Arielle Torrez
Staff Writer
Photography, figured animal heads, landscape portraits, abstract paintings, glass art, cartoon art and paper sculptures filled the Art Classic exhibit at the Los Angeles County Fair.
The Art Classic partnered with the Los Angeles Art Association and the Millard Sheets Art Center to present 10 local contemporary artists and their perspectives on what art can be.
The artists showed their creativity to send out a message using a variety of different mediums like paper, watercolor, glass and more.
The Los Angeles Times presented the exhibit that included works by Caroline Jones, Diane Silver, Gabor Ekecs, Jane Cruder, Josh Levine, Rachel Kaster, Steve Jakobsen, Tanner Goldbeck, Tom Lamb and Vincent Tomczyk.
The featured artists are from cities such as Santa Monica, Inglewood, Pasadena, and Pomona.
Each piece displayed at the Art Classic was for sale and all proceeds benefited the programs at the Millard Sheets Art Center.
One of the featured artists, Caroline Jones, displayed works that included real rock formations from a rock harvester.
Another artist, Vincent Tomczyk, displayed furniture pieces made entirely of paper material. Each of his works looks identical to actual furniture pieces that were made of either wood or leather.
Art demonstrations by the Mid Valley Arts League and Associated Artists of the Inland Empire were featured throughout the entirety of the fair.
This gave artists the chance to do live painting for fairgoers to experience the process.
Mark Rush, a demonstrator at the Art Classic, displayed his landscape and abstract art.
“I have had a really good response here,” Rush said. “It has been a really satisfying experience being a demonstrator because you get to talk to fairgoers, and everyone is having a good time. I get ideas from the people I interact with.”
He is currently working on a mural for an elementary school.
Felicia Hazelton, a watercolor artist, focuses mostly on nature art.
“I’ve been painting most of my life,” Hazelton said. “I’ve had lots of responses because I am doing something different, I’m not using typical watercolor methods.”
Fairgoers walked into the gallery with awe.
“I loved that there was such a variety of different art,” said Fatima Alrazaa, Cal State San Bernardino psychology major.
“The live painting was something that I have never experienced before.” Alrazaa said.
The Los Angeles County Fair Art Classic took place from Sept. 4 – 27.
Arielle Torrez can be reached at arielle.torrez@laverne.edu.
Arielle Torrez
