Before we get to the gallery openings….let’s not forget the holidays are here and there are many fun events taking place.

In Venice…

Deus Ex Machina on Venice and Lincoln (the old Conway Flower shop) hosts a hoppin’ party.

The Venice Street Legends invited me to perform with them on this gig…*if it rains, we will be inside.

The Legends will be playing classic country, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and more, as well as some blues and holiday music too. Come on down and get your groove on…

What: BBQ, Beer, Vendors, Music
Where: Deux Ex Machina, 1001 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
When: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/deuscustoms

Also in Venice…

The ArtBlock Artists are at it again – Celebrate Creativity and Spread Artistic Spirit this Holiday Season !!!

Enjoy the Venice Art Bolck, pop up shop…. Visual Santa’s Workshop and FairyLand of Fabulous Fun.

Support artists ….tons of great gift ideas: ArtBlock T-shirts, Flying Skateboard Fish, Handi-Wipe Kimonos, Wood, Metal and Beaded Jewelry, Pleated Scarves, Ceramics, Drawings, Paintings, Photos and Prints, Artist Books, Ornaments, Glitter Encrusted Cards & Boxes, Tables, Sculpture – and a Chandelier!!! 

What: Holiday Art Bock Pop Up
Where: 360 Sunset Avenue, Venice 90291 and surrounding area (SW Corner of 4TH & Sunset Avenue)
When: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm  Sat & Sun
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/veniceartblock

And just around the corner…

John Mooney will be hosting a fabulous holiday event and sale…be sure to pop by and check out his AMAZING hand blown glass. Mama Loves it…..

Tis the season and a great time to buy some original hand blown glass for your friends and family. They will literally be in awe of you. Wow…what an incredible gift.

What: Holiday Sale
Where: John Mooney’s Glass Studio
When: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Website: http://johnmooneyglass.com/

In West LA…

The 5th annual Pinot Days Southern California Grand Festival Tasting takes place this Saturday, December 7th.

Experience pinot noir in its manifold styles and from its many unique regions. Get to know the winemakers, whose stories are as worthy of savoring as the wines. Pinot Days is your annual opportunity to dive deep into the noble grape, study it, learn about it, and love it more than you did before.

Click HERE to visit the Pinot Days website and order tickets. For more info about this event, see our Upcoming Events Page.

Admission – $75

What: Pinot Days
Where: The Skirball Cultural Center, Guerin Pavilion, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., LA 90049
When: 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Phone: (310) 440-4500
Website: www.skirball.org

In Santa Monica…

The Off their Jingle Bell Rockers will be performing at the Main Street Holiday Extravaganza.
 
The event begins with a Christmas tree lighting at Ocean Park and Main, (the site of the Sunday Santa Monica Farmers Market) followed by a candlelight walk to an amazing Shopping Cart Christmas Tree at Edgemar Pl (by Ben & Jerry’s and Peet’s Coffee, 90401).

Here, the Off Their Jingle Bell Rockers will sing a set, before they move on down Main Street. Most of the stores on Main Street will stay open and the Rockers will stop in to perform holiday classics.
The Off their Jingle Bell Rockers are not your typical holiday group. Yes they happen to be terrific singers, but they also dress incredibly flamboyant, and have an amazing amount of energy, which makes for a truly fun and lively show. They add a different slant to Christmas Caroling. Their offbeat harmonies and original arrangements bring a zany twist to the classic Christmas Carol.

See image from left to right of The Off Their Jingle Bell Rockers Jon Preston, Kathy Leonardo, Suzy Williams, Catherine Allison, Mikal Sandoval, and Rory Johnston.

They even perform their own original holiday songs. The Off Their Jingle Bell Rockers include Catherine Allison, Rory Johnston, Kathy Leonardo, Jon Preston, Mikal Sandoval and Suzy Williams.

What: Main Street Holiday Extravaganza
Where: Main Street from Navy to Pico
When: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Website: http://www.mainstreetsm.com/holiday-event-2013/

Also in Santa Monica at Bergamot Station…there will be several openings here…

Peter Fetterman Gallery presents a joint exhibition by acclaimed photographers Michael Kenna and Pentti Sammallahti.

Representing two of the leading international artists working in the traditional black and white photographic medium, showcasing over forty seminal works by each artist spanning their prolific careers.

Enjoy a booksigning and opening reception tonight with artist Michael Kenna and Pentti Sammallahti.

What: Opening reception/Book Signing
Where: Peter Fetterman Gallery (A-1), Bergamot Station 2525 Michigan Ave. LA 90404
When: 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Phone: 310.453-6463 
Website: http://www.peterfetterman.com

Another early reception takes place at Craig Krull Gallery (B-3) from 4-6pm. http://www.craigkrullgallery.com/  TAG Gallery (D-3) also features one from 5-8pm http://www.taggallery.net/

The Frank Lloyd Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of a group exhibition, Small is Beautiful. Presenting a selection of small-scale artworks in ceramics and other media, Small is Beautiful privileges the intimacy of objects that can be held in one’s hands.

See image: Ralph Bacerra, Untitled, 2000, ceramic, 3 ¼ x 5 x 3 ½ inches
Small is Beautiful includes works by Ralph Bacerra, Larry Bell, Roseline Delisle, Robert Graham, Robert Hudson, Jennifer Lee, Ron Nagle, Gustavo Pérez, Ken Price, Adrian Saxe, and Richard Shaw.

What: Opening Reception
Where: Frank Lloyd Gallery, Inc., Bergamot Station (B-5b), 2525 Michigan Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90404
When: 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Phone: 310 264-3866
Website: http://www.franklloyd.com

Also in Santa Monica…

The Santa Monica Art Studios holds reception from 6-8pm for its holiday show. There’s a whole line up of artists as well as a group show opening in Arena 1. Women Painters West features its Winter Exhibition, juried by guest curator Bill Bush from Artweek LA.

Be sure to check our Upcoming Events Page for two articles featuring many more of the artists.

The last time Scott Tansey showed his work at SMAS, he sold the one and only photogragh that he had in the show. I had a great time at the Santa Monica Airport Art Walk, says Tansey. “The space had great lighting and beautiful white walls.”

The photograph that sold was a Gray Glacier taken in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Tansey was at the art walk and many of the people viewing his work wanted to know where it was taken. “Most people thought it was from Alaska,” adds Tansey. “They were shocked they were so far off.”

This time, Tansey will be showing some of his aerial views of the Central California Coast. Tansey currently has his photography on view at Figtree’s Café, located at 429 Ocean Front Walk in Venice. For more info about Scott Tansey, see his website at http://scotttanseyphoto.com/

The work of artist Sona Mirzaei will be featured in the show. She most recently participated once again in the international charitable art event, Elephant Parade.

See image: Sse image: by Sona Mirzaei, Infinity of Love, Medium: mixed media, spray paint, acrylic, oil, metal leafing, varnish, and tissue paper 2013 – Dimensions: 36×48

This was the U.S. debut for the event. Just in case you don’t know, the Elephant Parade is an open-air public art exhibition of fiberglass elephant statues designed by high profile people and artists. Sona worked on not one but two elephants.

Sona admits her work is always changing. “There are so many ideas that I have and concepts that I have not yet had the pleasure of doing so there is always something to look forward to.” The artist enjoys working in different mediums and I always interested in trying new things.

She adds, “As longs as there is a surface or space that needs art I will always continue to evolve with my creativity.” http://www.sonamirzaei.com/

What: Reception
Where: Santa Monica Art Studios, 3026 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. 90405
When: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Phone: 310.397.7449
Website: http://www.santamonicaartstudios.com

One more in Santa Monica….

Gallery 169 is pleased to present “Neon Noir,” a collection of images by Los Angeles photographer and historian Tom Zimmerman.
“Neon Noir” is part historical document, part moody, atmospheric urban pictorial. But most of all, it is a character study of modern day Los Angeles. Showcasing the City of Angels at night, the collection captures LA’s neon signage on the streets where they live–from the deepest corners of Downtown to the Santa Monica Pier tourist mecca and beyond. From the vintage to the modern, the sophisticated to the seedy, “Neon Noir” showcases the city with reverence and savvy for how these polar traits form the essential personality of Los Angeles.

What: Opening Reception
Where: Gallery 169, 169 West Channel Road, Santa Monica, CA 90402
When: 5:00pm- 8:00pm
Phone: 310-963-3891
Website: www.gallery169.com

One more in Santa Monica….Tara Gallery (1202 Montana Avenue, Suite B) holds an opening reception from 6-9pm. http://taragallery.org

In the Miracle Mile area…

Couturier Gallery is pleased to present About Paper an exhibition of 11 artists who have elevated paper from a surface material to its own medium conceptually and malleably through cutting, molding and sculpting. 

Featuring works by local, national and international artists: Hina Aoyama, Lucrezia Bieler, Lorraine Bubar, Juan Gomez-Quiroz, Haruka, Alison Keogh, Elsa Mora, Jeff Nishinaka, Ann Page, Sonia Romero and Kevin Jay Stanton.

What: Opening reception
Where: Couturier Gallery, 166 N. La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
When: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Phone: 323-933-5557
Website: www.couturiergallery.com

In Beverly Hills…

Enjoy a book signing event at Galerie Michael.

A Mona Lisa canvas recently discovered in a Swiss vault is the true likeness of a Florentine merchant’s wife, whereas the Mona Lisa in the Louvre is actually an allegorical representation of Mary, known as the Madonna Annunziata.

These are two of several new revelations about the world’s most famous portrait, presented in the book The Mona Lisa Myth by National Geographic bestselling author Jean-Pierre Isbouts.

What: Book Signing
Where: Galerie Michael, 224 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills
When: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Phone: (310) 273-3377
Website: http://galeriemichael.com/

In West Hollywood….

Melrose Lightspace offers its third day of this pop up event….The Instagram Show 2013, whiich celebrates the art of the camera phone.

This curated exhibition will feature a diverse selection images taken, edited and/or shared with camera-phones using apps such as instagram, Hipstamatic, Oggle, Snapseed, Camera+, Snapchat, Tadaa, PS express, and more.

See image: by Laren Franca

Over 100 submissions from all over the world (Egypt, Argentina, Turkey, Italy, Lebanon, Switzerland…) will be on display, encompassing a wide variety of themes and subject matter.

What: Artist reception
Where: M E L R O S E   L I G H T S P A C E, 7600 Melrose Ave. Ste. N
L.A. CA 90046
When: 7pm-11pm
Phone: (323) 651-3893
Website: http://www.instagramshowla.com

In Culver City…

The Word is Art Gallery celebrates its one year anniversary tonight.

Enjoy treats and refreshments and pick up some great gifts for the holidays.
In addition to many new holiday items for sale, there will also be live music.

The event will feature a raffle every 30 minutes to win handmade artisan gifts created by the artists at The Word is ART Gallery.

https://www.facebook.com/events/559520344142670/

What: Opening reception
Where: The Word is ART Gallery, 9349 Venice Blvd. Culver City 90232
When: 6:00 am – 9:00 pm
Phone: 310.558.0856
Website: http://thewordisart.com/
Also in Culver City…

Klowden Mann holds an opening reception for “Chad Attie: Contempt.”

The exhibition features collage works presented on paper, canvas and light box, exploring themes of idealized love, alienation, mythologized beauty, and loss of innocence through the use of found imagery of figure and landscape.

On view: Dec 14th – Jan 18th

What: Opening Reception
When: 6-8pm
Where: Klowden Mann, 6023 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Website: http://klowdenmann.com/

In Downtown LA….The Hive Gallery & Studios (729 South Spring St.) offers an opening from 8-11:30pm. This gallery always hosts a fun art party…but check the website, as there may be an charge admission. http://hivegallery.com

In NELA…

Create LA presents “Gifted,” a holiday art show and silent auction. 50% of the proceeds will benefit Create LA to help provide free arts classes for LA area kids. Our

The gallery will be open for preview from noon to 6pm.  A silent auction will commence at 6pm. Parking and admission are free.

Create LA’s goals are to engage youth in quality arts education; promote the spread of specialized skill-sets from this generation of artisans to the next; and provide an engaging community space for creativity to thrive.

Create LA is a nonprofit organization providing arts education programs to Los Angeles youth both in community locations and out of a facility in Glassell Park that it shares with Keystone Art Space, a group of over sixty artists creating sculpture, paintings, public art, and media installations.

What: Art Reception
Where: Create LA, 2558 N. San Fernando Rd.,LA 90065
When: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Website: www.create-la.org