I just got back from California for a weekend mural safari, which included being a guest of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles for "The Olympic Freeway Murals: Celebrating 30 Years." Held at El Pueblo, the gathering celebrated the muralists who painted the walls of downtown LA freeways for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.
While there I did something I rarely do; bother people to sign their name.
What prompted me to be mural fan-boy was a book donated to Friends of Henderson Libraries. I’ve been hitting local library book sales to build up my collection and had some good finds. From Enterprise Library in Las Vegas I found “Chuck Close” by Robert Storr, Chuck Close, Kirk Varnedoe, and Deborah Wye, written for the 1998 exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. I bought that for two dollars. Another time I saw “Jackson Pollock” by Deborah Solomon on sale for a buck, so I nabbed it.
Last Wednesday, at the City of Henderson James I Gibson Library, I saw “Painting the Towns: Murals of California” by Robin J. Dunitz and James Prigoff on the For Sale table. I already had it, but hated to see it just sitting there, so I shelled out a dollar for it.
As I parked at El Pueblo on Sunday, I remembered “Painting the Towns” was still in my car trunk. Now, I have met and spoken with each of the muralists at one time or another in the last few years, but to have them all together a few blocks away from the 101 Freeway, where many of the murals are installed, was a special event.
The signatures in “Painting the Towns” are on the back pages titled “Notes While On The Mural Trail.”
While there I did something I rarely do; bother people to sign their name.
What prompted me to be mural fan-boy was a book donated to Friends of Henderson Libraries. I’ve been hitting local library book sales to build up my collection and had some good finds. From Enterprise Library in Las Vegas I found “Chuck Close” by Robert Storr, Chuck Close, Kirk Varnedoe, and Deborah Wye, written for the 1998 exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. I bought that for two dollars. Another time I saw “Jackson Pollock” by Deborah Solomon on sale for a buck, so I nabbed it.
Last Wednesday, at the City of Henderson James I Gibson Library, I saw “Painting the Towns: Murals of California” by Robin J. Dunitz and James Prigoff on the For Sale table. I already had it, but hated to see it just sitting there, so I shelled out a dollar for it.
As I parked at El Pueblo on Sunday, I remembered “Painting the Towns” was still in my car trunk. Now, I have met and spoken with each of the muralists at one time or another in the last few years, but to have them all together a few blocks away from the 101 Freeway, where many of the murals are installed, was a special event.
The signatures in “Painting the Towns” are on the back pages titled “Notes While On The Mural Trail.”
Isabel Rojas-Williams, Executive Director of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, waving in stray muralists for a photo-op.
Bill Lasarow, Co-Founder of MCLA, with co-host art advocate and actor/comedian Cheech Marin at the Pico House at El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument / Olvera Street.
Proceeds from these book sales benefit local libraries. Go get a few.
"Book Sales for all Henderson Libraries in the next 30 days" (Friends of Henderson Libraries)
Las Vegas Clark County Library Foundation
"Book Sales for all Henderson Libraries in the next 30 days" (Friends of Henderson Libraries)
Las Vegas Clark County Library Foundation
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