Stop by Skirball Cultural Center through September 1, 2013, on view now is "a smile, they said" a new, site-specific mural painted by Berlin-based artists Antje Schiffers and Thomas Sprenger. Admission is free.

The mural is part of a greater project, "Let Me Show You Around," which embodies a process of collaborative art that perfectly captures the welcoming spirit of the Skirball, an institution inspired by diversity and plural expression. For the project, Schiffers and Sprenger were in residence at the Skirball for two weeks. During their stay, they interviewed members of the Skirball community about ideas of welcome. As a result of these interactions, the artists created "a smile, they said," a large-scale mural covering the walls of the Ruby Gallery, one of the Skirball's most communal spaces.

In their interviews with the artists, the staff at the Skirball shared a diverse array of images ranging from waterfalls, unicorns, and penguins to patio chairs, fountains, micrography, and matzoh ball soup. Some participants spoke of paradisiacal landscapes, while others referred to American customs as well as rituals rooted in Jewish tradition. The artists then took these plural expressions and incorporated them into "a smile, they said," a blend of wall art, paintings on wood, and text. The result is a fascinating composite of more than eighty distinct voices unified into one.

"We see the mural as a sort of 'stage' for welcoming," say Schiffers and Sprenger, "so it's appropriate that it is set in the Ruby Gallery, which is an area for welcoming people to the Skirball. The greatest challenge was how to encompass all of the contributions, but also maintain enough distance that the final product would not be fragmented, but a comprehensive, inclusive whole."

To mark the opening of "a smile, they said," the Skirball will host a conversation with the artists following a screening of "Pantry" on Thursday, April 4, at 8:00 p.m. The film documents another collaborative project in which Antje Schiffers and Thomas Sprenger participated, together with the artist initiative myvillages.org. For the "Pantry" project, locavore-minded organizations and individuals worked together for a year to stock a pantry full of locally produced products for the Festival Über Lebenkunst in Berlin. Skirball Curator Doris Berger will moderate the discussion. A reception follows the program. ("Pantry," a film by myvillages.org and Martin König. Germany, 2012, 45 min. In English and German with English subtitles.)
About Antje Schiffers and Thomas Sprenger

See image: Acrylic painting on wood, 2013 © Antje Schiffers and Thomas Sprenger

Antje Schiffers and Thomas Sprenger are artists based in Berlin, Germany, who often utilize participatory working methods in community spaces such as museums, factories, large companies, farms, and schools. Antje Schiffers studied art at the Braunschweig University of Art and has been exhibiting in Germany and around the world since 2000. She has had solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as the Secession Vienna, Museum of Contemporary Art Leipzig, and the Sprengel Museum Hannover. Thomas Sprenger studied economics and chemical engineering and had his own company in Berlin before joining Schiffers as a collaboration partner in 2004.

The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 (exit 405 Freeway at Skirball Ctr Dr). Parking is free. The Skirball is also accessible by Metro Rapid 761. Museum hours: Tuesday– Friday 12:00–5:00 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed Mondays and holidays. Admission to a smile is free to the public.

Admission to all other exhibitions: $10 General; $7 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $5 Children 2–12. Exhibitions are always free to Skirball Members and Children under 2. Exhibitions are free to all visitors on Thursdays. For general information, the public may call (310) 440-4500 or visit www.skirball.org.

Gallery owner, Valda Lake celebrates 478 days with a group anniversary show.

The anniversary exhibition is entitled "1" and features 350 works from over 60 Los Angeles based artists.

Artist Sona Mirzaei is happy to be included. "The venue itself is amazing space and definitely makes any artist excited to exhibit in. The high vaulted ceilings, great space, amazing location, and wonderful people," says Sona.

The Gallery features art in a salon style on 14' high walls, literally floor-to-ceiling art. The first year has been a huge success. Lake explains, “ I’ve loved with a passion working with the talented Los Angeles based artists, meeting the community in this neighborhood I live in and also introducing new people to the artists work from further afield."

Sona will be also be featured in a solo show at Seyhoun Gallery in West Hollywood on Saturday, July 13th, 2013 as well as showcasing a couple of her pieces in the BRANDED ARTS group show in Santa Monica on July 20th.

She explains, "My botanical, mixed media pieces and Commandments is what I am currently working on and am planning to exhibit the entire Thirteen Commandments collection at the end of this year at Wallspace gallery. Something to look forward to my botanical works for summer and the Commandments for winter, then off to starting my new body of work for 2014."

The anniversary show also includes artists MB Boissonault, Gary Palmer, Nataša Prosenc Stearns, Stephanie Visser and many more.

For more information about Sona Mirzaei see website http://www.sonamirzaei.com/

On view: through May 31st.

What: On view NOW
Where: Wallspace, 607 Nth La Brea, LA, CA 90036, (one block south of melrose and parking available in back)
When: Everyday 11-5pm
Phone: 323 930-0471
Website: http://www.wallspacela.com/

Skidmore Contemporary Art presents "Kitty Cake and Other New Paintings" featuring the work of Lori Larusso.

See image: It's Not My Birthday, That's Not My (Sweetheart) Cake Acrylic and enamel on panel, 16" x 20" x 1 1/2" 2013

Like most children, Larusso loved to draw. "I would paint whenever the materials were available," recalls Larusso. "My parents encouraged me to develop my skill, but it wasn't really until college that was I introduced to a variety of wet media and realized the possibilities."

Originally from Ohio, Larusso now resides in Kentucky. "I look forward to being in Santa Monica for the opening on the 13th," says Larusso.

Larusso's recent series, "It's Not My Birthday, That's Not My Cake" brings to mind a romantic notion of family life. Perhaps it's an over–the-top memory guided by pop culture. The artist spotlights saccharine sweet nostalgia of what most would call a special day...a birthday.

Larusso is drawn to two-dimensional representation as means of genuine communication. She explains, "I am not interested in tricking the viewer into believing what I represent is real, necessarily, rather I'm more concerned with presenting the image as an idea for the viewer to consider. There is a certain honesty to paintings because ultimately, they're just pictures."

See image:  It's Not My Birthday, That's Not My (Kitty) Cake Acrylic and enamel on panel, 36" x 24" x 1 1/2" 2013

She continues, "That being said, I also want to make visually interesting work, work that the viewer wants to look at, and keep looking at. I enjoy making choices about color and composition, and dealing with space and perspective in challenging ways."

The subjects of her painting, usually come from photographs, "I am collecting imagery constantly...from magazines, newspapers, junk mail, food packaging, google searches, as well as old cookbooks and old magazines from thrift stores," says Larusso.

The exhibition will be on view through May 25. The opening reception will be held on Saturday April 13th (4-6pm) at Skidmore Contemporary Art, located at Bergamot Station (D-2) 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica.  http://skidmorecontemporaryart.com