An article in the LA Times today describes how a new UCLA project seeks to market 3 underprivileged, underhyped  ethnic neighborhoods, all on the eastside.  The project is sponsoring a tour of the Highland Park area art galleries today.  There are puppet shows, too.

Yesterday I finally got to check out Jim Holyoak’s rampant exhibition at truXtop [conveniently located on Rowena, between my house & Found].  It was dauntingly enjoyable.  Recommended.

I also found out that their next show is one of those megashows, 55 or some large number of artists participating.  I think space is tight, but I doubt they’d turn down anyone still trying to get involved.  I was given a 12×22″ piece of wood with the following instructions:

“truXtop gallery is looking for artists to create a flag, and the doors are wide open on this one.  reinterpret the american flag, create a flag for your thoughts and beliefs, make a flag for yourself, whatever you like.  we are looking for interesting ways that the common understanding of symbols, colors, and patterns can invoke feelings in the viewer…just run with it!”

If interested call the gallery at 323.661.1665.

New Found Assistant Luciano checked out the Culver City Artwalk yesterday and said the highlight were “the paintings that I saw at www.bradfordstewart.com gallery in culver city.  Check out the new works page.”

Also, scultpure by Hoang Vu [pictured above],  was included in the show.  Recommended.

www.hoangvu-art.com

Listen up, friends. Alex Schaefer (aka back to back Found collaborator — see: Micro Gestalt & the Joint Custody Project) rocks the small wall at the Hive tonight.

A ridiculously prolific painter and Art Center teacher, Alex is always someone to watch. In late February, after the JCP opened, I caught him (me, not Alex…running late for an appointment) near the Echo Food Mart, just rocking some observational styles. –>

This Sunday, the kind-of-famed Venice walls will be repainted in an effort to preserve the historicesque site. Special graffiti crews were invited. And, get this, you can’t paint on the walls unless you have a permit.

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The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery is holding an open exhibition.  Deadline: July 8.  $20 entry-one piece per artist.  ‘Unfinished’ work is unacceptable.  The curator also has veto power, but I think this would be a fun zoo to join.  I’m going to try to submit some bizarre stuff.  You should, too.

Open Call LA Official Info

In addition to the aforementioned UCLA happenings, the overall UCLA Department of Art is holding its Spring 2007 Graduate Open Studios this Friday, June 1 7-9pm.

The studios are in Culver City (which, coincidentally is holding its artwalk this weekend, too…oh, and holding an ‘after party’ with Giant Drag) —-

8535 Warner Ave. Culver City, CA 90232

map

I went last year, and as much of an overall diehard Trojans fan as I can be, UCLA does two things consistently really well: Basketball & MFA studio arts. Found Friend painters Juliana Romano & Ben Britton (who are finishing their second year) will be exhibiting, as well as about 40 other artists. Lots of ambitious young artists. Don’t miss it.

Of course, I forgot this dude — Buff Monster —at Corey Helford on Friday.

Things have been hectic over here at the gallery recently.  Working on the Other Cheek.  Programming 08.  Etc.  We’ll post the gallery hours soon for this weekend, but here are some other noteworthy ‘art’ things transpiring this week.  Will post more once we get closer to the weekend.

Eden’s Edge at the Hammer

Heather Carson — Phantom Galleries LA

Wednesday

+8pm —Second Nature Film Projection at Fette’s Gallery

Thursday

+5-8pm UCLA MFA Open Studios Exhibition 4
+7-11pm Terrell Moore ‘Washed Away’ at GhettoGloss

This weekend I finally met Jim Holyoak, who was one of the artists in the Micro Gestalt collaboration several months ago.  His prolific work can be found at monstersforreal.com along with mate Matt Shank.  The Canadian artist is in town to install & show a new body of work at Truxtop Gallery (which is right down the block from Found on Rowena) entitled ‘Nothing is Wasted but the Whale Itself.’

His work in the Micro Gestalt show focused on the taxonomies of extinct and imaginary animals (examples include several dinosaur pieces  as well as  a disgrunteld unicorn urging the viewer ‘Don’t believe the hype’), and this new work promises a similar focus of creatures and their cultures.

Opens this Friday (May 25), 7-late.