PRESS RELEASE: FACES OF SKID ROW



PRESS RELEASE
September/27/2010

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Luna George
818.235.4598
luna@crewest.com


“We have homeless women, men, children, the young and the elderly, roaming the streets in Downtown Los Angeles without a home or shelter for the night or a cot to sleep in. Food is scarce and hard to come by to the homeless. We have those who are ill or who have been injured and most have very little medical resources if any at all.

We have seen these homeless people, whether sitting on the curbside picking at their dead skin on their hands or covered in a cardboard shelter for the evening. People of L.A., you are invited to explore the Faces of Skid Row and to participate in a large fundraiser for The Midnight Mission to benefit those living homeless.”



Los Angeles, CA – Crewest and Curator Luna George are proud to present Faces of Skid Row. Faces of Skid Row is an exhibition and fundraiser for The Midnight Mission to bring awareness and focus on the homeless living in the Skid Row area in Downtown Los Angeles. The exhibition’s artwork aims to raise questions to its viewers as to what we can do to further help the people of Skid Row. The artists in this exhibition are all LA based and form an eclectic union of diverse genres. Graffiti artists, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, street artists and fine artists have all come together as one to bring you an exhibition full of sincerity, hope, reality, essence and bringing forward core issues revealed through eye-catching, heartfelt art. The Opening Reception will take place Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 from 6pm to 9 pm and will feature a live spoken word performance by Mike the Poet who has written a piece exclusively for the show. His words are powerful and will affect the heart and the mind. The Exhibition runs through October 31st, 2010.

Curator Statement:
The concept of Faces of Skid Row was created because there was a “heart-felt and serious need to help those living on Skid Row” says curator Luna George. “Bringing together this wonderful group of artists was the best way I could accomplish getting the message out to help the people of Skid Row. These artists have a way of creating pieces which captures your eye because it’s fresh, bold and definitely different. Sometimes when a message needs to be said, art is the best way to say it.” Faces of Skid Row marks the very first curatorial work presented by Luna George. All artists in the show were carefully selected by the curator due to a charismatic talent each possess within their specific genre. Each artist has been carefully observed over the years and the curator knew this show would be perfect for them to express and display their charismatic works for the public to enjoy.

In the Featured Artist Room:
Mason Brown presents “Do you know what time it is? Clocky does…” an installation created purely using only cardboard featuring the world of “Clocky”. Clocky is a fortune telling machine cloaked under the guise of a temporal devise. Clocky is assumed to behold infinite wisdom and can predict future events. Powered by the unknown, Clocky is marked by emblematic symbols including – but not limited to: owls, stars, checkers, moons, and all seeing eye that eternally sits and watches over us all. Featured artist Mason Brown is a graphic artist and filmmaker. Brown founded Cardboard Robot as an extension of various milti-media projects developed by the artist. Resulting from exhaustive research into the realm of religious mysticism and secret questions, Clocky is the invention of Mason Brown – Founder and Creative Director of Cardboard Robot. A veteran of Desert Storm, much of Brown’s work is aimed at promoting social awareness through politically charged images. This is an installation you do not want to miss. Brown welcomes you to the world of “Clocky”.

Exhibiting Artists:
Bob Motown, Branded, Dash, Dave Kawano, Dytch, Else, Enik, Eriberto Oriol, Estevan Oriol, Euth, Ezra, Graham Walzer, Gregg Stone, James Gillette, Juan Balandran, Lalo Alcaraz, Man One, Michael Pizarro, Mike Street, Oscar Magallanes, Philip Lumbang, Preston Craig, Shing Yin Khor, Sims, Smear, Thomas the Messenger, Two Rabbits, Mas, Ruthie Pie, Mason Brown

Info about The Midnight Mission:
The Midnight Mission is one of the oldest continuously operating human services organizations in the Los Angeles region. Centered in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, the Mission runs one of the most efficient direct service operations in the country. With only four executive managers through out its ninety-five (95) year history, the Mission has been a consistent beacon of light for those with nowhere else to turn. The Mission offers a bridge of self-sufficiency for homeless people through counseling, education, training and job placement. For more information, visit http://www.midnightmission.org

Fundraising Details:
Crewest will be holding a special Fundraiser Night on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 from 6pm to 9pm. $10 donation at the door. On this night, 100% of donations at the door and 10% of all art and merchandise sales will all go to The Midnight Mission. Drinks provided by Jarritos, Roaring Lion and cupcakes by Big Man Bakes. To attend, RSVP at skidrow@crewest.com. More details to follow.

Additionally, a donation jar will be located inside Crewest all month long and 10% of all art sales for the month of October will be donated to The Midnight Mission.

Crewest Gallery is located at 110 Winston St. Los Angeles, CA 90013. Crewest is a gallery that supports some of the most talented underground artists from the West Coast and beyond. The gallery's focus is on urban & graffiti art created through painting, sculpture, digital, and print medias. All of the exhibits housed at Crewest deal with what is current, and significant within the realm of the urban art experience. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Thursday: Noon to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: Noon to 8 p.m.; Sunday: Noon to 6 p.m. and Mondays are closed. For more information, please call 213.627.8272, email at info@crewest.com or visit www.crewest.com

# # #

FLYER IMAGES BELOW