Resistance Is Fertile: Do You Really Want To Know?
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Botanitas: December 8, 2010
Spotted on Mission Road aka Car Window Alley
There are way too many things to do in Los Angeles! So many in fact, I sometimes don’t end up doing anything because there’s always so much to choose from. So how to decide? With the help of Botanitas, of course!
Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!
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Stream Dream: Johnston’s Lake
Johnston’s Lake, 1888. Photo courtesy of the USC Digital Archives.
Awhile back, I was re-reading Charles J. Fisher’s book on Highland Park which is brimming with old photos of the Northeast LA area. One photo that caught my attention was of a flock of sheep gathered around a small “natural” lake in the San Rafael neighborhood just north of Highland Park. I figured it was lake that had been filled in and forgotten because if it still existed, we’d know about it, right?
By coincidence, a few days later, I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about a garden in the San Rafael neighborhood which was said to be across the street from a lake. Could this be the lake in the photo? The article provided some geographical clues and with the aid of Google maps I was able to locate the general area of the mystery body of water. Time for a visit to the San Rafael Hills!
DREAMS DEFERRED: Artist Respond to Immigration Reform
From the press release: “The Chinese American Museum (CAM) and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument are proud to present Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration Reform opening this Thursday, Dec. 9 This exhibit will showcase local artists exploring the tensions, repercussions, hopes, and dreams of immigrant communities in the face of new immigration legislation, through a broad spectrum of art including street art, graffiti art, sculpture, painting, and multimedia installations. Continue reading
Last push for the DREAM Act
I think most people know by now that I ain’t got no papers and if you didn’t,well now you do. In the past, I’ve posted a few things here and there for the DREAM Act. I do enough of that everywhere else, so that there’s no need for me to keep blasting it out on other sites I contribute to, but this is one of those few times where I dip my spoon in several cups. Just in case you haven’t heard, the DREAM Act is going to come up for a vote before the end of this week, before the lame duck session in congress finishes. So, basically what is happening is that all the Democrats that are leaving wanna stick it to the Republicans and they’re using the DREAM Act and possibly AG Jobs to do it.
Silver Lake: The National Joke
Like the rest of you, I was flipping channels this morning wondering where the hell the football game was: it wasn’t on Telemundo, nor TV Azteca, y menos on Univision. Turns out it just started (4pm) on ch. 52 a late start to the Mexican futbol championship game. I did tune in a lil’ bit to the Republica Deportiva show, which is sometimes informative but mostly stupid banter between the hosts that seem to not like each other. Today Felix made a joke about Rosana having a mustache, she didn’t find it funny.
But whatever, we are not here to comment on stupid things like tv shows. We are here to notice the t-shirt being worn in the background. It’s not an Ed Hardy nor a Hollister but the next in line for that fine trajectory of quality clothing: Silver Lake.
French Tacos
Somewhere in El Sereno a Mexican food truck that tends to the taco business goes by the name of “La Cuisine Francaise”. Hey, they have no twitter feed so that works for me. But the dog seems a lil’ bit scared, por que sera? Bon Appetit!
City Offers 96% Rent Reduction for Its Facilties
Ever wish for a bigger place? Maybe an extra room for a home office or another bedroom for guests or family members or maybe you thought about going into business for yourself and need a prime location to execute your entrepreneurial dream.
Now’s your chance! The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs in conjunction with the City Council and the Mayor is offering prime real estate for 4% of the going market rate. Yes, you can get a 16,700 square foot art gallery located at 4800 Hollywood Boulevard with new solar panels and a new freight elevator. They’ll even throw in $14,000 a year just in case you have trouble paying the $1,169 a month rent on the place. Don’t forget the utilities are included.
Resistance Is Fertile: The Blood In Her Eyes
Casa del Mexicano in foreclosure ?
While I don’t have the time to fully look into this right now, school and college apps beckon, I still figured it’s worth mentioning to everyone, as it’ll probably go main stream pretty soon as well. La Opinion has done a few stories and reports that the center is in foreclosure proceedings from a loan taken out in 2006 and failure to make payments by the directors Martha and Ruben Soriano. A group calling themselves the Committee to save the Casa del Mexicano have been in talks with Jose Huizar to get the husband and wife outed from their positions and to save the center. There’s a bunch of drama going on right now and it’s hard to say what’s really going on because even La Opinion is having a hard time making sense of it. The place has seen a lot of bad days and it’s not in the best of conditions, despite the new murals painted.
Southwest Museum Mural
Mural by Highland Park artist Daniel Cervantes.
There are many reasons to appreciate this mural on Marmion Way, under the Southwest Museum: the colors that seem to glow in the sun, the attractive graphic style and most importantly, the subject, Native people of the Americas. Northeast LA is home to many American Indians and they deserve a lot more recognition than this mural but this gorgeous piece is a good start.
And speaking of respect and recognition, it’s a shame the Southwest Museum is no longer open to the public due to the actions of The Autry Museum who took the museum over many years ago and has since shuttered this Northeast LA landmark. They have many reasons for doing so but none have convinced me. Save the Southwest Museum!
A Business Sense Walking Tour
If it’s one thing about tours, it’s that you always learn something new about something old. For example, I took a tour of Union Station last year and I found out that there’s asbestos in the curtains and that if some bird or terrorist agitated them, well needless to say it would be problematic for everyone. So, imagine what you’ll learn on this tour. Lead by Adrian Rivas of Gallery 727, walking around the men’s fashion district and neighboring areas in Downtown L.A. that go unnoticed to most of us, but a treasure cove for others.
A Business Sense Walking Tour
Tour Starts at g727 (gallery 727)
11 am – 1pm
727 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213 627 9563
g727.org
Tour led by: Adrian Rivas co-founder of g727 and downtown merchant
Please join g727 for a special tour of local merchants from downtown’s historic Fashion District presented in conjunction with the gallery’s current exhibitions Carmen Argote: Household Mutations and Santiago Borja: Fort Da/Sampler each of which incorporate questions of materials and site.
Examined in relationship to the five senses, the featured businesses represent our physical responses to the urban environment.
A round table discussion and refreshments will follow at G727
Participating businesses:
GLOBAL LINEN / sense of touch
MARCEL’S TIES / kinesthetic sense
NEW WAREHOUSE / sense of time
MIKE’S TAILOR SHOP / sense of sound
THE STORE / sense of balance and direction
UNIVERSAL PERFUMES / sense of smell
BEVERLY HILLS HOSIERY/ sense of sight