NELA Live

Avenue 50 Studio: 1 + 1

Photo Portraits by Terry Konrath

With new works by……Roberto Gutierrez • José Lozano • Armando Baeza •Leigh Salgado • Margaret GarciaRaul Baltazar • Kim Abeles • Poli Marichal • MiguelAngel Murillo • Stephanie Mercado • Mely Troches • Daniel Gonzalez • Abel Alejandre •Yreina Cervantez • Curated by José Lozano

Opening Night Reception:  Saturday, July 12, 2008 from 7-10 pm

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present “1+1”, photo portraits of the exhibiting artists by Terry Konrath with new works by each artist.  Terry Konrath’s sensitive and insightful black and white portraits hang tellingly next to each invited artist’s painting, giving our audience an opportunity to familiarize themselves with some of the most important contemporary Latino artists in LA.   Her portraits are the perfect accompaniment to our exhibition.

Margaret Garcia's portraits evoke a disquieting humanism from its sitters. Leigh Salgado use a variety of material and subvert to make objects that commenton the world at large and its communities. 

Poli Marichal taps into the spiritual beliefs andtraditions from her native Puerto Rico to make images that resonate with an other wordly power.

Robert Gutierrez evokes the city's surroundings with a precise hand and imbues it with affection and reverence. His images show us its inherent beauty and distinct character.

Stephanie Mercado's whimsical images are silly and irreverent but at the same time tinged with terror.

Mely Troches images comment on identity, sexism and cultural contradictions.

Daniel Gonzalez, Abel  Alejandre, Raul Balthazar and Jose Lozano works are all very graphic in nature. They are excellent drawers and printmakers. Their images are sometimes dark, bordering on the grotesque, irreverent and snide. Their images make compelling statements about society and human nature.

Armando Baeza's figurative sculptures are sensuous and playful and pay tribute to the female form.

Miguel Angel Reyes concocts surreal tableaus out of found frames and cardboard. His images are humorous and poetic. With intricate cuts and repetitive patterns he evokes a dreamlike world that pulsates from behind glass.

Yreina Cervantez references ancient Mesoamerican symbology and history to make compelling images about Chicanos, racism and our shared culture.

Please join us as we place a face to each artist’s work.

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery

131 North Avenue 50 Highland Park, CA  90042  323-258-1435   ave50studio.com

Avenue 50 Studio: Grand Opening

Grand Opening

Sunday, June 22, 2008 starting @ 5:00 pm

Sonia Romero’s Printmaking Studio

A demonstration of printmaking by Sonia Romero and Ulises Ramirez will take place throughout the evening

Museum/ of/ Traffic Studio 

Museum/ of/ Traffic (M/o/T): is a traveling audiovisual production collective promoting expression through digital technologies and audiovisual products. M/o/T was founded fall of 2004 in Los Angeles by Manwell H. Hernandez (Art Center College of Design 2003 BFA-Multimedia) and Eddy Vajarakitipongse (Art Center College of Design 2002 BFA-Multimedia). M/o/T activities to date include: "expanded cinema" performances, impermanent AudioVisual installations, digital projections, performance art, "institutional" events, TV commercials and live AV.
http://sites.google.com/site/museumoftrafficla/

and Launching of community partner LACommons’s webbsite (www.lacommons.org)

Sunday, June 22, 2008 starting at 5:00 pm

Please join us for a barbeque/barbacoa afternoon as we celebrate the new at the Avenue 50 Studio

Food ~ Music ~ Art ~ Friendship

We invite you to join us and bring a side dish or refreshment in celebration

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
Museum/ of/ Traffic Studio
Sonia Romero’s Printmaking Studio
131-135 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA  90042
323/258-1435

Art Opening Changing Ties

Changing Ties: Reconsidering Identity Through Cross-cultural Interventions

Curated by Nery Gabriel Lemus

Akosua Adoma Owusu,  Harry Gamboa Jr.*, Margarita Cabrera* Nate Young, Nery Gabriel Lemus, Nikki Presley, Rubén Ortiz-Torres*

Opening reception: Friday, June 13, 2008 6-9 pm

Avenue 50 Studio is pleased to announce the exhibition Changing Ties: Reconsidering Identity Through
Cross-cultural Interventions.

Changing Ties is an exhibit that functions as an art intervention to contemporary and historical divisions between the Black and Brown communities within Los Angeles.  The divisions have been visibly apparent through gang warfare, in schools, jails and certain communities. The intent of this exhibition is to present certain models that explore strategies of engagement between the Black and Brown cultures that point to an intercultural dialogue in contrast to the negative documentation.

Changing Ties challenges the common notion that identity lies within a fixed state -- that we fall into a category that is not susceptible to change as we encounter other cultures.  The artists in this exhibition mine from popular culture and cross-cultural experiences to locate the place where intercultural engagements can occur, where subjectivities merge.  The artists take into account the significance of cultural specificity and it importance in their lives and work; yet they understand that who they are cannot be contained solely within those parameters.  They also work in the contemporary fashion of finding a particular medium to articulate an idea, as opposed to finding a particular idea to fit a medium.  The exhibition will showcase works in various mediums ranging from painting, drawing, video and sculpture.  The artists in the exhibition engage cultural signifiers from Black, Brown, and popular culture to destabilize their assumed location.

Perhaps by exploring the formation of the subjective identity and the intermingling of cultures, we can
come to the realization that as people we merge more than we chose to believe.  As such, there can never be a true polarization, as our “cultural” subjectivities continue to merge with other cultures.  Hence, to “change ties”, as the title of the exhibition suggests, alludes to adopting a reasoning that confronts commonly held ethno-nationalistic values and, as previously mentioned, presents a different model that deconstructs a rigid tie to the notion of identity.  The exhibited artists believe that art can serve as an important vehicle to generate conversations that address these societal tensions and hence have broad social relevance.

*Currently exhibiting in the Phantom Sighting exhibition at the L.A. County Art Museum.

June 13- July 6, 2008

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery
131 N. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90042
323/258-1435

The series, “Black/Brown Dialogues” is supported in part by the Ford Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Southwest Airlines through a grant from the NALAC Fund for the Arts.


Print Mercadito this Saturday

The artists of Los de Abajo:

Kay Brown • Judith Durán • Antonio Escalante • Emelda Gutierrez • Chie Izuma • Sojin Kim • José Lozano • Poli Marichal • Don Newton • Marianne Sadowski • Victor Rosas

Present a Print Mercadito

Saturday, May 24, 2008 from 2-4 pm

Buy affordable, unframed linocuts, drypoint, etchings, monoprints, silkscreens, and mixed-media prints from the workshop of the Los de Abajo Collective

In the gallery of the:

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA  90042
323/258-1435

www.avenue50studio.com

Kathy Gallegos  Avenue 50 Studio  131 No. Avenue 50   Highland Park, CA  90042(323) 258-1435

Avenue 50 Studio: A Necessary Conversation with Jorge Huerta, Ph.D.

East LA Repertory Theatre Company ** Invites you to a benefit fundraiser at the Avenue 50 Studio ** A Necessary Conversation with Jorge Huerta, Ph.D. ** Moderated by Diane Rodriguez  ** Saturday, May 17, 2008, 7 – 10 pm

East Los Angeles Repertory Theatre Company (East LA ep) brings together renowned Chicano Theatre scholar, Dr. Jorge Huerta, and prominent director/producer, Diane Rodriguez, for an evening of necessary conversation regarding the impact Latino theatre has made on the American theatre.  Dr. Jorge Huerta is a professor of theater at UCSD, and has also been appointed Associate Chancellor and
Chief Diversity Officer of UCSD.

In July of 1990, I wrote an op-ed for The Chronicle of Higher Education, entitled "Colleges Should Expose
Their Students to the Tradition of Hispanic-American Theater." In that essay I argued for what the title
implies: more recognition in theatre and drama curricula of what Latinos and Latin American theatre
artists have been doing in the Americas (which includes the United States) for centuries. I pointed out the fact that during the 1980s the regional theatre companies seemed more interested in the theatrical expressions of these communities than did the theatre departments that were training and educating artists, scholars, and audiences. Well, the 1980s have passed and by 1994, I was bemoaning the fact that many of those mainstream theatres were no longer producing plays by Latina or Latino playwrights and if they were, they rarely hired Latina or Latino directors or other members of the production team. As a consequence, they often produced disastrous results. Funding sources had turned their attention to other causes and the mainstream "Hispanic Projects" as well as the Latina/o theatres were left to fend for themselves. . . .

Jorge Huerta, Ph.D. - Theatre Journal 55:4 (213) - 757-762

Join us for an evening of insightful conversation, beautiful art, live music, and refreshments as we reminisce the early years of Latino Theater, and look forward to the future.

This Necessary Conversation Series is a benefit fundraiser for East LA Rep ** Refreshments provided by Taxquito ** With 'son jarocho', music from Veracruz, Mexico by Grupo Chucumite

Donation $50 per person or $75 per couple

RSVP & Information:  Mercy Castro, (323) 223-1529,
mcastro@eastlarep.com

Please join us at:

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA  90042
323/258-1435

Saturday, May 17, 2008, 7 – 10 pm

www.eastlarep.com          www.avenue50studio.com

NELAart Second Saturday At the Avenue 50 Studio

Drawing The Line:  The Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective

Kay Brown • Judith Durán • Antonio Escalante • Emelda Gutierrez • Chie Izuma • Sojin Kim • José
Lozano • Poli Marichal • Don Newton • Marianne Sadowski • Victor Rosas

Opening night reception:  Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 7-10 pm

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present the Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective in an exhibition of
experimental prints.  In Drawing the Line, the Collective merges the centuries-old medium of printmaking with non-traditional media.  Their groundbreaking techniques challenge traditional conceptions of printmaking.

Each of our artists is enamored of line.  At times playful, the lines Kay Brown and Imelda Gutierrez utilize takes the edge off misfortune, drawing us into a whimsical world.  While Judith Durán juxtaposes the celestial with the emotional, questioning our capacity to admire or feel, José Lozano discusses hidden demarcations, uncomfortable feelings, unease, and desconfiansa.  Chie Izuma finds the natural formation of line in our bodies to be of utmost interest.  Her imaginative combination of clay with paper identifies the organic lines surrounding us.  Antonio Escalante, Poli Marichal, Don Newton and Mariana Sadowsky look at line through political eyes, speaking, respectively, to the US/Mexican border; the environment; political line; and line as an absurd division in landscape.  Sojin Kim speaks metaphorically about drawing lines to distinguish us from others.  Victor Rojas is concerned with how divisions in our mind create social divisions.

Drawing the Line is indicative of this group's determination to experiment and take printmaking towards a more provocative direction.  Please join us.

When:   Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 7-10 pm
Where:  Avenue 50 Studio, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery,
131 No. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA  90042
Duration:       May 10 through June 8, 2008
Contact:        Kathy Gallegos, 323/258-1435

www.avenue50studio.com

natura: mythology, spirit, memory

Pat Gomez • Karen Bonfigli • Andrés Montoya

Opening night reception:  Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 7-10 pm

In a time of growing global awareness, we are now often reminded that humanity affects this biosphere we call home.  It serves us all to take time to contemplate the footprint we leave behind.  Join us in a poetic journey reflecting our relationship to our Earth.

We will be partnering with the organization,  A Million Trees during our Second Saturday opening, and giving away 1 gallon and 5 gallon trees. Please consider taking home one or more trees to plant in your garden or give as gifts.

When:            Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 7-10 pm
Where:           Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA  90042
Contact:        Kathy Gallegos, Director, 323/258-1435
Duration:       April 12 -- May 4, 2008

www.avenue50studio.com <http://www.avenue50studio.com>

Art Reception - Natura

natura:  mythology, spirit, memory

Pat Gomez • Karen Bonfigli • Andrés Montoya

Opening night reception:  Saturday, April 12, 2008
from 7-10 pm

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present a thematically charged exhibition of art by three Los Angeles artists:  Pat Gomez, Karen Bonfigli, and Andrés Montoya.  These intuitive observers of nature create a poetic journey reflecting our relationship to Earth, juxtaposing our contemporary world with one we’re in danger of losing.  Three separate perspectives towards nature as lost, possible loss and salvation.  Beauty, though, rather than apocalypse is being honored, holding on to the desire that humanity does not see itself separate from nature.

Pat Gomez believes that all living things have an energy force that we can choose to tap into and embrace, avoid, utilize or ignore.  Drawn to nature on a spiritual level, she utilizes the process of art making to connect to these unseen forces. Pat imagines natural forces as icons, totems, or shields, in a way creating portraits of the elements to empower and give tribute.

Karen Bonfigli creates personal mythologies through the exploration of indigenous fauna and flora.  She has created a site-specific narrative installation interpreting the iconography of the ancient bird, the Condor, and the Scrub Jay as the sower of future generations.

Andrés Montoya sees this time as dire, every minute we loose a part of nature and in some cases, with irreparable consequences. Will nature become just a memory? His skyscapes carry a message of  personal connection within all of us to embrace, protect and preserve for future generations the wonder that nature as clouds carry through our fragile planet.

Join us in a reflection of the natural world through mythology, spirit, and memory.  In a time of growing global awareness, we are now often reminded that humanity affects this biosphere we call home.  It serves us all to take time to contemplate our own footprint that we leave behind on planet earth.

We will be partnering with the organization,  A Million Trees during our Second Saturday opening, and giving away 1 gallon, 5 gallon and 10 gallon trees.

Please consider taking home one or more trees to plant in your garden or give as gifts.

When:            Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 7-10 pm
Where:           Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50,
Highland Park, CA  90042
Contact:        Kathy Gallegos, Director, 323/258-1435
Duration:       April 12 -- May 4, 2008

www.avenue50studio.com <http://www.avenue50studio.com>

Kathy GallegosAvenue 50 Studio131 No. Avenue 50Highland Park, CA  90042(323) 258-1435

Artists In Discussion

Artists In Discussion

Please join the Aliados Con Amnesty network of Amnesty  International USA (AIUSA) and Avenue 50
Studio as we  present a discussion from selected artists of this  year's Presente! Homenaje a la Mujer
exhibition.   The  artists will relate the inspiration and story behind their work.  Aliados Con Amnesty
Network of AI will  introduce their “stop violence against women”  campaign.  Please join us for a
moving, as well as educational, discussion.

When:  Thursday, March 13, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Where:  Avenue 50 Studio, Inc., 131 No. Avenue 50,
Highland Park, CA  90042

For more information contact:  Kathy Gallegos, 323/258-1435

Avenue 50 Studio131 No. Avenue 50 Highland Park, CA  90042

Presente! Homenaje a la Mujer ~ Homage to Woman

Presente!  Homenaje a la Mujer ~ Homage to Woman

A Group Art Exhibition

Opening Reception:  Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 7:00 pm

The Aliados con Amnesty network of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) and Avenue 50 Studio present
¡Presente! Homenaje a la Mujer, a group exhibition including nearly 100 artists from the U.S. and around the world. The exhibition includes a variety of 2-D and 3-D art by both male and female artists. The exhibition coincides with International Women’s Day. Its purpose is to celebrate women and to create awareness of AIUSA’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign.

The Aliados con Amnesty network is a group of young Latino activists engaged in promoting human rights and to inspire activism. Avenue 50 Studio is a non-profit art gallery located in Highland Park that enhances public recognition and appreciation of multicultural art. The exhibition is being organized by three women:   Kathy Gallegos, Director of Avenue 50 Studio; Julissa Gómez, AIUSA Field Organizer; and Liliana Herrera, AIUSA Latino Outreach Coordinator, all of whom are passionate about “artivism” -- activism through the arts.

Exhibition Dates:  March 8 – April 6, 2008

Avenue 50 Studio hours: Tue-Thurs 10:00-12:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-4:00 or by appointment

Avenue 50 Studio
131 North Avenue 50, Los Angeles, CA 90042
www.avenue50studio.com

Tuesday night Figure Drawing Workshops

The Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park has held continuous Tuesday night Figure Drawing Workshops for
the past five years. We will continue to offer our workshop featuring a live model on Tuesday nights
starting at 7:00 pm and continuing through 10:00 pm. We start with 2 minute poses and gradually work up to 25 minutes. Be ready for an intense yet tranquil session where one is able to explore their talents.

When: Every Tuesday Night from 7-10 pm
Where: Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50, Highland
Park, CA 90042
(323) 258-1435
Donation: $12 per session

www.avenue50studio.com

Francisco Letelier Cuentos/Stories art opening

Francisco Letelier

Cuentos/Stories

Paintings, collage and drawings

Opening Night Reception:  Saturday, February 16, 2008 from 7-10 pm

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present an exhibition of spiritual and political art by Francisco Letelier. Letelier bridges continents and weaves together history and contemporary experience, creating artwork that is powerful and memorable.  Born in Chile, he is known both for his visual art and his perceptive writing, spoken word and poetry.

Letelier has completed murals, public artworks and private commissions throughout the United States,
Latin America and Europe.  The artist has collaborated on projects with diverse artists and writers such as Ariel Dorfman, Quincy Jones, Bonnie Rait, U2, Tom Hayden and Jane Goodall.  He received a Grammy
Nomination in Package Design for work on musician Jackson Browne’s “World in Motion” release.  The
widely publicized, “Becoming the Circle”, a mural at the historic Pioneer Bakery in Venice, included
portraits of those who live in the surrounding Oakwood neighborhood.  His monumental ceramic tile murals, “El Sol and La Luna” adorn the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro Rail Station in Los Angeles.  The works carry on the legacy of the Chilean mural tradition and serve as a symbol for the diversity of the City of Los Angeles.

Francisco is the son of Orlando Letelier, who was assassinated in Washington DC in 1976.  The car
bombing was the first act of international terrorism to occur in the nation’s Capital.  Agents from the
Chilean secret police acting under orders from former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet and in
collaboration with anti Castro Cuban terrorists were involved in the conspiracy.

Exhibition run:  February 12 through March 2, 2008

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA  90042
323/258-1435

www.avenue50studio.com

Just Dessert February 16th at Acorn Gallery

Just Dessert February 16th at Acorn Gallery

This is the last members participation event that we will have at the Acorn Gallery, so please put on that baking cap, roll up your sleeves, and make the craziest, most wonderfully delicious "Food as Art" morsels imaginable.

All food is meant to be consumed during the reception, which will run from
7 - until 10pm.

If you are interested, please contact Heather Hoggan at 323.258.1240.

WHO: Arroyo Arts Collective Members
WHAT: Just Desserts
WHEN: Saturday, February 16, 7 to 10 p.m.
WHERE: The Acorn Gallery, 135 North Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90050

Tonight at the Avenue 50 Studio

As part of our project, "The Black/Brown Dialogues",
the Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present:

Inspiration House PoetryChoir

Curated by Peter J. Harris, artistic director, Inspiration House

Featuring Music & spoken word by:

Gloria Alvarez
Peter J. Harris
Paul Calderon
Carmen Vega

Saturday, February 2, 2008 starting at 7:00 pm

This event is one of four Inspiration House PoetryChoir events and is free to the public

The Black/Brown Dialogues are supported in part by the Ford Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Southwest Airlines through a grant from the NALAC Fund for the Arts.

Where:  Avenue 50 Studio, Inc., 131 No. Avenue 50,
Highland Park, CA  90042
What:  Poetry and Musical event
When:  Saturday, February 2, 2008 starting at 7:00 pm

Inspiration House Poetry Choir

As part of the Avenue 50 Studio's new program, "The Black/Brown Dialogues", Peter J. Harris, artistic
director of Inspiration House, has graciously accepted our request to host 4 musical/poetry events at the Avenue 50 Studio. Each event will feature a grouping of four black/latino poets along with live music.

Please join us this February 2 starting at 7:00 pm for our very first performance featuring the poetry of
Gloria Alvarez, Peter J. Harris, Paul Calderon and Carmen Vega.

Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90042
323/258-1435; www.avenue50studio.com

The Black/Brown Dialogues are supported in part by the Ford Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Southwest Airlines through a grant from the NALAC Fund for the Arts.

LA PALABRA POETRY at Avenue 50 Studio

LA PALABRA POETRY

Sunday January 27, 2008 from 2 to 4 pm

FEATURING: BRANDON CESMAT

Co-hosted by Laura Longoria & Don Newton

All community poets---bring your work for open mike readings before and after the featured poet…

Readings take place the 4th Sunday monthly, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Avenue 50 Studio
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA 90042

Sunday January 27, 2008 from 2 to 4 pm

Avenue 50 Studio: 3rd Annual Holiday Sale

3rd Annual Holiday Sale at Avenue 50 Studio

Saturday, December 15, 2007 from 12 noon to 6:00 pm

Jewelry, books, scarves, photos, Christmas Tree ornaments, prints and small paintings

The Arroyo Arts Collective and the Avenue 50 Studio invite you to stop by for a Holiday Sale of original and affordable art by the following artists (partial listing):

Lalo Alcaraz, Drewcilla Annese, Benito Campos, Kay Brown, Val Echavarria, Jack Fenn, Margaret Garcia, Germs, CiCi Gonzalez, Cidne Hart, Kevin Hass, Heather Hoggan, Abelar Kummerow, Elva Lauter, Pola Lopez, Jose Lozano, Heriberto Luna, Poli Marichal, Don Normark, Gil Ortiz,  Juanita Rivas Raymer, Sonia Romero, Stormie, the Los de Abajo Collective, J. Michael Walker

If you're a last-minute shopper in need of buying presents (and something for yourself), stop by the Avenue 50 Studio for a chance to support local artists and galleries.

Music, tamales, ponche de navidad, and other holiday refreshments throughout the day

Avenue 50 Studio/Arroyo Arts Collective
131 No. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA  90042

323/258-1435
www.avenue50studio.com

3rd Annual Holiday Sale At Avenue 50 Studio

Saturday, December 15, 2007 from 12 noon to 6:00 pm

Jewelry, books, scarves, photos, Christmas Tree ornaments, prints and small paintings

The Arroyo Arts Collective and the Avenue 50 Studio invite you to stop by for a Holiday Sale of original and affordable art by the following artists (partial listing):

Lalo Alcaraz, Drewcilla Annese, Benito Campos, Kay Brown, Val Echavarria, Jack Fenn, Margaret Garcia,
Germs, CiCi Gonzalez, Cidne Hart, Kevin Hass, Heather Hoggan, Abelar Kummerow, Elva Lauter, Pola Lopez, Jose Lozano, Heriberto Luna, Poli Marichal, Don Normark, Gil Ortiz,  Juanita Rivas Raymer, Sonia Romero, Stormie, the Los de Abajo Collective, J. Michael Walker

If you're a last-minute shopper in need of buying presents (and something for yourself), stop by the Avenue 50 Studio for a chance to support local artists and galleries.

Music, tamales, ponche de navidad, and other holiday refreshments throughout the day

Avenue 50 Studio/Arroyo Arts Collective
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA  90042

323/258-1435
www.avenue50studio.com

Artist in Discussion Series at the Avenue 50 Studio

Thursday, November 29, 2007 starting at 7:00 pm

Artist in Discussion Series with Leigh Salgado and Abel Alejandre

Join us for a discussion on the artist process by two artists who share a devotion to their respective medium and attention to detail.  The trance-like quality of their art, combined with their dedication to process and ritualistic patterns, bridge the mediums of each artist’s work to create a unified and powerful statement.

Avenue 50 Studio
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA 90042
323/258-1435

www.avenue50studio.com

Into the Arms of Pushkin

2007 T.S. Eliot prize winning poet Carol V. Davis to speak and have book signing at Avenue 50 Studio

Carol V. Davis is the winner of the 2007 T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry sponsored by Truman State University Press, Kirkland, Mo. Davis’s winning collection, Into the Arms of Pushkin, was inspired by her experiences in Russia as a Fulbright Scholar.  Ms. Davis is the granddaughter of Jewish immigrants from Russia.

Davis’s poems explore a variety of issues that she encountered overseas, including the effects of language barriers and the isolation and loneliness that can result. The collection was also inspired by her children as she witnessed their own struggles and successes assimilating with a different culture. One such poem, The Violin Teacher, was written after Davis observed a music lesson her son was taking.

The judge for the T.S. Eliot Prize, Alberto Rios, commented on the collection, “Showing us what this
particular life in Russia feels like makes it our world, even when the speaker struggles to draw meaning from confusion or frustration…Finding meaning—a continual act of translation and its failure in so many things—propels the poems in this book.”

Davis expressed that her Fulbright experience was as personally rewarding as it was professionally, “The role of a poet in Russia is so different than in the U.S. It is a very respected profession there and that had a tremendous impact psychologically.” During her Fulbright grants to Russia Davis taught modern Jewish literature in 1996-1997, and returned in fall 2005 to teach contemporary American literature.

Into the Arms of Pushkin was selected from more than 500 entries to receive the T.S. Eliot prize. Davis was awarded $2,000 and the publication of her book, in hard- and paper-back editions, in fall 2007.

Book may be purchased at time of signing.

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit art gallery
131 No. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA  90042
323/258-1435

An Afternoon of Visual Delights - Fundraiser for Avenue 50 Studio

Tardeada and Art Auction

Please join us for a Tardeada of art, music, food and friendship

When: Saturday, October 27, 2007 from 2-6 pm

Where: The home of Ricardo and Maria Teresa Muñoz, 284
St. Albans Avenue, So. Pasadena, CA 91030

What: Silent and Live Art Auction Fundraiser in Support of the Avenue 50 Studio

Music provided by: Gabriel Reyna - Flamenco Guitar; and Carlos Guitarlos - the Blues

The Avenue 50 Studio is an art gallery in the Highland Park community of Northeast Los Angeles. Our mission is to promote the visual arts through diverse mediums showcasing multicultural artists on a local, national and international level. These collaborations help develop an exposure to the community of Northeast Los Angeles of our rich and enduring cultural treasures.

Participating artists (currently):

Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlain, Linda Arreola, Magda Audifred, Sheila Baird, Raul Baltazar, Sam Baray,
Caridad Barragan, Armando Brito, Mita Cuaron, Raoul De la Sota, John DeHeras, Roberto Delgado, Ulises Diaz, Judith Duran, Ofelia Esparza, Margaret Garcia, Mark Steven Greenfield, CiCi Segura Gonzalez, Daniel Gonzalez, Yolanda Gonzalez, Roberto Gutierrez, Cidne Hart, Kevin Hass, Wayne Healy, Heather Hoggan, Leo Limon, Jose Lopes, Pola Lopez, Jose Lozano, Eriberto Luna, Oscar Magallanes, Brian Mallman, Mary Mallman, Poli Marichal, Aaron Martinez, Isabel Martinez, Ricardo Mendoza, Stephanie Mercado, Andrés Montoya, Don Newton, Ramses Noriega, Don Normark, Jose Orozco, Gil Ortiz, Tomas Owen, Paul Pitsker, Estate of Anthony Quinn, Ramon Ramirez, Stuart Rapeport, Reyes Rodriguez, Sandy Rodriguez, Nancy Romero, Frank and Sharon Romero, Sonia Romero, Betye Saar, Oscar Sanabria, Peri Shefik, Cindy Suriyani, Howard Swerdloff, Alberto Varela, Linda Vallejo, Francisco Vidal, J. Michael Walker, Lamonte Westmoreland, Nan Wollman, Jaime Zacarias (Germs)

We would like to thank the following sponsors:

NELAart.org, Highland Park Heritage Trust, Bob Taylor Realty, M.A.N. Insurance, Arroyo Arts Collective, LA Commons, Crop Salon, A&S Investment, Fast Frames of Glendale, Carrie Adrian Cuban and Latin American Art

And the following food sponsors:

Mama's Hot Tamales. Arco Iris Restaurant. Camilo's California Bistro. Colombo's. Ted Waltz and Carol
Colin, Trader Joe's, Fatty's, La Fuente Mexican Restaurant, Chicos Mexican Restaurant, Cinnamon Vegetarian Restaurant, The Coffee Table Bistro, Larkin’s, Classic Thai Restaurant, Il Fornaio Pasadena

And the following Friends of the Avenue 50 Studio:

That Yarn Store, Latino Arts Network, Colorado Wine Co., Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), Jaime Gallardo Bodyworks, Better than Chocolate

Tax deductible donations: $25 per person or 40 per couple Non-Profit ID No.: 54-2088575

Contact the Avenue 50 Studio at 323/258-1435 for ticket information, or you can make checks payable to “Avenue 50 Studio” (include phone number for confirmation) and mail to:  Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
131 No. Avenue 50, Los Angeles, CA 90042 323/258-1435

www.avenue50studio.com ave50studio@sbcglobal.net

Please, Please, Please Don’t Go

A Day of the Dead Exhibition deadicated to "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown

Opening Reception: Oct 13, 2007, 7-11pm

Day of the Dead Altars, Installations, Shoes and Hot Pants

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present a Dia De los Muertos exhibition deadicated to James Brown curated by Sandy Rodriguez entitled "Please, Please, Please Don’t Go".  The exhibit will consist of altars and installations by Yreina D. Cervantez, Guadalupe Rodriguez, Dj Diablo, Mondo Diaz, Derrick Maddox and Sandy Rodriguez.

Shoes and Hot Pants for the departed have been created by artists: Abel Alejandre, Albert Reyes, Alessandro Thompson, Ann Lambert, Anne Martens, Armando H. Torres, Plume by Asha, Cosmo Segurson, Damon Shindler, Flora Ito, Francisco Javier Iribarren, Gilbert Magú Lujan, John Bedell, Lisa Case, Megumi Nakai, Natalie Macias, Niel S. Poziuna and Aaron Accord, Pat Gomez, Peter Carrillo, Quincy Young, Rainbow Underhill, Rebeka Rodriguez, Richard S. Duardo, Scott Winterrowd, Sean Daly, Shizu Saldamando, Sophia Allison, Overton Loyd, Victoria Delgadillo from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and Paris.

Invited artists are creating shoes and hot pants as offerings to the dead who have influenced their lives. The souls of the departed will be guided to Highland Park by the smell of pungent marigolds and the offerings. The muertos will pass through the celestial windows to inhabit their offerings in the land of the living. The souls will then join in the dance party/celebration.  The shoes and hot pants will be for sale for collectors and fashionistas just in time for this year’s Dia De los Muertos celebrations.

Where:  Avenue 50 Studio,131 No. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA  90042 (323) 258-1435
When:  Saturday, October 13, 2007 from 7-11 pm
Duration:  Oct 13 - November 4, 2007

www.Avenue50studio.com

Avenue 50 Studio: Artists in Discussion: Reyes Rodriguez

Thursday, September 20, 7 pm

In support of the Avenue 50 Studio’s current exhibition, "Appetite", we will host a conversation with the artist Reyes Rodriguez.  Rodriguez’ work -- sometimes jarring, sometimes ethereal -- float on paper fusing the abstract into the figurative.  Step close and you see one image.  Step back and there appears another.

When:  Thursday, September 20, 7 pm
?Where:  Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50, Highland
Park, CA  90042, 323/258-1435

www.avenue50studio.com

Second Saturday Art Opening at the Avenue 50 Studio

Appetite:  Reyes Rodriguez:  New Work

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present new works by Reyes Rodriguez in a long awaited solo exhibition entitled " Appetite".  The exhibit will consist of a series of large charcoal drawings on paper and canvas set in motion by personal and social images evoked by a multiplicity of possible appetites.

Reyes Rodriguez has chosen to work in a medium that is comfortable and familiar to him. “I think that people are drawn to charcoal drawings because of how dramatic they can be, the extreme contrast of  black and whites demands immediate attention. I find the medium fascinating because there is a basic primitive element that connects you to the surface you are working on, there is no implement between your hand and the paper.”  Whether longing, hunger, thirst, inclination or wish, Rodriguez plays with the notion that one can be full and still have an appetite, exploring the concept of indulgence, excitement, desire and wonder, and “sculpting new spaces outside of time.” With negatives and positives, the chiaroscuro windows are filled with energy, intersecting lines and shapes, commitment and conviction.

For this exhibit the artist drew upon the long years of friendship with Los Angeles artist Diane Gamboa who agreed to co-curate and be available for consultation during the creation of his new body of work. Los Angeles writer Sesshu Foster says about Reyes’ work:

“The quadrangles fall through the room like windows in a dream. We see things in them that aren't there, and the pictures change as we move around them or turn away. It's a magic of moonlight, midnight and twilight. Something emerges and we don't know what it is. Something returns to the dark that was always there, that we missed the first time. Look long enough into the abyss, and the abyss will look into you, according to Nietzsche's famous aphorism. Contemplate these appetites and they'll reveal to you the initial shapes or stirrings of desire in your own.......”

Reyes Rodriguez is a Los Angeles based artist.  He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from California State University Long Beach in 1982.  In the year 2000 his 25-piece solo show that originally opened at Karen Boccalero's Gallery was exhibited in Graz, Austria. His work is also part of the permanent collection of the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Chicago, Illinois.  He is the founder-director of Tropico de Nopal Gallery-Art Space in Los Angeles where he has curated numerous exhibitions of up-and-coming and established artists.  This year he was featured as part on the annual LA Weekly, “People 2007” issue which highlighted 100 of the most interesting and influential Angelinos.

Date:  Saturday, September 8, 2007, from 7-10 pm

Place:  Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA  90042 (323) 258-1435

www.avenue50studio.com

LA PALABRA POETRY

LA PALABRA POETRY

Sunday, August 5, 2007 from 2:00-4:00 PM

FEATURING: THERESA ANTONIA

Also open mic

THERESA ANTONIA is host of two popular local poetry venues in the LA area:

Mudpuppy Poetry in Pasadena at Hey That's Amore, and Projectile Poetry in Brentwood at Dutton's Books. She has appeared in numerous anthologies, and her poetry has appeared on PoeticDiversity, an on-line poetry venue.

Known for writing about relationships and family in a storytelling style, she is also a director and editor for the Valley Contemporary Poets, and a member of the Emerging Urban Poets.  An art therapist, artist and photographer with a master's degree in Psychology, she works with and also writes about incarcerated women, cancer survivors, and "at risk" youth. She has been featured more than once at Beyond Baroque, in Venice California. She will perform a one-woman show of her poetry in 2007, and from her work as an "artist in residence" is completing a documentary on kids & creativity.

Sunday, August 5, 2007 from 2:00-4:00 PM

AVENUE 50 STUDIO
131 N. AVE. 50, HIGHLAND PARK, CA 90042

www.avenue50studio.com