Altadena Arts, a new organization formed by Executive Director Eugene J. Hutchins, is launching its Art of the Month Collection in February, featuring several Altadena artists.
Altadena Arts was founded in August 2020 by Hutchins, a lifelong professional in the arts who also initiated the tribute to Altadena’s own Tuskeegee Airman Oliver Goodall in 2019. Hutchins also was just named Managing Director of Theatre West in Studio City.
Altadena Arts is dedicated to celebrating artists in the spirit of Charles White, especially artists of color, women, and artists with disabilities, through the creation, production, and presentation of accessible and inclusive public artworks and arts education programs to be held at Charles White Park and throughout Altadena.
The Art of the Month Collection offers up to 100 patrons the opportunity to become Founding Members. Those who contribute $500 per year will receive one piece of art a month for six months. For $1,000, contributors will receive one piece of art for 12 months.
“I’m happy to say that we’ve raised enough money to hold our first pilot school program at Aveson School of Leaders in the spring which will be online,” says Hutchins.
“Two artists will spend a three-week residency to teach 4th-grade students about Charles White and his work while creating their own original art,” he explains. Hutchins says they hope to expand the program to “in person” in the fall to other schools, possibly Altadena Arts Magnet.
“Plus, we are collaborating with County Parks & Recreation to create a monument and plaque to honor Charles White at Charles White Park. There is lots of great art to look forward to.”
About Charles White
Through his vivid detail and extraordinarily crafted drawings, paintings, lithographs, and murals, Charles White elevated the Black and African-American experience to create powerful imagery with emotional complexity. In Altadena, a Park was dedicated in his honor in 1980, making it one of only three public parks in the United States named for an artist.
Many artists from Los Angeles County responded to the call for artists in December.
Selections were peer-reviewed. Here are the selections of artists with their home city by month:
Peter Hess, Highland Park, February
Lynne McDaniel, Altadena, March
Eric W. Axene, Glendale, April
Jane Szabo, May, Altadena
Aline Mare, Pasadena, June
Laurie Tsou, Culver City, July
Karen Hochman Brown, Altadena, August
Toti M. O’Brien, Los Angeles, September
Jean Jaques Bastarache, Los Angeles, October
Miki Yokoyama, Altadena, November
Jill Sykes, Los Angeles, December
Ariana Page Russell, Altadena, January 2022
To learn more about Altadena Arts, please visit https://altadenaarts.org. For more about the Art of the Month Collection, please visit https://altadenaarts.wedid.it/
