The Venice Corner Ball Park

It's been raining so much lately (Finally! - more to come this weekend!) that California has greened up considerably. Returning from my walk at the beach this morning, I noticed that the little Corner Ball Park at Ocean Avenue and Venice Boulevard is really starting to look like an actual park.

Robin Murez and her Venice Public Art have been working on this project for years (there's always red tape and money involved with these kinds of things), and it's nice to see grass growing and a real area to take a break in. The mosaic balls (depicting sea weed, a Venice column, and triangles for the Silver Triangle neighborhood) are there as both decor and something to sit on. What used to be a beat down old concrete corner is now an inviting little oasis for Venice. Enjoy!

Thanks to Robin and the rain!

Now if that little market across the street would ever re-open up for biz ... !!!???

Irving Tabor On Abbot Kinney

Abbot Kinney was way ahead of his time in many ways, but probably the best was in his advocacy for his longtime chauffeur and assistant, Irving Tabor. Kinney willed his house to Tabor after his death, but the house was located on Grand Canal, and African-Americans (which Tabor was) were not permitted to live there in that backward time in the early 1900's.

Well, Tabor had that house split into three parts, hooked them up to donkey carts, and moved them to the Oakwood neighborhood, where it was all cool. It still stands at 6th and Santa Cruz, now as a Historical Cultural Monument - which in my staunch opinion, ALL of Venice should be preserved as. Think about it.

This generosity and determination exemplified Kinney, and his unique, forward thinking vision. I hate to think how he'd feel about unarmed black men being shot by Police in the town he founded. Or homeless men being shot and killed by hotel owners (or their minions). Kinney knew even way back then that we could for sure do better.

So let's.

Thank you to Robin Murez and Venice Public Art for this whimsical but necessary reminder on Abbot Kinney's Boulevard of Venice's past, and how we may live up to it.

Thoth Points The Way

Thoth is the Egyptian God of wisdom and magic. I came upon Robin Murez's version of him (Toth) in Windward Circle this morning and felt both of those things.

The wisdom of sometimes breaking rules and taking the opposite way, and of heading to the beach this last holiday weekend of Summer instead of anywhere else. The magic of lucking into another cool work by Venice Public Art, and another cool thing to see in Venice. The magic of concentrating on the good in Venice, and in the World, at a time when it's so very sorely needed.

Happy Holiday Weekend (and remember the Laborers who gave it to you!)! May it be safe, fun as hell, wise, and magical, wherever you may find yourself.

The Camels Of Venice!

The best surprises happened today. First, my hibiscus flower, Sahara Wind, rarely blooms but this morning she burst out into all her glory. I may be easily entertained, but this is exciting to me every time.

THEN, yesterday I saw that my friend, Robin Murez (of Venice Public Art fame), was out and about with her wire sculpture of the Venice camel (and friends), looking for a place to install it. The piece is in tribute to the camels that used to give people rides around town back in Abbot Kinney's heyday (circa 1905), both honoring our past and making our present more fun.

Murez asked me if I had any ideas about good spots to house this camel family, but I hadn't yet gotten back to her. I got out of the shower, walked to my closet, glanced out the window only to see the camel family was right there in front of my house! How did she know where I lived, she's never even been over? It was the most fun surprise, and already there were people stopping to take photos and glancing around wondering what this was and why it was here. Well, here you go!

I smiled all the way to the French Market, wondering seriously how Robin knew to put the camel there. I came back and rounded the corner to see Murez there with her crew, already relocating the camels to a new spot. You never know where they'll show up next! It turns out Murez had no idea where I lived, and it was total coincidence, which makes it way even better. It was nice to talk to Murez in person about the work, because when you speak directly to the artist, sometimes you learn things about the work that you might not even see on your own ... like the heart inside the beast. Another good lesson - always look within.

Murez told me that they are in need of a home, so if anyone wants in instant attraction with historical significance, you're all set. Contact Robin at www.Venicepublicart.com and adopt a camel family! Be a part of this wonderful public art movement that embodies Venice in every way.

Camels on the sidewalk! It's gonna be a great day.

Abbot Kinney Reflections

I love to wander around the neighborhood and happen upon a new work by Robin Murez. Her Venice Public Art mission is one of the best and coolest attempts to keep Venice so very special. The latest one is on Electric and San Juan Avenues, and features a portrait of Abbot Kinney with a reflecting mirror. Very cool.

Kinney dreamed up this wonderful place, and we who live here are all stewards of his vision. I wonder what he would think about artists and lower income families being pushed out of the home that they also love? The little earthquakes we've had this year may just be him rolling over in his grave.

But maybe not. Because there are still people like Murez out there thinking up - and executing - creative ways to show appreciation and love for Venice. I thank her, and all of you who keep making Venice the most interesting place ever to live. Sincerely.


*Honorable Mention - Kudos must be paid to the fantastic dame in the dark last night. My street butts right up to Abbot Kinney Boulevard and unfortunately, The Brig. Tools with big mouths come out of there and stumble to their cars parked on our street regularly, and that's ok. We live in an urban area and that's to be expected. What is NOT expected is those tools going to sit in their parked car after bar close, blasting lame music so loud with their windows down that my windows shook in their panes. Literally. That and their very poor singing along at the top of their lungs woke up the entire neighborhood.

I couldn't quite figure out where it was coming from at first, but when I looked out the window, I finally saw an older woman march out of the alley, right up to the car window and shout, "What is wrong with you?!" I couldn't make out the tirade unleashed back at her, just her repeatedly saying, "Just go home. Go home." The music turned down and she turned and headed back down her alley, There wasn't time for me to get down there, so I yelled out into the night, "THANK YOU!!!" and hoped that both the woman and the carload of little dicks heard me. The car squealed out and the driver yelled, "BITCH!!!!" at her. It reminded me exactly of the attitude in that Ariana Grande video going around, just entitled little brats that have no respect for anything.

Abbot Kinney the street has gotten too cool for its own good. People like that last night should know before they come here that we're not having it. And that woman last night was more O.G. than anything I've seen out of anyone around here in a while. Good on her. And thanks again!

A Venice Public Art Gallery

I was delighted yet again to see another public art installation in Venice by the wonderful Robin Murez and Venice Public Art. Now when you go to Another Kind Of Sunrise for a coffee or breakfast bowl, you can also sit down and create a beautiful piece of art with their supplies, and then have it be there on display for all to see your latest creation.

It's fun to sit and look at the works done by complete strangers, or be people you may see every day and have no idea the art skills they have hidden up their sleeves. It's also great to have and support a little something unique on the block that is slowly turning into everyone else's same old mall.

I'm usually racing down the boulevard with somewhere to be, but now that I know this little gallery is here for us, I'll make a point of sitting down, taking a moment, and making something that might cheer someone's day like they did mine.

The Public Art Gallery is located at Another Kind Of Sunrise:

1629 Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Down the sunny path.

Flipping Coins And Flapping Wings On Abbot Kinney

I returned back to Venice to discover two new public art pieces by Robin Murez of Venice Public Art up on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, adding to her ever-growing collection of works to honor our town's origins. My favorite has always been the Wheel Of Fortune at The Green House Smoke Shop, but these new ones are pretty great too.

If you pass by the Alternative Apparel shop, you can stop and flip the coin, just like Abbot Kinney did to win his piece of swamp land that became our beloved Venice.

The explanation part is already pretty sun-bleached or something, but you can kind of read the story of how Abbot Kinney won his land in a coin toss. He chose the swampy part, which everyone thought was lame, but he had a vision and a dream and he made Venice. So there.

A short amble up the block and you can flap the wings of the Winged Lion in front of the Roots (chain) store. The Winged Lion is a symbol of "The Republic Of Venice" (which we like to call The PEOPLE'S Republic Of Venice), and we should all pause to reflect and give a flap to acknowledge his splendor.

They tell you a little about that too, if you squint real hard. The plaque encourages you to flap the wings and "Cheer, Bravo!" So of course I did to start my this morning.

That's also exactly my cheer for these wonderful reminders, both of our past, and to preserve the specialness of wonderful Venice ... BRAVO!

There is now a MAP of the Venice Public Art pieces so that you can take yourself on a little walking tour of fun and learning. BRAVO again!

A Zoetrope On The Boulevard

As I cut through my favorite short cut on my way to Abbot Kinney, I discovered another delight from Venice Public Art had popped up seemingly overnight ... a Charlie Chaplin Zoetrope!

Venice has always been a filmmaker's dream, and Mr. Chaplin was all over it back in the day. I love finding these pieces around town, especially in a time of such gentrification (I'm so sick of that word - but it's important - and there is a meeting about it tonight at the Electric Lodge, 7-10 pm, if you're also sick of it and would like your voice heard).

When you can't walk down any street in Venice anymore without being confronted by a big, ugly, no personality box house maxing out the property line, it's all the more important to honor the past and remember what this town was meant to be ... a haven for artists and eccentrics and FUN.

Thank you to Robin Murez and Venice Public Art for continuing to share these remembrances and inspirations ...

Now, walk down Abbot Kinney and give the ol' Zoetrope a spin! Fun.

Wheel Of Fortune

What a delight to see another fun installation from Venice Public Art on the boulevard! Abbot Kinney was packed with people enjoying the sunshine this last weekend, and many of them stopped to give the new Wheel Of Fortune a spin in the front yard of The Green House Smoke Shop's Abbot Kinney location.

Keeping the spirit of fun alive in Venice is our responsibility as much as it is to fight big development and gentrification so out of control we won't recognize the place if we're not careful. So to that end, it's always a joy to see something out there just for the fun of it.

Robin Murez just installed the wheel on Saturday, and we were among the first spinners. I'm happy to report that I will enjoy a life of Passion. Of course. Lacey, no surprise, spun up some Fun.

Thank goodness for fun local businesses like the Green House, cool owners like Bunny and Sandor, and active artists like Murez for maintaining a atmosphere of whimsy and unexpected surprises.

Abbot Kinney himself would be proud of you. Other businesses and artists should take note, take part and join the FUN. Thank you. Love you.

Abbot Kinney Peep Hole

I was racing down Abbot Kinney on my way somewhere the other day, when something on the corner of Andalusia stopped me in my tracks. A metal box with "Peek!" scrawled across it.

Of course, you have to. I peeked, and was delighted to see an old-timey photo of Venice, Abbot Kinney the Man era, as a kind of 3D diorama inside.

The little plaque beneath the box explained the history, and I noted that it was done by Venice Public Art  - aka Robin Murez, formerly of Robin's Sculpture Garden on Abbot Kinney. Murez lost her eclectic space on the boulevard after 12 years (as so many of the original shops and businesses have in the great money grab/rent ruining Abbot Kinney's charm), and has re-located her studio to 2935 Main Street in Santa Monica. Somehow that doesn't seem right.

These surprises around town honoring the history of Venice are the mission of Murez and her Venice Public Art projects. From murals of Abbot Kinney and the camels he envisioned cruising around, to the labyrinth on 6th and San Juan, Murez keeps coming up with creative and fun ways to keep the legacy of Abbot Kinney and Venice alive. She sticks with it, even when some local people have her arrested for painting little blue waves on the streets that used to be canals (Give me a break. We NEED more fun and originality around!). Store owners (or creative/anarchist artists that want to help!) that have spaces for sculptures or paintings (or who knows what could happen!) can contact Murez at www.venicepublicart.com.

Take a peek when you're strolling down the boulevard next time. Better yet, surprise people yourself! It's way more fun around here when that kind of thing happens.