CELEBRATION IN NOHO FESTIVAL FEATURES POWERFUL ARTWORKS.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer NORTH HOLLYWOOD - For almost 30 years, Felix Perez Felix Perez or Félix Pérez and variants can mean
San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. barrio bar·ri·o n. pl. bar·ri·os 1. An urban district or quarter in a Spanish-speaking country. 2. A chiefly Spanish-speaking community or neighborhood in a U.S. city. nightmares - and stuffed them in a closet. Now Perez's poignant work, on display in a small booth at the NoHo Theatre and Arts Festival An arts festival or art fair is a festival that focuses on the visual arts, but which may also focus on other arts. Arts festivals in the visual arts are exhibitions. in North Hollywood on Saturday, inflames the passions of many artists and passers-by. A drunken gang member, with tears running down his face, pointing a pistol at his reflection in a mirror. A crack baby crack baby An infant born to a crack-addicted mother, who is often premature, ↓ birth weight, and has birth defects, respiratory, and neurologic defects; CBs are 4 times more likely to be premature, more commonly suffer SIDS, and given the mothers' high tossed in the trash. Effigies ef·fi·gy n. pl. ef·fi·gies 1. A crude figure or dummy representing a hated person or group. 2. A likeness or image, especially of a person. of sad-looking punks and cholos. A mother beating her child. ``Is this your art?'' asked Susan Hokom, 57, of North Hollywood, shaking her head with astonishment. ``It's really touching, really fabulous, very powerful. ``People need to see this art - it should be in the county museum.'' Perez's art was just part of the buzz of a two-block-long festival of arts, crafts, food and live music that continues today between 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Lankershim Boulevard between Magnolia Boulevard and Cumpston Street. The free festival, featuring music from salsa sounds to Grateful Dead- style riffs, hosts a Latin Village and attracts up to 250,000 visitors. But it was Perez's coming out that drew crowds Saturday afternoon. The Littlerock painter, whose focus still remains on the ``active gang corner'' of his youth, got so much attention he couldn't lay brush to canvas. ``This is just a small collection of my more mild works,'' said Perez, 52, a mild man with a long gray ponytail, most of whose works are not for sale. ``I exhibit these paintings to high school students to deter them from falling into a dark place,'' he said. ``It's too bad you can't see the anti- abortion, spousal abuse, drive-bys, and many, many others that are just too graphic for the public.'' No matter. The public soaked it up. ``I think it's important,'' said Maria Lopez Maria Lopez is a Cuban-American former judge and is currently a television jurist on the syndicated television show Judge Maria Lopez. Judge Lopez made legal history as the first Latina appointed to the bench in Massachusetts when she was selected as a District , 22, of North Hollywood, moved by the work. ``It kind of shocks you - to see what's realistic.'' Said Samantha Wendell, 52, an artist from North Hollywood, to an artist taken aback by the attention: ``I'm surprised you're not world famous.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos, map Photo: (1) Choreographer Joey Dowdy dow·dy adj. dow·di·er, dow·di·est 1. Lacking stylishness or neatness; shabby: a dowdy gray outfit. 2. Old-fashioned; antiquated. n. pl. performs with the dance group Latin Feet on Fire during the NoHo Theatre and Arts Festival. The festival, which features music, food and artworks, continues through today. (2) Rachel Rattner, left, and Tony Jardine of the rock band Honey Jones perform during the NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer Map: NOHO FESTIVAL |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion