Chelsea Dean, Lummis Home and Highland Park

contributed by Paul Evans

Hello Happy visitors! If you need something to do later this week, check out Happy artist Chelsea Dean and Janice Gomez's collaborative piece at the landmark Charles F. Lummis home. If you've not been to the Lummis home (which he designed and built himself) this group exhibition called Bringing the Past to Light is a good reason to get yourself over to Highland Park. Scattered around the home and garden are different art installations that honor Lummis and bring Los Angeles' past to the present.

Chelsea Dean's work will be on display at Happy later this year. Bringing the Past to Light will be on view until June 14:

http://www.arroyoartscollective.org/projects/bringing-the-past-to-light.html

Celebrate LOS FELIZ this Wednesday!

Heather and Rob at HAPPY would like to invite you to join the LOS FELIZ IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT members in Celebrating Los Feliz tomorrow at the VISTA theatre.
Come meet your local business owners and neighbors at the Los Feliz BID Mixer this Wednesday May 20th 6:30 - 9pm.

Art by northeast: avocados, soda pop and water

contributed by Paul Evans


Saturday night, heading north on one of my favorite streets in Los Angeles, York Blvd. led me to Figueroa Produce (www.figueroaproduce.com) in Highland Park for avocados. Not just any avocados, but 3 organic avocados for 99¢! Following that healthy find, it seemed natural to visit the infamous Galco’s Soda Pop Stop (www.sodapopstop.com) a few blocks north on York.
Sadly, I arrived 5 minutes after closing, but I was able to get a sweet shot of their signage.

Onward on York for a little art at Sea and Space Explorations; a great space doing very different and thought provoking projects sandwiched between Occidental College and a greasy burger joint. Opening that night was Through the Looking Glass: The Los Angeles Aqueduct, an installation by Nicole Antebi & May Jong.

Through the Looking Glass is a multi-media piece that tells the manipulated history of the Los Angeles Aquaduct. Can’t wait to return to find out how little I know about a very important subject in a city that often ignores what’s right in front of them. Or in this case, what’s brought to them.

May Jong will be the featured artist in Happy’s September exhibit. In the meantime, check out Through the Looking Glass: The Los Angeles Aqueduct through May 30 at Sea and Space Explorations. They’re at:

4755 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
www.seaandspace.org
Gallery is open Sundays 1-5 PM and by appointment.
(323) 445-4015.

Happy in the Los Angeles Times today!

GARDEN

greenPots are eco-friendly and eco-chic

Email Picture

Photo courtesy of Happy

Ecosource Home & Garden compostable pots

They're made from renewable rice hulls and come in cool 1970s colors.

May 9, 2009

Ecosource Home & Garden's greenPots have more than save-the-planet appeal. Sure, they're constructed from renewable rice hulls, will last at least five years indoors or out, and can be composted after that. But they also make a design statement, referencing 1950s shapes in earthy 1970s kitchen colors. At the new home accessories boutique Happy, the pots come in a variety of sizes, each already planted with succulents or other flora. Price: $18 apiece. 4675 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 661-2200; www.happylosangeles.com.

http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-scoutpots9-2009may09,0,3014837.story

Anya Smilanick "In Parallel" and CLOSET CASES open tonight at HAPPY!

Tonight! at Happy!


Happy proudly offers Anya Smilanick "In Parallel"
opening tonight! May 1st, 6-9pm.

HAPPY presents paintings by Anya Smilanick. “In Parallel” finds the crowded functional structures of Los Angeles and brings them to their most simplified forms. Smilanick’s work is comprised of systematic vertical and horizontal lines, dotted with silhouettes of select objects and structures that define parts of the city. Smilanick’s “In Parallel” works segment and elucidate the overwhelming urban landscape that is Los Angeles.

Anya Smilanick received her MFA at Claremont Graduate University in 2004, she now lives in Culver City, California.

Also opening tonight at Happy, "Closet Cases" curated by Paul Evans.

Happy is pleased to present Closet Cases, a group show organized by Paul Evans. Closet Cases features drawings by 22 artists, each a self portrait on notepad paper and index cards. Housed in Happy’s small yet pristine changing room, Closet Cases brings together artists of different styles and genres to exploit and celebrate the simple act of drawing.

Artists include: Sean Bradshaw (Los Angeles), Paul Evans (Los Angeles), Corina Gamma (Los Angeles), Julie Goodwin (Baltimore), Lizzie Goodwin (Los Angeles), Corrie Gregory (Los Angeles), Ryan Hill (Washington, DC), John Kieltyka (Seattle), Donald Krieger (Los Angeles), Midge Lynn (Los Angeles), Nuttaphol Ma (Los Angeles), Shaw Osha (Olympia), Christopher Pennock (New York), Lisa Ruyter (Vienna), Linda Sena (Los Angeles), Michael Slimmer (Los Angeles), Carl Smith (Los Angeles), Jordan Steinberg (Los Angeles), Laura Sharp Wilson (Salt Lake City), Karen Frimkess Wolff (Los Angeles), Jeremy Yoder (Los Angeles), Liz Young (Los Angeles).

HAPPY is a local resource for well designed home and lifestyle accessories. Featuring revolving art shows curated by and showing local and international artists, HAPPY also stocks gifts from boutique plants to vintage jewelry, edited and staged creating a happy space full of inspiring gifts and thoughtful embellishments. We are located just east of vermont at 4675 hollywood blvd. los angeles, ca 90027. www.happylosangeles.com

HAPPY is part of the Los Feliz Art Walk. A "new" collaborative venture in the Los Feliz Village community of Los Angeles seeking to bring together Los Feliz artists, galleries, studios and others to support the arts. It is held on the first Friday of every month. Maps and listings are available at http://www.losfelizartwalk.org

Prepare for Earth Day!

Every year Earth Day comes around to remind us to be more mindful of our lovely planet.
Happy invites you in this Saturday to
celebrate this upcoming Earth Day.

This Saturday, April 18th from 1 - 7 pm. Buy a pot, get a plant for free!
We will even pot the plant for you! Take this chance to stock up on Envirosax re-usable shopping bags, Kleen Kanteen Water bottles, and Solar Lanterns.

We will also be offering 25% off all potted plants in the store.

Closet Cases: Artists’ Self Portraits at Happy

Closet Cases: Artists’ Self Portraits at Happy

May 1 – June 28, 2009

Opening reception: Friday, May 1 from 6-9pm


Happy is pleased to present Closet Cases, a group show organized by Paul Evans. Closet Cases features drawings by 22 artists, each a self portrait on notepad paper and index cards. Housed in Happy’s small yet pristine changing room, Closet Cases brings together artists of different styles and genres to exploit and celebrate the simple act of drawing. Artists include:


Sean Bradshaw (Los Angeles), Paul Evans (Los Angeles), Corina Gamma (Los Angeles), Julie Goodwin (Baltimore), Lizzie Goodwin (Los Angeles), Corrie Gregory (Los Angeles), Ryan Hill (Washington, DC), John Kieltyka (Seattle), Donald Krieger (Los Angeles), Midge Lynn (Los Angeles), Nuttaphol Ma (Los Angeles), Shaw Osha (Olympia), Christopher Pennock (New York), Lisa Ruyter (Vienna), Linda Sena (Los Angeles), Michael Slimmer (Los Angeles), Carl Smith (Los Angeles), Jordan Steinberg (Los Angeles), Laura Sharp Wilson (Salt Lake City), Karen Frimkess Wolff (Los Angeles), Jeremy Yoder (Los Angeles), Liz Young (Los Angeles).