Sunday’s Artist’s Feast Creates Community Support for Local Artists

This Sunday, local arts activists Jewell Faamaligi and Efren Luna are hosting The Artist’s Feast, a public dinner that is, according to the organizers, “designed to connect arts patrons to local Long Beach artists, and generate funding for artists.” The event, which is being held at Sound & Vibe Recording Studio, runs from 6:00PM to 9:00PM,  will include a four-course dinner, and presentations from five pre-selected artists. 

A Glimpse into the Longest-Running Psychic Fair in Long Beach

The Universal Mind Science Church, located on the southeast corner of 8th Street and Obispo Avenue, hosts a Psychic & Healing Arts Fair on the fourth Saturday of the month—which, according to parishioners, is the longest-running Psychic Fair in Long Beach. In this interview, past fair readers Mark Martin and Mary Any Crysler talk about the very early days of the fair. Diane Johnson, a medium, and Rochelle Cooper, an astrologer, talk about why they’re there, now.

Rebecca Lynn: A Different Place

Long Beach native Rebecca Lynn will be performing in front of Transformations, a “Light-based cultural gifts store,” this Saturday as part of their Psychic Healing Faire, which runs from 11:00AM to 6:00PM. In this interview with Culture Agent columnist Sander Roscoe Wolff, Lynn speaks about music in her family, her first professional gigs, and her many decades of participation in the Long Beach music scene.

Artist Rimi Abu Hussein Makes Random Connections

Rimi Abu Hussein has a degree in Architectural Technology, so it isn’t surprising that he’s captivated by the beauty of buildings. His hand-drawn illustrations are informed by the training he received at London’s Southbank University, but they somehow transcend technicality and are, without a doubt, fine art. In this Q&A, he speaks about the connections that helped him to make Long Beach his home.

Two Dave Barton-Directed Plays Premiere at Garage Theatre

This Friday, The Garage Theatre is presenting the United States premieres of two plays, directed by Dave Barton. In addition to serving as Artistic Director of Monkey Wrench Collective, Barton is a contributing editor to Orange Coast Magazine and a writer for American Theatre magazine. In this Q&A with Culture Agent columnist Sander Roscoe Wolff, Barton speaks about his history with Garage Theatre founders Jamie Sweet and Eric Hamme, working with choreographer Ashley Allen, and the personal connections he has to the work.

Gregg Bendian: In Any Direction

Gregg Bendian is a composer, percussionist and drummer, an adventurous improviser with a vast catalog of original work. He also counts collaborations with a jaw-dropping array of musicians among his repertoire, including free jazz legends Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, and Todd Rundgren. This Friday, he’s playing the first of three nights at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro with Mike Keneally and Doug Lunn.

Mike Keneally: From Zappa to Dethklok

Mike Keneally will be performing for three nights next weekend at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro with percussionist Gregg Bendian and bassist Doug Lunn. In addition to writing and recording many albums under his own name, Keneally has also worked with Frank Zappa, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, XTC’s Andy Partridge, and the fictional metal band, Dethklok. In this interview with Culture Agent columnist Sander Roscoe Wolff, he speaks candidly about his amazing career.

Jennifer Celio: Defining A Community

Jennifer Celio, a Long Beach-based fine artist who’s work blends the surreal and the real, abstraction and association, and uses various media and techniques to produce images that grab the attention and evoke a sense of wonder, has just started a residency in the Ralston Family Learning Center, located in the basement of the Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA). In this interview with Culture Agent columnist Sander Roscoe Wolff, Celio discusses the evolution of her work.