Kai

Much like rock stars and supermodels, hip hop and street art have a long history that spans decades. And never before has the relationship between street art and hip hop had more of a literal representation than with the soon-to-be-unveiled "Now Royalty" collection by Los Angeles-based street artist, Kai Aspire, which depicts some of hip hop's biggest names as medieval noblemen.

Kai first made an impact on the L.A. street art scene with his bold anti-smoking "Morons" mural back in 2009, which depicted what looked like a pack of Marlborough Red brand cigarettes, but with the word "Morons" where "Marlborough" should be. Needless to say, the piece sparked plenty of conversation, and ultimately inspired Kai's own father -- a smoker for many years -- to finally quit.

Since then, Kai's work has adorned the Melrose Corridor area of West Hollywood where he grew up, with each piece showboating a different social message -- everything from anti-drinking ("Abysmal Vodka" as a play on Absolute Vodka), anti-consumerism, and even an anti-technological douchiness piece ("Boundberry," a nod toward society's obsession with mobile communication).

More >>

​"Material Matters" by Edith Abeyta
Feb. 2 to Mar. 9
Irvine Valley College Art Gallery
You walk through darkened glass doors into a dimly lit room that smells like old clothes. There are no racks, just metal wire strung across the room. Instead of the sound of hangers screeching, there's a peaceful silence. You're told you can have some clothes for free, but you have to wait a few weeks. This isn't like any Goodwill you've ever visited--because it's not. It's the Irvine Valley College Art Gallery.

Edith Abeyta's show "Material Matters" opened on February 2, giving everyone a break from the typical student and faculty shows. Abeyta took over the gallery, installing used clothing all across the space.

More >>

Sama Wareh and her art piece 'Starts With One'

​As the now 11-month old uprising continues in Syria against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the death toll continues to mount. The opposition stronghold Syrian city of Homs has faced continued shelling this week. Those who survive do so on dwindling food and water resources as a humanitarian crisis is growing. The Red Cross has tried to negotiate with the government for daily cease-fires in order to deliver aide in distressed areas. For local Syrian-American artist Sama Wareh, the harrowing situation in the country where many of her relatives live has motivated her to use her talents to help those in need. More >>

Art piece by José Lozano

​Valentine's Day is around the corner, but opportunities to woo your love interest or delve into your interest in love are already arriving. The Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton and renowned Chicano artist José Lozano are hosting and presenting an evening of poetry and music inspired from the creative spirit of Latino culture.

Poets Gloria Enedina Alvarez, Sushu Foster, and Olga Garcia are the assembled wordsmiths for the homanje to the loved and the unloved.

Musical entertainment will feature Adriana Alvarez singing classic rancheras, the ballads of half-Hawaiian, half-Mexican vocalist Araianna Gouivea, who will also do spoken word pieces with a the accompaniment of a saxophone player, and last but not least, Latin Grammy-nominated La Santa Cecilia singer La Marisoul performing boleros in her passionate, inimitable voice.
More >>

Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly

The Gromble were going to play, but didn't

​

Nothing foretells the end of an event like a dozen cop cars lining up the street.

That's what happened Friday night to the first Culture Carnival, a celebration of local artists with musical selections from bands like The Spell, JUPILAR, The Gromble and Midnight Hour inside a nondescript warehouse in Santa Ana.

More than 300 people were expected to attend when just before the 7 p.m. start date, Santa Ana Police shut down the event. About a dozen officers lined up across the street from the warehouse with batons on hand.

More >>

Vyron Turner (Courtesy PictureBox)

​Art book publishers PictureBox just released Golf Wang, a 196-page book documenting the rise of OFWGKTA through its members own photography, design and writing. Golf Wang gives readers an inside look into Odd Future's last few years as a group and their sudden rise in fame, from their early start in skate parks to selling out shows nationwide.

Family Books, one of our favorite independent book shops in California, is hosting an in-store signing and a photo exhibition tonight with Tyler and company.

If you're as impatient as we are to pick up a copy at the signing, you'll be happy to find a sneak preview of some of the photos you'll find in the book after the jump.

More >>

Photo courtesy of Gianna Gianna

The birthday girl!

​
Gianna Gianna, the unmistakable blonde from BLOK, is celebrating two milestones at the Detroit Bar on Thursday: she's turning 21 years old and releasing her first book. All Encompassing is an exploration of metaphysics and philosophy through the young local musician's poetry. The book-release party will offer copies of her book for sale along with a free copy of her solo song, also called "All Encompasing." The David Liebe Hart Project (of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) will perform along with Fullerton's zombie-punks Death Hymn Number 9 and more. If all that doesn't sell you, Gianna Gianna promises cupcakes and cookies will be served! Read our interview conducted via email below.

OC Weekly: Where did the idea to write a book come from?

Gianna Gianna: It came from an overflowing surge of creativity and the need to share and provide truth, which is always love. I feel a lot of people lose faith in values and morals because of perpetuated prejudices and stereotyping, formed to protect themselves, and eventually conform in some way or another to survive. So, I'm just here to spread art, love and consciousness. To encourage others to live and thrive. I live what I preach. I am exactly who I say I am, with no exceptions. It's the only thing that feels right to me.

More >>

Now in its eighth year, the annual SoundWalk will again take to the streets of Downtown Long Beach next Saturday for an evening of experimental sound art. Past years have featured synchronized symphonies, electronic sculptures and impromptu performances among a wide range of work that's hard to pin down as just noise or music. In a world that's inundated with white noise and headphones, the annual event organized by local artist group FLOOD is not a bad way to heighten your senses and experience your surroundings anew.More >>

Courtesy of the Family

Shifra Goldman in her office

​
UPDATE: Sept. 15 10:31 A.M.: As a reader let me know, Eric Garcia, the son of the late Shifra Goldman, released an album in tribute to his mother a month prior to her passing. The guitarist, who in the course of his musical life has lent his talents to Motown, Bob Dylan and the Nobodys, recorded a collection of songs he played bedside at the hospital where she was entering the final stages of Alzheimer's disease.


ORIGINAL ITEM, Sept. 14, 12:12 P.M.:Shifra M. Goldman, an early scholar, author, and activist for Latin American and Chicano art, died Sunday due to complications of Alzheimer's disease. According to an informative obituary written by Center for the Study of Political Graphics founding director Carol Wells, Goldman was born in 1926 to Russian/Polish immigrant parents, before moving on with her family to Los Angeles from New York in the 1940s.More >>

Mike Manzoori

Noel Paris is an amazing skateboarder and been in several bands rocking multiple instruments over the years. But his abstract art--typified by the cerebral way that he forms collages--has gotten the most recognition. (One of his pieces has been on the cover of The Lemonheads single, "I Just Can't Take it Anymore" off of the album, Varshons).
Paris is such a consummate human being that his friends have given him the nickname "The Ultimate Male"--and he's living up to it. This Saturday night at the Curbside Gallery in Santa Ana, Noel is showcasing his collection, "pasting my life away." This is your chance to experience the awesomeness that is, Noel Paris. And his collection too of course.

More >>