Giving The Bird
By Alfred Lee
Remember when Griffith Park was on fire? You watched it on the local news. You looked at photos on the blogs. You even used it as an occasion to bump that Bad Religion song, “Los Angeles is Burning.”
But as so often happens once what’s hot in Hollywood cools down, the aftermath of the conflagration revealed enormous destruction. Thankfully, L.A.’s ever-philanthropic arts community swoops to the rescue in the form of LittleBird Gallery’s Off They Flew: 100 Birds Benefiting Griffith Park, which opens with an artists’ reception Saturday at 7 p.m.
“We had read that the only structure that had burnt down was the bird aviary,” recalls gallery director and show curator Mylissa Fitzsimmons of the inspiration for LittleBird’s bird-themed show. “We sent an email out to a few artist friends asking if they would be interested, and those few friends responded back with even more friends that were interested. And it kind of turned into this bigger-than-we-expected project.”
Originally planned to be a small show of about 15 local artists, Off They Flew quickly ballooned to 100 participants; many are from L.A., but some hail from as far away as the Czech Republic and New Zealand. The Atwater Village-based gallery, itself only a stone’s throw from Griffith Park, sent each artist a laser-cut bird-shaped chunk of recycled wood “to paint on, or draw on, or decorate, or do whatever it is that they do best,” Fitzsimmons says.
This is the first benefit show LittleBird has ever mounted; the gallery has been open a scant seven months and, due largely to the enthusiastic artist response, the show came together in only two. “I think we’re crazy. Other people we’ve spoken to think we’re crazy as well,” says Fitzsimmons.
The 100 artworks will be on sale for $100 each, with all proceeds benefiting the L.A. Department of Parks and Recreation’s Griffith Park Restoration Fund. Amongst the notable submissions are a bird nightlight, a bird mobile, and, fittingly, a bird covered in matchsticks and matchbooks.
“It’s beautiful actually, and quite flammable,” Fitzsimmons observes.
–Greg Katz
Off They Flew: 100 Birds Benefiting Griffith Park. LittleBird Gallery, 3195 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village, (323) 662-1092. Opening reception Sat. 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Free, with free refreshments. Closes Sept. 22. LittleBirdGallery.com.
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THIS WEEK IN THE CITY
THURSDAY 6
THE GREATESTIt’s the week after Labor Day, when it seems that every usable space in the city is hosting an opening for an art exhibit. But there’s only one that would make Tony the Tiger do back flips: The Great Picture, which opens today at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest photograph, measuring out at 31 feet by 7 inches by 111 feet. The photograph was taken at El Toro and depicts the former Marine Corps base; to take it, six photographers transformed one of the base’s hangars into the world’s largest camera. Opening reception 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Closes Sept. 29. Art Center College of Design, South Campus Wind Tunnel, 950 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, (626) 396-2446. Artcenter.edu.
FRIDAY 7
BILINGUALProving once again that there’s more to identity politics than parades is “Tongue to Tongue.” This all-weekend event is dedicated to “queer, lesbian, bisexual women, genderqueer, transgender, and gender non-conforming people of color,” and starts off with an opening for a group art show tonight, with performances by Wildflower, Tatiana de la Tierra, and DJ Nova Jade. Tomorrow we get to the bread and butter, a full day of workshops, films, and speakers intended to promote dialogue between participants – Tongue to Tongue is, true to its name, ultimately about talking. Fri. 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $30; $20 Sat. only. The Gay & Lesbian Center’s Village, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., L.A., (323) 860-7322. Tonguetotongue.org.
SATURDAY 8
LOSERS UNITE!Community activist wunderkind Justin Rudd wants losers. He wants to round them all up, in groups of loser families and friends, and have them walk together along the beach today in some kind of loser parade. Before you start sending nasty letters his way though, know that Rudd is about losing weight, not, er, the game of life. His “Loser Walk” invites the public to recruit teams of walkers in Long Beach in the name of public health. Half the money raised will be distributed to those who’ve recruited the most participants, while the other half goes toward the jackpot for Rudd’s 12-week weight loss program and contest, Long Beach Losers. 7:30 a.m. $10; $5 advance. Granada Boat Launch Ramp, 1 Granada Ave., Long Beach. Longbeachlosers.com.
SUNDAY 9
SUBURBS IN THE CITYWhile everyone else heads off to Sunday open houses with brows furrowed, fans of local history and architecture can enjoy a self-guided tour of eight L.A. homes, sans business cards with smiling photos. The Western Heights Neighborhood Association and Historic Preservation Overlay Zone Homes Tour present Six Blocks of
History from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour features residences in Western Heights – part of the West Adams Historic District – custom-built for young professional families at the turn of the 20th century. They were originally developed outside the city limits, as a kind of predecessor of the modern suburb. $35; $30 advance. Check in at 2173 W. 20th St., L.A. Westernheightsonline.com.
MONDAY 10
LOUD IS BACKYou know the brain-dead days of August are officially over now that ALOUD LA is back. After its month and a half hiatus, the Central Library conversation series kicks off a packed September schedule tonight, with first novelists Nell Freudenberger (The Dissident) and Jennifer Gilmore (Golden Country). The readings and conversation will be moderated by Bernadette Murphy, contributor to the L.A. Times Book Review. Also on the ALOUD calendar: members of the L.A. Philharmonic perform a community concert on Sunday at 3 p.m., featuring Haydn’s “Rider” and Beethoven’s second “Razumovsky” quartets. And next week: Biblical scholars, actors, and a Pulitzer-winning reporter. 7 p.m. Mark Taper Auditorium at Central Library, corner of Fifth and Flower Sts, downtown L.A., (213) 228-7025. Aloudla.org.
TUESDAY 11
REMEMBER AND REGENERATE
Today, the L.A. Shorts Fest pays tribute to September 11 with special film screenings and free admission to firefighters and those with military ID (10:45 a.m.-10 p.m.; AMC Burbank Town Center 6 Theatres, 770 N. First St., Burbank; info: 323-461-4400 or Lashortsfest.com). Meanwhile, the focus on displaced humanity in Pipo Nguyen’s new exhibition of photographs at the Sam Lee Gallery represents Nguyen’s direct response to feelings of uncertainty brought about in a post-9/11 world; evoking the majesty of the North American landscape, he attempts to convey themes of regeneration and hope. East of Eden opens on Saturday, Sept. 8, and is on view through October 20 (Wed.-Sat. noon-6 p.m; Free; Sam Lee Gallery, 990 N. Hill St. #190, downtown L.A., 323-227-0275; Samleegallery.com).
WEDNESDAY 12
VALLEY OF THE DOLLIES
The ever-increasing democratization of film is not without its drawbacks: For one, everyone and their grandma’s got their own film festival now. But don’t let fest-fatigue get in the way of celebrating Seventh Annual Valley Film Festival, which holds its opening night tonight at 8 p.m. It’s not exactly your small potatoes, neighborhood-corner event: The fest boasts 39 short films, including a “Made in the (818)” program, and nine features. The celebration wraps up September 16. $15 opening night; $10 per film program. All screenings at El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Info: (818) 754-8222 or Valleyfilmfest.com.
Published: 09/06/2007
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