With the sidewalk as their canvas, 600 local artists using 25,000 sticks of pastel chalk will turn out large-scale works of art at this year’s Pasadena Chalk Festival. In a gesture that reminds us how fleeting our creations are, all the work will be hosed down at the end of the two-day event. The high dosage of creative juices and welcoming of artists from all walks of life makes this festival one of the most exciting examples of interweaving community with the arts.
WHEN: June 20-21, 10am-7pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Paseo Colorado
ADDRESS: 280 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101
WEBSITE: www.pasadenachalkfestival.com
With the sidewalk as their canvas, 600 local artists using 25,000 sticks of pastel chalk will turn out large-scale works of art at this year’s Pasadena Chalk Festival. In a gesture that reminds us how fleeting our creations are, all the work will be hosed down at the end of the two-day event. The high dosage of creative juices and welcoming of artists from all walks of life makes this festival one of the most exciting examples of interweaving community with the arts. 
Fallen Fruit, the artist collective known for teaching Angelinos how to enjoy fruit grown in public spaces, debuts its first solo exhibition, “United Fruit.” Juxtaposing the seductive pop imagery of the banana with the corrupt South American banana corporations, Fallen Fruit unearths the complexities of this ubiquitous fruit with a series of photographs and video installations. The opening reception, complete with bananas for eating and playing around with, will feature a participatory performance “Are You Happy to See Me?” Exploring the social significance of the world’s most popular fruit could not be tastier.
After a five month adventure that took me into the heart of DC’s inaugural madness, reacquainted me with dear friends throughout the U.S. and introduced me to the charming footpaths of the Cotswolds, I am back home in the City of Angels.
Make a wish, write it on a piece of paper and tie it to the branch of a Wish Tree in Yoko Ono’s participatory installation in Pasadena. Ono, the avant-garde artist and widow of John Lennon, attached wishes to trees in temple courtyards as a child in Japan. Now the act of wishing, which she describes as a “collective prayer,” is part of an ongoing tribute to her late husband. All of the wishes from the current installation will be saved and later buried at Ono’s public art project, the Imagine Peace Tower, in Reykjavík, Iceland.
In 2004 Democrats lost Nevada by 2%. Prevent this repeat performance by calling identified Obama supporters in Nevada to make sure they get to the polls on Election Day. Bring a charged cell phone and head over to one of the many local cafés with temporary phone banks, including Kaldi Coffee in Atwater Village, The Trails in Los Feliz and Café Tropical in Silver Lake. Volunteers will be on hand to train newcomers as well as calm nerves about Pallin possibly being in the White House.
In memory of author David Foster Wallace, 826LA invites folks to come read their favorite Wallace passage or simply listen to his words. Best known for his 1996 novel “Infinite Jest,” the American novelist, essayist and short story writer passed away on Friday, September 12th at the age of 46. Attend readings at either 826LA East (Echo Park) or 826LA West (Venice).
A LACE Listening Party’s “public conversation about urban spaces” does not entail a panel discussion with city planners. It’s a musical dialogue about the accidental noises, popular tunes and original material that shape our LA existence. Featuring a different musician or critic to curate each Party, Alejandro Cohen (Languis band member & dublab.com “labrat”) will take the helm with his personal soundtrack “The Paisley Underground,” an “excavation” of lost sounds from LA in the 80s.
Few cities are mythologized more then Los Angeles. Featuring hundreds of archival film clips, Thom Andersen’s epic “Los Angeles Plays Itself” examines the city as both a cinematic fantasy and a hidden urban reality. Andersen’s depiction of LA through the prism of popular film culture is a must-see for all local history buffs and cinema enthusiasts. 2003, 169 min.
Buffalo has chicken wings, Philly has cheesesteaks and Chicago has deep-dish pizza, but what’s LA got? Join Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold as he moderates a panel of such local prominent chefs as Michael Cimarusti of Providence, Octavio Becerra of Palate Food & Wine and Evan Kleiman of Angeli Caffe (and host of KCRW’s “Good Food”) for a look at LA’s present food identity. We have Asian fusion, McDonald’s and Caesar salad under our belt, so what’s next?
