Picture This Gallery & Custom Framing, 4130 Norse Way, will host an artists reception and exhibit opening on Saturday, Sept. 3 from 5pm to 8pm to kick off its Frida Kahlo art exhibit. Each year, various artists come together to exhibit their own work dedicated to the renowned Mexican artist. This year’s exhibit will be displayed through Oct. 29.

More Information
(562) 425-4861

“Deep Sea Magic” mural by Olinka Hrdy, 1939

The Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Ave., will host historian Dr. Kaye Briegel and librarian Maureen Neeley on Friday, Sept. 2, as they discuss the dramatic changes experienced throughout the Long Beach School District as it rebuilt schools devastated by the Long Beach Earthquake of 1933. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program helped Long Beach rebuild its schools.

Will Rogers bench, created by Stanton MacDonald-Wright, 1940

Six relevant schools are located in Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore and Naples: Wilson High School, Jefferson and Rogers middle schools, Fremont, Lowell and Naples elementary schools. On March 10, 1933, a 6.3 earthquake rocked the city, damaging or destroying 35 schools in the district. Jefferson, Fremont and Lowell were leveled. Wilson and Naples were heavily damaged. Rogers was not yet built. Destructive as that earthquake was, the Great Depression of the 1930s was equally debilitating. Money for reconstruction finally came via the New Deal program, created to put people back to work. In the case of Long Beach, much of that work came in the form of rebuilding schools.
In a new exhibit at the Historical Society of Long Beach entitled Rebuilding for the Future: A New Deal for Long Beach 1933–1942, visitors will view the art and architecture of not only these Belmont Heights schools, but also other projects found throughout Long Beach.
Architecturally, many of the schools were rebuilt in the popular styles of the 1930s: Jefferson, Lowell and (what would become) Rogers have an art deco or streamline moderne style; Fremont and Naples are more traditional Spanish; Wilson, which was designed in 1925 and restored after the earthquake, is unique in its Italianate style.
Several of these schools also boast unique art that reflects the era. The New Deal did not just put laborers to work. As Harry Hopkins, FDR’s head of the Works Project Administration/Federal Arts Project (WPA/FAP) put it, “Artists have got to eat just like other people.” With that, many painters, photographers, sculptors, writers, musicians and actors were employed on federal projects. In Long Beach, this meant that murals, mosaics, bas relief and sculptures were installed in newly constructed schools
The exhibit will explore these and numerous other projects achieved through the New Deal in Long Beach, including the Will Rogers bench (above), the bust of James Russell Lowell and the dream-like mural in Rogers’ foyer (left). Several of the artists who worked in Long Beach went on to become internationally known. The Rogers bench is attributed to Stanton MacDonald Wright, who was also integral to the WPA mosaic installed now on Third Street. His pioneering work using petrachrome to create texture in mosaic was considered groundbreaking.
Funded in part by the Long Beach Navy Memorial Heritage Association and featuring photographs by J. Christopher Launi, along with historic prints and ephemera, the exhibit will remain open through the end of 2011.
Exhibition hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 1-5 pm, Thursday 1-7 pm, and Saturday 11-5 pm.

More Information
(562) 424-2220
hslb.org

“Thanks for Everything, Part 2,” acrylic on canvas

Cory Bilicko
Managing Editor

How does one parlay a rebellious, misunderstood adolescence into a successful career in early adulthood, in the midst of a troubled economy?
Hillary Jones is trying to figure that out right now.

(above) “Come One, Come All,” acrylic on canvas

It was just a few years ago that the 21-year-old from Bellflower was bumping heads with the faculty at what she calls the “prim and preppy private school” she’d attended. From complaints about her altered uniforms and her multicolored hair to being called into the guidance counselor’s office because of the “dark and frightening” drawings on her binder (turns out it was only the skull logo for the punk band The Misfits), Jones was a bit of a misfit herself, until she graduated from Valley Christian High School in 2008 and entered a make-up academy.
After completing training in that field, she began to freelance around the Long Beach and Los Angeles areas, doing photo shoots, fashion shows and student films. “After almost a year of freelancing, work became stagnant and clients were few and far between,” Jones says. “And my creative needs were not being fulfilled.”
With extra time on her hands, she started sketching again. She designed her own tattoo that she now sports on her shoulder, as well as tattoos for friends. She then reimagined her sketches onto canvas and started painting.
“With dark things like the economic slump and turbulent relationships, painting became an escape for me,” she says. “A place where no rules applied– where it was only me and my creative thoughts that existed, and I could run with them wherever they would take me.”
One creative opportunity arose at the sushi restaurant where she worked as a server– Gatten Sushi, where freshly prepared dishes are displayed on a conveyor belt for customers to take. Jones would often create the signs that sat on the moving belt to identify the sushi dishes. The restaurant owner took note of her work and decided he wanted more illustrations and paintings of hers around his stores. “If you visit any Gatten Sushi location, in Cerritos, Irvine, Monterey Park or Rowland Heights, you will see my painted sushi signs on the revolving conveyor belt,” Jones says. “Also, in some locations, you will see 24 x 24 canvas paintings of Tonkotsu Ramen and other sushi items on the walls of the restaurant.”
Outside the realm of raw fish and wasabi, Jones frequents the Second Saturday Art Walk in downtown Long Beach, and she says she has been blessed with success in her painting sales there. “I absolutely love it when people walk by and have to take a second look at my work– try to make sense of it, try to figure out what the paintings are trying to say to them,” Jones says. “I enjoy people being intrigued by the gloomy penguins and ducks and the toxic cupcakes that call out to passersby. They can feel the darkness of my work at first glance, but as they study the pieces, they see a glimmer of hope that shines through, suggesting that one day, everything is going to be alright.”

To see more of Jones’s work, visit her website at DesignedbyHillary.com, which also includes what she calls her “quirky blogs about art and everyday life.”

Stuart A. Ashman

Mike Deovlet and Burke Gumbiner, co-chairs of the Museum of Latin American Art’s (MOLAA) board of directors, announced the appointment this week of Stuart A. Ashman as MOLAA’s president and CEO. His appointment is the result of a six-month international search, and his tenure will begin on Sept. 6.
Ashman joins MOLAA as the museum’s 15th anniversary draws to a close. Driven primarily by an evolving and strengthened artistic direction over the last two years, MOLAA has seen growing admissions and increasing accolades from the museum industry and media critics locally, nationally, and internationally. 
Burke Gumbiner, son of MOLAA’s founder, Dr. Robert Gumbiner, said, “Stuart’s priority will be to create a solid infrastructure to support this growth. The board is excited about MOLAA’s current direction, and we searched for a president with the experience to ensure that the museum would continue to grow and support itself in perpetuity. Stuart’s proven administrative skills in diverse environments combined with his knowledge of Latin American art make him an ideal candidate for this position.” 
Ashman brings with him over 20 years of museum management experience, having worked nationally and internationally in both private and government sectors. Raised in Cuba, Ashman’s advanced education and professional career have all been based in the United States.
“I am pleased to be given this opportunity and look forward to building upon the founder’s vision and passion for Latin American art and the Latino community which have always been at the core of the institution’s programs, collections and exhibitions,” Ashman said. “MOLAA’s mission is timely. The world of Latin American art is exciting and dynamic– one that should be shared with the widest possible audience.”  

Artist Amy Tanaka created the above clay work with her friend Carol Rasaphangthong as part of a project entitled “Cool Town Claymation: Ignite Change!”

Stephanie Raygoza
Staff Writer

Amy Tanaka’s art extends to various forms and means throughout Long Beach. From her promotional artwork for the nonprofit organization Green Long Beach to her sign art for the Trader Joe’s in Bixby Knolls, Tanaka continues to grow artistically and hopes to inspire other artists to branch out to a new art form she actively promotes– creative-reuse art.

Amy Tanaka's self-portrait

The 27-year-old bartender has come to embrace the green movement through the years and has dedicated herself to designing and making such art. “I see creative-reuse art more as functional. I’m starting to draw myself more towards that because it’s something that people can use,” Tanaka said.
Some of her works include a coral reef piece for Green Long Beach’s Earth Day show that was made entirely out of used straws from the restaurant where she works, and most recently an art nouveau-inspired lamp made from the partitions that keep wine bottles in place.
“It’s a part of my values,” Tanaka said. “I’m putting my values into my work, and that way it’s something that I can share with other people because I know they’ll be able to use it too.”
Her personal art ranges between portrait and abstract paintings and sketches, and most recently handmade jewelry. She sees her paintings as more personal and something she’ll observe throughout her daily life put to canvas. During the holidays, she hopes to put together a holiday, creative-reuse-inspired art crafts show in conjunction with Green Long Beach as a way of encouraging the community to buy locally or from local artists as opposed to purchasing from retail outlets.
“Working with Green Long Beach is super grass roots, so everything that we do or everything we put out there either comes from us directly. It’s one way of marketing and showing people that, ‘Hey, you can market using these materials as well,’” she said. Her side projects include working for “Cool Town Claymation: Ignite Change!” which was a video project collaboration she did with her friend, Carol Rasaphangthong. She created and designed mini clay sculptures to be used for different sets (including the one featured on the front page of this issue).
Although her art esthetic may be split between two forms– personal and creative reuse– she sees them moving toward something that can eventually educate people. “Creative-reuse art totally gives others a whole new outlook on what is art and what you can use to create art, so I like it a little bit more as an educational tool,” Tanaka said.
She wears multiple hats that include creating graphic-design logos and banners for clients, live art paintings for Tinderbox!, managing her Etsy account, and even creating tattoo designs for friends. “I kind of spread myself everywhere rather than focusing on one type of art or one type of idea,” Tanaka said. “I don’t limit myself to anything at all and want to be creative in all aspects.”
Her primary focus still remains with working for Green Long Beach, which continues to fuel her passion for the environment.
“I don’t know where [my work] is going to take me job-wise, but at least I know that if I love it, a job will follow,” Tanaka said. “It’s stuff that people home-make that’s random and creative– it’s inspiring. The most mundane things sitting in your house can turn into an awesome project that no one’s ever thought of before.”
For more information, visit actanaka.com.

Seal Beach Stroll Through the Shallows

Marcus Bockman is a recent Cal State University Long Beach (CSULB) graduate of the journalism program, specializing in photography.
“Whether it be event photography, abstract photos of household items, ocean landscapes, or general/sports photojournalism, [photography] has always held a special place in my heart,” Bockman said. “I was initially in the art program at CSULB, aiming to earn a degree in photography. However, the very specific fine-arts focus of the program and what I saw as an inadequate emphasis on the emerging digital photography medium drove me away from earning a Fine Arts BA at CSULB. I chose journalism as a focus in college studies because I’m passionate about written expression, and journalism seemed more practical.”
Bockman said the ocean has been a “home away from home” for him for a long time. “From age 14 on, I always wanted to surf as much as possible, most often on a bodyboard,” he said. “Thus, taking photos of ocean scenes is a specialty of mine. If nothing else, I find being in or around the ocean cathartic. The ocean plays a large role in my life, alongside photography. Both have yielded many friendships and countless hours of entertainment.”

Morning Cruise

Bockman said the sea and photography are so important to him that he bought waterproof housing for his digital single-lens reflex camera and film single-lens reflex cameras so that he could take photos of waves and surfing while physically in the ocean.
He currently has a piece hanging at Lisa’s Gallery in Manhattan Beach and works as a freelance photojournalist for Patch.com’s sites for Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
Bockman can be contacted at MarcusBockmanPhoto@gmail.com. His ocean- and surfing-related blog, which focuses on the South Bay of Los Angeles, can be read at SouthBayCentral.blogspot.com.

The 1981 film Mommie Dearest, which stars a scenery-chewing Faye Dunaway as Hollywood legend/alleged clean freak Joan Crawford, will serve as the kick-off movie for the Q Film Festival at 2:30pm on Friday, May 8. Admission will be free; wooden hangers not included.

The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach and Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride will present the Long Beach Q Film Festival 2011 from Friday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 18 at the historic Art Theatre, 2025 E. Fourth St., and the neighboring Gay and Lesbian Long Beach Center, 2017 E. Fourth St. Long Beach’s long-running film festival since 1993, the Q Film Festival presents narrative features, documentaries and short films that embody the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.
This year’s event will feature several area premieres as well as some of the most acclaimed features on the 2011 film festival circuit. The 11 feature films selected include Fit, a British comedy-drama about sexual diversity and bullying among a group of high school students, and the Los Angeles-area premiere of Judas Kiss, a gay romantic-drama featuring time travel. Other films include the California premiere of the documentary Inspired: Voices Against Prop 8, which spotlights several crusading Long Beach activists, and an international showcase of documentaries.
Submissions were received from both student and professional filmmakers from around the world. Some filmmakers and cast members will be present for audience discussions. Jury awards will be given to films in several categories. Festival events will be hosted by a variety of local performers and talents. The festival will also feature numerous parties and opportunities to meet and mingle with filmmakers, actors and other industry professionals.
The festival will open at the Art Theatre on Friday and run through Sunday evening. An opening night party will take place between screenings at the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach. Screenings on Saturday will include a variety of great short films in the “Men in Briefs” and “Women in Shorts” programs. The festival will end Sunday with a closing-night party between the final two screenings. All festival parties include libations and live entertainment. All net proceeds from the festival will benefit The Center Long Beach and Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride. Wells House Hospice will be a platinum sponsor of this year’s festival.
Festival passes and tickets are available for purchase through the Q Film Festival page at qfilmslongbeach.com.

More Information
arttheatrelongbeach.com

Untitled by Edward Weston

The Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., will host MEX/LA:“Mexican” Modernism(s) in Los Angeles, 1930-1985 as part of Pacific Standard Time, an initiative of the Getty Museum. This unprecedented collaboration brings together more than 60 cultural institutions from across Southern California for six months beginning October 2011 to tell the story of the birth of the LA art scene.  
MEX/LA: “Mexican” Modernism(s) in Los Angeles, 1930-1985 focuses on the construction of different notions of “Mexicanidad” within modernist and contemporary art created in Los Angeles. The period from 1945 to 1985 is attributed as the time when Los Angeles consolidated itself as an important cultural center, however, this timeframe excludes the controversial and important presence of the Mexican muralists and the production of other artists who were influenced by them and responded to their ideas. 
It is often perceived that Los Angeles’s Mexican culture is alien and comes from elsewhere when in fact it originated in the city– it was in Los Angeles and Southern California that José Vasconcelos, Ricardo Flores Magón, Octavio Paz and other intellectuals developed the idea of modern Mexico while Anglos and Chicanos were developing  their own. This is the place where Siqueiros and Orozco made some of their first murals, and Los Angeles is the capital of Chicano art.

“Cholas, White Fence, East L.A.,” by Graciela Iturbide, 1986

These ideas and the iconography that resulted from them created a series of archetypes that often turned into stereotypes in popular culture, which throughout time have been contested, appropriated and reclaimed by the different inhabitants and cultural producers of the city. The purpose of this exhibition is not so much cultural affirmation and/or historical revisionism, but to understand how nationalism and internationalism are modernist constructions that are not necessarily exclusive but often complementary and fundamental in the formation of Mexican, American, Chicano art and the art of the city.
The exhibition’s historiography and non-linear narratives will explore different media, points of view and notions of art and culture, including murals, easel painting, photography, film, animation, cars, fashion, and performance art.
Artists in the exhibition include Carlos Almaraz, Asco, Louis Carlos Bernal, Walt Disney Studio artists, Charles and Ray Eames, Juan García Esquivel, Roberto Gil de Montes, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Graciela Iturbide, David Levine, Yolanda López, Mónica Mayer, Tina Modotti, José Clemente Orozco, Adolfo Patiño, Martín Ramírez, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, Millard Sheets, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Robert Stacy-Judd, John Valadez, Edward Weston and Max Yavno, among others. 
MEX/LA will be accompanied by a scholarly catalogue with black-and-white and color illustrations, published by Hatje Cantz Verlag.
MEX/LA: “Mexican” Modernism(s) in Los Angeles, 1930-1985 was organized by the Museum of Latin American Art and curated by Rubén Ortiz-Torres in association with Jesse Lerner and coordinated by MOLAA’s chief curator, Cecilia Fajardo-Hill, with assistant curator Selene Preciado as project manager. 
Pacific Standard Time is a collaboration of more than 60 cultural institutions across Southern California, coming together for six months beginning in October 2011 to tell the story of the birth of the Los Angeles art scene and how it became a major new force in the art world. Each institution will make its own contribution to this grand-scale story of artistic innovation and social change, told through a multitude of simultaneous exhibitions and programs.  Exploring and celebrating the significance of the crucial post-World War II years through the tumultuous period of the 1960s and 70s, Pacific Standard Time encompasses developments from LA Pop to post-minimalism; from modernist architecture and design to multi-media installations; from the films of the African American LA Rebellion to the feminist activities of the Woman’s Building; from ceramics to Chicano performance art; and from Japanese American design to the pioneering work of artists’ collectives.
Initiated through $10 million in grants from the Getty Foundation, Pacific Standard Time involves cultural institutions of every size and character across Southern California, from Greater Los Angeles to San Diego and Santa Barbara to Palm Springs.

More Information
(562) 437-1689
molaa.org  

Although artist Pat Harper’s education and career were focused on economics and mathematics, there has always been what she calls “some craft” that she was exploring on the side. Stamping, clay, beading, and silk painting all held her interest for a while, but fused glass has sparked her imagination for the last seven years. 
“It started quite innocently enough,” Harper says. “I just wanted to make some dichroic glass jewelry for myself, so I took a class. And I was hooked! I think I may have been a crow in a former life since I am mesmerized by shiny glass objects.”

It’s not a glamorous craft, however, according to Harper. “My studio is half of a garage, and my fingers are constantly bandaged, but it’s what you’ll find me doing most days and thoroughly enjoying the challenge of it.”
Since her initial foray into dichroic jewelry, she has branched out into larger items of fused glass, including votives, vases, sushi plates, small dishes, “coral” bowls and display art pieces. Some of her creations can be seen on Facebook, under the company name Ephemera. “The name Ephemera refers to the transitory state of things in our world,” Harper says. “Although the word usually refers to paper items, I believe everything is a form of ephemera and will pass on eventually, but for a while, we can hold the beauty in our hands.”
Harper’s dichroic glass jewelry is featured at Bella Cosa, 3803 Atlantic Ave. in Bixby Knolls, and at Harmony Glassworks in Harmony, California. She participates in several select craft fairs, notably the Destinations Boutique that is organized annually by the Assistance League of Long Beach the first weekend of November. 

More Information
ephemera49@gmail.com

Local history buffs will be able to explore the Long Beach of the 1920s and 30s with Art Deco Society president John Thomas (author of Long Beach Art Deco) as he leads a walking tour of Downtown Long Beach on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 9am. Thomas will emphasize significant events in Long Beach history and the Art Deco era and discuss contributions prominent architects Cecil Schilling, Horace Austin, Nate Piper and Hugh Davies made to Long Beach architecture. Tour highlights include the Arts Building, Metro Apartment Building, Rowen/Bradley Building, the US Post Office, and a WPA mural. Participants will also be able to view the interior of the Lafayette building, originally built as a hotel in 1929.
The tour will begin at 9am at the WPA Mural at Third Street and the Promenade and end at 11:30am. Admission will be $40 for Long Beach Heritage (LBH) members and $50 for non-members, and will include a signed, complimentary copy of Long Beach Art Deco, normally a $20 value.

More Information
(562) 493-7019
www.lbheritage.org