1st Thursday - There's One In Every Month
Here's the 1st Thursday breakdown.
While there isn't what I'd call volume art this month, there is quality in the air, and the potential of new and interesting things in Pedro.
My suggestions in Order of "You Should Check This Out-ness":
Jay McCafferty @ Gallery 478 - Jay is one of the best known San Pedro artists, and an all around good guy. His solar burns on paper have a solid position in the contemporary Los Angeles art scene and we are lucky to have him in town. From the amount of promo being done for this thing, I'd predict that 478 is gonna go all out, and this is one of the biggest art receptions of the year in Pedro, so go have a good time there. 478 West 7th (just below Pacific)
Can't Get No Satisfaction @ Walled City - Edith Abeyta shows with me every year, and I am never disappointed with the products of her efforts. Come down and spit some irony in the eye of the street art scene, while drinking whiskey from a commemorative shot glass. 309 West 7th.
Avian Flu Awareness Project @ The Loft - For the fullest details, check out the post below. Come over to The Loft and get disundereducated about the dangers of Avian Influenza. Also, keep an eye out for some street-walking, poster-dispensing representatives of the project. Jan Govearts, San Pedro ceramist has a show in the B gallery, new sculptural work, very organic in form, also go see artist Angelica Sotiriou's new studio there, on the 1st floor. 401 Mesa St. (corener of 4th & Mesa)
This Is Not A Map @ Warschaw Gallery - I'm reccomending this because this is the grand opening for the new Warschaw Gallery. I haven't seen the work yet, but everyone should go and support them and check out the show by Ali Acerol. 600 South Pacific Avenue (corner of 6th & Pacific).
Maggie Tennesen @ The Hive - Just because The Hive is a hair salon doesn't mean that they don't show better art than half the galleries in town. Maggie Tennesen is no exception. Her studio is at The Loft, but the work is here this 1st Thursday. I've been a big fan of her paintings for years, she does magic things with lines and grids. 367 7th St.
Where to chow and booze after all that walking around? I say stop by classic Pedro dive Godmothers and put away some shots in the old girl before they renovate the place (they are moving the entrance and expanding a little, don't worry, it will still be a dive). Or you could check out the new Copper Room in the former location of Olsen's. Supposedly they are going to have tapas there soon, and they can make a decent cocktail, or so I've heard. Dining? I say taco truck or Pronto's on 15th & Pacific on the way home. I'm addicted to the carnitas and lengua there, for a surreal experience order their version of a cuban sandwich. Phill ate one, and from his description of the items inside, we were all left mystified.
See you out there.
While there isn't what I'd call volume art this month, there is quality in the air, and the potential of new and interesting things in Pedro.
My suggestions in Order of "You Should Check This Out-ness":
Jay McCafferty @ Gallery 478 - Jay is one of the best known San Pedro artists, and an all around good guy. His solar burns on paper have a solid position in the contemporary Los Angeles art scene and we are lucky to have him in town. From the amount of promo being done for this thing, I'd predict that 478 is gonna go all out, and this is one of the biggest art receptions of the year in Pedro, so go have a good time there. 478 West 7th (just below Pacific)
Can't Get No Satisfaction @ Walled City - Edith Abeyta shows with me every year, and I am never disappointed with the products of her efforts. Come down and spit some irony in the eye of the street art scene, while drinking whiskey from a commemorative shot glass. 309 West 7th.
Avian Flu Awareness Project @ The Loft - For the fullest details, check out the post below. Come over to The Loft and get disundereducated about the dangers of Avian Influenza. Also, keep an eye out for some street-walking, poster-dispensing representatives of the project. Jan Govearts, San Pedro ceramist has a show in the B gallery, new sculptural work, very organic in form, also go see artist Angelica Sotiriou's new studio there, on the 1st floor. 401 Mesa St. (corener of 4th & Mesa)
This Is Not A Map @ Warschaw Gallery - I'm reccomending this because this is the grand opening for the new Warschaw Gallery. I haven't seen the work yet, but everyone should go and support them and check out the show by Ali Acerol. 600 South Pacific Avenue (corner of 6th & Pacific).
Maggie Tennesen @ The Hive - Just because The Hive is a hair salon doesn't mean that they don't show better art than half the galleries in town. Maggie Tennesen is no exception. Her studio is at The Loft, but the work is here this 1st Thursday. I've been a big fan of her paintings for years, she does magic things with lines and grids. 367 7th St.
Where to chow and booze after all that walking around? I say stop by classic Pedro dive Godmothers and put away some shots in the old girl before they renovate the place (they are moving the entrance and expanding a little, don't worry, it will still be a dive). Or you could check out the new Copper Room in the former location of Olsen's. Supposedly they are going to have tapas there soon, and they can make a decent cocktail, or so I've heard. Dining? I say taco truck or Pronto's on 15th & Pacific on the way home. I'm addicted to the carnitas and lengua there, for a surreal experience order their version of a cuban sandwich. Phill ate one, and from his description of the items inside, we were all left mystified.
See you out there.
10 Comments:
If you're reading this, Santa, I want Reggie for Christmas!
Yeah, that Santa is one blog-spamming asshole. Jolly bastard.
Our family has faithfully attended First Thursday since it began, trying to make a small statement about how important it is to support local businesses.
After the flak we have taken from the Chamber of Commerce and its friends for daring to push back against the Port's ridiculous waterfront "plan", we aren't going anymore.
Nice work guys, drive away the people who have suupported you for years. I sure hope your buddies at the Port bring you some new customers. Don't hold your breath.
The Chamber of Commerce isn't behind 1st Thursday. They've tried to take it away from the restauranteurs, artists and gallerists that started it, but they aren't the master of it, and they never will, nor should they be.
The BID board (which I serve on) has been trying to tackle some of the issues, as the Chamber's involvement, especially in the street fair, which actually robs local businesses of dollars and visiblity, have been out of control. This is primarily due to the previous director of the Chamber's imagination that he was in charge of 1st Thursday.
The Chamber's only involvement in the event has been to organise the steet closure, pay for event insurance and hire a consultant to manage the booths. Since none of those activities have any real impact on the nature of 1st Thursday as it is intended by the hard working people who have been opening their doors for 7 years, they could just as well not be involved at all.
So in other words... Come to 1st Thursday and enjoy the local businesses, we are the ones doing all of the work, and the Chamber doesn't have much of a hand in the event at all.
Thank you. Point taken.
I'm just saying that it is suicidal for the Chamber to alienate their customer base in the service of the fantasy that the Port is coming to their rescue.
As to the "street fair", I could not agree more. I have always wondered why the local businesses tolerated it. I thought that the idea was to create traffic in the businesses. Plus, it's tacky and detracts from whatever ambiance there might otherwise be. How can we help to agitate to get rid of it?
I guess the Chamber or someone fell out with the car clubs that used to bring their old cars out. It's easy to see why. I guess I could drag out a couple of mine if anyone thought it would help at all.
I don't know if you've meet with Elizabeth over at the Chamber yet, but she's a vast improvement over her predecessors.
Although it's the Chamber's job to advocate for business growth, it doesn't have to be done using a club.
We barely tolerate it. Most of the current chatter in the BID 1st Thursday meetings is about the Street Fair.
My favourite argument is when some of the pro-street fair folks advocate moving the art night to 3rd Thursday. Over my dead body. We haven't been working for 7 years on branding an event so that we could have a crappy street fair. If you want to help get rid of it, contact Mike Cacavalla over at Downtown Subs, he's the one chairing the BID committee.
Personally, I'm more in favour of transforming the booths so that they are moved to a better location/layout, and are all about art or local businesses (restaurants not in the downtown area, local charaties, etc...) Not the junk sale/flea market we have now. The defenders of the street fair always make the "children & families" argument. What's better for children & families? Junk sales or touring galleries with fine art?
I've never clearly understood who and how the cars on Mesa got the boot. I've heard a lot of opinions on that one. Borti Petrich, who is absolutely one of the coolest people in town, used to be involved with organising that, and I ended up hanging out with him at my studio on Saturday for a while. Apparently he's looking to bring the cars back, and some of the local business people are working to make it happen. So there is hope on that front.
Third Thursday, huh? I'd like to see them try that crap on the Farmer's Market. "Sorry, guys, but to make room for the trinket sellers, we're going to have to ask you to peddle your little vegetables every other Friday from now on." Didn't the artists basically create First Thursday?
This Elizabeth person may be better than her predecessors, but I haven't seen the Chamber make any move to distance itself from the attacks by the likes of Papadakis on anybody who dares oppose their Monorail...erm, I mean Bridge to Breakwater megamall project.
Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car...
Just to clarify, DO NOT order the cuban sandwich at that place, especially if you have any idea what a cuban sandwich is supposed to be.
Were you sent here by the devil?
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