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Pandemic or no pandemic, the Tarfest 2020 multi-arts festival will go on.
This 18th annual event is an ambitious undertaking with two group art exhibits and a live dance event inspired by a beloved area drive-in theater.
The Gilmore Drive-In, which opened in 1948 and closed in 1979 — now the site of The Grove — will be remembered in a dance performance at the closing of this year’s festival on Fri., Oct. 2.
The festival usually takes place outdoors at Tar Pits Park in the Miracle Mile. But nothing is usual about this year.
“Tarfest has been part of the Los Angeles community for over 18 years, remaining an important annual event through massive changes that have transformed the city,” says Tarfest founder James Panozzo of Launch LA. “This year’s challenges of a global pandemic forced artists and producers to really impose their creative will. I think we have accomplished something special.”
Tarfest kicked off last month with a Facebook Live Opening of the first of the two group exhibitions, “Transition.” It continues, online, at the ART170 building, 170 S. La Brea Ave.
In all, 132 artists submitted more than 440 works in July for the open-call show, curated by Holly Jerger, who is the exhibitions curator at Craft Contemporary.
The exhibit features 46 artworks by 44 Southern California artists whose practices engage with core concepts of change during these unprecedented times.
The second group exhibition, “Have To Hold,” curated by Elizabeth Tinglof and Ashley Hagen, opened on Sat., Sept. 5 at Launch LA, 170 S. La Brea Ave. In the exhibition, six contemporary artists reflect upon the rich and charged history and psychology of collecting. Through their own use of objects and materials, they construct stories of experiences and conceptual perspectives, addressing both the past and future.
Participating artists include Vida Liu, Constance Mallinson, Kristen Morgin, Kimberly Morris, Ephraim Puusemp and George Stoll. The gallery will be open by appointment Thursdays to Saturdays during the month of September.
Drive-in and dance event
For its finale, the festival moves to The Original Farmers Market on Fri., Oct. 2 with “Breathe: A Drive-In Dance Event.”
Created, choreographed and directed by Laurie Sefton with original music by Bryan Curt Kostors, the performance is inspired by drive-in movie theaters similar to the beloved Gilmore Drive-In theater that was located at Third St. and what is now The Grove Drive, from 1948-1979.
“‘Breathe’ will be live, outdoors, capsular and interactive, with guests enjoying the performance from the comfort of their own cars in the north parking lot of The Original Farmers Market,” Panozzo said.
Tickets will be free but limited and advance reservations will be required. Ticket information is available at farmersmarketla.com.
Tarfest supporters include the City of Los Angeles Dept. of Cultural Affairs, the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts/Art Works and The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. Some of this year’s sponsors include Television City, The Original Farmers Market, Olympia Medical Center, Lagunitas Brewery, The Beverly Connection, Los Angeles City Councilmembers David Ryu, CD 4, and Paul Koretz, CD 5, and the Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce. LACMA and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) also have supported the festival the past 17 years. For more information, visit launchla.org.
September 2, 2020
Art exhibits, dance event inspired by a drive-in at Tarfest 2020 - Susan Filipek
TARFEST Music & Art Festival will take over the Miracle Mile on September 24th, from 4-10pm. LAUNCH LA, with tremendous support from its sponsors and the community, presents the 14th annual music and art festival, TARFEST 2016, which returns to the La Brea Tar Pits Park on Saturday, September 24th (4-10PM). Open to all ages and free to the public, TARFEST celebrates local artists, musicians and culture with performances by headliners Dear Boy and opening acts Durand Jones & The Indications, Brit Manor and BRAEVES. The event is once again curated by the non-profit arts organization LAUNCH LA and Kevin Bronson of Buzzbands.la.
The celebrated music and arts festival will also feature special DJ sets by Ale, Mitchell Brown, T-Kay, Slayron and Sleano of dublab, dance performances by Move The World Dance Activism in collaboration with The DIAVOLO Institute and Clairobscur Dance Company, a silent auction of original artwork and limited edition prints from notable artists in an outdoor art pavilion hosted by KP Projects, incredible light artistry by Light Riders, live projections by CLOAKING, and outdoor art installations by Meeson Pae Yang and Ryan McCann.
Catering to all ages and families, TARFEST offers free kids art-making activities with The Japan Foundation Los Angeles, Petersen Automotive Museum and more. The 21+ crowd can enjoy the Lagunitas Biergarten & Wine Bar that will also feature refreshing cocktails by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. A selection of Los Angeles’ hottest gourmet food trucks will also be on site, including Baby’s Badass Burgers, Made in Brooklyn NY Pizza, Meat the Greek, and Rice Balls of Fire.
TARFEST 2016 is made possible in part by a grant from the city of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, the Los Angeles County Art Commission and The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. Some of this year’s sponsors include Olympia Medical Center, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Lagunitas Brewery, Skanska/Traylor/Shea, Los Angeles City Councilmembers David Ryu and Paul Koretz, The Farmers Market, The Grove, Beverly Connection, Arclight Cinemas, The Sieroty Company, Walter N. Marks Jr., the Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce, METRO and many other businesses and individuals who believe in advancing creativity and free, innovative arts programming in Los Angeles. Please visit www.launchla.org and www.tarfest.comfor more information.
About TARFEST/LAUNCH LA: TARFEST, produced and managed by LAUNCH LA, provides important performance and exhibition opportunities to some of the region’s finest emerging artists, performers, and cultural innovators on the historic Miracle Mile of Los Angeles. LAUNCH LA is a 501(3)(c) not-for-profit social enterprise that believes exposure to the arts enhances quality of life and strengthens community. Passionate about promoting all contemporary art forms and their hybrids, LAUNCH LA recognizes the need for exemplary productions that create important cultural happenings with the assistance of commercial partners, cultural institutions and like-minded individuals and organizations.
TARFEST SCHEDULE:
Saturday, September 24th, 4-10pm
TARFEST Music and Art Festival
FREE/ALL AGES
La Brea Tar Pits Park
5801 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036
Connect with us on social media:
www.tarfest.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TarfestFREEMusicAndArtFestival
http://launchla.org/
Instagram: tarfest
Instagram: launch_la
TARFEST Music & Art Festival
The Tarfest Music and Art Festival is one of those best kept secrets in L.A.
About to kick-off its 11th year Saturday, what’s not to love about a free, family-friendly gathering with emerging bands, artists painting on giant canvases live, on-demand poetry, a beer garden and tented activities for the kids?
“Actually, the name is a bone of contention with a lot of people,” says James Panozzo, who created the festival as a way to celebrate Los Angeles arts. “People either love or hate the name – it’s so bizarre. I’ve had board members say ‘Let’s talk about changing the name.’
“But it’s exactly what it is.”
The half-day long festival takes over the lawn at LaBrea Tar Pits and is produced by LAUNCH LA, a non-profit organization founded by Panozzo in the Miracle Mile neighborhood – home to world class museums, concert venues and mammoth discoveries. It features a handful of rock bands handpicked by KCSN 88.5 FM’s Music Director Mark Sovel. They include Nightmare Air, a band that was formed four years ago so that Dave Dupuis and his longtime girlfriend, Swaan Miller, could spend more time together.
Jimmy Lucido rounds out the band on drums.
Last year, Nightmare Air put out “High in the Lasers.”
“We’ve all made indie records and with this one, I really wanted a high production record with crisp sounds that really are like those ’80 and ’90s bands that we love; sharp but melodic,” says Dupuis, 39, who grew up in New Hampshire listening to Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins and grunge and later went on to play in the indie band Film School. “With this project, we went more with the hi-fi aesthetic.”
Tarfest marks the last of Nightmare Air’s year-and-a-half long club tour in support of the new album. Instead of performing on stage in a sea of fog and flashing lights for a 21 and over crowd, the band will be performing outdoors in front of festivalgoers, some with kids in tow.
“Kids under 9 usually don’t come to the show,” says Dupuis, chuckling. “But as a kid I grew up doing those things. I have vivid memories of going to concerts with my mom. I think it’s important to begin awareness of the art scene at an early age or any age for that matter.”
Other musical performers scheduled to perform include Saint Motel, Echosmith, Tapioca and the Flea, and Irontom. Accomplished artists will be set up on large-scale easels where they’ll be starting and completing a fully rendered work on 8-by-8 foot canvases. In addition, the Poem Store will be offering up custom poetry on the spot and a beer garden, food trucks and activities with Japan Foundation of Los Angeles with the Petersen Automotive Museum (for the first few hours) top off the all-ages event from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Tarfest is at 5801 Wilshire Blvd. Admission is free, but parking isn’t. For discounted $12 parking, visit www.tarfest.com where you can also get more information about the event.
September 19, 2013
Tarfest Music and Art Festival brings music, painting, poetry, kids activities and more to LaBrea Tar Pits Park - Sandra Barrera
On Saturday, September 22, head over to the La Brea Tar Pits for live music, DJ sets, kids’ activities, dance workshops, live painting activities, a Lagunitas beer garden, outdoor cocktail lounge, food trucks and more, at the 16th annual Tarfest. Taking place from 1 to 7:30 p.m. and sponsored by the LaunchLA arts non-profit, Tarfest is billed as “the oldest and largest free music and arts festival in the Miracle Mile.”
Tarfest and LaunchLA founder James Panozzo said in a recent press statement, “Tarfest represents an opportunity to bring people out into a beautiful green space to celebrate art, celebrate each other and celebrate our diverse community. It’s an opportunity to get to know each other, to make discoveries about the neighborhood, local institutions, and businesses; and to spend a nice time together.
“LaunchLA board chair Steve Kramer agreed. “It introduces the community to the art and music which is available in the Greater Miracle Mile but not always known about,” he said. “Much like the beautiful green space that sits between LACMA and the Tar Pits Museum. It’s a beautiful area that is in use but could be utilized so much more by the community and Tarfest is a terrific
way to utilize that space.”
“This year,” said Panozzo, “we’ve tried to refocus on the music to provide some great entertainment for the community. We’ve curated a really nice line-up of bands this year. We’ll have all the bells and whistles of the live painting on giant canvases, food trucks, wonderful outdoor Langunitas beer garden and a cocktail lounge. The art making activities for the kids are strong again with the Japan Foundation, Fusion Academy, Metro, The Petersen and more. I’m really excited about the breakdance workshops with JUICE – Justice by Uniting In Creative Energy, who operate out of MacArthur Park in the Rampart district and who’ve been doing it since 2001.”
The full performance and activity slate includes:
Music by Wild, Caught a Ghost, Smoke Season, Jane Holiday and Freedom Fly…curated by Manic Monkee and MCTobi Lynn of Alt 98.7
Live painting by Brett Crawford and Holly Tempo…curated by KP Projects and sponsored by Blick Art Materials.
Free kids’ art activities with The Japan Foundation Los Angeles, Metro, Fusion Academy, the Petersen Automotive Museum and more.
Kramer says he’s especially happy to see how the event has grown each year, signifying the community’s increasing awareness of all the Miracle Mile has to offer. “ Last year I was walking with Councilman Ryu,” Kramer said, “and watching the booths with the kids activities and how engaged the youth were with the dance, and [I] remarked how great it was because the kids were interacting and not with their phones. This gives the museums, foundations, businesses a greater opportunity to let people know about all the amazing programs they have right here in the Mile.”
Admission to Tarfest is free, with food and drinks available for purchase. Be sure to check it out on Saturday!
September 18, 2018
Tarfest Music and Arts Festival Bubbles Up on Saturday - Elizabeth Fuller
On Sunday, September 25th, TarFest will return inspiration to one of LA’s most coveted green spaces, the La Brea Tar Pits, with a stellar bill during their annual indie art and music celebration. Saint Motel, Everest, Obi Best, A House for Lions, Infantree, and Ash Panda will all take the stage during fall’s favorite culture festival.
From 12-6 PM, all walks and ages will experience the concerts, live painting, art installations, and environmental sculpture, curated by Merry Karnowsky Gallery, LA Art Machine, and Los Angeles Art Association, that will permeate the landscape of Hancock Park, 5801 Wilshire Blvd. A children’s art making tent and TarFest lounge and food trucks will also be spread throughout the park.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, September 16th from 6-9 PM at the Korean Cultural Center, 5505 Wilshire Blvd, to exhibit a diversity of original artwork, including drawing, painting, photography, video, mixed media, etching, and collage. Nancy Meyer, Curatorial Assistant, LACMA, has selected 35 works by 21 Los Angeles-based artists from over 200 artist submissions. This 9th Annual TarFest Juried Group Exhibition marks the fifth unique collaboration with LACMA’s curatorial staff, producing partnership with the Los Angeles Art Association, and exhibition at the center.
TarFest is produced by LAUNCH LA, a nonprofit, social enterprise created to produce, manage, and direct events, programs, and exhibitions for the purpose of developing artist – audience relationships throughout important Los Angeles communities. A portion of TarFest proceeds will benefit the LACMA Next Gen Programming, which brings culture and creativity to youth and families.
TarFest is sponsored by Warner Brother Records, Olympia Medical Center, Beverly Center, Jakprints, BRE, Farmers Market, LA Weekly, HOH Creative Group, The Beverly Connection, The Grove, Kramer Law Group, Mary Karnwosky Gallery, LA Weekly, ArcLight Cinemas, IKEA, Voice Your Temper, LA Art Machine, Icelandic Glacial, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Jarritos, 99 Cents Only Stores, Secret Service Publicity, Krupa Consulting, Hoop It Up! Worldwide, and Keep A Breast Foundation. Organization partners include: SRG Design, The Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles Art Association, Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce, LA Canvas Magazine, Park La Brea Apartments, Walter N. Marks Company, Union Bank, Red Bull, 5900 Wilshire Blvd., 5670 Wilshire Blvd., Dr Bernard Franklin, Dr. Jonathan Engel, UV Vodka and Whole Foods Market at 3rd & Fairfax.
For more information about TarFest, visit www.tarfest.com.
September 8, 2011
TarFest Art & Music Festival Announced - Paul Hebert
LOS ANGELES-LAUNCH LA, with tremendous support from its sponsors and the local arts and business community, is proud to present the 17th annual TARFEST music and art festival, returning to the La Brea Tar Pits , a member of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC), on Saturday, September 14th, 2019, from 12pm to 7pm. The free, one-day-only festival is open to all ages. TARFEST celebrates local artists, musicians and culture with DJ performances throughout the day, live painting by local legends, art installations curated from the world-class LA art community, a Lagunitas Biergarten & Cocktail Lounge, as well as the best food trucks in Los Angeles. TARFEST is produced by the non-profit arts organization LAUNCH LA.
“TARFEST has been part of the LA community for over seventeen years, remaining as an annual event through massive changes that have transformed the city,” says LAUNCH LA founder James Panozzo.
“This festival is about giving back to our community, by preserving what’s best about the art and music of LA, while providing fuel for the amazing new cultural developments happening here.”
Live music will be provided by KCRW ’s own Raul Campos , Jeremy Sole and Valida opening the festivities at noon.
Throughout the day, attendees can immerse themselves in large-scale live painting sessions by Johnny KMNDZ Rodriguez (curated by KP Projects Gallery ), and Mr. B Baby (curated by Branded Arts ), who was recently part of the Maya Angelou Mural Festival . All live art will be sponsored by Blick Art Materials.
TARFEST 2019 ’s expanded Installation Art program features:
Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by Selgas Cano at La Brea Tar Pits
Curated by Second Home and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC)
Selgas Cano’s now-iconic architectural creation can be experienced for free by all attending TARFEST 2019. Each of the rainbow tunnels takes you on different journey. There are multiple ways to wander, and many entrances and exits, but they all emanate from a center area where you’ll be immersed in stained glass light. The pavilion experience shifts from day to night—natural light seeps through translucent walls by day, and glowing lights illuminate its colors and surfaces once the sun goes down.
“What Wood You Build” by Susan Feldman Curated by Hijinx Arts
In this larger-than-life installation, Feldman brings together her found wood sculptures to form an immersive structural landscape, creating a community of architectural fantasy buildings.
“Ox” by Cynthia Minet
Curated by Holly Jerger of Craft Contemporary
In her cutting-edge, wildly popular Ox sculpture series, Minet creates life-size sculptures of oxen from recycled materials, light emitting from their partially translucent bodies.
Site-Specific Works by Ramiro Gomez Curated by Jennifer Cernada of LACMA
Gomez’s work highlights the “invisible” labor forces that typically maintain public and private spaces of leisure. Subverting the societal tendency to become oblivious to the presence of custodial, construction, and domestic workers, Gomez’s work elevates and centralizes those individuals. Using cardboard as his
primary support, he often paints life-size cut-outs of landscapers or nannies and installs them “guerilla-style” in parks, the lawns of luxurious homes, or at the entrance to the Beverly Hills Hotel. For his submission to TARFEST, the artist is commenting on the immigration crisis and the countless instances of family separation that are presently taking place at our national border.
Catering to all ages, TARFEST offers free kids art-making and cultural activities with Japan Foundation, Los Angeles , Fusion Academy , Academy Museum of Motion Pictures , The Petersen Automotive Museum and METRO . Intergenerational hip-hop and breakdancing collective Justice by Uniting in Creative Energy (JUiCE), based out of the MacArthur Park Recreation Center in the Rampart District of Los Angeles will conduct art and dance workshops as well. Face painters, balloon artists and other surprises complete the celebration.
The 21+ crowd can enjoy the Lagunitas Biergarten & Cocktail Lounge featuring selections from Lagunitas Brewing Company and 6th & La Brea Brewery ,a specialty cocktail from Tito’sHandmade Vodka and Ryder Estate Wines . A selection of Los Angeles’ hottest gourmet food trucks will also be on-site, including Baby’s Badass Burgers , Rice Balls of Fire, The Deli Doctor, White Rabbit Truck and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.
TARFEST 2019 is made possible in part by support from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts/Art Works and The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles . Some of this year’s sponsors include Olympia Medical Center, Lagunitas Brewery, The Original Farmer’s Market, The Grove, The Beverly Connection, Los Angeles City Councilmembers David Ryu and Paul Koretz, METRO , Builders of the Purple Line Subway, ArcLight Cinemas, the Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce , and many other businesses and individuals who believe in advancing creativity and free, innovative arts programming in Los Angeles. A special thanks for the support and participation of cultural partners LACMA and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County(NHMLAC). Please visithttp://www.launchla.organd http://www.tarfest.comfor more information.
About TARFEST & LAUNCH LA
TARFEST and LAUNCH LA , provides important performance and exhibition opportunities to some of the region’s finest emerging artists, performers, and cultural innovators on the historic Miracle Mile of Los Angeles and beyond. LAUNCH LA is a 501(3)(c) not-for-profit social enterprise that believes exposure to the arts enhances quality of life and strengthens community. Passionate about promoting all contemporary art forms and their hybrids, LAUNCH LA recognizes the need for exemplary productions that create important cultural happenings with the assistance of commercial partners, cultural institutions and like-minded individuals and organizations.
August 27, 2019
17th Annual TARFEST Music & Art Festival Celebrates LA Culture at La Brea Tar Pits
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County recently announced that the La Brea Tar Pits and George C. Page Museum will be getting a makeover thanks to three architecture firms competing for the redesign. Though you won’t know until the end of the year what the national natural landmark (and world’s only active Ice Age fossil dig site) will look like in the future, you can celebrate today at La Brea Tar Pits’ annual TarFest.
KCRW DJs Raul Campos, Jeremy Sole and Valida will spin tunes to kick off the day, which continues with live painting sessions by Johnny KMNDZ Rodriguez and Mr. B Baby and art installations by Susan Feldman, Cynthia Minet and Ramiro Gomez, as well as the Second Home Serpentine Pavilion. And no family festival would be complete without kids’ art and dance workshops, food trucks and — for the adults — a beer garden and cocktail lounge.
La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Sat., Sept. 14, noon-7 p.m.; free. (213) 763-3499, launchla.org.
September 11, 2019
