Downtown LA Art Walk Thursday

WHAT: Downtown L.A. Art Walk, the hottest grassroots cultural event in Southern California, hosts the first Fall '09 event

WHEN: Every second Thursday. October Art Walk is October 8.

WHERE: Downtown Los Angeles, 5th & Main and surrounding area.

COST: The Art Walk is always free, including Walking Tours, Hippodrome shuttle and Salons.

INFO: http://www.downtownartwalk.com or (213) 784-2598.

The Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, held on the second Thursday of the month year round, is one of the great success stories of the neighborhood's revival. Launched in September 2004 by a small group of true believers in what was then the western edge of Skid Row, the event now draws upwards of 10,000 art enthusiasts, and includes live music, a thriving bar and restaurant scene, literary events, impromptu performances, and of course art on view in dozens of galleries.

On October 8, 2009, Art Walk hosts its first Fall 2009 event, with the cooler temperatures encouraging visitors to bundle up and spend more time exploring the 40 toasty galleries that dot the Art Walk map. It's a great time to come downtown and see what all the buzz is about, take a walking tour or sit in on a cultural Salon gathering.

For the October 8 Art Walk, there are a number of special events in the works and some new features on the web site, including numerous free guided walking tours (reservations required), two conversational salons (Maja D'Aoust on PRESTIDIGITATION and Marco Mannone on CHARLES BUKOWSKI) at Clifton's Cafeteria, and live entertainment on the free Hippodrome shuttle circling Spring and Main Streets from 6-10pm.

BASIC INFORMATION: To make the most of your visit, your first stop should be the Art Walk website: http://www.downtownartwalk.com

First click on the MAP link and print out a guide to gallery hours and locations. Next click on WALKING TOURS and sign up to explore the Art Walk, for free, with expert tour guides like CRIMEBO THE CLOWN (Esotouric), BORIS MAYZELS (Downtown's favorite chiropractor), ED ROSENTHAL (Downtown's original poet/broker) and RICHARD SCHAVE (Esotouric/ Art Walk Director). Three exciting new walking tours debut this month, each exploring a fresh slice of Downtown culture. JAVIER CABRAL, the popular food blogger of Teenage Glutster fame, leads THE RISE OF L.A. FOOD TRUCKS: A WALKING GASTRO TOUR. Horror film director and longtime Downtown resident JEREMY KASTEN, whose spooky Eastern Columbia loft decor was featured in the Los Angeles Times, gives an insider's tour of the neighborhood. And representatives of the LOS ANGELES HISTORIC THEATRE FOUNDATION offer three separate guided tours through the Broadway Theater district and inside the celebrated Morosco/Globe and Mayan Theaters. Space is very limited on walking tours,and reservations for each guest are required.

Finally, come to the Art Walk and explore the dozens of independent art spaces packed with original, affordable work. There's sure to be something to suit every taste and pocketbook, and memorable adventures to be had along the way.

SELECTED GALLERY EXHIBITS on view during the October 8 Art Walk include:

at CREWEST (110 Winston St. LA, CA 90013, 818-235-4598, http://www.crewest.com) it's "Graffiti Spirits," a solo show and retrospective by Man One, the gallery's founder, with rarely seen works dating back to the early 1990s.

And THE HIVE (729 S. Spring Street, LA, CA 90014, 213-955-9051, http://www.hivegallery.com) presents a Halloween-themed group show packed with original interpretations of fortune telling TAROT cards, with featured artists Delphia and Jose Lopes.

On THE FREE HIPPODROME SHUTTLE (6pm-10pm) passengers will enjoy performances from LUCAS GONZE, ALICYN PACKARD, RUTHAN FRIEDMAN, FORT KING, ANNA HOMLER & ARI, and hostess/curator THE UKULADY with THE UKULAD.
http://www.esotouric.com/hippodrome

SALONS AT CLIFTON'S CAFETERIA: Come sit in on one or two cultural conversations. Info http://www.downtownartwalk.com/salon

SALON #1 (5pm-6:30pm): Author/lecturer MAJA D'AOUST leads a discussion on the much maligned and little understood art of PRESTIDIGITATION. Many are quick to dismiss "stage magic" as nothing more than simple tomfoolery. However, when one turns a discerning eye into its deeper implications and history, a vast existential philosophy exists hidden in the seemingly innocent bunnies extracted from the shiny tall hats. The magician provides a service to the study of consciousness in his ability to fool your mind into accepting a reality full of wonder and awe.

SALON #2 (5:30pm-7-ish): Journalist MARCO MANNONE leads a discussion on the life, work and impact of author/poet CHARLES BUKOWSKI on what it means to be a writer in Hollywood. Los Angeles is largely considered an illiterate town devoid of culture or literary champions, but Bukowski remains a dirty lighthouse for all that are seeking cultural salvation in the dark City of Celluloid. Let's discuss what Hank means in the 21st Century / the Age of Twitter. Marco argues that he is more important now than ever before.

NEW ON THE WEB: The Art Walk is now collecting listings of non-commercial HAPPENINGS taking place during the event. To check out community HAPPENINGS, like "So Many Important Things" (a walking tour of anywhere), visit
http://downtownartwalk.com/happeningslist .

For more info and to submit your event for consideration, visit
http://www.downtownartwalk.com/happeningsubmit

And keep an eye peeled for the OFFICIAL ART WALK BLOG team, who will be out on the streets interviewing Art Walkers for the new blog THE LIVING MUSEUM ­look sharp and maybe you'll be featured on the blog next month.
http://www.downtownartwalk.com/blog