On the Town: Two artistic venues make a big impression
While the gloom of June may have settled upon us, all was bright at Burbank’s Creative Arts Center and the Colony Theatre this past weekend.
Kicking off the exhibit titled “Spaces, Places, Interfaces,” which will run through June 26, the arts center’s gallery presented an opening-night reception that included appearances by the trio of featured artists — Charlie Morey, Tommy Hollenstein and Debra Hintz — this past Friday evening.
Morey, a photographer who traditionally captures images of nature and wildlife, has branched out, roaming the streets and alleys of urban L.A. to record whatever traces of irony and humor he finds along the way.
Hollenstein, who as a result of a 1985 mountain bike accident, is relegated to a powered wheelchair, uses the tires of his chair as a “brush” to paint on canvas panels.
“It’s like dancing as I spin back and forth and slide the tires,” Hollenstein said. “It’s probably the time I feel the most freedom in my chair.”
Rounding out the group, Hintz uses oils and palette knives to create her heavily textured paintings of places both real and imagined.
“All three of us create our own personal places — metaphysically, internal or actual real places,” Hintz said. “That’s what interfaces our work. Charlie and Tommy and I each create spaces to hold the emotions and feelings we are experiencing at any given time.”
The bright light of the arts continued to shine as the Colony Theatre hosted a star-studded, one-night-only special performance of “Remembering the Ladies of Music, Stage and Screen,” starring impressionist Toni Morrell on Saturday evening.
Recreating classic performances of legendary women including Judy Garland, Edith Piaf, Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Bassey, Carol Channing, Marlene Dietrich and Lucille Ball, Morrell played to a full house that included entertainment luminaries Loni Anderson, Linda Gray, Tippi Hedren, Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels, Barbara Luna, Anne Jeffreys, Jaime Monroy, Kristy McNichol and Lou Gossett Jr.
Among those greeting guests as they arrived for the performance were the show’s director, Karen G. Cadle, and Barbara Beckley, who serves as Colony’s artistic director.
“This is a great evening, and I am so excited that Shirley Jones has joined us,” Beckley said. “Her performance in ‘Oklahoma!’ is what inspired me to pursue a career in theater.”
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DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
