Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk - 5th Anniversary September 10, 2009

WHAT: Downtown L.A. Art Walk, the hottest grassroots cultural event in Southern California, celebrates its fifth anniversary in September.
WHEN: Every second Thursday. September Art Walk is September 10.
WHERE: Downtown Los Angeles, 5th & Main and surrounding area.
COST: The Art Walk is always free.
INFO: http://www.downtownartwalk.com or (213) 784-2598.

LOS ANGELES- The Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, held on the second Thursday of the month year round, is one of the great success stories of the neighborhood's revival. Launched in September 2004 by a small group of true believers in what was then the western edge of Skid Row, the event now draws upwards of 10,000 art enthusiasts, and includes live music, a thriving bar and restaurant scene, literary events, impromptu performances, and of course art on view in dozens of galleries.

On September 10, 2009, Art Walk celebrates its fifth anniversary, making a perfect opportunity for first-time visitors to come downtown and see what all the buzz is about, and for seasoned attendees to put on their favorite finery and celebrate their own role in making the Art Walk great.
In July, a new management team took over the Art Walk, to help steward an event that threatened to outgrow its borders. As a non-profit, the Art Walk is now run by Richard Schave, owner of Esotouric bus adventures and longtime host of the Art Walk's curated shuttle, The Hippodrome. With the aid of a passionate board of directors, Schave is dedicated to building on the community's good work and making downtown L.A. an even better cultural destination for great art, good company and exciting urban experiences.

For the September 10 Art Walk, there are a number of special events in the works and some new features on the website. Events include free guided walking tours departing from Clifton's Cafeteria (reservations required), a conversational salon entitled "Mysteries of Magic Revealed" also at Clifton's Cafeteria and hosted by Maja D'Aoust of the Philosophical Research Society, and live entertainment from the Ukulady, Crimebo the Clown and pals on the free Hippodrome shuttle circling Spring and Main Streets from 6-10pm.

For info on all official Art Walk happenings, visit the website at http://www.downtownartwalk.com

NEW ON THE WEB: The Art Walk is now collecting listings of non-commercial HAPPENINGS taking place during the event. For more info and to submit your event for consideration, visit http://www.downtownartwalk.com/happeningsubmit . And keep an eye peeled for the OFFICIAL ART WALK BLOG team, who will be out on the streets interviewing Art Walkers for the new blog THE LIVING MUSEUM – look sharp and maybe you'll be featured on the blog next month. http://www.downtownartwalk.com/blog

BASIC INFORMATION: To make the most of your visit, your first stop should be the Art Walk website: http://www.downtownartwalk.com

First click on the MAP link and print a guide to gallery hours and locations. Next click on WALKING TOURS and sign up to explore the Art Walk, for free, with expert tour guides like Mike the PoeT (Museum of Neon Art), Anne Block (Take My Mother Please), Crimebo the Clown (Esotouric), Ed Rosenthal (poet/broker), Richard Schave (Esotouric/ Art Walk Director) and Boris Mayzels (Downtown's favorite chiropractor). Finally, come to the Art Walk and explore the dozens of independent art spaces packed with original, affordable work. There's sure to be something to suit every taste and pocketbook, and memorable adventures to be had along the way.

SELECTED GALLERY EXHIBITS on view during the September 10 Art Walk are two shows of art from Iran: CREWEST (110 Winston St. LA, CA 90013, 818-235-4598, http://www.crewest.com) presents "From the Streets of Iran," works on paper by urban Iranian artists. The artists draw inspiration from Iran's rich heritage of calligraphy, visual arts, revolution and the state in which they live, as well as their exposure to graffiti and urban art from the West. And MORONO KIANG GALLERY (218 West 3rd Street. LA, CA 90013, 213-628-8208, http://www.moronokiang.com) will exhibit "Traces of Being: Iran in the Passage of Memories" which explores the primacy of personal memory against a backdrop of divergent cultural experiences and collective histories.

And on THE FREE HIPPODROME SHUTTLE (6pm-10pm) passengers will enjoy performances from CRIMEBO THE CLOWN, LUCAS GONZE, DICK 'N' JANE, ANNA HOMLER and hostess/curator THE UKULADY.
http://www.esotouric.com/hippodrome

ABOUT THE SALON AT CLIFTON'S CAFETERIA: Starting at 5:30pm and running until about 7pm is "Mysteries of Magic Revealed" - Join Maja D'Aoust as she leads a salon style discussion of the inner mechanisms of magic as they operate in our world. What is magic exactly? How does willful influence radiate in the universe? Participants are encouraged to ask questions or relate personal experiences with magic in their lives as we attempt to penetrate a force more mystical and permeating than gravity. Step within the walls of Clifton's fine establishment and let the sorcery take hold! For more about Maja, visit http://godismyboyfriend.com/

Official Website: http://www.downtownartwalk.com