Postcards from Ballona Mural Updated

Lori Escalera recently updated the video of the original Postcards from Ballona Mural project (1995-1997) to add the recent (2009) renovation. So now you can see the entire history of the Postcards mural in one place at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zWOL9FYUi8

Just as a reference, you can still check out the blog, Culver City Murals Restorations, which documents the May, 2009 restoration.

Mobile Art, BabyCountry Squire station wagon, my favorite of the show.

You want mobile art, baby? Alexander Calder can't hold a spark plug to the Sixth Annual Cruisin' Back to Culver City Car Show held on May 9th, 2009. This show is located just two blocks from my house but until last year I always had plans out of town on that day. Last year I had just enough time to run through like a whirlwind. So this year I planned ahead. As it was my birthday (okay, you missed it again but I don't hold grudges—for more than a few years) I decided to go, on my own, if necessary. But KJ to the rescue!

It was a typical balmy Culver City day, the same kind of day, I'm sure when Harry Culver met up with Thomas Ince filming his western on the shores of Ballona Creek and thereby started the whole film industry in Culver City—but I digress.

1932 Roadster, pure vintage

We walked up to the car show about eleven. By then there was no parking on my street and hordes of people were walking from every direction. Now, I am NOT a car person by any definition of that word. To me a car is merely transportation (with the exception of my beloved Subaru who I think of as more of a chariot than an automobile) but there is something about the love people have for their vintage vehicles that I can appreciate.

Elvira was supposed to be the Mistress of Ceremonies but by the time we left in the afternoon she still had not shown her face—well, daylight is tough on vampires so I can't be too hard on her.

The show consisted of over 400 cars. It was fun to see the old Keystone-cops style Culver City police car and the new SUV I assume the CCPD had painted on non-city time (or as KJ noted, that's where my tax dollars are going!).

This was the first time I had been inside the Culver City Fire Station—and if you've heard rumours about the CCFD they are all true—the hunkiest crew anywhere! KJ wanted to know if they had a calendar for sale—now there's a way to make up the $6 million city deficit pretty darn fast...

Rear end of the Watidiz, wildest of the show.

My favorite car of the show was the red Country Squire station wagon at the top of the blog. It looks a lot like my Outback and I could see myself driving around town in that car. The wildest car hands down, inside and out, was the Watidiz.

But if I was a vintage purist I suppose I would have to pick the 1932 Roadster as best of show. Well, not really. I loved them all, for a non-car person, that is.

So now I've really "done" the Culver City Car Show and next year I don't have to feel so guilty about having other plans. But I may just find myself sauntering up there anyway...

And another kind of art—food presentation—was to be found at Akasha where AB took me for my birthday dinner that evening. Although the food tasted divine (we ate tapas style) we decided the artful presentation was part of the pleasure of eating there. Ya know, art is everywhere if you only stay on the alert for it—which I definitely enjoy doing.

(photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

A Big Oops... and a Big Sigh of Relief to Match

I reported the demise of a Culver City house in my post of April 18. Apparently I was walking down the wrong street when I saw the construction of a new condo. Today, on my way to take photos of the Postcards from Ballona mural restoration, I saw the house still standing. Not only that, the proposal for demolition and new construction sign has disappeared. Is this a dream come true?

Another construction sign just a few blocks away, posted alongside three small cottages, also has been removed. I'm hoping this is a good sign. Or a good non-sign!

A Walk on the Dark Side


This cute Spanish-style house is gone, gone, gone in order to make way for more condominium living.

Today I was thinking about what I like to write about. I think the title of Thursday's blog says it all: Beauty.

One of my favorite things to do in life is to walk around (a neighborhood, an art gallery, a park...), look at beauty, think about what it means or how it makes me feel, and to write about it. Wow, if I could make a living doing that, would I be the happiest person in the universe? Quite possibly.

Of course, the other side of Beauty is Ugliness, without the one there could not be the other. And sadly, it's the Dark Side I must write about today.

My favorite form of exercise is walking. I have always made a point of living in places where most of the things I need to do are within an easy (say 45 minute) walk from my house. That way I can get some exercise while taking care of necessities like shopping at Trader Joe's or stopping in at the post office. But sometimes walking is just for the sake of walking, and maybe clearing my head in order to solve a problem.

I love walking around the streets of Culver City which are lined with trees and pretty much free of traffic (except for parents with strollers, neighbors walking their dogs, and bicycle riders). I enjoy looking at the single family homes in the styles of California bungalow, Mediterranean or neo-Spanish... maybe not very exciting, but for the most part well-kept up with nicely landscaped yards.

But Progress has arrived in our little town. "With a capital ‘P' that rhymes with ‘C' and that stands for ‘Construction!!!!!!!'" (With huge apologies to the Music Man.) Since the advent of the new downtown area, the arrival of avant garde art galleries, and upscale "food nouveau" restaurants, change seems to be afoot in the adjacent residential neighborhoods too. And not for the better, in my humble opinion.

To be blunt, what used to be a beautiful neighborhood is becoming uglified with massive multi-story condos towering over cute one-story cottages. Now, I live in a small condo complex, so I have nothing against condo living; it's necessary if you can't afford or don't want to live in a house. My building was constructed in the 70s and is on a street that you could not possibly describe as quietly residential, so it doesn't really count.

What I am concerned about is the potential loss of the single-family home neighborhoods that make life worth living for so many people. I would be afraid to buy a home on a street where I didn't know from one day to the next if the house next door was going to be pulled down and replaced by an eight-unit condo. Similarly, I'm not sure I would want to put a lot of money into remodeling my home (with the thought of living there for the rest of my life) if I knew tomorrow I could wake up to find my house surrounded on all sides by condos.

Unfortunately, what may be making a quick profit for a few developers now has the potential for a disastrous effect on the quality of life in those neighborhoods, and the reason people moved there (whether into a house or one of those very condos) in the first place.

And while I'm on this subject, I can't let homeowners off the hook either. Some people, when remodeling their homes, don't seem to give a hoot about the ambience of their own street. Or understand anything about the history of the area they live in. A Tudor-style house belongs in England, not in Southern California. And, unless you are Frank Gehry, please think twice about erecting something that looks like it just arrived from outer space next to your neighbor's Spanish bungalow!

So, getting back to Beauty... on my next walk around the neighborhood, I would like to merely look forward to a visual delight I didn't notice yesterday—perhaps a blossoming wysteria or a new planting of pansies. I don't want to be holding my breath in fear of yet another installment of the Uglies—and the horrifying surprise that one of my favorite little houses bit the dust overnight.

(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Postcards from Ballona

In 1995 a group of artists (Lori Escalera, Lucy Blake-Elahi and Francois Bardol) came together with the idea of beautifying an ugly little section of the Ballona Creek bike path at Overland Avenue in Culver City (next to the library). Their vision encompassed involving local students to paint "postcards" to tell the history of the creek. Over the years this lovely mural has suffered the ravages of neglect, vandalism and graffiti (as you can see in the photo above).

On Sunday, April 19th, 2009, all the damage will begin to be reversed. And you can be part of this important project.

On Sunday you can assist with the drawing and prepping. Monday (20th) through Wednesday (22nd) you can help out with the actual painting.

Everyone is welcome to participate. You don't have to be an artist... just enthusiastic and willing. Bring your children, bring your grandparents!
For more information about the event and the story of the original mural, Lori has put together a great little movie and slide show. All can be found at http://www.thestreetpainter.com/CommunityArt/UPCOMING%21.html.

See you there!

(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Does This Make You Homesick? A friend and I saw the movie "Last Chance for Harvey" at the theater today. I liked it. The acting skills of Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman turned it from a predictable, schmaltsy, romantic comedy into something worthwhile. I would give it a 3.75 out of a possible 5. That's a pretty good rating from me. So go see it, or rent it!
I rarely go to the movies as I am madly in love with NetFlix where I can sit in the comfort of my own home, on my own sofa, with my 32-inch TV and nobody around me munching popcorn, rustling candy wrappers or TALKING! But as my initial plans fell through, then my secondary plans also didn't pan out, this seemed like an opportunity to spend some time, share an event, with somebody I don't see very often.
As the movie takes place in London, my friend asked, "Does this make you homesick?" The answer is yes and no. I actually love living in Culver City. Maybe one day I'll write about the hundreds of reasons why.
But there is a part of me that wonders what my life would be like if my parents had stayed in England instead of emigrating to the US. I didn't want to come here... both times. I was a child the first time, a teenager the second. My life was in England. To this very day I feel like a person without a country. Even though I've lived here all my adult life, when I'm here I'm English. When I am in England I'm American. You can't possibly understand if you haven't lived it and I no longer attempt or care to explain.
So, I enjoy looking at this Victorian tile in my collection that came from a house built in 1880, in Worthing, the last town we lived in before coming to America the first time.
In the 1700s Worthing became a popular seaside resort attracting wealthy and aristocratic visitors. I liked living there. Probably my favorite of all the many places we lived in England. Maybe it reminds me of Culver City in some ways. A small town but a lot of history. When we lived there I believe the population was about 70,000 whereas Culver City is currently around 45,000.
So I am always homesick for England. But when I am away from Culver City I'm homesick for this little town too. And, perhaps I'm fortunate that I can be homesick for two places!
You can see some of my other tiles at http://www.tilelove.com/.
Please support Wikipedia.
(photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Alice Paints the Sky

I was going to start a new blog but I decided it was really part of this one. I am a stalker, yes, I have come out of the closet to admit it. No, this isn't like when the original Star Trek first hit TV and my friend and I discovered Leonard Nimoy lived in our neighborhood and we sat outside his house for hours and hours and hours evening after evening after evening waiting for just a glimpse of those pointy ears in the window... (Of course, I was just in diapers then and had to crawl there on my hands and knees). Oh, am I really admitting this, yes, I must come clean so I can move on with my life!

Okay, so now I stalk the Goddess of Nature. Or more particularly, her artwork. I can't reveal her real name as that would be an invasion of privacy. She has been known by various pseudonyms throughout the eons of her existence. I am going to call her Alice, after an aunt. I don't why this struck me as appropriate, especially as my aunt changed her name decades ago for reasons I don't understand. But I just like the idea of the Goddess of Nature being named Alice. Her business card will now read Alice, Artist, Goddess of Nature. Yes, that sounds good!

So what artwork does Alice have to show us today? Of course, you've already seen it... the moon over Culver City. I'm grateful to Alice and the universe for my roof deck. The night after the full moon the sky was really spectacular. I was out on the deck about 8:00pm. It was like somebody turned on all the Christmas lights in the sky, the stars were so bright. Then from the northwest I saw a line of planes coming into LAX all heading towards the moon like moths to a flame. I could have grabbed my camera and shot a movie but it wouldn't have been the same. But it will live in my mind, and maybe some day, a painting?

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

It's Contemporary. It's Art. And....
...it's fun!
Lest you should believe from recent postings I do not appreciate "contemporary art" I am happy to bring glad tidings. It was a balmy Culver City evening this past Saturday as BG and I devoured a scrumptious dinner at Tender Greens, proving that while Culver City has recently been invaded by trendy, expensive restaurants, there is at least one trendy, reasonably-priced restaurant in their midst. I've eaten there numerous times and never been disappointed. I always order the tuna ahi plate but next time I promise to be more adventurous. Oh, and as this blog is about art, I should say that the plate is definitely a piece of artwork. And all for ten bucks!
As it was a truly pleasant evening weather-wise we decided to walk the 1.5 miles along Washington Boulevard to the Corey Helford Gallery which was hosting an opening evening reception for "Vanity Bonfire," works by Sean Christopher. Now, I don't "get" a lot of contemporary art as those of you following my blog know by now. But I do expect it to be artistic, imaginative, creative and thoughtful. Christopher's art falls into all four categories. Do I get it? Not really. Do I love it? Not really. Would I buy it if I had the money? Not at all. But do I respect it? Yes. Do I call it art? Most definitely. But is it "good?" I don't have a clue and I don't care.
If I can remember the artist's statement that I read at the exhibit, he says he is juxtaposing elements you would not normally see together: matchsticks, shoes, cherries... so you are surprised when you see them. The gallery describes his work as "a world of hidden meanings, symbols and metaphors." I would describe it as intriguing. I don't understand it but it makes me think about what is going through the artist's mind when he is putting this all together.
And as BG remarked, the Corey Helford always puts on a good show. For this reception each table in the hosted bar area was decked out with a decorated shoe.
Altogether, a nice evening in our little ole town!

Skateboarder Destruction
This makes me sick. The Culver Theatre (now the Kirk Douglas since 2005) has been around since 1947. One of its marvelous attributes is the wonderful marble terrazzo floors in pristine condition just as they were originally designed (except for one small patching job). They are a work of art and typical of the entrances to movie theatres of that era and earlier. I've always loved showing this terrazzo pavement to out of town visitors or on my architectural tours of Culver City.
But no more!
This is a recent photo of the pavement totally destroyed by skateboarders! No, I did not personally see skateboarders wreak this havoc, but I have seen them perpetrating similar damage on other public artworks and public spaces around Culver City and Los Angeles. When I see skateboarders in the process of tearing up public property I try to explain to them what they are doing, but they only come back the next day to further inflict their misery.
How could this terrazzo have survived for 60 years only to suffer this fate now? I am heart broken to see this.
The worst part is the skate boarding population seems to be exploding and I am seeing more of this kind of damage all the time.
(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Sister City Tiles at Vets in Culver City

Culver City has a plethora of Sister Cities, at least five, including: Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico; Kaizuka, Japan; Iksan City, South Korea; Lethbridge, Canada; and Yanji City, Jilin, China. The first four of these were honored on March 3, 2007, with the unveiling of ceramic tiles painted with scenes relating to those places. The tiles were painted by Lori Escalera, who was the founding president of the Culver City Art Group and has other public artwork around the city. The tiles are being installed at the Veteran's Building (at the corner of Culver Blvd. and Overland) on the doors of rooms named after these sister cities.


At left: Artist Lori Escalera with Mayor Gary Silbiger and the Uruapan tiles.

As a tile painter/artist myself, I really enjoyed the speech Lori gave about art as function. Here are a few snippets:

"I would like to address the idea of some that “Artwork may be diminished by its relationship to function.” History proves that art and functionality go hand in hand. It has provided artists with gainful wage, and survival - beginning with cave art, which functioned as a practical method to focus society on a fruitful hunt. In the Renaissance, artwork was a guild business as religious leaders communicated to the masses of spiritual interests and wealthy patrons needed portraits to record and exhibit their prestige. In the 17th, 18th and 19th century artists were hired as illustrators for secular business advertising.

However following the Industrial Revolution there was a clear understanding that artists needed to relate aesthetics to ugly massed produced goods. A true movement of function integrated with art emerged by the 20th century... Work again emerged for artists as they were hired to progandize modern war and politics. I wonder if anyone realizes in the 21st century, how “Public Art Ordinances” service the artist as a viable business [as a] functional reaction to damage caused from urban development. Proving again, combining art with function enhances the world humans inhabit. Art that is remembered throughout history IS tied to function.

It is only a very contemporary idea that art may exist without function – as a sole means of human creativity. But if we look at modern life we see that mankind finally has the leisure time to contemplate his naval - for the sheer fact that it is there. Man is not constantly consumed by survival mode.

...enjoy artwork. Do not shy away from controversy over art. Do not think that art can only be an emotional experience or an intellectual one. We are humans given two separately functioning brain hemispheres that may work together for different reasons at different times. The more art stimulates us in passion and intellect the more successful it is."

(All photos on this blog copyright roslyn m wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

Revised date for the unveiling of Lori Escalera's tile mural

The Culver City Sister City Committee Cordially Invites you to attend
The Unveiling of Tile Murals Artworks of Culver City’s Four Sister Cities
Iksan City, Korea
Kaizuka, Japan
Uruapan, Mexico
Lethbridge, Canada

Saturday March 3rd, 2007
At Culver City Vets Memorial Complex
4117 Overland Avenue In the Rotunda Room
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Refreshments
Tiles Artworks by Artist Lori Escalera

“Wings of Peace” painting by Artist Sue Li of the CCHS Academy of Visual and Performing Arts

Calligraphy Art presented to City of Culver by Japanese Dignitary - Tairiku Okada on display at the event

We hope to see you there!