Monthly Archives: February 2014

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Events to Remember

Chocolate and Art Show

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Chocolate makes everything better. This is a simple fact of life. “Chocolate is one of the things that everybody loves,” explained Danilo Santos, founder of the Chocolate and Art Show. He adds that this affinity for chocolate is “greater than death”.” Chocolate is more than just the neon sign that attracts people to the Chocolate and Art Show. Sure, it draws a crowd that may not otherwise frequent an art exhibition, but it also contributes to the Chocolate and Art Show’s unique appeal.

As Santos says, “Chocolate is a great part,” there is a dessert table and chocolate fondue fountain, but the show is more than a candy buffet.  Since its inception in 2011, the Chocolate and Art Show has “brought the whole party.”
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Santos emphasizes that he show itself is an experience, with the slogan—come and have a taste.  The Chocolate and Art Show gives patrons a sampling of art, live music, henna and body painting, as well as the aforementioned chocolates. There are usually four or five emerging bands featured each night as well as a DJ.

The Chocolate and Art Show provides a venue for upcoming artists to connect with each other and potential clients.  Yet, Santos does not host the show to make sales. He “Loves the art show…but does not see it as a huge money maker” and does not take commission on works sold.  Santos and the Chocolate and Art Show team simply aims to produce a great event, offer artists a chance to network, and allow people to experience art.

In keeping with the, self-described, “underground” spirit of the show, most artists do not have extensive exhibition lists. The Chocolate and Art Show, may even be their first public art experience. This is exactly what Santos has in mind. Artists can directly submit portfolios for review via the Chocolate and Art Show’s website. Santos says, “ninety percent of artists are allowed in the show, only ten percent are told ‘no’.”

He “[finds it] incredible how much talent these ‘underground’ artists have” and wants to “get the word out…before they go to the big leagues.”  The art is consistently impressive and constantly changing.  Although there are a few returning artists, the bulk of each show is new talent.

Santos believes bonds between artists, musicians, and art-lovers are vital and uses social media to help maintain the connections made at the Chocolate and Art Show. In fact, many of the artists find the Chocolate and Art Show through social media. Santos jokes that “the artists come to [him]” and cites Facebook as one of the show’s most effective means of communication.  In addition, art-lovers can connect through Twitter, Yelp, Instagram, and YouTube.  He highlights the Chocolate and Art Show’s YouTube channel and says one of his long-term goal is to produce an art magazine.

Despite this ambition, when Santos started the Chocolate and Art Show, he faced a tough recession-ridden economy and uncertainty about Los Angeles’ art community.  “Downtown used to be a dark place…not an appealing place to go for art,” Santos explains.  Yet, in a few short years, Santos “saw the transformation of downtown—it is now much better—there is a growing art community.” He mentions the Downtown Art Walk as an example and describes Los Angeles’ street art scene as “incredible.”

The Chocolate and Art Show started in Los Angeles and has clearly come a long way since its hesitant beginning in April 2011. It has expanded to include Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; and Miami, Florida.  Santos believes his persistence and optimism were crucial to the Chocolate and Art Show’s success. He acknowledges that his business sense helped keep the show running. Yet, Santos stresses that he does not view the Chocolate and Art Show as a commercial enterprise but as a “serious hobby.”  This passion is the motivation behind the Chocolate and Art Show, which helps, set it apart from other art events.

Santos alludes to the distinctiveness of the event and believes that the Chocolate and Art Show maintains a distinct “vibe” in each city. He adds that the atmosphere is difficult to pin down but that the show “deliver[s] a great experience…artists will be happy and buyers will be happy.”  This vibe, coupled with the free chocolates, make this a noteworthy event. The Chocolate and Art Show is sure to peak interest and appetite, go and have a taste.

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Artist Feature

The Angelic Spirit of Colette Miller

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Colette (de Batz) Miller is a painter and filmmaker in Los Angeles who takes her dreams to the next level by creating a world within mediums that express personal philosophy, memory, and honesty.

The daughter of a mother who grew up in Indonesia and a father from the USA, Colette  Miller is drawn to travel and has lived in multiple countries including South Africa, Tanzania, parts of Europe and the Middle East. Rather than attaching herself to America, this artist allows herself to be connected and influenced by many other cultures.

She is a devoted humanitarian with feats that include film-making in Africa. A recent success documents the lack of access to water in Burkina Faso, an area in West Africa where the lack of wells in remote villages force residents to walk for miles with 5 gallon buckets on their heads everyday – just to survive.

When painting, Colette describes her work as “childlike yet sophisticated”. In the past, she had received criticism from other artists surrounding some of the innocent images of her pieces but Colette embraces that disparagement as one of the strongest aspects of her work.  Authenticity or honesty in life and art seems paramount to good art and Colette allows this outlook to manifest itself through her work, making the sincerity of her art crucial to the soul of her pieces.

“We are all still that child, without being childish”, Colette states, “ without deceit or malice.  When you love the world and still have faith in it and humanity. Not jaded.  Its the ability to be strong and vulnerable at the same time.”

Most of Colette’s art reinforces the good in humanity and opposes the material world of distractions, capitalism, hate, war and anger that mislead people to believe civilization runs on greed. One of her most beloved pieces includes one called “Snow in Africa,”  an oil painting in blues and lavenders that depict a monkey riding an elephant in the snow. This piece is a representation of the expansion of miracles: when something unlikely happens, such as snow in Africa, all impossible things begin to transform into wonder.
Each artistic concept is a representation of a different experience in Colette’s life. She describes her art as a “personal journal made visual”.

“I look back at my work and remember what I was going through, where I was living, and where my mind was.” Says Colette.

In her process,  Colette strives to practice non-attachment, letting her work mutate and evolve as necessary. Each work of art is unique, but Colette feels particular strength of late, in her depiction of  the Interactive Angel Wings, which she displays around the world. These pieces begin as broad strokes of paint and become more detailed as they come into completion allowing anyone standing in front of the wings, (which make great memento photos), to get in touch with their inner angel, something she believes very strongly should be embraced by each and everyone of us.

Though most of Colette’s work is drawn on the wonder and innocence of the world, she does not deny the other places in the human experience.

In her process; pain, confusion, irony, and corruption are also themes. In particularly, the current film shots in Kenya, she states, “The whole breadth of human experience is valuable and can be something to reflect on through creative forms.”

You can find Colette’s work throughout Los Angeles. Her public street Angel Wings in downtown including three on Main Street (covered temporarily by a construction wall), a piece near Art Share, at Angel City Brewery, in Koreatown, South Central, and a set of wings in front of the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard.

Aside from LA, Colette’s Wings are displayed in West Virginia, Kenya, and Nairobi. Her art has been sold in New York, DC, Crete, South Africa, the Middle East and other outlets around the world. For immediate viewing, check out her site at http://www.colettemiller.com.

http://www.sincerelylizb.com

Kim Martindale LA ART SHOW FOUNDER
Latest News

INTERVIEW WITH KIM MARTINDALE

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Kim Martindale LA ART SHOW FOUNDER

Kim Martindale LA ART SHOW

The 19th LA Art Show kicked-off with a high-profile Opening Night Premiere Party on Wednesday, January 15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center benefiting the Sister Cities of Los Angeles, and their program Bordeaux-Los Angeles A 50 Year Partnership. The event marked the beginning of a yearlong collaboration, Bordeaux-LA 2014, in celebration of the enduring French-American friendship and provided an exceptional opportunity to shine a spotlight on Los Angeles as a center for arts and culture in the 21st Century. At the same time, by hosting Bordeaux based artists and scholars in Los Angeles, Sister Cities highlighted the creative vitality of Bordeaux, strengthening their bond for many years to come. The 50th Anniversary celebration put a spotlight on Los Angeles’ diverse arts institutions and promoted cultural tourism through the many tent pole events that took place throughout the year.

The evening’s host committee included: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilmember Tom Labonge, Councilmember Curren D. Price, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, French Ambassador Francois Delattre, Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe, French Consul General to Los Angeles Axel Cruau, 2014 Golden Globe Nominee Julie Delpy, Molly Barnes, Suzanne Deal Booth, Vicangelo Bulluck, Jonathan and Annie Burrows, Tony and Cindy Canzoneri, Harry Chandler, George Chakiris, Jill Tavelman Collins, Lily Collins, Dr. James Cuno, Gabrielle, Dutchess of Shoeneberg, Olga Garay-English, Sukey and Gil Garcetti, Jay Geller, Tom Gilmore, Barbara and Glenn Golenberg, Michael Govan, Janice and Charles Holland, Elliott and Adrienne Horwitch, Jennifer Howell, Beatriz Hyp, Annie Kelly, Nancy Kwan, Helen Lewis, Kai Loebach, Natasha and Cheech Marin, Thomas Morgan, Mona Lee Nesseth, Tim Street-Porter, Esthella Provas, Mima and Dale Ransom, Wayne Ratkovich, Tim Robbins, Eugene Sadovy, Dr. Bruce and Susan Samuels, Boyd S. Smith, Michael and Terri Smooke, Lauren and Steve Spilman, Elinor and Rubin Turner, Valaree and Robert Wahler, Billie Milam Weisman, Zheng Wen, Ruth and Hutton Wilkinson, Sue Wang, Ernest Wooden, and Adele Yoshioka, among others.

Launching this yearlong cultural exchange, the LA Art Show’s exclusive patron reception honored the dynamic international relationship between Los Angeles and Bordeaux and featured an exclusive tasting of world-renowned Grand Crus wines from Bordeaux, alongside California-Latino inspired samplers by Chef of Note, John Sedlar of Rivera Restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles. Djs Mia Dangerfield, Lush Bunny, and Marques Wyatt – Deep-LA were spinning throughout the evening.

Patron reception guests also had the chance to view an exhibition of limited edition fine art prints from The Chicano Collection, the photographs of acclaimed art photographer Gil Garcetti, and works by participating artists in the France Los Angeles Residency Exchange program known as (FLARE).

In order to raise funds for the 2014 celebration of the 50 year partnership between Los Angeles and Bordeaux, Cheech Marin had donated a limited-edition portfolio, printed by Richard Duardo, from The Chicano Collection to be sold during the LA Art Show. Proceeds from this sale went to Sister Cities of Los Angeles, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, to support this yearlong cultural exchange.

In 2010, the LA Art Show was the first art show to feature an exhibition of graffiti and street art; in 2011, the show featured Nick Cave’s “Soundsuit Invasion”; in 2012, the LA Art Show celebrated artist Suzanne Lacy’s recreation performance piece of The Myths of Rape and Chinese artist Tong Hongsheng’s exhibit alongside master brush painter Xia Jingshan; in 2013, the LA Art Show debuted “Letters from Los Angeles”, a blockbuster exhibit that featured works by Ed Ruscha, Ed Moses, Dennis Hopper and debuted Shepard Fairey’s “Diamond Dust” series. The 2013 LA Art Show was also featured on the front page of the Los Angeles Times and attracted a record-breaking attendance of more than 50,000 visitors.

The 2014 LA Art Show presented curated exhibits by established and well-known artists, to the latest art trends and movements and emerging talent names to watch. The exhibitions included Sister Cities Los Angeles, Paris: Women and Bicycles, The Chicano Collection, FLARE, ADC Contemporary and Building Bridges International Art Exchange Presents Award Winning Artists Mohammed Abou El Naga and Beijing Biennale Winner Andrea Juan, Cairo 11, Organic, Korea Connection Program, The Present of the Century, Lee Yong Baek, Angel Soldier, Celebrated Chinese Artists Zhang Yu, Hues of China, Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, Littletopia, The Van Gogh Museum of Amsterdam, Breathing and Additional Exhibits Curated by Designer James Magni.

According to Sister Cities of Los Angeles vision statement, their primary goal is to achieve a smaller planet through better relationships, closer communications and stronger collaborations between the international Sister City partners and the people of Los Angeles. Having a non-political approach means people to people diplomatic tradition established by Los Angeles city government with a high degree of quality civic involvement in the disciplines of culture, education, communication, trade, travel, tourism, sports and recreation as well as an innovative program of public service at home and abroad. It is these types of relationships that often survive when governments fail. They keep the conversation alive. Los Angeles city government envisions a more vibrant and prosperous city of LA that benefits from a variety of visitors from around the world, especially residents from Los Angeles Sister Cities.

Kim Martindale, producer and general manager of the LA Art Show believes that the most rewarding aspect of working in Downtown LA are the changes that take place in it, which are evident in the number of visitors attracted to Los Angeles Convention Center every year to participate in this massive art fair. The LA Art Show is a celebration of the ability of great art to create a common language that communicates the artist’s unique message across borders and beyond politics. As a result, every year the LA Art Show has grown in both stature and attendance to accomodate the quality and quantity of exhibitors from across the nation and throughout the world. Featuring over 140 international and domestic galleries hailing from 22 countries and 18 states, this year’s LA Art Show was the broadest sampling of art to date.

Along with great galleries and spectacular installations, the most interesting part of the 2014 LA Art Show were the fascinating discussions that were developed for the visitors, entitled Dialogs LA. The Dialogs LA programs, with subjects from Van Gogh to Warhol and speakers such as Anthony Haden Guest, James Magni, and Zhang Yu delved into topics that explored the contentious and universally intriguing intersections between art and architecture, technology and tradition, regionalism and globalism, and public art and private space.

Growing up Kim’s parents never cared much for the arts. Born with the passion for the arts, Kim was only 16 years old when he helped coordinate and implement the ground breaking and influential Santa Fe Antique American Indian Art Show. In subsequent years, he co=produced a number of outstanding antique shows including the Winter Antiquities Show, the Summer Antiquities Show, the Ethnographic Art Show, and the Old West Show. Not suprisingly, it is the love and dedication for the arts that keeps Kim putting long hours.

Finally, when asked about the future of the LA Art Show, Kim Martindale replied. “Having more participants when it comes to Jewelry and Design Show that started this year. United States will aslo be launching more art galleries. For 2015 LA Art Show, United Arab Emirates will be the featured guest country, where a special exhibition of contemporary Emirati artworks will be presented.”