Melrose Garage Gallery

So, I've expanded the idea of my earlier post. I realized I have some resources in the art/internet/media world as well as friends who distribute premium beverages of all stripes in Los Angeles. The idea would be to open up my garage to art and open the backyard to crafts from local designers. Make it a late day event that turns into a backyard bbq. The idea being to help local designers get seen, see some different art, have some drinks, maybe some food and hopefully make art that people will enjoy taking home. I'm going to be away from Los Angeles for most of March and April so I'm thinking of really working on it when I get back and putting it up, maybe once a month starting in June when it gets really hot. Last night I got some more wood outside of Urban Outfitters that I can use to bolster my walls to make it easier to hang art from. Plus, there's an extra fridge in the garage from a roommate and plenty of tables and chairs to boot. It's all coming together!!

Melrose Street Fair

I had this thought when I was walking down Melrose Ave. today and noticed that many stores were closed or are going out of business. I've lived in this area for 5 years and have seen many changes. Mostly good. Melrose used to be a vibrant place that people loved to go to for its shops, restaurants, theater and nightlife. It can still be that, but competition from the Grove, Hollywood, Silverlake and Koreatown has been taking some of the thunder away. My idea was to revive the area by having a street fair! Have it on a Sunday in conjuction with the Fairfax Flea Market, get the city to reroute the buses and close down the street from Genesse to Sierra Bonita. Have rides and get local musicians to play. Now, I've never done any kind of planning for this and wouldn't even know whom to talk to about getting this going. I guess I could talk to some of the businesses and see if they would be open to it. Then I could talk to the city and see how hard it would be and what the costs might entail. I gotta admit, it sounds like a lot of work, but it could also be a lot of fun and a great way to revive the area I live in and enjoy so much. Ok, I'll do it!!!