Art lovers can take a wild ride through Highland Park, Mt. Washington and Eagle Rock at the Seventh Annual Discovery Tour of Art and Oddity on Saturday, November 20, 1999. Thrills, chills, and secrets revealed await those who take the self-guided auto tour of more than 70 artists in 30 locations in the Northeast Highlands.

Featuring painters, sculptors, computer artists, photographers, print makers, neon artists, and craftspeople, the Discovery Tour highlights neighborhood artists who work in industrial spaces, garages, modest bungalows, and stately craftsman homes. Tour participants meet the artists, see how they live and work, hear what they have to say, and have a peek at the artistic process.

The Tour starts at the historic Lummis Home, 200 E. Avenue 43 at the Pasadena Freeway, where maps will be available. Artists will open their studios from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"There are so many artists on the Tour that you'd have to have incredible energy and a very fast car to see all of them," states Laurie Arroyo, President of the Collective, "but we've organized the Tour into clusters, so that even if you only have a couple of hours before the big game or later in the afternoon, you can visit a half a dozen locations. We also will have photos of work of all the artists on display, so tour goers can select the artists whose work appeals to them."

As we turn the corner on a new millennium, the 1999 Tour - Art and Oddity - closes the century in style as it celebrates the quirkiness of our neighborhood in three different ways. The Tour map will include a guide to local muffler men. Constructed from recycled auto parts, these sidewalk folkart sentinels are located at various area businesses. Muffler men from around the world are currently on exhibit at the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at UCLA - see how our neighborhood guys stack up. Second, tour goers can view Arroyo Arts Collective artists' sketches for proposed inflatables on the Lummis Home patio. Give some input as to which design should be made into a giant inflatable or suggest your own idea for an inflatable in our community. Third, visit the pop art exhibit - NO, not those Warhol soup cans - an international collection of soda and beer. Talks about the collection are scheduled during the Tour.

After discovering artists and their work and exploring neighborhood oddity, tour goers can conclude their day with a reception at the Lummis Home from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Crafts will be on sale there as well.

The cost of the Seventh Annual Discovery Tour is $8.00 in advance and $10.00 on the day of the Tour. To purchase advance tickets, send your check and a self addressed stamped envelope to: Arroyo Arts Collective, P. O. Box 50835, York Station-Highland Park, CA 90050-0835.

The Discovery Tour is organized by the Arroyo Arts Collective and co-sponsored by the Historical Society of Southern California. The Collective is a grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting all the arts throughout Northeast Los Angeles. Proceeds from the Seventh Annual Discovery Tour benefit our high school scholarship fund for local art students. For more information, call: 323/850-8566.

7th Annual Discovery Tour - Art and Oddity
Saturday, November 20
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Advance Tickets $8.00 Day of Tour Tickets $10.00
Available at Lummis Home, 200 E. Ave. 43 at the Pasadena Freeway

Photos: Irene Fertik

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