November-December 1997 Volume 8, No.6

The L. A. Art Scene Started Here

One hundred years ago artists painted our light suffused landscape in impressionist strokes and fine craftsmen gathered at the Los Angeles College of Fine Arts (now the Judson Stained Glass Studios) to form a collective of like minded individuals. The Arroyo area of Northeast Los Angeles was the first artists' colony and the city's first cultural center.

Today the spiritual descendants of these turn-of-the-century artists continue to paint the surrounding landscape and craft beautiful items in metal, glass, ceramic and wood. Some have taken up the tools of the new millennium and use computers, neon, and video as their media. Generally, these artists work in the privacy of their studios, but once a year they open their doors to share their work with visitors.

This year artists will open their homes and studios on the weekend before Thanksgiving to celebrate the centennial of the Judson Stained Studios and the Fifth Annual Discovery Tour. The Arroyo Arts Collective, the Historical Society of Southern California and the Highland Park Heritage Trust will co-sponsor this self guided auto tour of art and architecture in the Northeast Highlands.

The Fifth Annual Discovery Tour will take place Saturday, November 22 and Sunday, November 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday's tour covers Highland Park and Eagle Rock. Sunday's tour covers the Mt. Washington area. Over fifty area artists, working in diverse media and techniques will open their homes and studios to the public.

Linking the past with the present, the Heritage Trust will provide docents in homes and buildings of architectural and historic significance in the neighborhood. Featured this year will be tours of the Judson Studios and Lummis Home, and also the Hiner House where John Philips Sousa composed some of his marches, the Wachtell Studio, home of California Impressionist painters, Elmer and Marion Wachtell, the Hathaway residence for children -- now a community family service agency, the newly restored Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center in the former library. In addition, many of the artists on the tour live and work in craftsman houses which date from the early 1900s.

Each day will end with a reception for tour goers. Saturday, the reception will be held at the Judson Studios and will honor their one hundred year committment to the arts and the redesignation of the historic Garvanza district of Highland Park where Judson Studios are located. Sunday's tour ends with a public reception for all the artists on the tour at the Lummis Home. Local craftspeople will be selling their works at these two locations.

The Fifth Annual Discovery Tour kicks off with a gala preview party to view samples of the artist's work and photos of the architectural locations on Saturday, November 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Random Gallery, 6040 N. Figueroa in Highland Park. Tickets can be purchased at the party. Advance pre-paid tickets are $7.50 for one day and $10.00 for two days. On the day of the tour, tickets will be $10 for one day and $15 for two days. Tickets and maps will be available on tour days from Random Gallery. For information, contact Kate Burroughs: 213/550-8000.

Discovery Tour