Oh hey now LA. Shake your art thang at the Scion Installation.

When you think Scion, you think boxy cars for 20 somethings on the one hand, rad art on the other.

In continuing the latter tradition, the LA Scion Gallery is hosting the kickoff event for the brand's 2011 art tour. For this round, artists were tasked with creating non-narrative video installations. And in LA, those artists happen to include talented local yokels Franki Chan, David Choe, Matt Goldman and 7 others that will blow your aesthetic mind.

Opening Reception
Saturday, February 19, 2011
7-10 p

Scion Installation LA
3521 Helms Ave
Culver City, CA 90232

To RSVP, click here .

Culver City ArtWalk. I came, I saw, I took pictures.

What's cheaper than art I can't afford? Taking pictures of my favorite pieces that I can't afford and posting those pics here for posterity. Almost like having them on my walls. But much, much smaller and only visible on my Mac Book. As opposed to, ya know my walls.

N.B. There is a picture of a small boy in here. He is NOT an example of something I'd like to have on my wall. Do not get the wrong idea. But he did play nicely with my god-doggie.

N.Very.B. Galleries repped below include Carmichael Gallery, LeBasse Projects, Corey Helford Gallery, and Thinkspace, amongst others. Stop by and support all of them! The Culver City arts community is incredible and deserves the city's attention.

I won art. For a good cause. [Photo Gallery]

And when I say 'won,' I mean that I bought it of course. I simply bought it for a higher amount than someone else did. Which maybe I shouldn't have done. But it was for Stoked, the amazing non-profit which mentors kids through action sports. And they deserve my uninhibited, impulse buying. So this art's for you kids. Below, some pics from the Stoked private preview which happened last night to kick off today's Culver City ArtWalk. More pics from that awesomeness later...

Cool art by a cool artist...

Suitcase by Aaron Rose (director of Beautiful Losers)

These kids were big spenders. I'm pretty sure they bid on some big ticket items.

Gary Baseman and his pal. Gary, incidentally, is having a sick event during the LACMA Art Walk next Saturday. You should go. More on that later too...

I usually cry when I want to. Like when it's my party.

More cool art by another gent who'll be at LACMA next week.

This is me after bidding. I had this picture taken in case I didn't win. I won. You can visit this piece above my bed any time. That sounded suggestive. It wasn't meant to come out that way.

Gary bid on art too. Fingers crossed...

Didn't make it to the event but want to find out more about helping Stoked? Visit their site and donate your time or your money...or both!

It's a group thing at the Carmichael Gallery.

As if next Saturday's Culver City ArtWalk weren't incredible enough, I just received notice of my buddies, The Carmichaels', incredible group show opening the same day. And when I say incredible, I mean far better than your kindergartener's last ceramic exhibition. Yeah, believe it. I'm talking about Cyclops, Blek le Rat, Banksy, Mark Jenkins, Know Hope, WK Interact, Nick Walker and other blow-your-mind talents at one singular Culver City address. Well, perhaps not the talents themselves. But the fruits of their labors.

I own one Know Hope piece. I've got a Nick Walker poster on the wall from his last show with Carmichael. And I want more, dammit. So, clearly, these are happy days for me. See you next Saturday.

Opening Reception
Saturday, June 5th
6 - 8 p

Show Runs From:
June 5 – July 3, 2010

Carmichael Gallery
5795 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232

Support at-risk teens & the better coordinated at Stoked Sessions.

On Saturday, June 5th, during Culver City ArtWalk (which you should be at anyway if you've got any taste for culture and/or awesome neighborhoods)--Stoked, a non-profit dedicated to helping at-risk teens through action sports and mentoring (at least these teens are one up on me in the coordination category), presents Stoked Sessions 2010. Stop by to find out more about the organization and to view (and yes, purchase) work of some incredible participating artists. I hope to see many of you there!

art in LA: Culver City Gallery Tour (c/o Art Los Angeles Contemporary)

Tonight marks the start of the Art Los Angeles Contemporary Fair. The programming looks incredible with activities and exhibitions in every neighborhood of the city. As a semi-Westsider now, I'm excited for tomorrow night's Culver City happening...

Culver City Gallery Tour

6-10 pm, Friday

Galleries in the Culver City will be open for visits.

6pm: LAXART presents exhibitions by Artemio and Kamrooz Aram.

7pm: Peres Projects screens SSION’s first feature-length film, BOY.

8pm: Honor Fraser hosts an exhibition walkthrough with artist Gustavo Godoy.

Participating spaces: Blum & Poe Cherry and Martin Honor Fraser Kim Light/LightBox David Kordansky LAXART Maloney Fine Art Nicodim Gallery Peres Projects Susanne Vielmetter

[Image Credit: Sharon Lockhart at Blum & Poe]

We Like to Party: HBO's 'Bored to Death' (+ food. a lot of food.)

The great folks at Cornerstone/Fader invited me to stop by the screening party for HBO's new comedy Bored to Death tonight.

Why this party was fantastic...

a. It was held at one of my fave LA venues, Smog Shoppe (don't try to Google it unless you're looking for an LA smog check). Smog Shoppe makes better use of new urban garden trend, Woolly Pockets, than any hipster DYI fan ever could. In other words, its landscaping, as well as its fun, vintagey decor, rocks.

b. Cute boys served us pizza, courtesy of Larchmont's Village Pizzeria.

c. Let's Be Frank had a cart on site serving up, well, franks. BREAKING NEWS: Let's Be Frank does serve veggie dogs.

EVEN BIGGER BREAKING NEWS: They are the best fake meat product I've ever ingested. Cross my heart or hope to give up all soy products.

c. The bar understood us all to be the classless younguns we are and served up beer and wine in branded mugs. Just like I serve up my own Two Buck Chuck at home. First class all the way.

d. Polite in Public was on hand to capture us all looking like giant idiots.

e. The lovely DJ Valida kept us moving with tunes...thereby burning off every single calorie ingested throughout the evening. True story.

f. They showed an advance screening of the first episode of Bored to Death, starring odd but funny-man, Jason Schwartzman, the hysterical Zach Galifianakis (who, truth be told, did not shine in this episode), Curb's Ted Danson, and penned by the fantastically talented writer and performer, Jonathan Ames (who gives the main character his own name. suave. real suave). And that, of course, is why we all came. (Nothing to do with the free food or anything like that. No, seriously.)

The show was genius. Ok, perhaps not genius. But smart--very smart.

And I'll end with the best snippet of a line from the show, as delivered by Ted Danson's character ...Bored to Death is like 'Death by a thousand dull conversations.'

UPDATE: Wanna get in the spirit of the show before it airs next week? Take a listen to the catchy theme song, written by Schwartzman and Ames themselves and performed by Coconut Records. Give a listen here.