LOS ANGELES – LA Rose Cafe is the first Filipino-owned cafe to post a sign wishing the surrounding community “Happy Art Day!” As the sign says, international Art Day falls annually on the second Friday in August and is a day for celebrating the arts, culture and artists of all disciplines. Begun as a grassroots movement in 1998 by award-winning writer Becky Mate, the holiday has been celebrated in isolated spots in the world. Mail art was received from Malaysia, France, Brazil and Texas. Each year Art Day is promoted at an arts festival in southern England. Families have done art together in California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Russia and Colorado. Imitating the annual Art and Chocolate Party held by Mate, a potluck gathering where artists share a poem, a song, a painting or a dance, an art party was held in Puerto Rico and a person from the island of Mauritius off of Madagascar downloaded Mate’s instructions on “How to Throw an Awesome Art Day Party,” from an artists website www.artistsforabetterworld.org. Many people have sent “Happy Art Day” greeting cards to put a smile on the face of their favorite artist.
“I love eating LA Rose Cafe’s adobo chicken,” said Mate of the cafe near Vermont and Sunset, “The owner, an art lover himself, brought up a good point about Art Day. Besides the fact that art is celebrated on one day of the year as a chance to exhibit new art and old art, it is also a chance to share art with the young.”
In a prior year, a poet and writer, Regina Tercero, was appointed Art Day Ambassador to the Philippines when she went back for a reunion, and she let a few people know of the arts holiday.
Who knew a holiday could have ambassadors?
Art Day has been officially proclaimed in Glendale, the Home of Art Day, by four mayors in a row, most recently by Mayor Quintero who presented the proclamation on Tuesday, 7-28-09 at a Glendale City Council meeting.
Mate said, “I look forward to the day when all nations can join together in giving a pat on the back to their artists and celebrate their culture on Art Day, second Friday in August. Art has a tremendous impact. For example, one filmmaker saw that people didn’t really know what their basic rights were, so he made a 10 minute film about Human Rights www.humanrights.com. I don’t even think artists know that one of their basic human rights is freedom of expression.”
For a printable Celebrate Artists sign wishing people Happy Art Day, or for an invitation to the Founder’s Annual Art and Chocolate Celebration of Art Day in Glendale, CA on August 14, 4-8:30pm, on Lexington Drive between Verdugo and Glendale Ave, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
For the call for Mail Art (hand-decorated postcards and envelopes) go to www.artistsforabetterworld.org. And, have a Happy Art Day! n
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
| Comments |
|
3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
