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Glendale Library, Alex Theatre Renovations Proceed
http://asbarez.com/109980/glendale-library-alex-theatre-renovations-proceed/
Friday, May 10th, 2013
BY ELISE KALFAYAN
>From Opera Talks on Rossini to Mark Geragos on the Criminal Law System
The Library Arts and Culture Department, the Friends of the Glendale
Public Library and the Associates of Brand Library continue to offer
excellent free programs for the community, even as the Central Library
facility awaits an $8 million renovation go-ahead and Brand Library
and Art Center remains closed while extensive renovations are
underway. Meanwhile, the Alex Theatre is preparing for a temporary
closure and adjusting its programming schedule. Despite all this, the
incredible range of enriching events offered for the community's
benefit continues, and is a point of real civic pride.
She worked on the city's excellent Armenian Genocide Commemoration
program, which completely filled the Alex Theatre April 24, and
Library Armenian Outreach Coordinator Elizabeth Grigorian also helped
organize Glendale's Man's Inhumanity to Man April 26 program at the
Central Library. The series, which Glendale sponsors during the month
of April, acknowledges tragedies experienced not only by Armenians,
but by other persecuted cultures around the world. The Friday library
event was a public forum discussing the injustices committed against
Korean Comfort Women during WWII, and was a follow-up to a Summer 2012
exhibit on this topic.
In addition, just since the start of 2013, Grigorian has produced
eight Armenian cultural events at the Central Library, and is now
promoting the next one: Filmmaker Robert Davidian's screening of his
documentary film Armenian Activists Now - Birth of a Movement
(Thursday, May 23, 7pm, in the Central Library Auditorium, 222 E.
Harvard St., Glendale).
The Friends of the Glendale Public Library continue to support the
Children's Summer Reading program, the literacy program, and the
Author & Artist programs of the library system. Community Events VP
Leon Mayer persuaded Mark Geragos, JD, and Pat Harris, JD, to discuss
their newly published book, Mistrial: How the Criminal Justice System
Works...and Sometimes Doesn't, at the Central Library on Wednesday, May
15, 7pm, just following the Friends annual meeting. Geragos is one of
the most recognized criminal defense attorneys in the U.S., and he
appears regularly as a legal analyst on CNN, Fox, and ABC shows.
Glendale Central Library Korean Comfort Women Forum April 26. From
left to right: Andrew Kim, Scott Ochoa (City Manager), Elizabeth
Grigorian (Armenian Outreach Coordinator), Phyllis Kim (Presenter),
Jungran Shin, Joachim Suk-Won Youn (KAFC Spokesperson), Keun Hwang,
Dan Bell (City of Glendale Community Relation Coordinator)
Arrive early (6:30pm) on May 15 to sit in on the Friends of the
Glendale Public Library's annual membership meeting, held just before
the presentation of Mistrial, in the Central Library Auditorium. The
meeting will review Friends' activities, sponsored programs and new
initiatives. It will also briefly cover the anticipated renovation of
the Central Library facility, which the Friends have been following
for some time, as it impacts the location of their book sale
operations.
The Associates of Brand Library and Art Center, which supports
Glendale's art and music library branch and offers free music and
dance performances, art shows, lectures such as opera talks and more,
has temporarily relocated its programs to the Central Library. (Most
of the branch's art and architecture books and music resources are
temporarily housed there as well, so they are still available to the
public.) The Associates helped sponsor last year's Library screening
of Grandma's Tattoos, and just produced the Armen Anassian music
series.
Associates Board member Caroline Tufenkian, who has curated exhibits
at Brand Library and many other galleries, has taken on the job of
fundraising chair for the group. She has also organized Associates'
arts tours to the Fine Arts Building in downtown LA and other
significant locations. The Associates of Brand Library will hold its
annual meeting this Saturday, May 11, 2pm, in the Shoseian Tea House
and Garden and the west end of Brand Park.
As it adjusts planning to become self-sustaining after its city
management agreement ends in 2015, Glendale Arts has renewed its
annual iHeart fundraising drive to raise the profile of the Alex
Theatre, the `Jewel of the Jewel City.' The theatre will close from
July through November as upgrades to the back stage and other
technical improvements are needed to make the Alex a competitive venue
in the Southern California entertainment market. It regularly hosts
excellent civic events (among them the city's Armenian Genocide
Commemoration). It also is a great venue for charitable fundraising:
Glendale Adventist Medical Center's Dr. Norick Bogossian Cancer Care
Guild sold out the entire theatre May 5 for a night of comedy
featuring Maz Jobrani and Vahik Pirhamzei.
Glendale Arts brings first-rate programs like the LA Chamber
Orchestra, musicals, ballets and comedies to downtown Glendale, where
parking is inexpensive and restaurants abound. The newest addition to
its programming is Live Talks Los Angeles, which will be holding three
live author events in the theatre, starting with multiple Oscar and
Emmy award winner/songwriter Burt Bacharach on May 14. The innovative
Glendale Pops, whose shows are produced by Glendale Arts under the
artistic direction of multi-talented entertainment veteran Matt
Catingub, scheduled its last season two concert in a unique venue -
prop house History for Hire (a Glendale Arts business supporter) -
while the Alex construction start date was uncertain. The Glendale
Pops third season will open at the Alex at the end of the year with
HolidayPop!, which this past year featured local vocalist Danielle
Sadd as well as a Glendale Youth Chorus.
The Friends of the Glendale Public Library, the Associates of Brand
Library and Art Center, Glendale Arts, and the city's Arts and Culture
Commission are all communicating with each other to raise the profile
of arts and cultural programming within the city.
The city of Glendale officially approved an Arts & Cultural five-year
strategic plan in February 2013. The Arts and Culture Commission is
now under the purview of the Library Arts and Culture Department, and
the strategic planning initiative that begin last fall was coordinated
within the city by library staff member and marketing professional
Annette Vartanian.
Vartanian says, `The City has made arts and culture one of its
priority goals and is making strategic decisions for investing in the
arts for the benefit of the entire community. The Plan helps identify
Glendale's identity as innovative and creative. This is something
important to every citizen in Glendale because it really shows that
the City is committed to expanding the arts and cultural investments
and opportunities in the community. The importance to the Armenian
community is that we will be exploring new arts and cultural programs
and projects that will speak to the Armenian community, as well as
providing opportunities for artists in the community that can include
artists of Armenian descent.'
More information about library, arts and cultural programming within
the city of Glendale can be found on these webpages:
http://library.ci.glendale.ca.us/featured_events.asp,
.associatesofbrand.org/events.php, and www.glendalearts.org/
Elise Kalfayan is a Glendale resident, a native Southern Californian,
and a combined first/second generation Armenian-American. She has
produced or edited print and online pieces on topics ranging from
urban development to Armenian Church history. She is the publisher of
a Glendale community news blog http://sunroomdesk.com, and works as a
contract writer, editor, and publishing consultant for clients
including businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and memoirists. She
is also President, Friends of the Glendale Public Library, and a big
fan of the Glendale Pops!
http://asbarez.com/109980/glendale-library-alex-theatre-renovations-proceed/
Friday, May 10th, 2013
BY ELISE KALFAYAN
>From Opera Talks on Rossini to Mark Geragos on the Criminal Law System
The Library Arts and Culture Department, the Friends of the Glendale
Public Library and the Associates of Brand Library continue to offer
excellent free programs for the community, even as the Central Library
facility awaits an $8 million renovation go-ahead and Brand Library
and Art Center remains closed while extensive renovations are
underway. Meanwhile, the Alex Theatre is preparing for a temporary
closure and adjusting its programming schedule. Despite all this, the
incredible range of enriching events offered for the community's
benefit continues, and is a point of real civic pride.
She worked on the city's excellent Armenian Genocide Commemoration
program, which completely filled the Alex Theatre April 24, and
Library Armenian Outreach Coordinator Elizabeth Grigorian also helped
organize Glendale's Man's Inhumanity to Man April 26 program at the
Central Library. The series, which Glendale sponsors during the month
of April, acknowledges tragedies experienced not only by Armenians,
but by other persecuted cultures around the world. The Friday library
event was a public forum discussing the injustices committed against
Korean Comfort Women during WWII, and was a follow-up to a Summer 2012
exhibit on this topic.
In addition, just since the start of 2013, Grigorian has produced
eight Armenian cultural events at the Central Library, and is now
promoting the next one: Filmmaker Robert Davidian's screening of his
documentary film Armenian Activists Now - Birth of a Movement
(Thursday, May 23, 7pm, in the Central Library Auditorium, 222 E.
Harvard St., Glendale).
The Friends of the Glendale Public Library continue to support the
Children's Summer Reading program, the literacy program, and the
Author & Artist programs of the library system. Community Events VP
Leon Mayer persuaded Mark Geragos, JD, and Pat Harris, JD, to discuss
their newly published book, Mistrial: How the Criminal Justice System
Works...and Sometimes Doesn't, at the Central Library on Wednesday, May
15, 7pm, just following the Friends annual meeting. Geragos is one of
the most recognized criminal defense attorneys in the U.S., and he
appears regularly as a legal analyst on CNN, Fox, and ABC shows.
Glendale Central Library Korean Comfort Women Forum April 26. From
left to right: Andrew Kim, Scott Ochoa (City Manager), Elizabeth
Grigorian (Armenian Outreach Coordinator), Phyllis Kim (Presenter),
Jungran Shin, Joachim Suk-Won Youn (KAFC Spokesperson), Keun Hwang,
Dan Bell (City of Glendale Community Relation Coordinator)
Arrive early (6:30pm) on May 15 to sit in on the Friends of the
Glendale Public Library's annual membership meeting, held just before
the presentation of Mistrial, in the Central Library Auditorium. The
meeting will review Friends' activities, sponsored programs and new
initiatives. It will also briefly cover the anticipated renovation of
the Central Library facility, which the Friends have been following
for some time, as it impacts the location of their book sale
operations.
The Associates of Brand Library and Art Center, which supports
Glendale's art and music library branch and offers free music and
dance performances, art shows, lectures such as opera talks and more,
has temporarily relocated its programs to the Central Library. (Most
of the branch's art and architecture books and music resources are
temporarily housed there as well, so they are still available to the
public.) The Associates helped sponsor last year's Library screening
of Grandma's Tattoos, and just produced the Armen Anassian music
series.
Associates Board member Caroline Tufenkian, who has curated exhibits
at Brand Library and many other galleries, has taken on the job of
fundraising chair for the group. She has also organized Associates'
arts tours to the Fine Arts Building in downtown LA and other
significant locations. The Associates of Brand Library will hold its
annual meeting this Saturday, May 11, 2pm, in the Shoseian Tea House
and Garden and the west end of Brand Park.
As it adjusts planning to become self-sustaining after its city
management agreement ends in 2015, Glendale Arts has renewed its
annual iHeart fundraising drive to raise the profile of the Alex
Theatre, the `Jewel of the Jewel City.' The theatre will close from
July through November as upgrades to the back stage and other
technical improvements are needed to make the Alex a competitive venue
in the Southern California entertainment market. It regularly hosts
excellent civic events (among them the city's Armenian Genocide
Commemoration). It also is a great venue for charitable fundraising:
Glendale Adventist Medical Center's Dr. Norick Bogossian Cancer Care
Guild sold out the entire theatre May 5 for a night of comedy
featuring Maz Jobrani and Vahik Pirhamzei.
Glendale Arts brings first-rate programs like the LA Chamber
Orchestra, musicals, ballets and comedies to downtown Glendale, where
parking is inexpensive and restaurants abound. The newest addition to
its programming is Live Talks Los Angeles, which will be holding three
live author events in the theatre, starting with multiple Oscar and
Emmy award winner/songwriter Burt Bacharach on May 14. The innovative
Glendale Pops, whose shows are produced by Glendale Arts under the
artistic direction of multi-talented entertainment veteran Matt
Catingub, scheduled its last season two concert in a unique venue -
prop house History for Hire (a Glendale Arts business supporter) -
while the Alex construction start date was uncertain. The Glendale
Pops third season will open at the Alex at the end of the year with
HolidayPop!, which this past year featured local vocalist Danielle
Sadd as well as a Glendale Youth Chorus.
The Friends of the Glendale Public Library, the Associates of Brand
Library and Art Center, Glendale Arts, and the city's Arts and Culture
Commission are all communicating with each other to raise the profile
of arts and cultural programming within the city.
The city of Glendale officially approved an Arts & Cultural five-year
strategic plan in February 2013. The Arts and Culture Commission is
now under the purview of the Library Arts and Culture Department, and
the strategic planning initiative that begin last fall was coordinated
within the city by library staff member and marketing professional
Annette Vartanian.
Vartanian says, `The City has made arts and culture one of its
priority goals and is making strategic decisions for investing in the
arts for the benefit of the entire community. The Plan helps identify
Glendale's identity as innovative and creative. This is something
important to every citizen in Glendale because it really shows that
the City is committed to expanding the arts and cultural investments
and opportunities in the community. The importance to the Armenian
community is that we will be exploring new arts and cultural programs
and projects that will speak to the Armenian community, as well as
providing opportunities for artists in the community that can include
artists of Armenian descent.'
More information about library, arts and cultural programming within
the city of Glendale can be found on these webpages:
http://library.ci.glendale.ca.us/featured_events.asp,
.associatesofbrand.org/events.php, and www.glendalearts.org/
Elise Kalfayan is a Glendale resident, a native Southern Californian,
and a combined first/second generation Armenian-American. She has
produced or edited print and online pieces on topics ranging from
urban development to Armenian Church history. She is the publisher of
a Glendale community news blog http://sunroomdesk.com, and works as a
contract writer, editor, and publishing consultant for clients
including businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and memoirists. She
is also President, Friends of the Glendale Public Library, and a big
fan of the Glendale Pops!