PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOTE! Don't forget to actually go out (or stay home) and do the deed.

LAST DAY TO VOTE: NOVEMBER 3, 2020

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VIRTUAL & GALLERY EXHIBITION OPENING: October 24, 2020 through November 27, 2020

¡Presente!- A Homage to Author Rudolfo Anaya

Rudolfo Anaya, 10/30/37-6/28/20, godfather of Chicano literature wrote his first novel “Bless Me, Ultima,” published 1972. A native of New Mexico, Anaya wrote about Aztlan and the people who inhabited the small towns in and around his birthplace.

“Bless me Ultima” is a book infused with
mysticism, and violence directed towards
people some don’t understand. Justice is one important theme. What is justice, who
rightfully decides what is just, and who do we turn to for guidance regarding eternal justice. Anaya questions if God is in the heavens in the form of a man who punishes and/or forgives. Or is God in the natural world around us, in those who choose to understand its power and beauty, like the curandera Ultima.

Avenue 50 Studio invited the following artists to speak to these significant universal themes Anaya chose to tackle in his book: Cidne Hart, David Martinez, Elmer Guevarra, Gwen Freeman, Ilya Navarrete, Isabel Martinez, John Idelfonso, Karen Duckles, Raoul De la Sota, Rebecca Nabarrete, Ruth DiNicola, and Sergio Teran

Gallery visits by appointment only. Please call 323/258-1435 to make an appointment to visit the gallery.

New Carlos Almaraz Documentary Is an Eye-Opening Portrait of an Artist Lost Too Soon

"What motivates a person to pick up a pencil or a paintbrush and become an artist? The answers vary widely, but for the late Carlos Almaraz, it was a desire to represent what it meant to live in Los Angeles as a Chicano. Admirably, he did so with the hope of reaching a wide array of people, in particular those who might not otherwise come to art."

Click the photo to be redirected to the full article.

Why It Is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong

"Larry Itliong immigrated to the United States in 1929 when he was 15 years old and immediately began working as a farm laborer and in the salmon canneries of Alaska. His heart was set on becoming an attorney and seeking justice for the poor. But the poverty he lived through and violent racism he and Filipinos encountered all but barred him from getting the education he initially sought."

Click on the photo to read more.

HAPPY OCTOBER & FILIPINX HERITAGE MONTH

We wanted to honor Filipinx Heritage Month, with delicious recipes from this beautiful culture. Make this delicious plate in the comfort of your own home! Enjoy.

"Ensaymada is definitely NOT healthy. It’s one of those guilty pleasures or special rewards you give yourself for being 'good'. So proceed with caution, or in moderation."

* Asian Market: Arko Foods International (1425 E Colorado St, Glendale, CA 91205

Click the photo to be redirected to the recipe!

LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE SEEKS AN ARTIST OR ARTIST TEAM TO CREATE AN ARTWORK FOR THE LAC+USC CHILD CARE CENTER

"The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture (“Arts and Culture”) Civic Art Division seeks an Artist or Artist team to create a permanent mosaic mural for the exterior of the LAC+USC Child Care Center in Los Angeles. In this Call for Artists, Department is requesting qualifications for inclusion in the Child Care Center’s civic art selection process."

Deadline: Friday, October 23, 2020

Click the photo for more info.

Planned Parenthood-

Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley, in collaboration with Avenue 50 Studio, is looking for a Los Angeles mural artist or team to submit proposals for a mural to go on the side of Planned Parenthood’s new health center in Highland Park.

"We are open to a range of aesthetics and creative visions, but design submissions must be reflective of the Highland Park community and Planned Parenthood's values of individual empowerment, inclusivity, and healthy communities. For patients and passersby, we want the mural to convey Planned Parenthood’s compassion and commitment to advancing health care and human rights."

Budget: $10,000

The specifics of the mural:

- Please send a proposal of cost breakdown and a rough drawing of the mural design to slynch@pppsgv.org by NOVEMBER 15.

- The wall is three panels (approx. 7’ X 14’ each) with a gridded wall in between each panel that we are imagining a single color. The entirety of the wall measures 56’ x14’), is vertically-oriented, on a South West facing wall.

Please visit the wall at 5903 Figueroa Street, on the corner of Avenue 59 and Figueroa St., Highland Park. Please do not disturb the clinic staff. For further information, or questions, contact slynch@pppsgv.org

Workshop: Why Race? A racial equity learning journey

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin

Racial equity is the center point for the CAC’s equity journey. in this 90-minute workshop, we invite our creative communities across the state to share, listen, reflect, and iterate together on racial equity commitments.

Register by: Thursday, October 29, 2020

Click the photo to register for this workshop.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: CALIFORNIA'S ARTS GRANT SEASON IS ON ITS WAY.

This is a time of unexpected and unprecedented changes to the ways in which each of us work, communicate, connect, and experience our everyday lives.

As your state arts agency, the California Arts Council is prioritizing this year's grant funding to nurture and heal our communities through the arts; to keep the doors of our arts and cultural institutions open; to protect jobs in the creative field; and to preserve our cultural heritage, our stories, and our culture bearers.

APPLICATIONS OPEN IN NOVEMBER.

Click the photo for more information.

DONATE YOUR UNUSED VEHICLE!

Special thank you to board member, Raoul de la Sota, for donating his classic Volkswagen bus with a Porsche engine! Thank for your support! You help keep Avenue 50 Studio open.

Selling a vehicle takes time, money, advertising, counter bidding, stress, and more. Have you considered the advantages of donating your vehicle to Avenue 50 Studio? Not only will you cruise past the hassles of selling, but you’ll make a lasting impact in the community.

For more info on why you should donate and how, click here.