ARTCORE

Last Sunday was the opening reception of the 2019 LA Artcore 5^th Annual Juried Exhibit. The downtown Los Angeles gallery is located in one of the oldest live-works in the world. LA Artcore’s founder and Executive Director for over 40 years Lydia Takeshita recently passed. Her legacy and work continues.

From LA Artcore’s website in regards to the jurors: “Jill Moniz’s interests focus on building understanding, creativity, and inclusivity through the arts…Dr. Moniz serves as an advisor for community engagement and programming for the Getty Center and advises museums, galleries, and collectors throughout California…Allison Agsten is an arts leader best known for her innovative approach to museum organizing…Previously, as Curator of Public Engagement at the Hammer Museum, she developed a precedent-setting program devoted to creating an exchange between visitors and the museum through works of art. Prior to her time at the Hammer, Agsten was Director of Communications at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), spearheading key institutional initiatives related to accessibility…“

My artwork PEACE, clear braille on polymer, was selected. Description: Lady Justice is a symbol of impartiality in our judicial system. Standing stoically with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other, she is blindfolded representing that power, status, or money has no influence. A standard braille sign becomes repurposed by altering its function. The art serves as a marker questioning how special interests have weakened the fundamental principles of democracy. Citizens must not blindly follow but question, organize, and demand the highest standards preserving truth and justice.

A diverse yet cohesive collective was on display. Martin Runel’s Barber, Essauira, Deborah McAfee’s Balance #2, and Janet Milhomme’s Juju Market Man highlight isolation amongst a chaotic landscape. From Milhomme’s website: “Art is inherently emotional. We are drawn to a work because of how it makes us feel, and we appreciate the artist’s ability to evoke our response. An image can thrill, shock, delight or depress us. Our minds respond to images and those responses can be powerful.”

A subversive nature lingers in the elegant works of Cesar de la Cruz’s I’m Still Here, Shelley Heffler’s WeHo, and Liang Zhang’s Continental Plate 3. From Heffler’s website: “I paint topographies that lead the viewer on a path beyond maps, grids, and lines, into an unknowable geography where surface, strata, and landforms evoke a sense of an imaginary place.”

The artworks were thoughtfully curated and in harmony despite a turbulent world. LA Artcore pulls the community towards its center. It takes work to make this seamless organization succeed. Since 1979, its been a leader and continues.