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Arts & Entertainment

Art and Community Come to the Streets of Echo Park Saturday

This Saturday, you can stroll the streets as part of a local art walk and open house, and meet Echo Park Patch outside Blue Collar Dog.

Saturday May 14 will see the streets of Echo Park filled with PDA–public displays of art. This one-day event is hosted by various businesses throughout the neighborhood. Visitors can stroll the streets, and enjoy special sales offers and extended business hours at the participating locations.  A route winding 1.8 miles along Sunset and Echo Park boulevards will cover all the works on display.

 The art walk is organized by Art Needs Freedom, headed up by Heather Mendoza. Mendoza has lived in Echo Park for two and a half years, and calls the neighborhood “a hidden gem.” The goal of the art walk is to bring the community together, she said, “and be inspired to connect with one another.”

 Nearly 40 different business and locations will be hosting different art works and events. at 1716 Sunset Boulevard, will be displaying a new photography exhibit. The artist is Noah Jashinski and the show is called “thirty five.”  This is Jashinski’s first solo photo show. Co-owner Claudia Colodro said there will also be “live music out back” and a special in the café area. Buy any baked good and you’ll get a free 12-ounce coffee. “It’s small but it’s good,” said Colodro.

Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 The local branch of the educational non-profit will be unveiling a new window display in the storefront of their Time Travel Mart at 1714 Sunset Boulevard. Molly Burgess won a contest, co-sponsored by Good Magazine, to create the winning design. Shannon Losorelli of 826LA said the big reveal will come at noon, but the shop is opening early at 11 a.m. to welcome patrons before then. There will be a  will be raffle of books, including issues of McSweeney’s.

There will also be a special sale of back issues of the journal, retailing at three for $25. David Barnes from the band “Of Montreal” will be reading from his new book What’s Weird? at 4 p.m. And devotees of the Time Travel Mart’s current display--a caveman and a robot greeting each other--don’t need to fear. The new display is going up in the opposite window. “We like them too much,” said Losorelli, to take down the existing window.

Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

, at 1533 Echo Park Boulevard, is hosting a German Shepherd adoption event all day. “This place will be full of dogs,” said employee Jeff Moxley. You can meet adoptable dogs like five year-old Panther and eight month-old puppy Blake, courtesy of Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles.

Outside the store you can scribble on the sidewalk using chalk along with other artists, courtesy of Echo Park  Patch. Other locations for sidewalk chalk art include the , Evil Monito, , and .

Mendoza hopes the event, the third art walk in Echo Park she’s organized, will be something “that the whole community can feel proud and be a part of.” Find the latest information and a full list of stops at http://www.artneedsfreedom.com/pda/.

Volunteers will be handing out maps of the locations along the L-shaped path of the art walk. Hosting venues will also have maps available. And if you're interested in organizing or volunteering for the next event, contact Heather Mendoza.

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