Canvas II

On Saturday June 26th, a group of artists, musicians and philanthropists gathered together for a night of great art, soulful music and also help support a few charitable causes. Since the first Canvas show in January, awareness and anticipation for the quarterly art show has grown and that wasn't more evident than Saturday night as the crowd filled Melrose Lightspace for Canvas II. Featuring new works by the exhibit's creator, Arnold Randall, Canvas II also featured work by a few other Los Angeles based artists as well. Here are a few shots of their work:

Kyla Wright

Patrick Haemmerlein

Mark Brunner

Zimero Bennem

Jenny P.

Arnold Randall

As guests filled the room, some participants of the first Canvas and others new, they were greeted by a kaleidescope of colors as the work of each talented artist filled the candlelit space. The eye was drawn to the bright depictions of the pop culture icon Hello Kitty and then drawn to the comforting tones in Mark Brunner's abstract and representational pieces. It was also hard to miss the work of our own Arnold Randall, whose newest piece was an attention grabber and provided the perfect backdrop for the various singers and musicians who took to the stage to add another layer of creativity and inspiration to a night already brimming with both. Check out a shot of our own Tanya Thomas performing "Joy Like Sunshine"

However, let's not forget that this was not simply a night to appreciate and celebrate the sights and sounds of musicians and artists. It was also a night to show support for a few worthy local causes that strive to make a positive impact in the lives of children everyday. Free Arts for Abused Children is an organization that has been around for thirty years and uses innovative art programs to inspire abused and at-risk children and their families. Proceeds from the night went to support the Free Arts Foundation and their continuous efforts to make a difference in the lives of children who need it the most. Canvas II also saw the return of Speak Child,a non-profit organization using reading and writing programs to increase literacy through the arts and developing creative excellence in youth.

Jennifer of Free Arts for Abused Children

T-Shirts for Speak Child

Canvas II also saw work from our very own Cliffnotes and Sankeyz on the official exhibit cd, Canvas II: Hi-Life Ideologies. A major fixture during the first Canvas show, Cliffnotes again proved that his work is able to fuse all the elements of the show together to create a symbiotic relationship between the art, music and the audience. It was a spectacular night for art, music and giving. Check out more pictures from Canvas II below as well as info for each of the organizations featured during the show. Make sure you stay tuned for more info about the Canvas series and your chance to be apart of this truly amazing show.

Canvas II: Hi-Life Ideologies

Arnold Randall and William Hawkins hosting the show

Cliffnotes, Sankeyz and our girl Jazz

Randy Z. and Jenny P.

Audience enjoying sights and sounds of Canvas II

AG One Library: Knowledge is power/education confines

I dont know if any of you know this, but I've become an avid reader since leaving college..ha! Its ironic, when I was in school I had all this required reading to do -- and I HATED it. It was such a chore. Plus I supposed you can attest some of that to my rebellious nature as well. Now, its seems as if I can't get enough knowledge. Its probably because I'm not just learning about what I like, but I'm getting to put it into practice my own way -- not my professors.

Anyway, as I build my music/business library, I thought I would share with you some of my new acquisitions. By the way, did you know Froogle.com has turned in Google Product Search? I realized this a while back -- and still refer to it as froogle.

The first book, Guerrilla Marketing: easy and inexpensive strategies for making big profits from your small business (by: Jay Conrad Levinson, Jeannine Levinson, and Amy Levinson), I was put onto by my friend Nathan. I started reading it at his house over the memorial day weekend and ordered as soon as I got home.

The second and third books, Guerrilla Publicity: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars (by: Conrad Levinson, Rick Fishman, and Jill Lublin) and The Art of Digital Branding (by: Ian Cocoran) I happened to stumble on while looking for the first book at boarders.

Finally, the last book I picked up was Record Label Marketing (By: Thomas William Hutchison, Amy Macy and Paul Allen) since it was relatively inexpensive and had been sitting in my "wishlist" on bn.com for a while.

Well, I have a few more gems in my library that I've read over the past few years, I'll save those for another post.