www.veniceartscouncil.org

2004  Venice Arts Council founded
2005  Venice People’s Centennial Celebrations(a series of 11events):
         Ulan Bator Foundation Concert of Mongolian Music
         Venice Artists About Venice Art Exhibit
         Divas of Venice:
               Judy Baca – “Que Viva Diva” professor, muralist, and co-founder of SPARC 
               Donna Deitch – filmmaker and co-founder of SPARC
               Maureen Cotter – “Deviant Diva”, writer
               Carol Fondiller – Venice activists, writer and a founding member of The Free Venice Beachhead
               Suzy Williams – “Diva Deluxe” Venice songbird
               Linda Albertano – Venice poet, featured on Venice Beach Poetry Walls
               Bridget Graham – Singer, Adaawe African Women’s Ensemble
               Jodie Evans – “Political Diva”, co-founder of Code Pink.
          Posters of Peace Press Exhibit
 

Jaya Mural Saga 1975-2008
By Emily Winters and maryjane

    In March 1974, Judy Baca of the City Wide Mural Project approached Jaya (Sanskrit for non-violent Revolution/peace/victory), an active, uppity Women Artists Collective, to create a mural about the Venice Canals community and its struggle to survive the intrusion of profiteers. Open public tedious meetings and hearings for this mural were held over a period of fifteen months.  This included gathering permission from the building owner, the community and their input for the mural visuals.  Jaya member, Emily Winters, volunteered to facilitate their ideas into actual design.

Longtime Venice Activist Dennis Hathaway is a key player in the fight against billboard blight.  We salute you!
The company charged with criminal violations for putting up a supergraphic in West L.A. is seeking a court order holding the city in contempt.
Read about it at http://banbillboardblight.org/?p=1383#more-1383
 

Murals Continue to be Outlawed by Newly Proposed Sign Ordinance in City of L.A.
The City of Los Angeles Planning Department has proposed a new sign ordinance. This ordinance is meant to address the unwanted proliferations of signs in the City of Los Angeles, but it has dramatic effects on murals. The proposed ordinance severely limits the size, scope and placement of murals of any kind. There is currently a moratorium against any signs or murals being erected on private property in the City of Los Angeles. In fact, murals on private property in the City of LA have been banned since June of 2007. The Planning Department believes murals have actually been outlawed since the year 2002. If this proposal passes as presented, it will severely limit any type of mural work on private property for many years to come.

The Endangered Species Mural after restoration by In Creative Unity Nice Job! Hi-res on clickthru-allsizes. Photo by ICUART

The Endangered Species Mural was tagged on the weekend of 2/15/09.  Our Endangered Art Fund has restored two Murals in Venice. The Jaya Mural at Venice Boulevard and Dell, and the Endangered Species Mural on Ocean Front Walk. Constant vigilence is required to discourage and remove grafitti taggers. Of course we are livid about this, as are all muralists.  On the side of Danny's Deli, Rick Kronk paints out the grafitti at the bottom of his mural over and over and has in the process obscured his own mural. We hear that cops keep databases of the taggers styles, and can tie them to individuals. I have been to teen court and seen how they hold the parents accountable and require improved grades and strict curfews, as an alternative to Juvenile Jail, to kids busted for tagging. We are strong advocates of youth diversion programs, but we are worried about them in the current government budget disasters.    You can make a difference by helping to support the youth programs of our community.