INDIE MUSIC

STREET ART

GREAT BREWS

GOOD FOOD

DOG-FRIENDLY

• Livepaintingand wheatpastingbyThe SiteUnsceneartists Lebaand2wenty• Beergardenwithspecialty Germanbrewssuchas Weihenstephaner Dunkelweizen,Spaten Pils,andSchneiderWeisse Hefe-Weizenbier; localhandcraftedbeers byAngelCityBrewing; andHornsby’sHardCider• I&ISoundSystemwith AurelitoandShakespeare• Unexpectedsurprisesand guestperformances JoinusforajoyfulcelebrationthatembodiesthecreativeenergyoftheDowntownArtsDistrictandthespiritofcommunityserviceasdemonstratedbyBloomfestLA’snamesake,JoelBloom.

Tolearnmore,visitwww.bloomfestla.com.

Whatbeganasaneighborhoodmemorialhasgrownintothisyear’smostanticipatedmusiceventofthesummerinLosAngeles.Withitsstellarline-upofindiebandsandmorethan50arts&craftsvendorsshowcasedbyabackdropofvibrantstreetart,BloomfestLAshowcases“allthingsa’Bloomin’”intheDowntownArtsDistrict.

Highlightsthisyearinclude:• StreetarttoursbyL.A. Freewallsmuralproject• Bloom’sGalleryinstallation withaphotoexhibitionand amemorialwall• Storygatheringoflocal residentsandattendees• Satelliteversionofthe AmericanApparelFactory FleaMarket• Dogkissingcontestby Pussy&Pooch

JoelBloompassedawayonJuly13,2007.Hewasaplaywright,aveteranofChicago’sSecondCity,adevotedWhiteSoxfan,andacommunityactivistwhoworkedtirelesslyonbehalfofhisbeleagueredLosAngelesneighborhood,theDown-townArtsDistrict.

BloomwasanenergeticandcolorfulambassadorfortheArtsDistricttothecityatlarge.Hispersistenteffortsonbehalfoftheneighborhoodbroughtbusservice,streetlighting,andanenhancedperceptionoftheArtsDistrictasatruecreativecommunitythathasmadesignificantcontributionstotheculturalecologyofLosAngeles.

“We’vealwaysbeendis-missedasthatindustrialareaeastofdowntown,”BloomtoldTheLosAngelesTimesin1997.“Well,we’remorethan

that.There’sahearthere.Andasoul.”

ThecornerofTractionAve.andHewittSt.,whereBloompresidedoverhiscrammedgeneralstore,becametheheartofthecommunitywhereBloomwasknowntogreetcustomersbybellow-ing,“Whaddayawant?”ThatblockofTractionAve.isnowofficiallydesignated“JoelBloomSquare.”

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and introduced Angelenos to such groups as Pearl Jam. The Wolfskill Theater was a pioneering theatrical troupe whose veterans have spread throughout the L.A. theater community. Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) created pioneering post-modern exhibitions. Bedlam created one of the most successful and long-lived salons on the Left Coast, featuring drawing workshops, art installations, theater, live music, and a much-celebrated speakeasy. Dangerous Curve offered exhibitions of artists whose work was often difficult to categorize. The Spanish Kitchen was home to happenings and exhibitions. Cornerstone Theater Company is a nationally celebrated enterprise that brings community performances to locations all around the country. Art Share Los Angeles offers lessons in art, dance, theater and music to urban youth and features a small theater often used by Padua Playwrights, the latter of which regularly stages groundbreaking plays and hosts workshops that continue to nurture and new talent. The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)

cultivated the myth of utopian California.

The Santa Fe freight depots and warehouses created to serve the citrus industry’s shipping needs are responsible for the architectural flavor of the Arts District today. After World War II, the citrus groves were replaced by factories, and the area took on an industrial character that was already fraying around the edges.

In the 1960s-1970s, artists saw opportunity in the empty warehouses and began colonizing the area, renting space for as little as a nickel per sq. ft. and carving out studios and living quarters. The City of Los Angeles eventually acknowledged the reality of the situation and in 1981, passed the Artist-in-Residence Ordinance, allowing artists to legally live and work in the Downtown Arts District.

Art galleries, cafes, and performance venues opened as the population grew, and although several were transient phenomena, many assumed mythical status. Al’s Bar served up groundbreaking punk rock

Vignes Street winds through the northern edge of the Downtown Arts District, parallel to the broad cement trench that memorializes the Los Angeles River. It is named for Jean-Louis Vignes who arrived in Los Angeles in 1831 and planted grapes on 104 acres. Hardy Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc vines imported from the south of France thrived and by 1849, the Vignes vineyard was California’s largest wine producer.

By the late 19th century, oranges and grapefruit had replaced the grapevines and the property west of the riverbank was thick with the Wolfskill citrus groves. There, D.W. Griffith filmed parts of Hollywood’s first feature-length film, In Old California, in 1909. Today, the Downtown Arts District is one of the most filmed locations in the world, hosting as many as 800 filming days a year.

Somewhere near 3rd St. and Alameda, the area’s first arts enterprise was born -- a print shop that designed colorful labels for shipping boxes of citrus fruit across the country. The idealized images of Southern California landscapes

History of the Downtown Arts Districtnow occupies the 110-year-old, quarter-mile-long former railway freight depot along Santa Fe -- its reputation as an experimental, anti-establishment school of architecture is a perfect fit with the community’s somewhat rebellious self-image and its student population is helping to preserve the area’s youthful character.

Many challenges face the Arts District today, not least of which is the loss of inexpensive lofts by artists to developers who have converted former loft and studio buildings into condos. Community leaders are struggling to balance the economic opportunities offered by gentrification with the need to preserve the essential tone and character of the Arts District as a true creative community. Early in the new century, the internationally acclaimed Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein moved into the Arts District. When he was asked why he chose to live and work here he said, “Because this is the image capital of the world.” ~ Jonathan Jerald

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LARABA board members also created a separate arts entity called the Downtown Arts District Association (DADA), which mounted art exhibitions and organized cultural events designed to establish Downtown Los Angeles as a vigorous and vital center of artistic activity. In 2004, LARABA board members founded the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District (LADAD) Space, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is developing a community art center.

More recently, past-president Tim Keating organized a community planning charrette that created a document, Uncommon Ground, which set out conceptual goals for future development in the community. Keating also organized a planting program that has added more than 100 new trees along community streets. LARABA also created

the community dog park and supports a host of new initiatives (such as the L.A. Freewalls mural project) that preserves and promotes the neighborhood as a true Arts District.

LARABA’s current president, Joseph Pitruzzelli (who owns the popular sausage-and-beer eatery, Wurstküche) has reinvigorated the organization by expanding the board with a broader spectrum of stakeholders, including property owners, business owners, artists, and residents. All continue to work together with elected officials and city agencies to make the Downtown Arts District an intriguing place to visit and the best place to live and die in L.A. ~Jonathan Jerald

to improve lighting, repair streets, and bring in DASH service. LARABA organized street cleaning and created one of the first and the longest surviving neighborhood watch walks in the city (it still meets every Wednesday evening at 6:30 at the corner of Traction and Hewitt).

A decade ago, LARABA board member Joel Bloom organized a massive effort to block construction of a huge LAUSD food storage and preparation facility on the property adjacent to SCI-Arc. Bloom also worked with city agencies to officially identify the community as the Arts District. In 2005, board members waged a successful campaign to keep the new LAPD headquarters building off the Mangrove site next to the Metro Gold Line station at 1st and Alameda.

The Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association (LARABA) was created as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization in 1991. The acronym “LaRaBa” was created as an assonance by Drew Lesso, LARABA’s first president, prior to the first organizing meeting. Note the “Artists” came first in the title. On the art side, besides Lesso, were Jon Peterson, Michael Tansey, Joel Bloom, and “TK” Nagano. The business side included Norm Solomon, Al Taira, and former Los Angeles City Councilman, Art Snyder. ~ Thomas “TK” Nagano

Early on, LARABA established itself as an effective and feisty advocate for preserving the character of downtown’s quirkiest community by keeping massive CRA plans at bay, squelching a DWP sewage reclamation plant, and prodding city agencies

LARABA - Then and Now

LOS ANGELES RIVER ARTISTS & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

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BloomfestLA t-shirts and posters are available for sale at the Info Booths and Traction & Hewitt General Store at 716 Traction Ave. Proceeds benefit neighborhood beautification projects and the dog park in the Downtown Arts District.

STREET ART TOURS @ 2 PM • 4 PM • 6 PMJoin L.A. Freewalls curator Daniel Lahoda at The Pablove Foundation booth near Rose & Traction. Suggested

$10 donation per person benefits The Pablove Foundation, fighting childhood cancer with love. Visit www.pablove.org and www.jetsetgraffiti.com.

Socialize with us at

BloomfestLAwww.BloomfestLA.com

Ten years ago, while working behind the counter of Bloom’s General Store, artist and American Hotel resident Toni Wells began asking local patrons if she could shoot their portraits against the iconic red brick storefront.

Taken quickly in an unadorned snapshot style, her images flatter their subjects with the allure of blood-red vibrancy and a corresponding duality

of dingy honesty. They provide a glimpse of some of the locals who have been part of this L.A. neighborhood and are a link to the early days of the Arts District. The exhibit offers today’s residents a poignant group portrait of a small part of the previous generation. Curated by Gary Callahan. Made possible by SCI-Arc Art & Architecture Supply Store. Presented by Melissa Richardson Banks. On view near Traction & Hewitt General Store during BloomfestLA only.

Outdoor Street Party JamProject Butterfly and HiDef Entertainment present I&I Sound System hosted by Aurelito & Shakespeare with Umoja Hi-Fi Soundsystem DJs Jun, Culture D, Destroyer & Daz plus special guest performances by Olu, belly dancers, and more. At Angel City Brewing during BloomfestLA only.

Street Brewed: Contemporary Street ArtOver 25 internationally known artists -- many included in MOCAs current Art in the Streets are premiering original works produced on 10’x12’ wood panels in this inaugural presentation of Angel City Brewing’s new Downtown Los Angeles art space. On view at Angel City Brewing through August 14.

Stage

Exhibits + Music Bloom’s SeriesPortraits of the General Store by Toni Wells

Selected for their extraordinary artistic merit and their significant contributions to the community, five local artists -- Lili Lakich, Andre Miripolsky, Robert Reynolds, Rick Robinson, and Michael Salerno -- have works on display. On view at Art Share Los Angeles through August 4 at 801 E. 4th Pl.www.artsharela.org

Burning Man Portraitsby Owen A. KellyNearly 40 large-format b/w photographic prints taken in a nomadic studio at Black Rock Desert, Nevada during Burning Man events from 2008 to 2010. On view at Angel City Brewing through August 14.

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2:00 PM Art Share Los Angeles

2:30 PM Community Remarks

2:45 PM Raul Pacheco & The Little Bastards

3:30 PM Hello Vegas

4:15 PM Bullet & Snowfox

5:00 PM Love Grenades

5:45 PM Chicano Batman

6:15 PM KCRW DJ Mario Cotto

6:45 PM Eastern Conference Champions

7:30 PM KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez

8:00 PM Voxhaul Broadcast

8:45 PM KCRW DJ Raul Campos

9:15 PM Grouplove

Raul Pacheco &The Little Bastards

Eastern Conference Champions

Chicano Batman

Grouplove

Love Grenades

Bullet & Snowfox

Voxhaul Broadcast

Hello Vegas

FREE medium cup of our Arts District Roast with any purchase during

the 2011 BloomfestLA

SHARE YOUR L.A. STORIES!The Studio for Southern California History is collecting stories from Downtown Arts District residents and festival attendees during BloomfestLA. The Studio is a nonprofit resource center dedicated to critically chronicling and disseminating the region’s social history in order to foster sense of place. To learn more, visit www.socalstudio.org.

AMERICAN APPAREL FACTORY FLEA MARKETGet your favorite styles for men, women, and kids at up to 80% off the retail price! This satellite version of the hugely popular American Apparel Factory Flea Markets will surely have thousands of your favorite garments on hand, and will be restocked throughout the day. During BloomfestLA only at 3rd near Alameda.

PUSSY & POOCH KISSING CONTESTDuring the festival, bring your leashed dog and visit the Pussy & Pooch booth near Traction & Hewitt for free treats. Be sure to spin the Prize Wheel for immediate gifts, and enter the “Best Kisser” contest! It’s easy -- sign up and get your dog videotaped licking your face (or kissing!). Notified after BloomfestLA, one winner will selected to receive three gift cards: one free grooming session, one free Pawbar meal, and a store discount coupon. www.pussyandpooch.com

TRACTION & HEWITT GENERAL STORE Buy official BloomfestLA posters, t-shirts, and water at Traction & Hewitt General Store during the festival, and owners Vivian Um and Arsen Khachatrian will donate proceeds back to the community for neighborhood beautification projects and the dog park. Stop by for these and other everyday and specialty items sold at 716 Traction Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90013; (213) 281-7603; www.tractionandhewitt.com.

Other Happenings During BloomfestLA

Cabrini Schnyder heads up NOLA’s Taste of New Orleans, a new supper club that offers down-home jazz music, Creole cooking, and Sunday brunch with live bands. It’s the latest eatery at Ha’s Corner in the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District.

Well-known as a downtown resident and tireless promoter, Cabrini dug deep into her New Orleans family roots to create NOLA’s. The authentic creole cuisine is accompanied by some of the best local jazz musicians.

The spacious, organic, historic site is cool and airy with open high ceilings and a covered back patio. It has a stage (built with support from SCI-Arc down the street) and a baby grand piano.

Nawlins-style buffet brunches with free-flowing champagne on Sunday start the week. Traditional “Red Beans and Rice Mondays” and “Catfish Fridays” follow. Classic favorites include Jambalaya, gumbo, fish, fried chicken, shrimp and crawfish etoufee, muffelettas, and po’boy sandwiches, and beignets.

A long-time chef, Cabrini gently infuses the best of local ingredients into the dishes at NOLA’s, just as Louisiana Creole cuisine gradually blended the best of French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian Indian, Native American and African influences. Edrick Ocampo heads up the kitchen under her direction.

Refined Creole cuisine bows to the Holy Trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery while the more rustic Cajun was brought from the Acadian countryside. Both use rice and beans influenced by Spanish, Portuguese, and Canarian cuisines with peppers and citrus marinades.Cabrini grew up in the best that New Orleans had to offer in nightclubs,

developed by her father, Milton, unusually located in the Seventh Ward. Her mother was born in New Iberia, home of

Tabasco.

It feels right that New Orleans boasts of having the first nightclub in the United States – The Cave. Cabrini’s childhood backyard “A Touch of Class” in fact, was a restaurant and nightclub complex created by her self-made millionaire father. The four-story venue grew to include a bar, lounge, cigar room and whisky tasting area. Outside was a spa sheltered by netting and near a pool flanked by an

oyster bar, saunas, and workout area. The Schnyder family dreams big.

NOLA’s Taste of New Orleans is a culmination of Cabrini’s childhood memories and the expertise she developed in Los Angeles. Westsiders know her from Cabrini’s Alley (La Brea & Third) where she packed a wallop with food and entertainment. Downtown residents know her, with co-owner Karen Martin, at The Lofty Dog Academy, the

original, award-winning daycare and grooming service with Cabrini’s own spin of Friday afternoon “yappy hours” with live music and drinks for pet owners (the building in which it was housed was sold).

Always the community booster and “take-charge” happy lady, Cabrini was created the Rebuild Historical New Orleans Fund to get victims of Hurricane Katrina back on their feet when she was the owner of Cabrini’s Jazz Alley mid-town.

High-energy third generation restaurateur Jason Ha created Ha’s Corner, home of Zip Fusion Sushi and K-Town BBQ in addition to NOLA’s Taste of New Orleans.

Growing up in the famous historic southern seaside town of Chung-Moo, Jason’s parents introduced him (and four sisters) to a variety of seafood and fish. His mother taught him the importance of how healthy food tastes and how it is presented, especially the culinary riches from their Korean peninsula home. As an owner of nine family-owned restaurants, Jason’s father gave him first hand experience with international cuisine.

Arriving in the United States at the age of 18, knowing no English, Ha completed a college degree. His entrepreneurial spirit took him first

to the import-export world, then high fashion. Eventually his love of food brought him back into the restaurant business. In 2002, Jason opened the first Zip Fusion in the Downtown Arts District. Then by popular demand, he opened four more locations with partners in Southern California.

Ha’s vision and focus as an innovative menu designer has earned

him acclaim. The Downtown Los Angeles community honored Jason as a “Mover and Shaker” in 2004, acknowledging his capability to “take a dark spot in downtown and make it bright.”

734 E. 3rd St. (Downtown Arts District)Los Angeles, CA 90013(213) 680-3003 • www.nolasla.com

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Joel Bloom + Bloom’s General Store

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SPECIAL THANKS to everyone who knew, loved or honors Joel Bloom, including, but not limited to, the following individuals (alpha order): Andy Amaya, Angie An, Rebecca Balin, Alena Barrios, Christine Bernal, Summer Bernal, Dilip K. Bhavnani, Michael Bowe, Qathryn Brehm, Michael Burke, Gary Callahan, Dante Colombatti, Eva Crawford, Dabs Myla, Terry Ellsworth, Michael Ford, Kelley Frances, Christopher Fudurich, Ed Fuentes, Meggy Garol, Ashley Gibbons, Christine Hale, Sean Hurdle,Councilmember Jose Huizar, How & Nosm, Jonathan Jerald, J.B. Jones, Eva Juneau, Tim Keating, Arsen Khachatrian, Raquel King, Jennifer Lafferty, Daniel Lahoda, Lili Lakich, Gary Leonard, Drew Lesso, Danielle Lew, Leo Limon, Estela Lopez,Jay Lopez, Rachel Lyons, Paul Mackley, Ted Meyer, D Miller, Danielle Miskill, Patricia R. Mitchell, Valerie Mitchell, Alberto Miyares, Alexandra Mora, Lilli Muller, Thomas “TK” Nagano, Raymond Y. Newton, Martha de Perez, Councilmember Jan Perry,Joseph Pitruzzelli, Julie Rasmussen, Melissa Richardson Banks, Jack Richter, Rick Robinson, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, John Saslow, Cabrini Schnyder, Sharon Sekhon, Kim Sharp, Surjit P. Soni, Emily Straubel, Shaun Thyne, Beth Topping, Vivian Um, Edgar Varela, Hannah Waggett, Dana Wald, Mark Walsh, Kris Warner, Tyler Wilson, LARABA board members, BloomfestLA volunteers, and countless others.