Gallery Ophelia gets Lucky 13
by Anthony McBride

There comes a time in most artists’ careers when they realize their full potential creatively, and this can be an epiphany to some, and to others, a roadblock. When an artist realizes their business sensibilities, this can be most powerful, as in the case of two sisters simply known as Candace Jeanette and Miss Mindy.

You have probably seen some of their work in and around Los Angeles, NoHo, even in the fledgling art community of Eagle Rock, incidentally where the sibling’s formidable years were spent. Candace pulled off a double major in fine art and public art from U.S.C. and Miss Mindy chose Pasadena c.c. and the Cartoonist Union in NoHo to cut her teeth on, even though they both have been immersed in the arts since they were teething, (their parents are celebrated artists in their own right). They are educated and naturally artistic, and it shows. Just to familiarize you a bit further with them, Candace Jeanette had one of her character creations known as Lydia available at Nieman Marcus in the form of bedding in 2000, and Miss Mindy creates the cartoonish waitress characters for the Hard Rock Café franchise.

Both artists are modern surrealists with Candace’s work having a folk art and dream like quality, while Mindy shows a cartoon like feel with humor and action brought forth, with her broad strokes that are raw yet exude an enormous amount of feeling. Not terribly tired of the nomadic way of life for artists traveling from gallery to gallery but ready to open a gallery of their own to aprovide a more central location for their work, they are also a huge support team and individually supportive to local arts

Saturday April 13 was their opening of Gallery Ophelia, a venue created with the primary goal of expanding public access to the arts and to provide a new venue for artists to exhibit their work in the north east Los Angeles area. “Lucky 13” was the grand opening group show featuring the works of 13 artists including the sisters, Rick O’Brien, Linda Johnstone-Allen, Pete Metzger, Ronny Vardy, Kimmy McCann, Katrina Alexy, Frank Venadas, Cannibal Flower director Leonard Croskey, Jeanette and Ralph Johnstone and Jessica Shokrian.

The opening was as grand as any with a harpist playing beautiful notes and a huge spread of California cuisine donated by a new restaurant in the Eagle Rock area called Cammillo’s. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony with councilman Nick Pacheco of the 14th district and chamber members also, very dignified. The pureness and the diversity of all the works on exhibit did not allow for too much pretentiousness. With over 200 people in attendance this is proof that Candace Jeanette and Miss Mindy are going to be around for a long time and the arts in Eagle Rock will flourish more widely. This evening saw some sales from Gallery Ophelia and with an array of urban folk art, vintage art from the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, and high quality prints and reproductions, these artists/businesswomen will prosper and delight us into the future.

Upcoming is a juried exhibition titled “Tiny Works Show” May 1st-31st. And in June a solo show of Kimmy McCann.

Gallery Ophelia 2114 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323 982 9945 www.galleryophelia.com.

Art that makes an Impression
On March 24, 2002, one of the most unique collections of California impressionist paintings will make its debut in the George Montgomery Gallery at the Autry Museum. The graduating classes of Gardena High School assembled this grouping as gifts to the school. The collection includes many important California artists from the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s. The paintings embody the distinctive qualities of California Impressionism by combining vibrant brushwork and color with a deep reverence for nature. They stand in silent beauty of our land as it existed a century ago.
Come and share in this rare opportunity to see a unique collection of Southern California impressionist art. “Painted Light:” California Impressionist Paintings from the Gardena High School/ Los Angeles Unified School District Collection. Thru May 26 at the Autry Museum 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles 9927. (323) 667-2000. -VR

Art By the River
When thinking of some of the great L.A. landmarks, the Los Angles River rarely comes to mind. But thanks to some great local artists, that might be changing. As part of the movement to revitalize the Los Angeles River, a neglected historical and ecological resource in the heart of the city, the Arroyo Arts Collective, a grassroots arts organization based in the Highland Park/Eagle Rock area, will stage “River Alchemy,” a site-specific installation event along the banks of the River.

Working in conjunction with the annual Gran Limpieza (“big clean up”) by Friends of the Los Angeles River, professional artists will construct 20 site-specific, temporary, eco-friendly installations along the natural bed and concrete banks downriver from Fletcher Drive. Visitors are invited to stroll the bike path to discover a scintillating mix of riparian ecosystem (those in luck may see an egret or two), urban grit, and creative vision along a 2-mile stretch of the river between Gateway Park at Knox Avenue and Orsos Park at Orsos Street.

Activities will also include on-site performances and workshops for kids. April 27 and 28 between 11am and 5pm - free to the public. Closing reception at Lil Frogtown Gallery 1625 Blake with a screening of Los Angeles River, a film by Daniel Marlos.

The Collective will also have a gallery exhibit in conjunction with the site-specific installation project along the Los Angeles River: “Earth Alchemy,” an exhibition of work creatively referring to the environment by members of the Collective. Patricia Watts, founder of ecoartspace, a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental awareness, will jury submissions.

During the run, “Earth Alchemy” will include work of Collective artists in media other than installation which embodies a process of re-envisioning one’s surroundings in innovative and environmentally sustaining ways.

“Earth Alchemy” runs from April 16-May 19; Avenue 50 Studio 131 N. Avenue 50, Highland Park T-Th 10am-noon, Sat and Sun 10-4pm or by appointment; 323-850-8566, 323-258-1435,
ave50studio@msn.com, www.arroyoartscollective.org. - VR

Sport in Art
The Autry Museum’s bilingual exhibition “Art of the Charreria: A Mexican Tradition” celebrates the art, family tradition, passion, and culture of Mexico’s national sport - a stylized ranching process - and its enduring legacy in the United States. The show highlights the dazzling accessories essential to this activity: spectacular sombreros, gold and silver embroidered male and female riding outfits, serapes, rebozos, saddles, bridles, stirrups, and spurs. Supporting the exhibition are equestrian demonstrations, family workshops, film series, music series, and lectures. These educational activities will explore charreria as a family tradition in both Mexico and the United States, the arts and crafts, and the challenges and opportunities of charreria in contemporary times. - VR

Art Springs Forth
by J.C. Peters

Spring is in the air and the artists are coming out of their slumber and putting together interesting art shows.

Unit D Gallery kicked off another year in the NoHo area with their spring group show. Gallery owner Harvey Jordan has pulled together four talented artists with styles all their own, from the introspective body prints of Marcia Stafsky to the micro art of Jackie Freeman. Walking up to Ms. Freeman’s paintings is like looking through the microscope at the building block of life. The tiny squares build the structure of the painting giving a light, airy feel to the piece. She shows the link between man and nature and those we will always revert back the structure of what’s around us.

The highlight was the rare Theremin preformance. The Theremin is an instrument from 1919 that is played with no physical contact to the instrument itself. The sound is an eerie, quivering sound that was used in old monster movies. The musician has to have precise skill and perfect pitch to make the hunting sound that reminds me of Led Zeppelin tunes. Unit D Gallery 4795 Vineland Blvd behind H. Salt Fish, NoHo 818-752-2457.

The Lankershim Art Gallery has some fresh new artist in their new show “Thought Provoking-Cutting Edge” which features the winners of an open call to artists. The works are very progressive and poignant, especially the paintings of Nathan Spoor and Louie Metz, which take you on a visual journey of emotion. All the art in the show tugs you in different directions giving you a feeling of a roller coaster ride. One of the installations called “The Coffee Computer” is a representation of where your coffee comes from. The keyboard is covered in coffee beans; touching a different bean brings up a new saying or fact about coffee, from wages of a coffee picker ($2.75 hour), to a recipe for a latte.

The real star of the show is a piece by Sahok with his interpretation of the Islamic faith. This ten-foot tall piece has four knives surrounding a phallic-shaped minaret top. The knives have the first line of the Koran inscribed on the handles. The piece is called “Temple,” leaving me with more questions then answers. The Lank 5108 Lankershim Blvd NoHo 818-766-0529.

If you are having cabin fever and want to get to see some larger public art, you could check out the new show “Edges and Hedges,” starting April 27th and running for 6 months. Santa Monica Boulevard Project Master Plan is in charge of the “Edges and Hedges” which is combination of streetscape, garden, stage set, landscape design, and home decor, as well as an acoustic sculpture. The projects’ eclectic, thought provoking and cheeky pieces include a giant lawn chair upholstered in artificial grass; oversized earrings mounted on palm trees; a Route 66-era convertible doubling as a planter; a larger-than-life coyote created out of woven cardboard and wood; a freeform structural bamboo sculpture; an 8-foot tall dining table and chairs constructed from real and artificial plants. 323-848-6354.