Community Corner

Echo Park's Third Artwalk Is Coming

Echo Park Patch talked to Heather Mendoza who is organizing the event.

Echo Park's third arwalk will take place on May 14 from noon to 6 p.m. along Echo Park Avenue from Baxter Street to Sunset Boulevard and along Sunset Boulevard from Echo Park Avenue to Alvarado Street.

The "public display of art" is the work of Heather Mendoza, who came to Los Angeles about ten years ago.

Echo Park Patch had a few questions for Heather about this massive undertaking that keeps growing and growing. 

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Echo Park Patch: Why did you start the Echo Park artwalk?

Heather Mendoza: The artwalk started after my desire to see my neighborhood grow and be inspired to connect with one another and celebrate the community in which we all lived in. For the first artwalk, in February 2010, I had been inspired after my travels in Europe. I fell in love walking through the streets, seeing little crowds of people everywhere, checking out a different array of shops, sitting reading a book, having coffee, or just sharing space with a few strangers. 

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What I really loved, as well as the wonderful appreciation for the arts there, was the sense of community, the sense of being a part of something and connecting to other people.  Los Angeles is such a car-centered city, that often we isolate ourselves. In my experiences of Europe there just seems to be a lot more focus on community events. I'm not saying that there aren't great and amazing community events happening here, they are just more spread out and harder to find, unless you know where to look.  

Echo Park Patch: What are the challenges of doing an event like this in Echo Park?

Heather Mendoza: Echo Park is quite unique.  I've been a resident in Los Angeles for nine-and-a-half years. I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio.  When I first moved to Echo Park, two and a half years ago, I was a little apprehensive.  I had been living in Hollywood, and pretty comfortable with where I was.  I knew the places I liked to go, I knew the area, I knew a lot of people, I knew my environment, and stepping out of my comfort zone didn't thrill me. 

But I'm glad I did, because I've discovered that this community of Echo Park is like a hidden gem. It's wonderfully eclectic and unique. It's saturated with a diverse group of people--artists, performers, musicians, public servants, families, the old, the young. With its little boutiques and galleries, coffee shops and cafes it has more to offer than what meets the eye.    

I'm also an artist (painting, photography, accessory design, acting, writing), and it is my self expression to bring my passion of creating art and bringing communities together to celebrate and connect.

Echo Park Patch: This is the third artwalk. How will it be different?

Heather Mendoza: The second and now the third  artwalks were encouraged by the businesses due to the success of the first one.  It made me realize that there is a need for this in the community. Though there was, and still is, no "committee" to make this happen, it was worth the amount of time and efforts to keep creating the art walks.  Which is part of the challenge too.  Though I have help from the businesses, it's just me organizing the entire event.

The third artwalk was inspired by everything that is going on right now in Japan, Libya, the Middle East,in America, in Los Angeles, in our community. My car was recently broken into, right here in Echo Park, right in front of my house (over $10,000 in damages). There is always some sort of devastation going on, in the world and right here within the community. But I believe, more than ever, that it is essential to our community's vitality, spirit and creativity to create an artwalk where we can celebrate, connect and be lit up about our little gem of a neighborhood.  

Echo Park Patch: What are some of the benefits of creating an artwalk?

Heather Mendoza: Some of the benefits I believe of creating an artwalk are:

  • Connecting the whole neighborhood, ultimately creating affinity and possibly even a safer place to live and own a business
  • Bringing in other communities to visit our neighborhood, which means more patron support to local businesses
  • Creating excitement in the neighborhood that the whole community can feel proud and be a part of 
  • Insuring the continued growth and development of the neighborhood
  • Having fun, celebrating, supporting local artists/performers and businesses

The third artwalk is also bigger than the last two.  It has extended to Sunset Boulevard, with now with over 30 businesses participating.  We also have the "Big Sunday" volunteer group joining us to help with posting more signs and handing out event maps as well as painting a mural at Logan Street Elementary.

To see a full list of the venues participating in the artwalk, click here. Echo Park Patch is a sponsor of the event, and will have a table on the route. Come by and say "hello."


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