Today at noon, put on your best Mardi Gras party clothes, grab your beads and get ready to march, dance and strutt down Ocean Front Walk for the 11th Annual Venice Beach Mardi Gras Parade. If you’ve never been, come on down. It starts at Rose Ave…at noonish…(hey it’s Venice), and runs to Windward Ave, then we turn around….yes, I will be there shaking my thang!

This free event is put on by the Krewe of Grandview. Then the Gumbo Brothers perform at The Venice Bistro, 2:00 pm -5:00 pm. The Venice Bistro is located at 323 Ocean Front Walk, just south of Rose Ave.

Don’t forget the Farmers Market on Fairfax will be hosting Mardis Gras Events all weekend long.

The party starts at noon with the Mutti Gras pet parade featuring your favorite mutts in costume, also events for the kids and more. 

Then later in the afternoon, the Mardi Gras celebration continues with bands such as the Zydeco Mudbugs, the Bluecat Express, Eddie Baytos and the Nervis Brothers.

The Farmers Market is located 6333 West 3rd Street, off Fairfax, LA 90036; http://www.farmersmarketla.com

Don’t forget the Pick of the Week happens tonight in Culver City and there are tons of other events…some park your car and enjoy the art parties!

Kopeikin Gallery, located at  2766 South La Cienega Blvd. offers an opening reception for artist, Kelli Connell. The opening recetpion runs from 6:00 pm till 8:00 pm. 310-559-0800; http://www.kopeikingallery.com.

Also from 6:00 PM – 8:00 pm, Susanne Vielmetter presents Tam Van Tran: Adornment of Basic Space.

This solo exhibition features new work by Tam Van Tran in the first two galleries. The exhibition presents several large wall works on paper as well as a group of clay sculptures and clay wall posters.

Susanne Vielmetter Gallery is located at 6006 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90232; 310-837-2117; http://www.vielmetter.com.

Then at Western Project, pop in for Samantha Fields latest exhibition, “Be Careful What You Wish For: New Paintings and Works on Paper” from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The Western Project is located at 2762 S. La Cienega Blvd. 310.838.0609; http://www.western-project.com/.

WWA Gallery asks that we come out of hibernation for six up-and-coming artists, Danielle Buerli, JAW Cooper, Jessica LL Dalva, Tom Haubrick, Sinae Park and Bryce Takara, for a group show, ‘Critters and People’ and things of that sort.

This exhibition is a collection of 2D and 3D works running the gamut of medium and technique.

WWA usually has fun art parties and tend to run a bit later….8:00 pm till 11:00 pm. WWA Gallery is located at 9517 Culver Blvd., 90232; 310-836-4992; http://www.WWAGallery.com.

In the Beverly Hills area, Karl Hutter Fine Art offers an opening for artists, Christopher Makos & Paul Solberg (The Hilton Brothers) entitled “Tyrants and Lederhosen.”

The reception runs from 6:00 pm till 8:00 pm. Karl Hutter Fine Art  is located at 9895 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills,  90212; 310 843 0007; http://www.khfineart.com

Also nearby, M+B presents new work by Sam Falls, a two-part exhibition of painted photographs, works on paper and sculptures. The show runs from February 18 through March 31.

The opening reception will be held from 6:00 pm to 8 pm. M+B is located at 612 N. Almont Dr. LA,90069; 310.550.0050; http://www.mbart.com;

Or from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, on La Brea, stop into the Jack Rutberg Fine Arts Gallery, for the opening reception for artists Ruth Weisberg (see image) and Clarie Falkenstien.

The show will remain open until April 28th 2012.

Jack Rutberg Fine Arts Gallery is located at 357 N. La Brea Ave., LA 90036; 323.938.5222; http://www.jackrutbergfinearts.com/

Now if you prefer Santa Monica, there’s alway something going on at Bergamot Station, located at 2525 Michigan Ave…you should get there early to enjoy some of the art.

dnj Gallery (J-1) has a wonderfu show up featuring the work of artist, Helen K. Garber.

This solo exhibition, “Encaustic Noir” is part of NoirFest Santa Monica, a three month noir arts festival which is still going on. See their website for more info. http://noirfestsm.com/; http://www.dnjgallery.net/;

Then check out Sugimoto Sadamitsu’s latest exhibition “Shigaraki and Iga” at the Frank Lloyd Gallery (B-5B) from 5:00 pm till 7:00 pm.

This is the first comprehensive exhibition in the United States of Sugimoto Sadamitsu’s work, it is comprised of sixteen masterworks in the Shigaraki and Iga tradition of high-fired stoneware made for the Tea Ceremony.

Also included in the exhibition are several paintings by Sugimoto-sensei of Zen subjects, as well as a striking calligraphy by his Zen Master, Tachibana Taiki Roshi of Daitokuji, who passed away in 2005 at the venerable age of 107. 310 264 3866; http://www.franklloyd.com.

Then, stop into ADC Contemporary (F-2) for an opening recetpion for the exhibition, “MAR DE FONDO” by Argentinean artist Jorge Sarsale.

The reception runs from 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm. 323-839-5786; http://www.adccontemporaryartgallery.com

Or downtown, drkrm presents the opening reception for Ansel Adams Los Angeles, rarely seen photographs from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. This exhibition reveals the lost landscape and lifestyle of a prewar Los Angeles.

These nostalgic images from the archives of The Los Angeles Public Library Ansel Adams Collection, represent Ansel Adams as a photojournalist on assignment for Fortune Magazine in 1940.

Ansel Adams Los Angeles will be on display from February 18 through March 17, 2012. drkrm is located at 727 S. Spring St. in donwtown LA 90014; 323.271.5635; http://www.drkrm.com

Also downtown, enjoy a performance at  L2kontemporary Gallery, located at 990 N. Hill St , # 205 LA 90012, from 6:00 pm till 9:00 pm. Fetish Feel represents new work, Jim Keville has created over the last year and a half. See website for more info. http://www.l2kontemporary.com/