Arts & Culture – BoulevardSentinel.com

Gil Cedillo’s Eighth Annual Latin Jazz & Music Festival

09/28/202110/08/2021 admin133Leave a Comment

The Highland Park film festival returns to the Highland Theater, Oct. 1 and 2

10/01/202110/01/2021 Bill Hendrickson90Leave a Comment

By Mary Lynch The 8th annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival opens Friday night, Oct. 1, with red carpet fanfare and a screening of the feature, “Playing with Fire,” a exploration of the life and art of Carlos Almaraz (1941-1989), a towering Chicano artist who lived and worked in Highland Park and other L.A. […]

You can explore ancient Mesoamerica, including artifacts like this Aztec calendar sun stone, in weekly virtual courses in September and October at the Arroyo Seco Regional Library. | Image from Smithsonianmag.com

Take part in art in NELA

09/12/202109/24/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia4212 Comments

By Pablo-Nukaya Petralia Programs to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month and Los Angeles Textile Month, art that blurs the line between virtual and real, and live theater for a cause are just some of the art and culture offerings in NELA in the days and weeks ahead. Arroyo Seco Regional Library To celebrate Hispanic Heritage […]

Art created in 1976 and 1977 at the Mechicano Art Center in Highland Park by (from left) Carlos Almaraz, Guillermo Bejarano and Judithe Hernández | Photos from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, image courtesy of Highland Park Heritage Trust

Chicano history in Highland Park gains official recognition

08/24/202109/01/2021 T.A. Hendrickson943Leave a Comment

By T.A. Hendrickson

The Los Angeles City Council has voted unanimously to grant Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) status to two locations in Highland Park where Chicano art and culture flourished in the 1970s.

The Independent Shakespeare Company is performing "The Tempest" in Griffith Park through Sept. 8.

Art and Culture in NELA: Picks for rest of August

08/23/202108/23/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia732Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia
Theater, exhibitions and music making are taking place throughout Northeast L.A. during the rest of August. Many of these art-and-culture events in Northeast Los Angeles are free.
Click on the image for details.

Leticia Maldonado, a neon artist who lives in Highland Park, bends glass in her studio. | Photo by Lauren Noble

Get to know: Leticia Maldonado, local neon artist

08/12/202108/19/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia12983 Comments

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia In mid-July, as a one-woman show by neon artist Leticia Maldonado was set to open at Bermudez Projects gallery in Cypress Park, word went out that Maldonado’s next stop would be the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale, where she will have her first ever museum solo exhibition in September 2022. […]

Carlos Almaraz (1941-1989) is one of many significant Chicano artists who worked in studios in Highland Park. Efforts to secure historic cultural monument status for those studios will be discussed at a national conference this month on historic preservation. | Still from Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire.

Six ways to enjoy art and culture in NELA this August

08/02/202108/02/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia12381 Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia Art and culture offerings in NELA in August include historic preservation events, a street fair, a live-music jam and outdoor theater performances. Here are six picks, including a reminder to artists and art nonprofits that applications for grants are now being taken by the Eastside Arts Initiative. Historic preservation/Rockhaven On Sunday, Aug. 8 at 2 […]

"Rochelle and Sandy" (1980) by Nick Taggert, one of several works on view at ODD ARK.

Happening Now: Art and Culture in NELA

07/20/202107/28/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia1763Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia The art and culture offerings in NELA in July range from new art exhibits, the return of live theatre, film and and a major new mural underway in Highland Park. ODD•ARK LA The Highland Park art gallery ODD ARK•LA will feature the work of artist Nick Taggert in the closing weeks of […]

Susana Porras and her father capture a moment during their 500 mile pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. | Photo courtesy of Susana Porras

Susana Porras: A local poet makes a pilgrimage

07/07/202107/25/2021 Christopher Nyerges1546Leave a Comment

By Christopher Nyerges Susana Porras, a Pasadena native and the District Liaison for Pasadena City Councilmember John J. Kennedy, is also an inspired and inspiring poet. Her new book, entitled “To Compostela and Beyond! A Poet’s Chronicle of the Camino de Santiago,” is a collection of 39 sonnets composed on 39 days and nights in 2018 […]

"Rochelle and Sandy" (1980) by Nick Taggert, one of several works on view at ODD ARK.

Art and Culture in NELA, July 2021

07/04/202107/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia17681 Comment

La Mujer de Aztlán, 1976, by Judithe Hernández and Carlos Almaraz, two of many now-renowned artists who were associated with Mechicano Art Center and Centro de Arte Público in Highland Park. | University of Southern California Digital Library /Photo: Robin Dunitz

City moves closer to official recognition for Highland Park’s Chicano heritage

06/07/202107/25/2021 Bill Hendrickson21873 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson

The drive to gain recognition for Highland Park’s pivotal role in the Chicano Art Movement of the 1970s is entering a critical phase — and you can help ensure that the neighborhood gets the recognition it deserves. You can make a difference. Read how and why here.

The prize in the L.A. River Public Art Project is named for the late Lewis MacAdams (shown above), the pioneering champion of L.A. River restoration. \ Photo from Patch.com

Art, Culture and You in NELA in June

05/30/202107/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia2121Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia As the economy reopens, opportunities are increasing to view and create art and participate in cultural activities. Here’s a sampling of what’s on offer in Northeast Los Angeles in June. L.A. River Public Art Project The LA River Public Art Project seeks artists, writers and makers to compete for the 2nd annual […]

Visitors can now tour the interiors of the Victorian mansions at Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights | Photo courtesy of Heritage Square Museum

Happening now: Art and culture in NELA

06/21/202107/25/2021 Bill Hendrickson1585Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nuykaya-Petralia
Deadlines are approaching to participate in the Highland Park Independent Film Festival and the L.A. River Public Art Project, so act soon if you want to enter.
Local museums, including the Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights and the Southwest Museum in Mount Washington, continue to reopen, revealing treasures from eras past.

A scene from the 2021 Winter show at Renaissance Arts. The performance was produced and presented by students working remotely.

Top Award for Renaissance Arts Academy in Glassell Park

05/07/202107/25/2021 T.A. Hendrickson2349Leave a Comment

By T.A. Hendrickson

Renaissance Arts Academy, a K-12 public charter school in Glassell Park, has won an Exemplary Arts Education Award for 2021 from the state Department of Education.

Renaissance Arts is one of six schools in Los Angeles and 27 statewide to receive the award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in arts education.

"On Becoming," a new exhibition at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, explores what it means to break free from stereotypes, sexism and other forms of bias.

Art and Culture This Week in NELA

05/14/202107/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia21031 Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

Highlights from the week of May 15 to May 22 include livestream concerts by local bands at local venues, the opening of a gallery exhibition featuring Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, a major museum reopening and the latest York Boulevard Cruise Nights car show.

There’s also still time to get out and view several ongoing exhibitions or pick up a new book by local writers and artists.

The puppets of Bob Baker Marionette Theater will put on a show on May 7 to to help raise money for the upcoming Vidiots opening in Eagle Rock.

Something for everyone: Art and culture in NELA in May

05/01/202107/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia2451Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

Puppets join forces with movie lovers this month in Northeast Los Angeles, and that’s just the start of ways to experience the arts this month in NELA.
There are also in-person exhibitions at museums and galleries, a new art installation and a new book out this month on L.A.’s parks, illustrated and authored by local artists and writers. Get the details here.

Artwork by Nicola L. on display at the Huntington as part of the "Made in LA 2020: a version" exhibition. | Photo by Joshua White/ JWPictures.com

Art and opera in NELA this week

04/02/202107/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia3240Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

A new exhibition opens and opera returns this week, along with several ongoing cultural events in NELA: You can view the work of contemporary local artists at Bermudez Projects in Cypress Park, the Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park and the Huntington Art Museum in San Marino. You can even enter your own art in a juried art show in Elysian Valley. Here’s the latest.

à bloc cafe in Highland Park plans to exhibit the work of student artists.

New opportunities to create and display art in NELA now

03/03/202107/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia3364Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia Update: We have expanded our art and culture listing for the month of March with the following three new opportunities to exhibit and view art in Northeast Los Angeles. Display your artwork à bloc cafe on York Blvd. currently seeks local student artists who are interested in having their work featured in […]

Concepto para el mural "Earth Mother" por Ernesto de la Loza y su hermana, Sandra de la Loza.

Artistas seleccionados para crear el nuevo mural de Highland Park

03/06/202107/25/2021 Angela Guglielmino3469Leave a Comment

Por Angela Guglielmino Traducido por Eduardo Garcia Se anunciaron el 22 de febrero los ganadores de la competencia para ver quienes pintarán el nuevo mural de Highland Park: Ernesto de la Loza, un muralista chicano estimado, y Sandra de la Loza, una artista, experta en murales y la hermana de Ernesto, trabajarán juntos para traer el diseño de Ernesto, Earth Mother, a la […]

Artists' sketch of the mural "Earth Mother" by Ernesto de la Loza and his sister, Sandra de la Loza

Artists selected to create new mural in Highland Park

02/21/202107/25/2021 Angela Guglielmino4024Leave a Comment

By Angela Guglielmino Winners were announced on Monday in the competition to paint Highland Park’s next major mural: Ernesto de la Loza, an esteemed Chicano muralist, and Sandra de la Loza, an artist, mural expert and Ernesto’s sister, will work together to bring Ernesto’s design, Earth Mother, to the side wall of the new Planned […]

A look at "In Yarrow We Trust," a part of a new exhibit opening at Oxy Arts on York Blvd. Photo credit: Oxy Arts.

Your Guide to Art and Culture in NELA

02/11/202107/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia3054Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya
As art and culture organizations have changed their ways in response to the pandemic, the result has been a creative outpouring of virtual exhibitions, online workshops and streaming performances.

Here are upcoming art and culture opportunities in Northeast Los Angeles, many of which are free and all of which can be experienced remotely or at a safe distance.

Art created in 1976 and 1977 at the Mechicano Art Center in Highland Park by (from left) Carlos Almaraz, Guillermo Bejarano and Judithe Hernandez | Photos from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, image courtesy of Highland Park Heritage Trust

City commission recognizes the Chicano heritage of Highland Park

01/21/202107/25/2021 Bill Hendrickson15442Leave a Comment

By Bill Hendrickson

The Mechicano Art Center, as it looked in the 1970s, was located on Figueroa Street at Avenue 54. City officials will decide this week whether to designate the building a historic-cultural monument. | Photo by Oscar Castillo/pinterest.dk

Speaking up for Highland Park’s Chicano heritage

01/19/202107/25/2021 Bill Hendrickson148781 Comment

By Bill Hendrickson

This photo by Leo Phillips of the Cortines School of Visual Arts took first place in the High Res photography competition. | Photo courtesy of CD 1.

Winners announced in high school photography contest to document local impact of COVID-19

12/10/202007/25/2021 Bill Hendrickson45233 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson City Councilmember Gil Cedillo has announced the winners in “High Res 2020,” a photography competition that challenged local high school students to portray the impact of COVID-19 on their families, friends, classes and communities. Leo Phillips, a freshman at Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts in downtown L.A., took first place. […]

One of these nine mural designs will be selected for the exterior wall of the new Planned Parenthood health center in Highland Park. | Image courtesy of Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley

Vote for Highland Park’s Next Mural

12/09/202007/25/2021 T.A. Hendrickson183831 Comment

By T. A. Hendrickson

Yolanda González (above) will have a solo exhibition of her paintings and prints at the Bermudez Projects art gallery in Cypress Park, Nov. 14 to Dec. 26. | Photo by John S. Rabe

Art in NELA now: Where to buy it, view it, create it

11/01/202007/25/2021 T.A. Hendrickson5350Leave a Comment

Picks from the people who bring you the Boulevard Sentinel Here’s how to experience art in NELA now: The Bermudez Projects art gallery in Cypress Park is a focal point this holiday season for buying and viewing art. A major artwork from a major exhibition is on display now in the seating area of Go […]

Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s Latin Jazz and Music Festival Goes Virtual This Year!

10/25/202007/25/2021 admin4580Leave a Comment

Watch. Listen. Dance. Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s 7th annual Latin Jazz and Music Festival will stream live for FREE on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The festival will be previewed starting on Nov. 3, with special promos, photos and a live chat room about the event, the musicians and the music at […]

¡El Festival de Música y Jazz Latino del Concejal Gil Cedillo se vuelve virtual este año!

10/25/202007/25/2021 admin6335Leave a Comment

Vea GRATIS el Séptimo Festival Anual de Música y Jazz Latino del Concejal Cedillo en su página de transmisión personalizada y plataformas de redes sociales el sábado 7 de noviembre de 5 a 7 p.m. A partir del 3 de noviembre, vea promociones especiales, fotos y otros antecedentes sobre este increíble programa musical de jazz […]

By Vicki Gibson of Highland Park.

Art, the Pandemic and You

10/01/202007/25/2021 T.A. Hendrickson253691 Comment

Picks from the people who bring you the Boulevard Sentinel These are challenging times and art is a way to process, explore and express the challenges. From Boyle Heights, Elysian Valley and Highland Park, here are three invitations to participate in the arts in October. Mes de los Muertos: The Ancestors Would Approve In advance […]

Indie Film Festival to Transform Parking Lot at Eagle Rock Plaza into a Drive-In Theater

09/01/202007/25/2021 171931 Comment

By Emily Jo Wharry

Bay Area artist Bella Wilcox, a.k.a. Baby Bell, has teamed up with Jesus Martinez of Glassell Park to promote her music.

An Artist from the Bay Area and a Manager from Glassell Park Make Their Way in the Music Industry

09/15/202007/25/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia9527Leave a Comment

By Pablo Nukaya

Lucia Sano, 14, (at right), a student at Eagle Rock High School, shown with a portion of the mural at Oxy Arts which she created with help from fellow students at ERHS, Franklin High School, Occidental College, Oxy Arts staff and passersby.

Black Lives Matter at Oxy Arts – Update

07/01/202007/26/2021 9404Leave a Comment

By Emily Jo Wharry

Alexandra Noel, "Can you bring everything with you?", 2019 Oil and enamel on panel. 8 ¼ x 10 ¼ in. (21 x 26 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Bodega, New York

Major Exhibition Featuring NELA Artists to Open in the Fall

06/25/202007/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson7797Leave a Comment

By T. A. Hendrickson Made in L.A. 2020 has been delayed but not waylaid. The high-profile exhibition of Los Angeles-based artists, originally scheduled for this summer, is now set to run from early September through January 3. This is great news for the 30 artists in the show, a group that includes five artists from […]

Photo by T. A. Hendrickson

Black Lives Matter Mural on the Walls of Oxy Arts

06/11/202007/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson7973Leave a Comment

Photos by T. A. Hendrickson Here are seven images from the new Black Lives Matter mural on the walls of Oxy Arts on York Boulevard in Highland Park. Central mural signed by Lucia Sano, Eagle Rock High School (ERHS) Class of ‘2023, and students from ERHS, Franklin High and Occidental College.

The Hammer Museum and the Huntington are collaborating on Made in L.A. 2020.

NELA Artists to Participate in Major Exhibition

02/02/202007/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson173071 Comment

Five artists who live or work in Northeast Los Angeles have been selected to participate in the fifth Made in L.A. biennial exhibition, which will take place at the Hammer Museum in Westwood and the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino from June 7 through August 30.

LA Plaza is the place to begin your exploration of Mexican and Mexican American history of Los Angeles. LA Plaza has something to offer casual and curious visitors; elementary, high school and college students; and teachers and researchers alike. | From La Plaza Facebook page.

Big Grants for NELA Nonprofits

12/26/201907/26/2021 Mary Lynch17792Leave a Comment

Children, Teens, Artists and Audiences to Benefit from grants by U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. Read how here.

New Recognition, Opportunity for NELA Art Scene

09/28/201907/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson9824Leave a Comment

L.A.’s eastside has always had a creative core. The wider art world is taking notice.

The actor, Danny Trejo, will accept the top award of the 6th annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival

The Highland Park Independent Film Festival Honors Danny Trejo

09/27/201907/26/2021 Diana Martinez12171Leave a Comment

The Humanitarian Award of the 6th annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival goes to Danny Trejo for his strong faith, his art of reinvention and his ability and willingness to use film and fame as tools to help others.

Logo for the 6th Annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival - October 3 - October 5, 2019

Your Guide to the 6th Annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival

09/27/201907/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson111281 Comment

With 50 films over three days, this year’s Highland Park Independent Film Festival is the largest and most ambitious in the festival’s six-year history. The screenings, at the Highland Theater (5604 N. Figueroa St.) include six world premieres, four Los Angeles premieres and an Academy Award-nominated short. There are films in virtually every genre: animation, documentary, sci-fi, action/adventure, noir and foreign. Here’s a moviegoer’s guide to festival:

Aerial view of the Southwest Museum: The museum’s fate remains undecided as talks continue.

L.A. County Is Talking with the Autry About the Future of the Southwest Musuem

08/30/201907/26/2021 Mary Lynch9806Leave a Comment

The Southwest Museum is holding its breath. Good news. Much needed help may be on the way. Read all about it.

Artist Paula Lopez, seen here, is repainting the SW Museum mural | Photo by Jesus Sanchez for The Eastsider

The Mural on Marmion Way – Lost and Found

08/23/201907/26/2021 admin92821 Comment

The prep work for re-painting of the 170′ mural on Marmion Way near the Southwest Museum has been completed and the re-painting has begun, Both the preparation work and the re-painting are creative adventures in their own right. See the work in process on the Boulevard Sentinel.

Ana Serrano inside her installation, Homegrown, which has been acquired by the L.A. County Musuem of Art | Photo by John S. Rabe

Artwork by Ana Serrano Acquired by L.A. County Museum of Art

07/26/201907/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson132541 Comment

From the College of Art and Design to the LA County Museum, Ana Serrano evokes the look and feel of front-yard, window-ledge spaces in Latino neighborhoods. Read on for a view of the creative expression of what we pass by every day in NELA.

Cordelia Rachbach of Glassell Park to play at Walt Disney Concert Hall. | Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Youth Orchestra

Young Violinist from NELA Excels

04/27/201907/26/2021 6274Leave a Comment

Ten-year old violinist, Cordelia Rachbach, of Glassell Park, is on her way to Walt Disney Concert Hall, where she will perform on June 19 in the intermediate ensemble of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra (LAYO).

New Group Forms to Save the Southwest Museum and Lummis House

03/02/201907/26/2021 Mary Lynch67632 Comments

The Lummis Legacy League, a grassroots organization to preserve the legacy of Charles Fletcher Lummis, will hold a kick-off reception and presentation on March 17 at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens in Cypress Park. Suzanne Lummis, the granddaughter of Charles Lummis, will be a guest of honor. The group hopes to draw more […]

Marcos Juarez, a realtor, and Alex Lozano, a broker associate, both with Compass Real Estate in Highland Park, showing a rendering of Frank Romero's next mural, 'Going to the Olympics Again.' -Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Frank Romero Mural Coming to Highland Park

03/02/201907/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson62801 Comment

By T. A. Hendrickson

When Frank Romero painted the mural “Going to the Olympics” for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, he was already famous as a founding member of Los Four, the artist collective that put Chicano art on the art-world map.