First Friday, Saturday & Muscle Beach Photos from Memorial Day | Events for 1st Week of June!

Lori, Winner of Muscle Beach Women's  Body Building Competition  2011
Photo: Janet Gervers

Every Memorial Day, there is an action packed and muscle packed event at Muscle Beach! The famous Venice Beach Body Building Competition starts at 1pm. Even if you're not into body building this is a really cool and fun event - how often do you get to see something like this? It's  FREE.


There are bleachers where the body building competition is held and behind it on the Boardwalk side is the Muscle Beach outdoor gym, where you can take a peek, rather get an eye full of body builders. There are also booths around the area as well. Fun for the whole family! Photos above and on the right are  just posted from the competition TODAY - on upper right is Lori, Winner of Women's Body Building Heavyweight Division, 2011 and below that,  one of the male body builders in the pit with Edizen from Venice Paparrazi. See Edizen's VP website for other Venice events. All photos by  your Venice Blogger Extraordinaire, Janet Gervers.

The shortlist of events for the rest of the week to start off the month of June with more details coming soon:

Fun Filled FREE Events the First Week of June! Music, Art, 1st Fridays!

Wednesday: Miss Jessica at Danny's Venice aka Danny's Deli 7-10pm Free! 23 Windward Ave. by the beach. Get happy at Happy hour 4-7 and get funky for some groovin' tunes!

Thursday:  Relighting of SPONTO sign at Beyond Baroque plus Bloomfest 6:30 - 11pm, Opening at LA Louver 6-8pm CLICK FOR DETAILS

Friday: 1st Friday on Abbot Kinney
Smartvark street team launch party at corner of Abbot Kinney and Milwood in front of G2 Gallery for special neighborhood coupon deals. Also, check out G2 Gallery Opening ($5 cost donated to non-profits), Zingara in the back porch, Bohemian Exchange for great clothes, opening at Altered States Gallery and Robin's Sculpture Garden.

Saturday: After! Art Walk
11am - 5pm at Venice Family Clinic's Irma Colen Admin. Building 622 Rose Ave (next to clinic). Buy art from Art Walk at first bid pricing! Food and Drinks courtesy of Gelson's, Free raffle with signed posters from famous Venice Artist's including the Ed's (both Moses and Ruscha.) Proceeds benefit the Venice Family Clinic.

Got an event? Email us!

Venice Art Walk This Weekend! Venice Art Crawl Thursday!

 There is a real treasure trove of art in Venice starting on Thursday, May 19 with Venice Art Crawl and Friday - Sunday, May 20-22 with Venice Art Walk.  Since we've covered Art Crawl numerous times, a monthly event on the third Thursday,  coverage for Art Walk will be first, followed by Art Crawl.

Venice Art Walk
Friday- Sunday, May 20-22 

Art by Ed Ruscha Jr.

WHAT: The Venice Art Walk is the best way to experience all that is great about this legendary beach community. The Art Walk provides rare opportunities to go behind the scenes—exploring artists’ studios and private residences that are not otherwise open to the public. A desti­nation to meet and interact with cultural tastemakers, it offers visitors the chance to bring home their own work of art by renowned emerg ing and established contemporary artists and designers at one of the Art Walk’s signature Silent Auctions and other artful living emporiums. All events benefit Venice Family Clinic.

·        ART WALK STUDIO TOURS: See where art is made. Since it began, Venice has been home to some of the world’s leading artists. For just this one day a year, some of the community’s most exciting creative minds allow us a glimpse inside their world.  Ticket price: $50. For details visit: http://theveniceartwalk.org/venice-artists-studio-tour

·        SILENT AUCTIONS: More than 400 artists have donated sculpture, fine art, and ceramics, transforming Westminster School into the area’s biggest art gallery. Take home a piece of Venice art – and support free health care for people in the community.  Artists who have donated their work include Kim Abeles, Peter Alexander, Tony Berlant, Laddie John Dill, Joe Goode, Kim McCarty, Judy Stabile, and Tom Wudl. Entrance to the silent auction is FREE! For a complete list of artists in the auction: http://theveniceartwalk.org/silent-auction

In addition to the artists included in the silent auction, members of the community have stepped up to support the Clinic and create events that showcase contemporary popular culture. Among the new features of Art Walk 2011 are:

·        ART WITHIN REACH: Own a piece of the future at a price point anyone can afford! This new addition showcases limited editions by fifteen internationally recognized and emerging artists never before featured in the Art Walk. Visit http://theveniceartwalk.org/art-within-reach
·       ART WALK SKATE SURF: one night only, Friday May 20: Kicking off the Venice Art Walk weekend is a skate and surfboard auc tion featuring artist-designed skate decks and specially-shaped boards by more than 60 artists. FREE. Visit http://theveniceartwalk.org/art-walk-skate-surf
·        ARCHITECTURE TOURS:  Designed to give guests an opportunity to explore important architectural gems in Venice and the Westside of Los Angeles, ticket holders will be given privileged access to private residences and gardens designed by some of the city’s most renowned architects and landscape designers. Visit http://theveniceartwalk.org/tours.

More information on the Artists, Auctions, Architecture Tours, Event Schedule and Tickets can be found at: http://theveniceartwalk.org/

The Art Walk Studio Tours and signature Silent Auctions are complemented by the Community Fair on the green at Westminster School. There you will find the Art Within Reach Pop Up gallery, Artful Living (a select auction of items for the home), music, great food, and more. Admission is FREE!

WHERE:         Westminster School, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice

WHEN:            Venice Art Walk & Auctions will be held on Sunday, May 22 (10am–6pm)
                        Architecture Tours will be held on Saturday, May 21 (11am-4pm) and Sunday, May 22 (11am–2pm)
                        Art Walk Skate Surf auction will be held Friday, May 20 (6–10pm)
 
For full calendar of events please visit: http://theveniceartwalk.org/calendar


Venice Art Crawl
Thursday, May 19

Art by Brian Mylius

The Art Crawl features local art  displayed at hotels, galleries, stores, private residences and other venues. Generally the venues sprout off the boardwalk between Venice Boulevard and Rose Avenue. While the official start time is 6 p.m. most events start around 7 p.m, but that's Venice time, so it could be later... For those who knew Sponto, this monthly event would make him proud!

Starting at the south end of the Boardwalk, Canal Club and James Beach will both have backroom shows. Hotel Erwin will have art both outdoors and on the fifth floor.

On Westminster, catch the Bordello with paintings by Brian Mylius, which is not to be missed! (Just look for a house with gargoyles.) Figtree's Cafe at Paloma Avenue will have art inside and music outside, while Cadillac Hotel at Dudley Avenue (where Sponto Gallery was for many years at & Dudley) features art indoors.

The Circus comes to Robin's Sculpture Garden this Weekend, Venice Art Walk Coming soon!

Wow, the Circus comes to Venice! 

Sometimes Venice seems like a circus, however, this is the real thing! Robin's Sculpture Garden is hosting the event starting this weekend, Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15, plus a few weekends in June. It's an aerial circus, which sounds pretty cool,  in a lush garden setting with the large scale sculpture by Artist Robin Murez. (See our feature below on 1st Friday.)

Zircon & Wish Aerial Circus
performs "Alice's Wonderland"



Robin's Sculpture Garden
a magical outdoor space

1632 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291

Buy Tickets: 310 923-5965 http://venicecircus.com
General Admission: $25

Venice Art Walk  May 21, 22 & 23

Venice is Art—a magical place where, on one weekend a year, artists open their studios, architects open their homes, and art lovers gather at one of the area’s largest silent art auctions, all to raise money to provide free, quality health care for people in need.

This annual event benefits the Venice Family Clinic, providing free healthcare to thousands of people each year. It's fun and fabulous with many art related activities for the whole family! From the studio tours ( my fave) to architectural tours of Venice homes and  a festival -what a way to celebrate, enjoy art and support a worthy cause.

The Art Walk Studio Tour is on Sunday, May 22, 11am-4pm and features many talented artists in Venice such as: Laddie John Dill, Jean Edelstein, Lynn Hanson, Kenny Harris, Judy Stabile and v to name a few. This, in addition to Special Exhibits and galleries. Also on Sunday is the free Festival with  a great musical lineup with live music from local bands, dj's, food as you stroll through design and art auctions. Don't forget the art auctions- it's free to  check it out, however, you can bid on pieces of original art at affordable prices.

The central pace  to buy tickets, festival auction:
Westminster School, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice
Sunday, May 22, 11am - 4pm
More info: http://theveniceartwalk.org

Celebrate with Cinco de Mayo Thursday, 1st Friday, Art Opening Saturday! Happy Hours too!

Start the weekend early since  it's Cinco de Mayo on Thursday!  It's an all out festive party at Baja cantina starting at 11 until close.  There's a  large outdoor patio (with heatlamps) and lots of cerveza and margaritas! They have happy hour drink and food specials from 4-6/7; check with your server for details... 311 Washington Blvd. ( steps from the canals)

Speaking of Happy Hour, check out these  fabulous Venice hangouts for specials on food and drinks:

Figtree's Cafe -  right on the boardwalk, 2 blocks south of Rose Ave., known for their delish and healthy cuisine; from 4pm til close Happy Hour starts here! $4 sangria and wine and $3 beers plus food specials. The sangria is tasty and refreshing! This is also a  great place for  live music and art on the 3rd Thursday of the month for the Venice art Crawl from  approximately 7-11pm. PS - now you can also order their food online with free delivery!

Danny's Venice - steps from the boardwalk on Windward Ave. Happy Hour drink specials from 4-7 on beer and wine, plus appetizers while you enjoy  a Laker's game on the flat screen tv's or enjoy the live music on weed, fri and sat. nights absolutely free! You will be treated to the sultry sounds of songstress Suzy Williams on the 2nd Wednesday each month, with up and coming Suzy protege, Miss Jessica and the Sugar Shack Attack on the first Wednesday!

Canal Club -  a longtime Venice fave known for their sushi happy hour from 4-7 featuring  sushi and Japanese/Mexican fusion dishes for $4 on the average; i  like the spicy tuna!  $5 drink specials on the mini mojito (be careful, they pack a punch!) and house margaritas right on Venice Blvd., the block at the beach.

First Friday / 1st Friday continues this wave of festivity!  The fpocus for this month is at the south end of  Abbot Kinney, just west of Venice Blvd. (See previous posts for addresses and other spots to check out.) Zingara and Robin's Sculpture Garden are  2  spots where locals go to  for thisf ree monthly event. Robin's really is a wonderful garden featuring the sculptures of local artist, Robin Murez, while Zingara has women's and kids clothing, jewelry and accessories.

Check out the back patio for some 'mores  and good company; it's a family friendly place. Secret- sale on Saturday! Stop to eat healthy and delicious  food at Lemonade, at the corner of Venice. The seared ahi is amazing; you can order that with one of their many fresh salads and of course, a lemonade. They even have a watermelon lemonade. yummy and reasonably priced!

Saturday brings an art opening at new art gallery, Marine Contemporary on 1733 Abbot Kinney, just south of Venice Blvd. from 6-9pm with an art collective from Glasgow, Scotland.

Got an event or happy hour specials you want  us to blog about? Send an email with details  and it will be considered... WANT YOUR BUSINESS TO BE SEEN BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EACH MONTH? THIS IS A PAGE 1 GOOGLE BLOG, with a unique advertising opportunity to attract people to your business.  Send an email for details!