Island Hop: Ann Weber’s Sinuous Sculptures Wash to Shore in Catalina

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Now through December 1st, visitors have one more reason to explore Catalina Island and the beautifully exhibited Catalina Art and History Museum.  Ann Weber’s 26 Miles, a solo exhibition featuring Weber’s always mysterious and magical large-scale cardboard sculptures encourages a rethinking of the island – and the journey from the mainland to it – itself.

The massive sculptural works recall images of nature, transformed into new and shapes and identities through the shifting of time, the sea, and ourselves. They speak to the resilency of nature, the way in which it impacts human creativity, and also to the transformative vibes of island life itself.

Have you ever watched bits of broken glass shift into the soft, colorful translucence into the sea glass we treasure when washed to shore? That softening and perfection is a facet of all Weber’s work, which repurposes the crude rough-edged material of cardboard into something graceful. Pieces here resemble stones and shells and sea creatures, every memory of the ocean and every small bit of beauty we find along her shoreline.

Her art recycles, and reimagines surfaces and shapes – not unlike the rhythm of the sea on a jagged shoreline. On Catalina Island, these works have found a perfect home, speaking to the joys and vicissitudes of nature, manmade worlds, and the longing for paradise.

Additionally on view through September 8th: Philadelphia-based illustrator and designer Sarah Kaizar’s delicious original gouache and ink artwork from the book RARE AIR: Endangered Birds, Bats, Butterflies, and Bees. The two exhibitions create a lovely pairing along with permanent displays depicting island history.

Catalina Museum for Art and History is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with extended hours until 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, June – Labor Day weekend. Closed Mondays: September (after Labor Day) through May; open 7 Days: June – Labor Day.

  • Genie Davis, photos provided by the artist and museum

 

The Gaslight Anthem Helms Strong Rock Lineup on a Summer Night at the Greek 

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On a balmy night at the Greek Theatre, a rockin’ triple lineup headlined by The Gaslight Anthem brought three and a half hours of exciting rock n’ roll.

The concert began with The Dirty NIL,  a tight four person punk rock band all the way from Ontario, Canada. The band offered a lively set that veered toward the punk as the first opener at the Greek tonight. Lead singer and guitarist Luis Bentham was in strong voice and Ross Miller brought cheers for his robust bass work and wild stage leaps. Highlights included the terrific song “The Light, the Void and Everything.”

Joyce Manor, local natives out of Torrance, Calif., got the growing audience to their feet with a super danceable “My Tattoo.” Channeling a taste of Blink 182, they powered through a 45-minute set that also included the must-dance power rocker “Gotta Let It Go” from their new album, “as well as End of the Summer,” “Eighteen,” “House Warning Party,” “Stairs,” 2014’s sing-along “The Jerk,” and “Dance with Me,” along with many cuts from their 2022 album “40 oz. to Fresno,” finishing up with a raucous “Catalina Fight Song.”

Lead singer and guitar Barry Johnson totally brought it – including during a moment in which a “big f@&% spider” crawled across the stage – he’s not an arachnoid fan, but even the spider was probably dancing throughout the 45 minute set.

The Gaslight Anthem came on stage to a recording of Cindy Lauper singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and I think every girl and boy at the Greek had a lot of fun on the LA installment of the band’s History Books tour.

Offering strongly anthemic melodies with lead singer and guitarist Brian Fallon in fine voice, fans sure weren’t disappointed with a galvanizing, tight set that began with “45” and moved through 20 songs in a generous 85 minutes set, including the beautiful, lush, and romantic “The Weatherman,” from the band’s latest 2023 LP, History Books. The song’s titular narrator is just “trying to read you …” and the audience hushed in anticipation.

Every member of the New Jersey native band came ready to raise the roof – if there was one at the Greek, that is –  Fallon who handles rhythm guitar as well as vocals; Alex Rosamilia, guitar; Alex Levine, bass; Benny Horowitz, drums; and Bryan Haring on keyboards.

There were many highlights , including the high energy “Bring It On;” a poignant “Film Noir;” and the lightly nostalgic “Here’s Looking at You Kid,” the latter of which was followed by a tender cover of Red Hot Chili Peppers’  “Soul to Squeeze.”  

Then it was time to rock out again to a set that included the pounding drums of “American Slang,” as well as the location-appropriate blusey rocker “Mulholland Drive,” which concluded with delicately rendered blues-based guitar riffs. 

Favorites like “Autumn” brought a vibrant Springsteen-like vibe (note: Springsteen himself played on their new album’s title track which wasn’t on the set list tonight)  while a beautiful “Michigan 1975,” from the new album, led into a closing trio of songs that included “Mae,” crowd fave “Great Expectations,” and a rousing version of “The 59 Song,” as the finale that got the crowd clapping along and anyone still seated up on their feet.

Celebrating the October release of their new album after almost ten years on hiatus, the concert nonetheless focused on classic tunes which merge elements of indie rock, grunge, Americana, and blues rock that is at turns propulsive, sharp, and elegaic. It was a fine show under the starry sky tonight.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Jack Burke

 

 

Neon Delights at the Fine Arts Building

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Yes, they’ve done it again! Linda Sue Price and Michael Flechtner have created two killer cool exhibitions of neon and exciting inventive visual bliss now on display at the Fine Arts Building in DTLA.

Price’s work, above, includes many pieces that are brimming with kinetic moments – movements of all kind, including fantastic digital and video elements as well as her signature, utterly unique abstract neon. Here, her solo show series is called Lunatic Shields, a necessary tool for defending ourselves against the cultural zeitgeist and emotional burn-out as well as nasty neighbors or social meida trolls. This is brilliant, mysteriously alchemic work that dazzles the viewers eye with its integration of motion, color, light, and vibrancy.

Flechtner’s work (above) is equally special: from the cutest and hippest cat to mechanical robots, his work is witty, exciting, and remarkable in its fluid and figurative dyanmic forms. I’d recognize an original by this artist anywhere – because each piece is completely original: an object, being, or statement reimagined as a blaze of light.

Both artists have a wide range of works you can visit and purchase on a magical mystery tour of their Van Nuys studio, but do visit this beautifully laid-out exhibition in the Fine Arts Building, whose historic design makes an apt showcase.

The Fine Arts Building is located at 811 W. 7th Street, with this exhibition running through September 20th; typically, hours are weekdays 10-5 p.m., but this article will be updated with any scheduled weekend closing events if you missed the opening. Pro-tip: go shopping at Target just across Figueroa, buy a few things and get validated $2 parking!

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis

TAG Gallery: Open Juried Exhibition Made in America

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Made In The USA: Let Freedom Ring, opened last week and runs through August 9th at TAG Gallery in mid-Wilshire. The exhibition will be one of the largest to date and a concept that TAG’s president Bob Chew describes as one of three annual group shows that help promote the gallery to the art community.  “This year, we are honored to have the illustrious art critic and former KCET Arts and Culture Editor and KCRW Commentator, Edward Goldman, as the juror for our largest national juried show. The Artists Gallery has always tried to showcase local artists and emerging talent around the country, with members coming from across the country, from Seattle to Maine, Maui to Florida, and now internationally. Being an art collective, we wanted a way for non-members to experience the terrific space and spirit of TAG.”

For more than 30 years, Edward Goldman has been an art critic and host of Art Talk, a former weekly program that aired prime-time Tuesday evenings during All Things Considered on LA’s largest NPR affiliate, KCRW 89.9 FM. Edward also contributed weekly art reports to the Huffington Post and has  written reviews for numerous art publications and served as a panelist, moderator, and speaker for various museums, arts organizations, and workshops.

Through an anonymous jurying process, Goldman reviewed approximately 550 submissions from around the country to choose 100 for the TAG exhibition. He will also choose Best of Show, three winners for cash awards, and Honorable Mention Awards for Excellence for each medium included. The awards will be presented at a reception and ceremony TODAY Saturday, August 3, from 4:00 -8:00 p.m.

Jurying a show of this size can be a daunting task, but Goldman is a veteran, and says for him, it was not that hard. “For me, the most important thing is that the art must grab my attention. I look for original work that stands out, like a breath of fresh air. The longer it holds my attention, the higher it’s ranking, and that helps create the list of possible winners. I look for something that surprises me, is perhaps somehow challenging, and makes me want to spend more time with it. There are sometimes works I have juried that I want to own, as they hold my attention for a long time.”

Selecting the Best of Show and the other winners often calls for jurors to see and select the award winners in person rather than from a computer screen. Luckily, Goldman has three days to review all the work at the gallery during the installation process. “To choose the winning artworks, I must see the work up close, in real life. Keeping my mind and eyes open, I look forward to meeting each piece of art, to see how they communicate in person. I listen intently, getting very close to the work. That way I can observe the dimension and intensity of each brushstroke, hear it, smell it, and perhaps even touch the work. Art that speaks to me, that has a voice I can sense from the texture or the spirit of the image, that is how I make my decisions.”

Participating artists have been alerted but have not yet been announced to the public on TAG’s website, www.taggallery.net. With a widely diverse collection of art in all mediums, it will certainly be a dynamic, inspiring, and thought-provoking exhibition. The Artists Gallery invites all art lovers to view this exceptionally curated exhibition and attend the awards reception to meet the participating artists and winners.

For Made In The USA, submissions were open to all residents of the US over the age of 18, with all styles and mediums accepted. Artists submitted paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, mixed media, sculpture, digital, and video art. Each year, the number of submissions grows as the word of the exhibition spreads amongst the art community and is advertised nationally through PR Wire and other media outlets. Formerly named The California Open, this year’s MADE IN THE USA presentation builds on many years of TAG’s experience curating national exhibitions.

Goldman will be walking through the exhibition and speaking at 3:00 pm today prior to the reception which starts at 4 p.m. tonight. An art talk with the winners will be held on the final day, Saturday, August 10, at 1:00 pm.

  • Guest Post by Dale Youngman; photos provided by Youngman and TAG Gallery