Oh, All the Places You Will Go, All the People You Will See, All That You Will Do!

Is it just me or is everything looking up?

High Desert Test Site

Maybe it’s just that after that long divisive election, we’re waking up and coming round to seeing what else is going on in the world. Literary series are starting up, universities are bringing people around, it’s too dark to work in the garden or go for a late afternoon bike ride, so might as well make some plans to put the arts into your life.

At least I am putting more art into my life!

Monday, after tasting New Zealand new releases at Spago in Beverly Hills (and possibly getting in on a New Zealand Air tasting IN THE AIR flying to NZ!!), Annie and I went to Bodhi Tree books (new and used), then across town for the best burger and draft beer around at My Father’s Office on Montana in Santa Monica (I had Perdition!), then to Pacific Palisades to Village Books to hear Neil Aitken read from his Philip Levine Prize winning book, The Lost Country of Sight. He’s an impressive reader and the collection is truly wonderful, writing about his father, his loves, and his various countries. (He sounds a bit like Barack Obama, doesn’t he?) He’ll be reading Saturday Jan. 17 with Sholeh Wolpe at 7 pm at the Arcade Poetry Series in the Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard for $3 (such a deal! you get a side of art with your poetry!)

Tuesday I had hoped to see the show at Sylvia White Gallery while celebrating Barack Obama’s victory but as I discussed in a previous post, we were kicked out because we had our child with us. Strike one against the arts.

Today I met with poet/blogger/tech whiz Robert Peake about some poetry and blogging community ideas; tonight there’s lots going on to choose from– a meeting here in Ventura at the new Candlelight Restaurant on Santa Clara and Figueroa for the fledgling Ventura Film Festival being organized in part by Robert Catalusci and Lorenzo DeStefano, and further south, there’s several interesting events going on in LA to tempt me to jump in the car and hit the road.

Better yet, many of these cool upcoming events are free or at least affordable!

Most tempting to me is a poetry reading and discussion at the LA Central Library in downtown at 7pm (yeah, right–traffic is so bad I’d have to have left yesterday to get there by 7pm!):

Thu, Nov 06, 7 PM Writing the World
A Conversation with Edward Hirsch, Eavan Boland, Peter Cole, and Adam Zagajewski
Discussing Hebrew, Polish, Irish, and Mexican writers, four of the world’s best known poets examine how local politics, national realities, and cultural traditions affect great literary traditions. Free with reservation.

Also tonight at 7pm at LA County Art Museum, Chris Burden will discuss his public art installation “Urban Lights” a free event which again requires reservations for tickets 323. 857. 6010.

Tomorrow I will carpool with Fiona Spring of Lettre Sauvage down to Red Hen Press for a literary round table hosted by Poets & Writers Inc; when we return it’ll be First Friday Ventura (FREE) which finds the galleries and various arts spaces open late. Here’s the blurb they sent me:

On Friday, November 7th, local galleries and stores will participate in another First Friday evening in Ventura’s year-long effort to promote its New Art City.  A dozen venues will be open 5 – 8 p.m. with exhibitions of ceramics, jewelry, painting, tapestries, and much more.  As we start to count those holiday shopping days, this is a great way to find unique gifts for yourself and others, while supporting our local artists.  Join us in an opportunity to view art in a relaxed atmosphere, to meet some of the creating artists, and perhaps take home free art!

Our resident artists at Bell Arts Factory will be welcoming visitors into their open studios.  The Tool Room Gallery has been transformed into a contemplative installation commemorating Dia de los Muertos by artists Alicia Morris Soto and Sarah Kalvin.  Visitors are invited to add their own notes and offerings to the altar in honor of souls that have touched their lives.  The Community Room will be filled with the art of photographers Linda F. Peterson and Stacy LaMascus, whimsical watercolors by Rex Kochel, and Hilda Kilpatrick’s vibrant oil  paintings.

Be part of the Gallery Crawl Giveaway – pick up your entry slip at Bell Arts, visit four of the participating galleries on First Friday evening and get your slip stamped at each location, then be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate to the gallery of your choice!

This weekend SLO Vintners are having a harvest celebration; go to slowine.com for more info. Or head to Twisted Oak in the Gold Country of Calaveras County for their library tasting!

For art this weekend, I’d head to the desert around Joshua Tree National Park for “High Desert Test Sites.” which offers 13 centers of activity and is affiliated with the California Biennial exhibition.

High Desert Test Site event

For the outdoorsy or athletic, Sunday morning is the Salmon Run, hosted by Patagonia; a run up the Ventura River like they used to in abundance so they may again.

Sunday afternoon,  Nov 09, at 2 PM Ground Truth happens at LA Central Library: Mapping the Invisible Landscape with Amy Balkin and Kim Stringfellow with Matt Coolidge, Director, Center for Land Use Interpretation. Artists Amy Balkin and Kim Stringfellow will present “Invisible 5”, an audio mapping of the natural, social, and economic histories along Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Join us for a virtual road trip through California’s Central Valley.