Save the Date: LA Times Festival of Books Art Programming — April 9th -10th

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Now considered the largest book festival in the country, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books celebrates its 21-year anniversary. For 2 days the USC campus will transform into a literary paradise with writers, critics, reviewers, and such sharing stages to propel the national discourse of arts and letters, while audiences listen, meet, and get books signed by some of their favorite authors. The all-ages event is great for the whole family and includes food trucks, musical performances, and book prizes to honor authors such as Sam Quinones, Sam Aldin, and many others.

To commemorate the anniversary, there will also be a poster exhibition celebrating the 21 years in the making.

For art enthusiasts, there will also be art programming with Street Art installations presented by LA Times Festival of Books and Branded Arts, by some of the artists we follow through Cartwheel Art Magazine and whose murals we view with Cartwheel Art Tours.

Bakers Son was recently at Think Tank Gallery with Scott Hove for the popular Break Bread art event, and Clinton Bopp, who paints murals throughout LA, was a guest speaker last month for the Animal Alley and Belmont Tunnel adventure with Cartwheel Art Tours,. Some of his murals we’ve seen of his have been in Gabba Arts District (Save the Date: tour scheduled for World Art Day on Saturday April 16th. More here), Animal Alley and in South Central. We LOVE his work!

Other artist’s with Branded Arts are Dallas Clayton and James Haunt. James Haunt, is another artist with mural work we’ve viewed with Cartwheel Art Tours, as well as Never 1959. Never 1959. was recently painting a mural directly across the street from our our office in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. We are also excited to see work by Josh Everhorn.

More details on the art programming follows, as well as preview images. For more about the overall event, check out the Cartwheel Art Save the Date.

STREET ART INSTALLATIONS

The Festival of Books, in partnership with Branded Arts, has commissioned six large-scale site-specific works to be completed during the festival. L.A.-based artists will create murals that celebrate the festival’s mission, while reflecting the artists’ unique experiences living in L.A. After the festival, the original art will installed at the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Koreatown as part of the Branded Arts RFK Mural Festival.

Baker’s Son
Baker’s Son found solidarity through food. His pop-style realistic watercolor paintings of tempting consumer goods are simultaneously enticing and repulsive underneath their glossy, sugary exteriors. Growing up, he navigated a world rife with familial and societal conflict by using food as a mediator, a method of forging connections and creating comfort. These objects into which we place so much meaning stimulate every sense, unearthing fond memories of the smell of cookies at grandma’s house alongside the sound of dad’s blues on the record player. By highlighting the beauty and temptation that consumer goods create, we see in stark contrast the darker undertones that permeate his paintings – speaking to institutionalized phobia, violence in underserved communities, and perhaps most vividly, the overconsumption inherent in our society. More here.

Clinton Bopp
Clinton’s art reflects the amalgamation and influence of his complex history; this includes his roots in nature, Maori influences from his native land of New Zealand; and the deep respect he holds for the unknowable aspect of the universe; as well as the urban soul within he discovered after moving to America. More here.

Dallas Clayton
Dallas is an author, illustrator, public speaker, mural painter, and adventure seeker. When he is not busy writing books (for children of all ages), touring the world, painting on buildings, or climbing trees, he is generally trying to find happiness and share it with others. More here.

James Haunt
James’ work stems from natural ability, a strong motivation to thrive, and self-taught techniques. He embodies the collective elements of a free-spirited individual who uses self taught techniques mixed with these strong characteristics is what develops his unique design style and large-scale mural work. More here.

Never 1959
Jonas Swyer, also known as Never 1959, is an L.A.-based artist best known for his iconic portraits. Never’s visual landscape often refers to the “DogTown” of his youth — scenes of skaters, graffiti artists and homegrown bands. Never also mixes elements from 1980s movies he was weaned on, such as “The Outsiders,” “Stand By Me” and “The Karate Kid.”. More here.

Josh Everhorn
Josh has accomplished a multitude of undertakings. His artwork successfully marries juxtaposing subject matter with traditional and otherwise non-traditional techniques. Such techniques are employed to achieve his ever evolving style; gathering inspiration from furniture design, romanticism, traditionalism, impressionism, fashion, street art and more.

ARTISTS’ ROW

In addition, five local artists will be creating and presenting their work in the Artists’ Row gallery space.The following is the list of artists and more about them.

Deedee Cheriel
Punk rocker turned painter, Deedee is known for mixing iconography from Indian temple imagery, South American political art, and animals from her native wild Pacific Northwest upbringing to produce mystical narrative paintings. She is represented by galleries in UK, Los Angeles and Amsterdam. More here.

Chris Natrop
A Los Angeles-based artist whose cut paper site-specific installations have been exhibited worldwide including recent local showings at the Craft and Folk Art Museum and the L.A. Municipal Art Gallery. His permanent sculptural work can be seen in L.A.’s iconic AON building as well as locations in Houston and Dubai. He also worked with Harry Winston to create cut paper window displays for their salons worldwide. Recent press includes the LA Times and Artillery Magazine. Chris received his B.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has received the Pulse Prize. More here.

Marjam Oskoui
A transmedia fine artist working and living in Los Angeles since 1992, Marjam had a nomadic childhood. Born in Giessen, Germany, she was raised in Tehran, Iran, and moved to Hannover, Germany when her family was exiled in 1973. It was there that she received her early education, and she also credits heavy artistic influence to the Dada artists active in Hannover at this time. Marjam entered the University Hildesheim to study culture and art, though it was not until 1999 that she went on to receive her M.F.A. at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. From 2002-2006, she taught at the Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste Muenchen, New Media Arts with Professor Klaus vom Bruch. She also continues to teach by invitation, and leads innovative and intuitive painting classes entitled “Express Yourself.” Currently, Marjam’s artistic work explores the intersection of cultural myth and the perception of the reality inhabited. “I believe communication on all levels, across all media, is the underpinning of better understanding. Before the picture stands the word.” More here.

Calida Garcia Rawles
An interdisciplinary artist whose work explores colorism, race, and gender politics. Calida’s paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally. She writes about parenthood on her blog CrazyMomWithKids and is the author-illustrator of the children’s book, Same Difference. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. More here.

INSPIRE US WINNER

Michele Peabody Myers
Michele of Westlake Village entered her oil painting, Sincere Gifts, Chinatown, in this year’s LA Times Festival of Books Inspire Us Contest. A Times panel of judges selected her work, from among hundreds of submissions, as our 2016 winner in the art category.

CARTWHEEL ART 
Also, stop by the Cartwheel Art booth (Booth 956), where there will be a book signing by Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre, Urban Politics: The Political Culture of Sur 13 Gangs, and Steve Grody, Graffiti LA: Street Styles and Art. The booth will also be promoting the highly anticipated documentary film, Dark Progressivism, written and directed by the author, Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre, which explores the history and trajectory of Los Angeles gangs, graffiti, murals, and tattoo art, while commenting on the social conditions that produced such art forms that have directly influenced contemporary art.

In the booth, we will also have prints from Juan Carlos Munoz aka Heaven, as well as books, t-shirts and other merchandise will be available from Big Sleeps. Big Sleeps, Heaven and Steve Grody are all in the film directed and written by Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre.

Also, Cartwheel Art Tours, based in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District, will be there to share more about the unique immersive neighborhood art tours they offer throughout Los Angeles.

Special note: Save the Date for April 17th where the first LA pre-screening of Dark Progressivism will occur as part of the World Art Day IAA/AIAP programming with Downtown LA Art Walk will occur at The Container Yard. More details here. 

Facebook invite from Cartwheel Art Magazine here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
University of Southern California
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Saturday April 9th 2016 (10:00 am – 6 pm)
Sunday April 10th 2016 (10:00 am – 5 pm)

Top mural completed this weekend by Never 1959. Photo from artist.

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Day two of install at the USC Campus with work by Clinton Bopp for this event. Photo from artist.

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Past installation by Bakers Son. Photo from artist.

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Mural by Clinton Bopp in South Central with Smile South Central. Photo from artist.

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Mural by Dallas Clayton (for Vans). Photo from artist.

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Mural by James Haunt. Photo by City Grime Magazine.

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Mural recently painted by Never 1959 in the DTLA Arts District. Photo by Cindy Schwarzstein

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Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre and Steve Grody will be signing books in the Cartwheel Art booth.

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Kids area for live painting. Photo from LA Times Festival of Books.

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Live painting. Photo from LA Times Festival of Books.

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