Random Totem Pole in Elsyian Park Removed

photo via Chicken Corner

That random totem pole decorated with stuffed animals and plastic toys in Elysian Park was removed today, reports The Eastsider LA:

This morning, the approximately 20-foot high totem pole – encrusted with toys, stuffed animals, a Santa Claus mask and other odds and ends – was removed and carted off by Recreation and Parks workers in about two hours with the help of a skip loader. A park worker said no one claimed the items after signs were posted saying the structures would be removed within 72 hours.

Along with the totem pole was a half-moon planter, both apparently removed because of lack of permit. The Eastsider LA article continues:

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Silver Echo Gallery Trailer for Slasher Film

The Silver Echo Gallery recently released a gorgeous teaser trailer for a slasher film entitled “Patty at the Party.”  The gallery put out the call for artists and held several events in order to raise money for the project at the end of last year. They are working with the “progressive guerrilla movie company” Mongrel Collective and are still trying to raise money to cover post-production and marketing costs.

“In Patty at the Party, slackers & scene kids search for romance & then they get cut up by cute serial ballet dancers.”

The full-length feature will (hopefully) go into production of the middle of June. If you are an artist interested in bringing your skills to the project or are interested in becoming a producer or executive producer contact Taylor or Amber at (323) 702-2131. Or if you want to give them some money, go here.

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Fish Fry Jamboree at Echo Country Outpost

“Jesus Halibut Christ, it’s a Fish Fry, Barbecue, Music Jamboree!”

at the Echo Country Outpost

1930 Echo Park Ave

Sunday, May 30
(Memorial Day Weekend)

12:00 Noon – 11:00 pm (or until the cows come home)

Proceeds to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

$20.00 at the door (that will include everything!)

Food and beverage: Fish fryin’, Meat grillin’, Veggies too
Beer, tequila, wine and non-alcoholic drinks

Music all day starting by 2:00 pm
AMANDA JO WILLIAMS
JOHN NORWOOD
MATTHEW O’NEILL
GLASS GOBLINS

Fun and games: Face painting, Frisbee & Football tossing, Sidewalk chalking

Visit the Facebook page to RSVP.

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Open House for Summer Drummer Program

As we posted last month, Bedrock in Echo Park is offering basic drumming classes for kids age 8 to 16 this summer. Presented in association with Dixon Drums, the two-week course is led by studio/live drummer John Montgomery and Jacob Dillon, and takes place  from July 12-24, 2010. There is a morning group (9:00 am – 1:00 pm) and an afternoon group (1:30 – 5:30 pm).

At the end of the course, there’s a graduation concert for friends and family where students get to play live with a band. The classes themselves are not free ($800, all-inclusive), but a limited number of scholarships are available courtesy of the Los Angeles Performing Arts Foundation. There are still spots available as of the publishing of this post.

UPDATE: On the second day of the program, drummer Denny Seiwell (drummer in Wings) will give a private clinic for the group sponsored by DW Drums.

Open House Part Deux Scheduled:

Bedrock had an open house at the end of April, and due to its success is having another one on Saturday, May 29th, 2010 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm for those interested in the summer session to meet the staff, play drums, and take part in a demonstration. Kids will get some free stuff like t-shirts, snacks and drinks. It’s free, and you don’t have to make a reservation.

“The one we did in April was a lot of fun,” said Adam Aaronson from Bedrock. “It was truly amazing to watch kids shyly shuffle in and within minutes be jamming out a beat.  There were even a few jam sessions with teachers and students.”

For more information, call Bedrock at  213-673-1473 (ext. 7), email them at lessons@bedrockla.com, or visit the website.

Bedrock Studios is located at 1623 Allesandro St.

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Nail Art and Music Tonight at Iko Iko

Looking for something a little different to do tonight? Iko Iko is hosting nail art by artist Sebastian Boher and music by composer/musician David Semien. For $3/nail you can walk away with some fine looking hands and a unique music experience.  Shop Iko Iko while you wait. Their current selection includes big dot tenugui, paper prints and t-shirts, mini weaving looms, wool curly locks in new colors, polka dot button downs, summer scarves, ceramic beads for necklace making, vintage fiber books, and wood stools.

Saturday, May 22

6-8 pm

Iko Iko

1298 Sunset Blvd

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Your Echo Park Weekend Guide

There’s a lot going on this weekend, and we thought it best to give it all to you in one concise post. Here goes:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Click here to check out The Eastsider LA weekend edition for other events going on in Silver Lake, Highland Park and other neighboring communities.

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Silver Lake Jubilee this Weekend

The Silver Lake Jubilee is a two-day music and art event featuring 35 music acts, multi-disciplinary art, local artists and crafters, food from local restaurateurs, interactive booths, and various cultural enclaves in the Silver Lake and surrounding communities (Spaceland, Origami Vinyl, buzzbands.la and El Echo Parqeuño are curating music for the event).

The event will have a very strong focus on the environment, including the implementation of “Zero Waste initiatives with the goal of 90% land fill diversion and sourcing power from alternative energy resources.” There will be several interactive “villages,” including a Children’s Village, Literary Village, Arts Village and Eco Village.

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Upcoming Events at the Echo Park Film Center

Friday, May 21 at 7:30 pm – CONSTANTINE’S SWORD (PRESENTED BY THE UNION OF PROGRESSIVE IRANIANS) Join us for a night of food, conversation and activism. Our friends and neighbors the Union of Progressive Iranians bring you this powerful film. CONSTANTINE’S SWORD, by Oscar-nominated documentarian Oren Jacoby, is an astonishing exploration of the dark side of Christianity, following acclaimed author and former priest James Carroll on a journey of remembrance and reckoning. DINNER PROVIDED. $5 admission.

Thursday, May 27 at 8:00 pm – VOICES OF LATIN AMERICA: THE OTHER CONQUEST/LA OTRA CONQUISTA Join us for a special evening celebrating the poetry and power of independent Latin American cinema with a screening of “The Other Conquest,” a 2000 Mexican feature film written and directed by Salvador Carrasco. This beautifully visual film tells the story of the Spanish conquest of Mexico from the perspective of the indigenous Aztec people, using original locations such as the pyramid of Tenayuca in Mexico City and the archaeological site of Xochicalco to bring authenticity and history to the filmmaking process. FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE!

Friday, May 28 at 7:45 pm – CINEMA SPEAKEASY PRESENTS ART BY CHANCE: The Largest Public Art Event Ever! For this festival, you don’t need to buy a ticket or go to a movie theater! Movies just pop into your lives in subways, buses, airports, shopping malls, trains, sports centers, art galleries, museums, plains, campuses, cafes and bars! Internationally selected and “TIME” themed creative short films catch you unexpectedly while traveling in the subway, waiting at the airport, shopping or just strolling around. ART BY CHANCE is taking place May 7 though June 4 in over 100 cities worldwide. Go here for more info. Bring: Your happy self and a noisemaking machine. We will be creating our own soundtrack to these silent short films!

Saturday, May 29 at 8:00 pm – WESTERN NOIR & MORE: MUSIC BY FUNERAL CLUB & TIPPY CANOE
Come on down for a shimmering night of music and images from Funeral Club (Bakersfield), Tippy Canoe (Oakland) and The Here & Now (Echo Park). Go here for more info.

Information provided by the Echo Park Film Center website.

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Cuban Music Festival in Echo Park

The 16th Annual Cuban Music Festival is taking place on Sunday, May 23, from 12:00 noon – 7:00 pm at the Echo Park Lake.

Performers include: Rumbankete, The Echo Park Project, Susie Hansen Latin Band, and DJ Saoco.

The event is free! As usual in the park, there will be plenty of international food, crafts, and clothing on sale.

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Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop: Memoir & Personal Essay

Writing Workshops Los Angeles Presents

Spring/Summer 2010 Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Memoir and Personal Essay

Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
June 1, 2010 to July 20, 2010 (8 meetings)

In this mixed-level course, we will read and discuss published narrative nonfiction as a means to investigate questions of truth and storytelling, and where the two intersect. There will be in-class exercises that address specific craft issues such as scene and voice, among others, and every student will have the opportunity to workshop at least one piece of nonfiction writing in a serious environment meant to challenge and inspire each member of the class.

This course will take place in the instructor’s home in Echo Park, where beer, wine and sparkling water—and the occasional delicious snack—will be served.

Enrollment limit: 8 students
Course fee: $360 (Payment plans available!)

If you’re interested in signing up, email writingworkshopsla@gmail.com

For more information about Writing Workshops Los Angeles, go to: www.writingworkshopsla.com

About the Instructor:
Carolyn Kellogg, who writes about books for the Los Angeles Times, holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She has taught at the University of Pittsburgh and in UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program. Her work is regularly read online and in print at the Los Angeles Times and other venues, and can be heard on NPR. She was a judge of the 2010 Story Prize, the Library of Congress’s Letters to Literature Contest, USC’s Wonderland Prize and the Morning News Tournament of Books. Work by Ms. Kellogg is upcoming in Black Clock and a Red Hen Press anthology about California.

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Tragic Dinner Theatre: a Fundraiser for workspace

Echo Park residents Anna Wilson and Rob Doran are directing a play called Tragic Dinner Theatre on Sunday May 23 in Highland Park as a fundraiser for workspace, an art studio in Highland Park.

The play description is as follows:

Tragic Dinner Theatre, directed by Anna Wilson, combines the aesthetics of ancient Greek theater, Commedia Dell’Arte, tableau vivant, magic lantern shows and Carnival to bring to life a modern interpretation of Ovid’s Tereus.

The story explores the darkest pockets of human nature when the thread of three characters’ fates become brutally entangled by lechery, violence and revenge. The tragedy escalates until the sheer excess of passion sparks a transfiguration that turns each into a different, symbolic, bird. Tragic Dinner Theatre will use masked actors, low-key lighting, and a disembodied narrative voice to heighten the melodramatic elements of Tereus.

Join us for an afternoon of food and entertainment including a lavish banquet, set before the stage, offering fruit, olives, cheeses, and pastries that could have been served at a party in ancient Greece. Tragic Dinner Theatre is a fundraiser to support artists projects, ever-expanding programming, and to cover public relations and operational expenses at workspace.

Support your local artists and check out this really awesome event:
May 23, 2010
Doors open at 2:30 pm
At The American Legion in Highland Park
227 North Ave. 55, Los Angeles CA 90042
Ticket cost prior to event: $20 minimum donation to workspace. Click here to buy tickets.
At the Door: $25 cash only

If you are unable to attend the event, workspace always accepts/is in need of donations.

For more information, visit the Tragic Dinner Theatre website or email at info@workspace2601.com

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A May Old Time At Stories

HOMO CENTRIC – A May Old Time!

Thursday, May 20
7:30pm
Free

A literary evening /reading for the GBLT set; this month featuring a lesbian comic, a former priest & everyone in-between. Yes, really. In-between. See, the funny lady goes 1st, the formerly frocked fellow is last & 3 other equally talented writers are between them (it’s an alphabet thing)-Like a big homo-Oreo! Be a smart cookie & join us. – Stories Email Blast

Stories Books and Café
1716 Sunset Blvd

Keep reading to learn about more upcoming events at Stories.

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FERMENT [cheese] at Machine Project this Sunday – SOLD OUT!

Image via Machine Project website

This Sunday, May 16 @ 3:00 pm, Machine Project and Sue Conley and Chris Kallmyer present FERMENT [cheese].

Sue Conley, cheese-maker and founder of the Cowgirl Creamery and sound artist Chris Kallmyer have developed a multi-media collaboration based on their mutual love of cheese and the fermented arts.

At this event, Sue will speak on art of cheese making, the sustainable qualities of artisan and farmstead agriculture, and share tastes of fresh milk, young curd, and aged Mt Tam. During the lecture/tasting/concert, Chris will provide music to eat cheese to: Incorporating field recordings of John Taverna’s Dairy and the Cowgirl’s facilities with trumpet, harmonium, and cowbells.

Go here for more info and to buy tickets. Cost is $5.

This workshop is now sold out. But you can email them at machine@machineproject.com to get put on the waiting list.

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Video: KPCC visits Echo Curio

The KPCC website posted an article and video yesterday about the Echo Curio space here in Echo Park.

The art shows of Echo Curio lure in a different type of artist than most serious art galleries; instead, anyone from hobbyist painters, photographers, mixed media artists hand over whatever they want to show off and [owners] McInteer and Capes merely figure out the best way to display it. The eclectic nature of the art becomes in turn a community project of sorts and a reflection of the locals and their creativity.

Check out the video above and read the entire article here.

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LiveTALKS Los Angeles with Dave Barry to Benefit 826LA

The Pearson Foundation and Track 16 present LiveTALKS Los Angeles – I’ll Mature When I’m Dead: An Evening with Dave Barry in conversation with Jane Smiley. Net proceeds will support 826LA. On Friday, May 14 at 8:00 pm at Track 16 (Bergamont Station).

A brilliantly funny exploration of the treacherous state of adulthood by the Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist and author of over 30 books. In hilarious, brand-new pieces, Dave tackles everything from fatherhood, new fatherhood, self-image, the battle of the sexes, celebrityhood, technology, parenting styles, certain unmentionable medical procedures, and much more.

Jane Smiley’s new novel is A Private Life. She is author of numerous novels including A Thousand Acres which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, several works of non fiction as well as many essays for such magazines as Vogue, The New Yorker, Practical Horseman, Harper’s, the New York Times Magazine, Allure, The Nation and others.

Tickets from $20 to $95. Click here for more info. No one under 15 will be admitted.

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