Weekend Update is here kids….lots going on. Don’t forget, the Venice Art Walk & Auctions takes place Sat/Sun. See this week’s Santa Monica Mirror for my article as part of my column, “Talk of the Town.” Also see my Examiner article http://www.examiner.com/article/the-venice-art-walk-auctions-celebrates-venice-yesterday-and-today

And the Beverlly Hills Art show takes place as well Saturday and Sunday. Artist Brooke Harker (see image) will be featured, see Saturday/Sunday events for more info.  See my article on the Beverly Hills Patch, http://beverlyhills.patch.com/articles/the-beverly-hills-artshow

ARTISTS….If you are interested in showing your work… the Hel-Mel Art Walk is taking place on May 24th. A Hair Salon is part of the Walk and is having a Grand Opening (Heliotrope/Melrose)….and they are looking for Artists to hang their art….Email us at LaArtParty@gmail.com to find out more and get involved.

The Pick of the Week is the Venice Art Walk & Auctions which takes place this weekend, May 19th and 20th. The winners of the Ticket Raffle will be notified Friday May 18th…so check your emails!!!

You must purchase tickets but this event supports a wonderful organization. Benefitting Venice Family Clinic, this annual art walk is celebrating its 34th year with Google who has stepped up to sponsor this year’s event.

This year’s main event, will be hosted by Google Los Angeles. This is a rare opportunity to visit the legendary “Binoculars Building” designed by Frank Gehry. Both renowned and emerging artists have donated work for the event’s signature silent art auction.

The silent auction features a curated collection of sculptures, paintings and photographs from the best and brightest of the Southern California art scene. The event also includes live entertainment, gourmet food trucks, performance art and more.

There will be so many wonderful artist studios to stop in,…Make sure you stop by Hal’s Bar and Grill (1349 Abbot Kinney Blvd.) to see a wonderful exhbition presented by Hal’s and the Venice Historical Society. The exhibition, entitled Venice:Yesterday/Today or Still Crazy After All These Years features new photographs by Helen K. Garber taken in the exact location as the vintage images of Venice.

Don Novack, co-owner of Hal’s and longtime Venice resident says, “We are excited to be part of the Art Walk this year. Stop in and have a drink while enjoying a bit of Venice history.” Though it is encouraged to buy tickets and take the full Art Walk and Auctions tour, there is not an admission charge to view this exhibition. http://www.halsbarandgrill.com/

Jill Prestup, president of the Venice Historical Society has been involved with the Venice Historical Society for fifteen years and is thrilled about this year’s participation in the Venice Art Walk and Auctions. “We are looking forward to this event. This project was spearheaded by Venice photographer Helen K. Garber. We put our heads together and she produced the exhibit.”

Garber and Prestup went through the society’s archives and maps to identify where the vintage images were taken. Then Helen re-created the shot in the exact location. Helen then collaborated with fine art printer Titano Cruz to create photographic diptychs showing both images together. These framed diptychs will be for sale to help fund the creation of a museum permanent home for the archives of the Venice Historical Society. http://www.venicehistorical.org/

Garber has been participating in the Venice Art Walk since the late 1990’s when her first Venice Studio was located at Sunset and Third which is on the open studio map. See image, right by Helen k. Garber.

She explains, “Being part of the Venice Art Walk is an essential community involvement opportunity for every artist working in Venice. I have never tired of working with this annual event to support this amazing resource for the area’s less fortunate” Garber created a brand new encaustic piece for this year’s silent auction.

Helen, along with husband Dr. Stuart Garber has been actively involved with the Venice community for almost 30 years. “We have great respect for the Venice Family Clinic and their volunteers.”  http://www.helenkgarber.com/

Venice Family Clinic is the largest free clinic in the country. Last year, with the support of Silver Circle donors and 2,000 volunteers- including 500 physicians – the Clinic served 25,000 low-income and uninsured children and adults through 107,000 patient visits.

Other highlights include artist Isabelle Alford-Lago who will be painting the exterior of 1320 Main Street. Isabelle is known for her “Gorilla” Paintings. www.IsabelleAlfordLago.com and Aaron Axelrod who will be creating a mural at the Google parking lot available for bidding. www.aaronaxelrod.com. Remember there are also two architecture tours….one takes place Saturday and one on Sunday. This is in addtion to the artist studio tours on Sunday.

Registration opens at 11am at Westminster School, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. Each ticket includes access to Sunday’s Venice Art Walk & Auctions.

Ticket Prices: $50.00 for studio tours $125.00 Per Architecture tours (one is on Saturday, one on Sunday, both include the studio tour)

Registration location: Westminster School, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice.

For more information about all of the above organizations as well as the full schedule for the Venice Art Walk and Auctions, call 310.392.9255. Or see their website at http://www.theveniceartwalk.org/;