also know them, you add your name. As more names are added, more connections will hopefully happen and we will all find out we know the same people in different ways.

It's sort of like myspace or Linkedin but with pencils.

http://homepage.mac.com/futurestudio/futurestudioGallery/gallery.html

8th Annual Nacimiento Bike Ride, 1/6

2008's Divine Holy Ride:

The 8th Annual Nacimiento Tour Sunday, January, 6, 2008 11 am - 4pm

On Sunday, January 6, 2008, bicyclists and motorists alike will take to the streets to enjoy the eclectic and divine nacimientos of Los Angeles's Eastside. This year's tour starts at the Los Angeles River and Gardens Center, 570 W. Avenue 26, Los Angeles, 90065 at 11 am, with registration opening at 10 am. Highland Park's Bike Oven will offer free tire checks and sag support. This year, the Charles Lummis Home in Highland Park will provide refreshments.

The Latino Urban Forum, The Rare Times, Wild Women on Wheels (w2ows), C.I.C.L.E., Santa Monica Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and Council Districts One and Fourteen are co-sponsors of the tour.

For the 8th year, the annual tour will highlight mini Bethlehems, makeshift barns and stables, and in one
setting, a complete living room reenactment of Jesus' birth and the arrival of the three kings. For many
bicyclists, this is the first time exploring the historically and ethnically rich neighborhoods of Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, and Boyle Heights.

Nacimientos, or nativity scenes, is a tradition that many Latino throughout Latin America follow during the Christmas season. This tradition takes place in the streets of LA where many immigrants and multi-generational families spend countless hours creating Nacimientos in their front yards, porches, on roofs, as well as in the home.

Nacimientos range in size, complexity, and creativity. Some can be a simple scene of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to elaborate landscapes with tinsel waterfalls, sparkling lights, and hundreds of pieces. Each Nacimiento reflects the creator's devotion to Christmas and can be very personal in nature.

For many Latinos, the building of the sets begins the day after December 12th, which is the feast day of Our lady of Guadalupe and they stay up until January 6th, when the three kings arrive with gifts for the new born king.

Listings and pictures of previous years' tours can be found on www.theraretimes.com.
The bike ride will be approximately 18 miles with frequent stops. Please wear a helmet. The 2008 map will be available online and at the registration on the day of the event.

For more information and/or suggestions of new nacimientos,
please contact Lupe Vela at 213-820-3680

You're Invited to Holidays with Audubon

Holidays with Audubon

Saturday December 15 (12–3 pm) Join Audubon to celebrate the holiday season!

* Learn how to make papel picado (cut paper) and holiday decorations using materials from our natural environment.

* Local artist Leo Limón will be on hand all day to help guide our creative spirits.

* At 2:00 pm, join storyteller, Michael McCarty, as he shares tales from around the globe.

All ages Welcome!

Refreshments will be served.

Festividades con Audubon

Sábado 15 de Diciembre (12–3 pm) ¡Venga y celebre con nosotros estos días festivos!

* Aprenda a hacer banderitas de papel picado y decoraciones tradicionales usando materials naturales.

* Leo Limón, artista local, estará con nosotros todo el día para guiar nuestros espíritus creativos.

* A las 2:00 pm, Michael McCarty compartirá con nosotros historias de todo el mundo.

¡Todas las edades son bienvenidas!

Se servirán refrescos.

4700 North Griffin Ave. • Los Angeles, CA 90031

323-221-2255 • audubondebspark.org

14th Annual Noche De Las Memorias

14th Annual Noche De Las Memorias, A Free Community World AIDS Event

Date:  Saturday, December 1, 2007

Where:  Lincoln Park, 3600 Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Time:  HIV Testing 12noon -5:00pm,  Ceremony 4:00pm-5:30pm

What:  The Wall Las Memorias Project hosts the 14th Annual `Noche de las Memorias' on World AIDS  Day. The free event will take place at the site of the AIDS Monument in Lincoln Park located at 3600 Mission Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90031.

This year, more than fifty volunteers from local youth groups and high schools will help set up and light 3,000 luminarias through out Lincoln Park in honor of continued AIDS awareness and activism. Laura Diaz, KCBS news anchor, will be the mistress of ceremony for this year's program which will include musical performances by the Mary Immaculate Church Choir and flutist Manuel Sanchez. The program will also include testimonies from individuals affected by HIV and messages from local community faith leaders. Free rapid HIV testing will be available to all individuals. Over 500 community members are expected to attend this year's event.

Founded in 1993, the mission of The Wall Las Memorias Project is to preserve the AIDS monument as an inspirational tool to educate the community about cultural denial, HIV/AIDS and to promote activism and healthy living.

For more information please call 323-257-1056.

~~Eddie

The Arroyo Arts Collective Preview Party

In conjunction with the 15th Annual Discovery Tour, the Arroyo Arts Collective will host a gala preview party at the Acorn Gallery where work by more than 50 of the participating artists will be on display on Saturday, November 10th . Drop by and meet Tour artists, other Collective members, neighborhood art enthusiasts, NELAart Second Saturday-ers, have a snack or drink and buy Tour tickets at the advance price.

The preview party is a great place to catch up with friends and select the artists you'd like to visit on the day of the Tour. The party is from 7 to 10p.m.

The Acorn Gallery is located at 135 North Avenue 50, Highland Park.

40th Anniversary - Summer of Love Celebration at Heritage Square

Heritage Square Museum remembers a watershed year in recent history when Flower Power was in full  bloom, hippies hung out on the Sunset Strip, and there was a Love-In in Griffith Park. The "happening" is Saturday August 25th from 4:00 until 7:00 PM.

Tickets for this fundraising event are $25 per person. There will be food, face painting, dance contests, hippie "costume" contests, give-aways, and of course, music. K-EARTH-101 radio will be there,  broadcasting all the "oldies", while special musical guest "The Ravelers" put their own spin on the 60s.

40 years ago, young people converged on Los Angeles and San Francisco in a social experiment that  changed society. Victorian houses were a backdrop for the activities and events of that era. At that time, no one was interested in Victorian architecture--it was not considered chic or desirable, but it provided cheap housing for the hippies, who embraced its uniqueness as part of their counterculture ideals.

From the Monterey Pop Festival, the publication of Rolling Stone Magazine, the first airing of Laugh-In, to the Vietnam and 6-Day Wars, 1967 was a year that saw strangely diverse events. Against a backdrop of war protests and rock and roll music, the youth of America tried to maintain a vision of free-spirited idealism. Although the Summer of Love marked both a beginning and an end, it is remembered as a milestone of hippie culture. Forty years later, the hippies have become the "Establishment" and the Summer of Love a distant memory of youthful idealism. There are many parallels between then and now. Get out your love beads and be sure to wear some flowers in your hair!

Heritage Square Museum
3800 Homer Street , Los Angeles,90031

Admission: $25.00
For more information call: 323-225-2700 ext. 224
http://www.heritagesquare.org

Continuing at the Acorn Gallery: Fresh Prints

Continuing at the Acorn Gallery, 135 N Avenue 50

Fresh Prints Through August 19, 2007

Part of NELAArt.org Second Saturdays. Map of participating galleries: www.nelaart.org
Gallery Hours: Saturday & Sundays, noon-4pm
Artists: Stuart Bender, Kay Brown, Karen Neubert and Doug Wichert
Curator: Nancy Buchanan

FRESH PRINTS, opening at the Acorn Gallery July 14, brings together four disparate artists who create art through various kinds of transfer process.

Doug Wichert earned an MFA from California State University, Long Beach, where he also ran the print labs and facilitated student work in lithography and etching. Returning to printmaking after a twenty year absence, he examines issues of material, craft, expectation and risk.

Kay Brown, trained in graphic design at Chouinard and Art Center, joined a printmaking collective at Self-Help Graphics and has explored linocut, drypoint, woodcut, silkscreen, silk etching and monoprints. Many of her works carry strong social messages, and have been auctioned from the collection of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.

Karen Neubert's monotypes are painterly prints. She studied painting at Stanford and Otis and has worked extensively to create art workshops for children, establishing a children's studio at Pacific Oaks College. The subject matter of the hand-colored postcards she employs is less important to her than a particular color combination, mood or strangeness possessed by the card.

Since 1985, Stuart Bender has created installation, single-channel, and live-performance music/video works which have been exhibited internationally. He is exhibiting works from a new series titled "Djinn of the Fourth Wall."  Each print includes photography, drawing, digital processing, and the Brazilian model Moux, who appears as the Djinn in the images. Djinn comprise an order of spirits believed capable of exercising influence over humankind for either good or bad. For the ancient Semites, djinn were spirits who acted during the night.


Heather Hoggan

Fresh Prints at Acorn Gallery 7/14

FRESH PRINTS, opening at the Acorn Gallery July 14, brings together four disparate artists who create art through various kinds of transfer process.

Doug Wichert earned an MFA from California State University, Long Beach, where he also ran the print labs and facilitated student work in lithography and etching. Returning to printmaking after a twenty year absence, he examines issues of material, craft, expectation and risk.

Kay Brown, trained in graphic design at Chouinard and Art Center, joined a printmaking collective at Self-Help Graphics and has explored linocut, drypoint, woodcut, silkscreen, silk etching and monoprints. Many of her works carry strong social messages, and have been auctioned from the collection of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.

Karen Neubert's monotypes are painterly prints. She studied painting at Stanford and Otis and has worked extensively to create art workshops for children, establishing a children's studio at Pacific Oaks College. The subject matter of the hand-colored postcards she employs is less important to her than a particular color combination, mood or strangeness possessed by the card.

Since 1985, Stuart Bender has created installation, single-channel, and live-performance music/video works which have been exhibited internationally. He is exhibiting works from a new series titled “Djinn of the Fourth Wall.” Each print includes photography, drawing, digital processing, and the Brazilian model Moux, who appears as the Djinn in the images.

Djinn comprise an order of spirits believed capable of exercising influence over humankind for either good or bad. For the ancient Semites, djinn were spirits who acted during the night. During the run of the exhibition, each of the artists will be present on at least two gallery days, so those missing the opening may discuss the work in depth.

Fresh Prints is curated by Collective member Nancy Buchanan.

Arroyo Seco Newletters

Discover the vibrant communities of Northeast Los Angeles with this week's events in Recreation, Culture and The Arts

Arroyo Seco Recreation

Arroyo Seco Culture

Arroyo Seco Arts

Arroyo Arts Newsletter

Click here for current issue of Arroyo Seco Recreation Culture and the Arts Newsletter

Belated Mother's Day Musings

Belated Mother's Day Musings From Barubraja

Arroyo Arts Newsletter

Click here for current issue of Arroyo Seco Recreation Culture and the Arts Newsletter

Arroyo Arts Newsletter

Click here for current issue of Arroyo Seco Recreation Culture and the Arts Newsletter

Arroyo Arts Newsletter

Click here for current issue of Arroyo Seco Recreation Culture and the Arts Newsletter

NELAarts Newsletter

Spoke(n) Art Ride & NELAarts Gallery Night

Where are the Chicana/o artists this weekend/next week?

The Chinese Lantern Festival

Hola Todos – As I said last week, the 14th day of the Chinese New Year celebration should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which is to be held on the 15th night. And that we would speak more about the Lantern Festival next week. So, here it is next week, and time to talk about the Lantern Festival.

The Lantern Festival is a tradition that closes out the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival season. This observance falls on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar, which the night of the first full moon of the lunar New Year, and changes each year. It dates back to shrouded legends of the Han Dynasty more than 2000 years ago. It is also known as Shang Yuan Festival or the birthday of the God of Heaven.

Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs & scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples & carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon. A popular component of some lanterns is lantern riddles. These are riddles that are stuck on the surface of lanterns for people to guess. The subjects of the riddles are often traditional Chinese songs, poems, stories or historical events.

In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which might stretch a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper & bamboo. Traditionally, the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets.

Lantern Festival is also popularly referred to as Chinese Valentine's Day. In the past, it was the only day of the year that a single woman could go out (chaperoned) and be seen by eligible bachelors. Now, many single people gather at the festival, and some play matchmaking games with the lanterns.

Lantern Festival is also celebrated by eating tang yuan or yuanxiao, round balls of sticky rice flour with a variety of fillings, including black sesame paste, tangerine peel, walnuts, meats, fish, and vegetables. It is an important practice to eat tang yuan during the lantern festival because they symbolize family reunion and unity, important values of the celebration, and their shape represents the full moon.

So where does one go here to touch a taste of this celebration? To El Pueblo, Olvera Street, of course. As we said before both the Chinese and the Spanish cultures of LA have ties to this area. The Chinese American Museum is hosting the Lantern Festival there. And, for some reason this is the weekend of some wonderful fundraisers, and, you should be able to make both: the Benefit Concert & Auction at Rock Rose Art Gallery and the Route 66 Art Auction at Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock. And nearby you can see a new dance production, Perceptions, at Avenue 50 Studio. If you're not in the NorthEastLA area and want to see some dance, there's Origenes: Compañía Flamenca Rina Orellana at the Morgan-Wixson Theater in Santa Monica. For those in the Pasadena area you can make both Saints & Sinners XX Exhibit at The Folk Tree and Drive By at the Phantom Galleries LA. And for the politically-minded, there's Breaking the Silence at Mercado La Paloma and The Ministry of Culture presents We Say No

Yo! at IMIX Bookstore, on Sunday.

And, if none of that appeals to you, look below for what else is going on this weekend.

And, so…

Where are the Chicana/o artists this weekend/next week?

This Chicana artist is still celebrating her 60th birthday and just got back from Baja, again. It's the fish tacos in Puerto Nuevo… Shalom, RuthAnne Tarletz de Molina

Where will you be???

Continue reading at Sarte_Mex...

Rosamaria invites you to An Evening of Music, Friends and Food for the KIDS!

Rock Rose Gallery, Art Store, Arroyo Books Production Co. and Rehearsal Studio
4108 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park, CA 90065

VISION:"Bridging Communities through the Arts". Rock Rose is a legacy to the work and inspiration of our friend and mentor, C. Bernard Jackson co-founder of Inner City Cultural Center. To be continued...Jack.

MISSION: Rock Rose is a multi-disciplinary/multi-cultural artspace which invites both professional and aspiring young artists to develop and present their work in an environment of community support and collaboration.

Rock Rose Art Gallery
BENEFIT CONCERT & AUCTION
Saturday, March 3, 8-11 p.m.
Donation $5 Featuring

PRETENTIOUS PIDGINS
The Pretentious Pidgins blend an array of musical styles ranging from Jazz to Punk, into an organic groove centered new genre they call Junk! Often with a satirical commentary on politics and everyday
life, The Pidgins are constantly stretching perceived "musical limits" into nights where whole sets become improvised and the audience become Pidgins themselves! Centered in Highland Park, CA and growing out of "the Rock Rose Jass Workshop" The Pidgins are sharing their art and ideas with the people and gaining new "Pidgins" everyday.

" Groove Session "
Jam Band / Rock / Nu-Jazz
Manny Sanchez -Drums, Vocal
Ronnie Sanchez -Bass
Greg Lesondak Guitar, vocal
Daniel Delgado - Trumpet, vocal
Direct from Ontario, CA
www.myspace.com/groovesession

The 15 Days of the Chinese New Year Celebration

RuthAnne Tarletz de Molina

10 Additional Lessons I Learned From 50 to 60

51 Don’t make lists

52 If you’re stubborn enough to make a list, don’t lose it

53 The sun shines on the good and the bad

54 No one is perfect, least of all me

55 Smile at everyone, we all need smiles

56 Hug everyone, we all need hugs

57 Don’t ask God for patience, He’ll give you trials to acquire it

58 Some questions don’t need to be answered or even acknowledged

59 Let people vent, but know when to go

60 Celebrate your 60th birthday at least a month

Hola Todos – With that out of the way, I’m going to talk a bit about the 15 day Chinese New Year Celebration that will end with the Lantern Festival on March 3. As you know, if you have been following my newsletters, we are talking about this here because of the joint history of the Chinese and the Spanish settlers at El Pueblo, Olvera Street. This weekend there will be a parade beginning at El Pueblo and ending in Chinatown, but more about that later. On to some information about celebrating the Chinese New Year.

The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the New Year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them. The first order of business is offering ritual homage to one's ancestors. Reverence is then paid to the gods, followed by younger family members paying their respects to their living elders. New clothes are worn, and visits are made to friends, neighbors, and relatives to exchange good wishes of kung-hsi fa-tsai, which means "congratulations and prosperity." As an occasion for reconciliation, it's a time when old grudges are cast aside amidst an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.

On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs. Also on the second day married daughters return to their parents' home. If she is a newlywed, her husband must accompany her and bring gifts for her family.

The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law. According to a charming legend, the third day of the lunar New Year is the day when mice marry off their daughters. Thus, on that night, people are supposed to go to bed early so that the mice can perform their wedding ceremonies.

On the fourth day, the fervor begins to ebb. In the afternoon, people prepare offerings of food to welcome the return of the Kitchen God and his retinue from their trip to the Jade Emperor's court. The Kitchen God's return signifies the end of freedom from spiritual surveillance, hence the popular Chinese saying: "It's never too early to send off the gods & never too late to invite them back."

The fifth day, called Po Woo, is when people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck. Day five almost brings the Chinese New Year festivities to a close. All offerings are removed from the altars and life returns to normal.

On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.

The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. The farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.

On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.

Finally, on the ninth day, numerous offerings are set out in the forecourt or central courtyard of temples to celebrate the birthday of the Jade Emperor, who was believed to have been born immediately after midnight on the ninth day.

The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner.

After so much rich food, on the 13th day you should have simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse the system.

The 14th day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which is to be held on the 15th night. And of which we will speak more next week.

So where does one go here to touch a taste of this celebration? To El Pueblo, Olvera Street, of course. As we said before both the Chinese and the Spanish cultures of LA have ties to this area. The Chinese American Museum is even housed there and next week they’ll host the Lantern Festival. The 108th Annual Golden Dragon Parade will start at El Pueblo on Saturday and will end in Chinatown where on Saturday there’ll be the Chinese New Year Festival & on Sunday a Car Show. Then you should leave the festival early and head over to Self Help Graphics and Art for a very special exhibit, 2nd Edition: A Father/Daughter Print Retrospective that features the works of Frank and Sonia Romero, father and daughter.

Where are the Chicana/o artists this weekend/next week?

This Chicana artist is still celebrating her 60th birthday and just got back from Baja. Shalom, RuthAnne Tarletz de Molina

Where will you be???

Continue reading at Sarte_Mex.......

Mardi Gras y Carnival y Lent

Arroyo Seco Recreation Culture & the Arts Newsletter
Special Issue 51a 02.18.07

Hola Todos - Welcome to a special Mardi Gras edition of our newsletter. Peace / Shalom, RuthAnne Tarletz

This is not just the end of the season of Winter Festivals, but also the beginning of the Spring Festivals which begins with Carnival y Mardi Gras. So gear up for what is to come…

The Carnival season kicks off with the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night, Three Kings' Day and, in the Eastern churches, Theophany. Epiphany, which falls on January 6, 12 days after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the Wise Men bearing gifts for the infant Jesus. In cultures that celebrate Carnival, Epiphany kicks off a series of parties leading up to Mardi Gras.

Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, meaning "farewell to the flesh." Translating it in Catholic terms, it is a time of extended tolerances & a period for eating & drinking with reckless abandon
until the day of atonement—Ash Wednesday. In some traditions it is the three-day period preceding the beginning of Lent, the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday immediately before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of the Lenten Season. In other traditions it is the entire period of time between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. The three days before Ash Wednesday are also known as Shrovetide ("shrove" is an Old English word meaning "to repent"). The Tuesday just before Ash Wednesday is called Shrove Tuesday, or is more popularly known by the French term Mardi Gras, meaning "Fat Tuesday," contrasting to the fasting during Lent. The entire three-day period has now come to be known in many areas as Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras literally means "Fat Tuesday" in French. The name comes from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting upon a fattened calf on the last day of Carnival. The day is also known as Shrove Tuesday
(from "to shrive," or hear confessions), Pancake Tuesday and fetter Dienstag. The custom of making pancakes comes from the need to use up fat, eggs and dairy before the fasting and abstinence of Lent begins.

It is the last hurrah before the Catholic season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It also has links to the Christmas season through the period known as Carnival. Mardi Gras, literally "Fat Tuesday," has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the "last hurrah" before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. That's why the enormous party in New Orleans, for example, ends abruptly at midnight on Tuesday, with battalions of street sweepers pushing the crowds out of the French Quarter towards home. What is less known about Mardi Gras is its relation to the Christmas season, through the ordinary-time interlude known in many Catholic cultures as Carnival. (Ordinary time, in the Christian calendar, refers to the normal "ordering" of time outside of the Advent/Christmas or Lent/Easter seasons.)

It's argued that the Mardi Gras tradition started in America with the French explorers, the Le Moyne brothers, in New Orleans in 1699 or when American college students returned home from Paris in the 1820s. Probably both, and the tradition has held, and today in New Orleans, Paris and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and other locations worldwide, Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday") means a traditional huge annual moving
celebration with parades and parties. Throughout the years the celebration has added African, Latin and Native American aspects to its French origins.

In 1699, the traditional French Catholic celebration ensued leading to what many refer to as "North America's first Mardi Gras". Over the passing decades, following their European custom, Carnival
celebrations took place in all towns and cities in the colony. Carnival celebrations became an annual event highlighted by lavish balls and masked spectacles. Some were small, private parties with
select guest lists, while others were raucous, public affairs. They continued until the Spanish government took over in the mid-1700s and banned the celebrations. The ban continued even after the U.S.
government acquired the land but the celebrations resumed in 1827. The official colors of Mardi Gras, with their roots in Catholicism, were chosen 10 years later: purple, a symbol of justice; green,
representing faith; and gold, to signify power.

In the old tradition of the feast, it was the only time of year when the poor & working class could mock the gentry & aristocracy who held power over their lives. For enslaved African Americans in pre-Civil
War New Orleans, it was a day to shed their shackles & dance with unfettered liberty---& even act as free men & women.

Like many Catholic holidays and seasonal celebrations, it likely has its roots in pre-Christian traditions based on the seasons. Some believe the festival represented the few days added to the lunar calendar to make it coincide with the solar calendar; since these days were outside the calendar, rules and customs were not obeyed. Others see it as a late-winter celebration designed to welcome the coming spring. As early as the middle of the second century, the Romans observed a Fast of 40 Days, which was preceded by a brief season of feasting, costumes and merrymaking.

Mardi Gras celebrations got their start in pagan Rome. They staged hedonistic festivals honoring the Roman deity, Lupercus, a pastoral god associated with Faunus or the Satyr. The Romans gorged themselves with carnal pleasures, wore masks, dressed like ghosts and went crazy. Fat Tuesday is thought to have come from the Pagan custom of parading the fattest ox through the streets. Pagans would wear bizarre costumes and eat, drink and have all sorts of fun that in other times would have never been allowed. When the Christians took over Rome, they attempted to make the celebration, their own and Mardi Gras became last-hurrah period of merriment and abandonment preceding the fasting period of Lent, 40 days prior to Easter. Mardi Gras is now always the day before Ash Wednesday on the Christian calendar.

Locations include New Orleans and other cities in Louisiana; Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Olinda & Salvador, Brazil; Venice and other cities in Italy; Bahia; Mazatlán and other cities in Mexico; Detroit, MI, Galveston and other cities in Texas; Biloxi and other cities in Mississippi; Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL; St. Louis, MO; San Diego and other cities in California; the Caribbean: Aruba, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago are some of the celebrants; Belgium; Argentina; Uruguay; Panama; Slovenia and Sweden.

And here in Los Angeles you can celebrate it at Olvera Street with a traditional style Mardi Gras in the evening and children's events in the morning. After that you can head up the 110 to Mr T's Bowl for
more celebration including live bands and a potluck.

And if you haven't danced enough at Olvera Street and Mr T's, you can continue dancing with Los Cojolites and Son Mestizo the at Avenue 50 Studio or flamenco with Mojácar Flamenco at the Temple Bar or make it out to UC Riverside for Quetzal y Son de Madera or to dance to Latin Jazz with the Susie Hansen Band at Cavallino Ristorante & Jazz Bar on Friday. Or for a quiet moment join the Mental Menudo at the Mexican Cultural Institute.

Where Are the Chicana/o Artists This Weekend/Next Week?

Chicanos celebrate Chinese New Year, tambien
By RuthAnne Tarletz de Molina | Web Published 2.16.2007

Hola Todos - So you are asking, why are the Chicana/o artists involved with the Chinese New Year celebrations? In other cities besides Los Angeles it might not make a lot of sense. However, in LA it makes the most sense. Many know that LA began in the area now known as Olvera Street or Placita Olvera. What many do not know is that the Chinese occupied this area after the original founders. For the details go to the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles website .

The Chinese New Year festival began this year on January 30 & traditionally lasts until the 15th day of the lunar month and ends with the Lantern Festival. Falling on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year, the Lantern Festival, also known as Shang Yuan Festival, the birthday of the God of Heaven, takes place under a full moon & marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. I’ll write more about the Lantern Festival and the 15 day celebration next week. (And I haven’t forgotten the 10 more lessons, that’s coming in a special newsletter this Sunday for Mardi Gras y mas.)

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4705 begins on February 18, 2007. There are three ways to name a Chinese year. The first is by an animal (like a mascot). 2007 is known as the Year of the Pig. There are 12 animal names, which are called the Chinese Zodiac, so by this system, year names are re-cycled every 12 years. The second is by its Formal Name (Stem-Branch). The new year is the year of Ding Hai. In the 'Stem-Branch' system, the years are named in 60-year cycles, and the Name of the Year is repeated every 60 years. 2007 is the 8th year in the current 60-year cycle. The third is by the number of years that have occurred on the Chinese Calendar. By this method the current year is Year 4704 by the Chinese calendar.

Pig personality traits: Intellectually curious, honest and tolerant, those born in the Year of the Pig can be relied upon for their loyalty and often make true friends for life. Those born in pig years tend to have excellent manners, often make and keep friends for life, work very hard & appreciate luxury. They are very loving and make loyal partners. Pigs are highly regarded for your chivalry and pureness of heart and will often sacrifice their own well-being for the greater good.. For pigs in 2007, any recent setbacks or obstacles can be overcome so look forward to a year in which to really shine, either personally or professionally. Pigs are affectionate, hard-working, brave, kind and innocent. They are always willing to help others and of all the animals, the Pig probably suffers most and may be treated badly. Pigs are talented and clever and love reading and learning. They make wonderful marriage partners.

The Pig can be very naive, however, and may easily fall victim to the unscrupulous who take advantage of their idealistic nature - as Pigs see everyone as loyal and caring as they are. Although forced to play the fool many times, they will just as likely hold fast to the notion that everyone is at heart decent and admirable.

Stubbornly optimistic, the Pig will not tolerate those with well-meaning advice on how to be a Pig, but since they dislike quarreling and discord their anger usually cools quickly. Sometimes looked upon as a snob, the Pig just finds it right and natural to exhibit good manners whenever possible. Their main goal in life is in serving others, and no matter how difficult circumstances become the Pig will never waiver or retreat, forging ahead in the sure knowledge that all will be well.

Pig people love to read, are generally thirsty for knowledge, and not readily talkative, but if presented with an opportunity to discuss topics of interest with like-minded individuals Pigs may find themselves talking non-stop for hours!

People born in the Year of the Pig are trusted associates in whatever career they happen to choose and often shine as entertainers, social activists or politicians.

Famous Boars: Woody Allen, Julie Andrews, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Billy Crystal, Robert Dole, Phil Donahue, Richard Dreyfuss, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Farrah Fawcett, Henry Ford, Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Mahalia Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Chiang Kai-Shek, Stephen King, Henry Kissinger, the Dalai Lama, David Letterman, Jerry Lee Lewis, John McEnroe, Dudley Moore, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Marie Osmond, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Spielberg, RuthAnne Tarletz de Molina and Tracey Ullman.

So to start the celebration you can go to the Chinese New Year Parade and Festival in Old Pasadena on Sunday. More is coming next week and there’s Mardi Gras, too. To get a bit of Mardi Gras flavor Contratiempo is showing two short gypsy films. And, if you’re into films, head on over to the Pan African Film & Arts Festival for Ladones & Mentirosos on Saturday and Africanias on Sunday. And to be even more literary Jim Marquez is at Metropolis Books to launch LA Bitch IV: The Last Word. For a change of pace, there’s the 11th Annual Wildhorse Pow-Wow in Torrance.

And, of course, other options are available from community celebrations to supporting Tia Chucha’s as they move to a new location.

Where are the Chicana/o artists this weekend/next week?

This Chicana artist is still celebrating her 60th birthday. This time she's off  in Arizona for the Tucson Gems, Jewelry, Minerals and Fossils shows (45 in all). So, just to let you know I'm around, here's what's going on in NorthEast LA (NELA) this weekend. Many of the events feature Chicana/o artists, so this is for both of my newsletters this week. Back to normal??? next week. And, those 10 more pieces of advice that I promised. Shalom, RuthAnne Tarletz de Molina

Where will you be???

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Las Angelitas Docent Training at LA’s Birthplace Starts February 13: New docent training classes for El Pueblo de LA Historical Monument will be held for eight Tuesdays from February 13 to April 3.  Classes are offered by Las Angelitas del Pueblo that is the volunteer docent organization that leads the free walking tours of the "birthplace of LA." Classes will be held from 10a - 12:30p at Las Angelitas offices, located at 130 Paseo de la Plaza next to the Old Firehouse & directly across from Union Station.  The classes feature multi-media presentations of historic photos & lectures from El Pueblo curators & area history experts.  Las Angelitas consists of 70 men & women who are history buffs with a passion for the history of LA, according to the organization’s president Frank Damon.  “This is a wonderful group of volunteers who embrace LA history & want to share their knowledge with others, says Damon, who also leads the training classes.

The volunteer commitment is two weekday tours or one Saturday tour per month.  The walking tours are 50 minutes long.   Tours are provided in various languages, including Spanish.  For more information, including the class agenda & to sign up for Las Angelitas docent training classes, visit www.lasangelitas.org & click BE A DOCENT or call Jeanne Conklin 310.398.0269.

For a complete listing of this newsletter go to www.LatinoLA.com or www.myspace.com/sarte_mex_jewelry or www.consafos.com/laevents.

THIS WEEKEND/NEXT WEEK:

NELAart Second Saturday Gallery Night

Bike Winter, The Bike Oven & Locos Armadillos 42 Bike Club present:

Spoke(n) Art Bike Ride Special Event

BikeWinter 2007 Eastside Party

Meeting at: SpaceArk Gallery, 106 S Avenue 58, Highland Park CA

First Group leaves at: 6:30p

Saturday, February 10, 6 - 11p

Sponsored by:  The Outreach & Recreation, Culture & the Arts Committees of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council

626.831.7970 sarte1mex@... 310.902.5439 ubrayj02@... 310.902.5439 bikewinter@... http://bikela.org/ http://bikeboom.com/webcalendar/view_entry.php?id=902&date=20070210
http://midnightridazz.com/viewStory.php?storyId=217 http://www.myspace.com/theprimos  http://www.jendiamond.com/home.html http://cicle.org 

Following the fantastic fun of the Spoken Art ride there with be a party on the East Side celebrating Bike Winter. This Saturday the rides will start and stop at SpaceArk. The Spoke(n) Art Ride is going to have multiple bike-tours to different galleries in the area, taking advantage of NELA Art's "Second Saturday" event - when numerous galleries open their doors up to the public into the wee hours of the night. The rides will be shorter than usual and they will all hit up different spots on the gallery tour.

There is going to a special show put on by the mad geniuses at SpaceArk entitled "Helical Transmigrations". Later in the evening the band "The Primos will play. They'll also be having a Bicycle Fashion Show featuring the work of the one and only Jen Diamond. The folks at C.I.C.L.E.org will be in the house - with properganda galore and Food Not Bombs with healthy treats, piñatas and a port-a-potty. There will be DJs and a raffle with excellent bikey prizes besides all of this. Don't forget to bring your moola for refreshments, the raffle, to buy a sleek new jersey or a piece of art and for the Armadillo Alley Rat Race ($5 in, rain or shine, winner takes that $).

Galleries on the itinerary are as follows: Acorn Gallery  - Another Year in LA - Avenue 50 Studio - Cactus Gallery - David Patton - drkrm - Future Studio - MorYork Gallery - Park Projects - Rock Rose Gallery - That Yarn Store - Young Art

See below for information on each gallery's offerings for the evening.

NELAart presents:
Second Saturdays Gallery Night
Saturday, February 10, 5 - 10p

Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Sycamore Grove
Maps/Information: www.NELAart.org

Second Saturday Gallery Night with local galleries & arts organizations open until 10p.  Join them in celebrating the arts in Northeast LA! Complete gallery information & printable maps can be found on the website.

A bicycle tour is also available, see above.

Participating Galleries: Acorn Gallery, Another Year in LA, Avenue 50 Studio, Cactus Gallery, Carlotta's Passion, David Patton LA, drkrm, Future Studio, MorYork Gallery, Park Projects, Rock Rose Gallery, Space Ark Gallery, Toros Pottery, Young Art.

The Acorn Gallery -->

The Arroyo Arts Collective presents:

Food from the Heart Images and Tastes of Divine Decadence

Artists’ Reception: Saturday, February 10, 7 - 10p

The Acorn Gallery, 135 N Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA

February 10 - March 4

323.850.8566 info@... www.arroyoartscollective.org

"The way to the heart is through the stomach - The way to the stomach is through the eyes" This is an exhibit featuring paintings, sculpture and prints by Sharon Romero, Deborah Thomas, Patricia Lee, Jennifer Murphy, Deborah Kashinsky, Suzanne Siegel, Tai Ling Wong, Deborah Krall & Radhika Hershey. As part of the reception, Collective Members will indulge your eye and pamper your palate with sweet "Food as Art" morsels. Come early, come often throughout the evening to experience this sweets inspired pot-luck with an artistic flare.

Closing Event

Saturday & Sunday, February 24 & 25, 11a - 5p

art studio c, 4121 Eagle Rock Blvd, LA, CA
323.256.6052 info@... www.artstudioc.com

art studio c is closing. Join them one last time.

Another year in LA -

Room Constructions: Blueprints and Models

Another year in LA, 2121 N San Fernando Rd, #13, Glassell Park, CA
Thru March 16

323-223-4000 info@... www.anotheryearinla.com

This exhibit features the 12 blueprint concept drawings created by Stephen J. Kaltenbach in 1967 as well as scale models of three of the rooms including two that were realized at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1967 and the Whitney Museum in 1969. These room construction blueprint drawings and actualized museum works pre-date his UC Davis classmate and fellow conceptual artist, Bruce Nauman’s corridor pieces by a couple years.  The real history here is not that Kaltenbach did something before someone else; the moment was about his minimal discoveries. 

Avenue 50 Studio Ã

Beautiful Deceptions: Erotica by Women; Curated by Poli Marichal
Artists Reception:  Saturday, February 10, 7 - 11p

Avenue 50 Studio, 131 N Avenue 50, LA, CA
February 10 - March 4

323.258.1435 ave50studio@... www.avenue50studio.com 

"There's nothing more debauched than thinking." From the poem, An Opinion On The Question Of Pornography by Wistawa Szymborska. The work exhibited deals with erotica in a tasteful and artistic manner. This is a show by women that doesn’t demean any sex. It features paintings, sculpture, assemblages, photography, video & prints from eight LA artists:  Sonya Fe, Candace Metzger, Deborah Kantner, Candace Lin, Barbara Carrasco, Yolanda Gonzalez, Cristina Cardenas, and Poli Marichal.  Ambiguous, dark, sexy, and symbolic aspects of erotica are explored in unexpected and striking ways. These women have conceived works that juggle with notions of sexual imagery in order to seduce and mesmerize, shock and impress the spectator:

Cristina C ¡rdenas creates exhilaratingly sensuous tableaux of tantalizing nudes painted on amate paper.

Sonya Fe's strong works on canvas and paper unabashedly depict women who are in a trance of self-discovery and affirmation.

Yolanda Gonzalez expresses a sense of humor in her bondage/ dominatrix depictions on canvas. 

Deborah Kantner's tastefully sexy photographs celebrate women and female role-playing in the urban jungle.

Candice Lin's meticulously crafted dioramas and video work expose dark and disturbing aspects of sexuality. 

Candace Metzger creates charming combines that juxtapose symbols of control and desire. 

Poli Marichal mixes fantasy and symbolism in dynamic paintings that explore erotic dreams.

Most of the pieces feature women being unashamedly erotic, gloriously free of any self-conscious prudery or uncertainty.  It is curious to note that the male figure is, in many of the works, the absent object of desire.  This is a show by women about women’s erotica that, nevertheless, caters to both sexes.

La Palabra Open Mic Reading
Featuring Cal Okie

Sunday, February 11, 2 - 4p
Avenue 50 Studio, 131 N Avenue 50, LA, CA
Thru November 6

323.258.1435 ave50studio@... www.avenue50studio.com 
Co-hosts: Laura Longoria & Don Newton

Welcome in the New Year at this monthly poetry event. Everyone is invited. An afternoon of poetry, art, & friends resumes today. Calling all community poets, from nine to 90! You are invited to bring your work for open mike readings before & after the featured poet.

Cactus Gallery Ã

Gimme Some Love Exhibit

Artists Reception: Saturday, February 10, 7 - 10p

Pianist Katrina Parker: 9p

Cactus Gallery & Gifts, 4534 Eagle Rock Blvd, Eagle Rock, CA

February 10 - March 7

323.256.6117 semastroianni70@... www.eclecticcactus.com http://www.katrinaparker.com/

More than 20 local artists display their take on love, romance, the flip side of love & the symbols which exemplify Valentine's Day. Artists include Douglas Alvarez, Lernie Beuler, Jena Cardwell, Gwen Freeman, Mark Gelvoria, José Ángel Hernández, Javier Herrera, Lisa Ingalls, Patricia Krebs, Heather Llyod, Sophia Louisa, Miss Mindy, Lorraine Scognamillo, Robert Selvaggio, Ingrid Sundberg, Kelly Thompson (acrylic and oil paintings). Mosaic items du amore: birdhouses,
vases, and picture frames by Mary Clark Camargo. Photography by Johnny Garcia, Eleonora Ghioldi, Cidne Hart, Kevin Haas, Annie Fourguette and Ángela María Ortíz S. Assemblage by Claudia Galvan, Greg Liffick and Jon Grauman. Collage by Matthew Cramer and Patrick
Haemmerlein. Drawings by David J. Vanderpool and Lee Ann Goya.

An array of Argentine folk art and jewelry is also available, including textured jewelry by in-house artist and owner Abraham Szmukler, mate gourds and bombillas by the Pastorino family, our famous nut boxes and lovely leather handbags that will woo any Valentine prospect.

Irene Carranza: New Works Solo Exhibit

Meet Irene Carranza: Saturday, February 10, 7 - 10p

Carlotta's Passion Fine Art, 2012 Colorado Blvd, LA, CA
January 13 - February 18

323.259.1563 rs@... www.carlottaspassion.com

This is your opportunity to meet Irene Carranza, listen to her discuss her artwork, and engage in one-on-one conversation with this Latina visual artist who has achieved iconic status in the art world.

Perhaps no other Latina artist in Los Angeles is so visible & invisible at the same time. Perhaps no other is so commercially viable & not commercial. And perhaps no other artist is as important to the expression of being Latina in a multicultural world without treating the paintbrush as a political hammer. On the contrary, whatever "it" is, she nails it. Although the color and strokes convey a world somewhere between Diego Rivera and Edvard Munch, a world between Marc Chagall's and Georgia O'Keefes', that world is distinctly Carranza's. She creates her works using oil, acrylic, charcoal & pastel on canvas, paper & wood. Since 1997, she has developed a body of work that is connected by the notion of feminine mystique & the interpretation of what makes a human "feminine". They are tales with allegorical references to death, beauty, innocence, wisdom & strength.

drkrm Ã  
Performance and Man Who Fell To Earth Photo Exhibit featuring the work of Donald Cammell & Nicolas Roeg