May 15th, 2016, the Venice ARTBLOCK is Back!

On Sunday, May 15, the Venice ARTBLOCK is back for its sixth event. The artist run group has evolved into a thriving art organization. The free event takes place twice a year and features over one hundred Venice artists exhibiting their work in over seventy venues. All types of art will be on exhibit along with live painting, live music, poetry and more.

Rohitash Rao creates works out of found objects. “My pieces are a reflection of our mass-consumerism Not only in our waste materials, but also in our pop culture. The materials I paint on have all been thrown away. You could say I talk "trash" on trash.” Rao will be exhibiting guest artists at his studio. Paintings by Alexandra Dillon; Photography by Marlena Elise and Illustrations and Paintings by Jack Herzog. Rohitash Rao studio is located at 1637B Electric Avenue; http://www.rohitashraopaintsontrash.com/

Helen K. Garber’s studio is located at 801 Ocean Front Walk and has participated in ARTBLOCK since it began. Garber is most known for her night urban landscapes taken in cities all over the world. 

 “I will be presenting the first six pieces of my new series of photo-based mixed media collages containing numerous views of decaying gas stations found during road trips in CA and the southwest.”

Her series Chasing Ed Ruscha, combines archival pigment prints on various papers, book pages, oil pastel with painted encaustic wax medium. Garber will be offering some amazing deals for her work this year. 801 Ocean Front Walk; http://www.helenkgarber.com

Artist Leonardo Ibáñez will be participating in the event for his fifth time and will be showing his drawings and masks. He explained, “I am working on a series of drawings inspired by the medieval era, featuring a female figure combined with my own poetry in calligraphic writing. 

The name of the series is Illustrate Manuscript/Manuscritos Ilustrados.” Ibáñez will be showing his works at Letelier Studio at 6^th Avenue and Indiana Court. http://45leo.blogspot.com/

The Letelier Studio will also feature art by Franciso Letelier, Marybeth Fama, Hagop Belian, Maude Tanswai, and Martha Ramirez Oropeza. An exhibit titled “A Place Called Venice,” will also be on view. Curated by Franciso Letelier, the group exhibiton will feature Venice new realism artworks by artists by Ruth Chase Boudreaux, Marybeth Fama, Jason Hill, and Meryl Lebowitz.

Kay Brown is a member of the eleven-year-old Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective originating at Self Help Graphics in East LA, which is housed at SPARC. “Thanks to SPARC we have a space to teach and exercise our printmaking art practice as a collaborative of five artists - three of us speaking Spanish and English, two speaking Spanish, English, French and German.” The one-on-one workshops provide non-toximaterials along with the proper supplies needed to experience traditional and non-traditional printmaking.

During the ARTBLOCK, Brown will be demonstrating the art of printmaking on a small etching press. “We support the ARTBLOCK effort to build the art community and art appreciation in Venice.”

The ARTBLOCK is funded in part by The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and with the help of Community Partners.

The Venice ARTBLOCK takes place on Sunday, May 15, from 11-6pm and is centered in and around the Oakwood neighborhood as well as on Abbott Kinney Boulevard and its environs. Pick up an ARTBLOCK route map at 1003 Art Gallery and Lounge, 1003 Abbott Kinney Blvd, Weir-Quiton Studios at 4^th and Vernon Blvd, Letelier Studio at 6^th Avenue and Indiana Court or anywhere along the route. Look for the Yellow flags, grab a map and explore. Shuttle buses and pedicabs will be available. For info and to download a route map: www.Veniceartblock.com