What: Teen Motivational Art Exhibit
Where: Picture This Gallery and Custom Framing, 4130 Norse Way, Long Beach
When: June 1-June 30, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., other times by appointment; artists' reception Saturday, June 4 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets: Free admission
Information: (562) 425-4861, www.picturethisgallery.weebly.com
By John Farrell
For four years now Marisol Gomez has turned her art gallery in North Long Beach over to a bunch of teenagers. And she has had great success doing it.
This year she is once again soliciting applications from young people to produce paintings, drawings, even sculpture (though they haven't had any so far,) all of it original work from artists under 20, all of it for sale, and all of it giving at least a portion of the sale price to whatever charitable group or cause the artist personally selects.
Some of those charitable causes are pretty heartbreaking: two artists gave 100 per cent of their profits to a family which had a member killed in a drive-by gang shooting, another, herself victim of rape, gave the proceeds from her sales to a rape prevention service.
“The reason I started this exhibit is that I met Danny Flores, a young man who was a gang member and turned his life around and dedicated his life to helping others do the same through art,” Gomez said in a brief phone interview. “I want to continue what he has begun.”
The form for application can be found at the galleries web site, and the form must be submitted by May 21. All art works must be for sale, with a portion of the proceeds from the sale going to the charity the artist chooses. There is no fee to enter.
“All the art is for sale, and when someone buys a piece of art they get to take it away with them,” Gomez explained. “We have more works than we can display, and when one piece is bought and removed we can replace it with another immediately.”
Nor is there any difficulty in finding buyers for the student work, Gomez explained. “We get quite a bit of support from teachers whose students are exhibiting.”
In addition to the works on display, poetry is also accepted and demonstration art, works produced by artists at the moment, are a part of the show. Poetry and art demonstrations are scheduled for the Artist's Reception June 1.
First Fridays Art Walk
What: Monthly celebration of art, poetry, shopping and dining in Bixby Knolls
Where: Bixby Knolls (Around Carson Blvd. at Atlantic in Long Beach)
When: Today from mid-afternoon until 9 p.m. or later.
Information: (562) 595-0081, www.firstfridayslongbeach.com \
Last Saturdays on Fourth
What: Evening of arts, music, entertainment and shopping on Fourth Street's “Retro Row.”
Where: Fourth St. from Cherry Ave. To Junipero St.
When: Saturday, May 28th, 4-8 p.m.
Information: www.4thstreetlongbeach.com
No need for jealousy or questions of who was first. Both the Bixby Knolls First Fridays Art Walk and the newer Last Saturdays on Fourth Street are based on an idea years, maybe even centuries old. (Remember, this century isn't more than a decade old, after all.)
Certainly Bixby Knolls is older, and the neighborhood is much larger. This Friday, as for many years in the past, shoppers, art lovers and people out for a good time will gather on north Atlantic Ave. to shop, eat, listen to music and have a good time. They have the Big Red Bus there to transport people from one end of the party to the other: it stretches for more than a few blocks.
Retro Row, as it calls itself, is much smaller: just the stretch from Cherry Ave. to Junipero, mostly on the south side of the street, and the vibe is very different, more intense, perhaps (certainly more excitement per linear foot) and with a surprise every forty feet or so.
But you don't have to choose between the two events. You can go to Bixby Knolls tonight, eat, drink and be merry and have three weeks (and a day) to recover before doing it all again on Fourth Street. The only problem is that after the Last Saturday on Fourth, you've only got six days to recover before the next first Friday rolls around.
