Art World

When illustrator Dave DeVries discovered that his niece Jessica had filled his sketchbook with doodles one fateful day at the Jersey Shore, he was less than thrilled. “When kids draw, they carve into the paper, and it leaves an impression for the next 20 pages,” he said. “So I thought, oh no, there goes my sketchbook.” Upon further inspection and a hint of inspiration, however, DeVries discovered that with a little color and texture, Jessica’s drawings could mean something more.

Steve Young Looking for top-flight, live entertainment and cultural stimulation? No need to fight the traffic at The Hollywood Bowl or The Getty Museum. You can find it on exhibit right here at the Hoover High Auditorium 7 p.m., Friday, March 24. Combining music, dance, art and song, the absolute best of the student talent from Hoover High, Toll Middle and Mark Keppel Elementary schools will be on display. The first Hoover Cluster TriSchool Fine Arts Festival is the brainchild of Mark Keppel Elementary parent, Emily Young.

From high in the sky in a ninth-floor penthouse, ArtSource Gallery does more than just look down onto Brand Boulevard and the rest of downtown Glendale. The gallery also tops the cake in ArtSource International Inc.?s decade-long line of business. Owner Ripsime Marashian, artist-management expert and First International Art Symposium?s 2001 entrepreneur of the year, established ArtSource International Inc. in 1996 as a marketing and publishing firm. Marashian, a Burbank resident, has since been traveling and showcasing artists extensively in Europe and America but can finally say that she has accomplished a long-awaited dream: opening a gallery.

With the theme of "Conflict," Brand 34 has inspired works with a grittier feel this year, organizers said. The 34th annual national juried exhibition, sponsored by the Associates of the Brand Library and Art Center, piqued the interest of Mark Vallen of North Hollywood, a first-time competitor. He is one of only two artists to have two works in the show. His works received the Lexus of Glendale Award that came with a $500 cash prize. "A large part of my work has always been about reflecting the conflicts going on in the world, whether domestic or international," Vallen said.

brandFYI WHAT: "Opulent Splendor:" A Celebration of Ornamentation, Pattern and Fantasy Through Painting, Fiber Art, Costume and Fashion WHEN: 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday and 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, through Nov. 23 WHERE: Brand Library Art Galleries in Brand Park, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale SPECIAL EVENT: 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 19 Illustrated Slide Presentation at the Glendale Central Library...

Judgmental. Finger-pointing. Self-righteous. Conceited. When pressed, that's how I would characterize the Christian presence in the public square. Always harping: The godless are tearing up the place and provoking the wrath of God. We heard it again after Katrina, almost before she'd left town. Good and fed up with Sin City, God sent in his angels of destruction to clean up. Bill Shanks, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship of New Orleans, had long warned that if the city continued to be home to abortion clinics, Mardi Gras and the annual six-day gay pride event known as Southern Decadence, "God's judgment would be felt."

Jacqui Brown The "No Boys Allowed" mantra might be a chick thing, but for this art show, men are most definitely allowed to break the rules. Wax Poetic Salon, Spa and Gallery in Burbank will have a party-like atmosphere, DJs and all, during tonight's opening gala for an exhibit featuring five artistic women in the salon's recently expanded gallery space, which also boasts a new elixir bar. "I just really wanted to have a show with five women because I think the art world is so dominated by men," said salon owner Kerry Nicole, an avid art admirer herself.

Jacqui Brown Arthur L. Kaye wasn't afraid to break a few rules and let his heart be his guide when he painted the watercolor "Medley." It caught the eye of the juror and earned him the top honor in the Burbank Fine Arts Federation's Juried Membership Show. Kaye and the five other winners were honored during the opening gala March 4 at the Creative Arts Center Gallery in Burbank. More than 150 guests attended the event, including some of the artists.

On the first day of his public art history class at the Brand Library and Art Center, Leonard DeGrassi finishes with a life edit: “Art is there to show us who we are.” DeGrassi, a Glendale Community College emeritus professor, stood near a projector filled with slides of ancient art as he talked about the philosophy behind his art classes and what he hopes his students will learn. “Art is a statement of the people making art and the people who live around those people who are making it,” DeGrassi said.

It's been long rumored that print is dead - the Internet its murderer. But after a trip to the California International Antiquarian Book Fair at the Pasadena Convention Center last weekend, I'm happy to report the rumors aren't true. The future of the printed word isn't dead, it's undead - resigned to a vampiric, sun-free existence in a prenaturally lit crypt. Allow me to explain. The Antiquarian Book Fair, if you missed it, is among the largest gatherings of rare book vendors and collectors in the world.