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TFIE CFIOUINARD FOUNDATION

DEDICAIED TO PRESERVING ND EXPANDING THE LEGACYOF NELBERTCHOUINARD AND HER SCHOOL

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DaveTouri6 and Bob Perine on the "party lawn" of Nelbert Chouinard's South Pasadena ome.

Lastsummer,contractorand artistDaveTourj6bought a large, undown house nSouth Pasadena. n the deed appeared he original owner's name:Nelbert Chouinard.After checkingaround,he learned hat Mrs. Chouinardhad been he founding head of aterrific Los Angeles art school calledthe Chouinard Art Institute (1921-7972).nthusiasticabout his purchase,Davesetaboutrestoring hehouse o its original state.He alsobeganinvestigatingthis woman whose spirit had serendipitouslyenteredhis life. In the process,he phonedRobertPerine,author of the book CHOU/NARD:An Art VisionBetrayed.

Perine,a Chouinard graduate n 1950,becameequally excited about whateverchallengeshe discoveryof Mrs. Chouinard's ormer residencemight bring. In the pastyear, restoration of the Chouinard House has moved along well and, after severalmeetings,Tourj6 and Perine decided to resurrect and refocus Mrs. Chouinard's legacy.Independentof any other institution, the Chouinard Foundationwill be a non-profitentit/, has been establishedo preserveand expand that legacy.Possibleways to do soinclude thegranting of scholarshipso promisingyoung artists.Like the school tself, heChouinardHouse reflects he aspirationsof Mrs. Chouinardwhen shewas alive. t is anideal gatheringplace or meetings, eunions,seminars, nd small exhibitions.

Since he Foundation s in its infancy,a board of directorshas yet to be selected.Tourj6and Perine nvite all Chouinardalumni and friends o join in this effort to preserveand build on the vision of Mrs. Chouinard.

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"My part beganwhen boughta miserably ilapidated ldfarm house hat an artist named'Chouinard' nce iaed n. I commenced aking t hsbitablet'ormyselfand my family.Thegoodnews,from nn historicalstandpoint,s that the house as emained nchangedince he originalownerbuilt it in 1907.Thiswasalso he badneu)s:herewas otsof work o bedone"Beingan artist myselfI aaguely emember earingof Chouinard, ut my art school ays

hadbegun n 1979, ongafter Chouinard isappeared.any artistszuhose ork greatlyadmired(Millsrd Sheets,ohn Altoon, Robert rwin, and Billy AI Bengston) ad asrious degrees fexperiencet Chouinard, nd his spurredmy interestn learningmore. calledmy aunt, who hsdgone o art school, nd sureenough, hewasa student here n the early 1930s.Her pals ncludedMiIIard Sheets nd PhiI Dike,and she old mesome reatstories bout oadingher ModelAFordwith classmates,itching class,and hitting the beach o sketchand smoke igarettes. his wassounding ntriguing. Shedescribedhe enaironment,stChouinqrd s one built by oery crestiuepeople howereallonsedo grow and produce, ll held ogether y this tough aslonasternownns'themadam.'

"EnterRobertPerine,whose reat book old me thefull story. When told him about hehouse, eexpressedn nterest echoedymnnyof his alumnifriends)n continuing heChouinardstory by making he house art of Mrs, Chouinard'segacy, n historical andmark aailnblefromtime to time for Chouinard alumni eaents." -Dave Tourj6

"l lnnded t Chouinard hortyafter NWII andfell in loaewith the place,likemanyof my buddieson the G.l.-Bjll-ilhenJ think of thosewo locnlioas.the uildingson Seaenth treetand-GrsfldView Aae., I oiaidly recall my art struggles,my breakthroughs nd setbackshat were soappropriately nd patientlydealtwith by a dedicated unchofgrentartists Harry Diamond,BiIlMoore,PhiI Dike, RexBrandt,Don Graham, nd RichardHaines.Whenwegradustedn theearly1950swefannedout; some o New York,someo Chicago r Philadelphia,ome taying n L.A.Iremember,s rnell, hat Mrs. Chouinardwas aknaysa presence,ad an attitude, was a strongaduocatef disciplined ardwork,wasconvinceder obwqs o uratch aerour progress ndsee hatwegot a break,hat we enteredheprofessional orldprepared.

"Beforehe War heschoolwnsequally s errificand,aftermy generationeft otherbuddingartistscamen andsaton our benches,erpetuatingheschool'seputationfor another wo decsdes.Thus,fifty yearsof successfollowedhis remarknble omanwho wasway ahead f her ime.I hopethose f us who werepriaileged o partake f theChouinard xperience on't forget his seedbedwhere largepart of our skill nnd motiaationwasplantedand sprouted." *Bob Perine

"I think that f it hadn'tbeent'orMrs. Chouinard would neaerharseone o Paramount ndbecome designer,o n a way owemy careero her." -Edith Head

"Mrs. Chouinard eaeroncebacked zuayfrom thedemand f a tremendousmountof drawing,painting,and design, o matterwhnt thestudentsweregoing o do. Shewas ough. loaed erwith a passion. er whole taff eflectedhqt." -Millard Sheets

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Please complete the enclosed questionnaire and return by September 1st. Join themission to improve and enrich the arts by resurrecting the vision of Nelbert ChouinardFor further information phone Dave Tourj6 a1213-494-8760 r Bob Perine at760-436-1140.

Top: Outdoor drawing class,1936.Abozte:GrandYiew school in L. A. , 1941, he Madame's Chevy in front.

CHOUINARD HOUSE / 1114N. Garfield Ave.,SouthPasadena,CA 91030 273-494-8760 Fax 626-403-5963