Art Walkers Stroll Through ‘60s

The Scene: Sunday’s closing-night dinner for Art Walk ‘91, the annual fund-raiser for the Venice Free Clinic. Now in its 12th year, the Art Walk has grown from an informal tour of galleries and studios in the beach community to an event that takes over a good portion of Venice for the whole weekend. In addition to the usual art auction, this year’s walk featured auctions of more than 75 original cartoon panels as well as a few novelty items, such as a workout session with Arnold Schwarzenegger and some quality time with Wayne Newton. (Also popular were the “singles buses,” where one could cruise the galleries while cruising other art lovers.)

The Decor: The theme was “Back to the ‘60s,” and Santa Monica airport’s Barker Hangar was turned into a flashback for the Wonder Years generation, with vintage autos parked outside, a psychedelic light show, live period music by the Trip, and military helmets used as centerpieces. Talk about the aging of Aquarius--Bob Dylan tunes were even piped into the portable toilets.

Who Was There: Art Walk chair Sheila Goldberg and her husband, clinic president Michael Goldberg; dinner chairs Pam Specktor and Patti Marcus; artists Chuck Arnoldi, Lita Albuquerque, Guy Dill, Robbie Conal, Peter Alexander, Eric Orr, Woods Davy, Laddie John Dill, among others, and clinic supporters Barbara and Jon Avnet, Heather Thomas and Skip Brittenham, Ruth and Jacob Bloom, Ted and Susie Field and Patricia and Mike Medavoy.

Dress Code: “Casual casual,” according to the invitation, and most people arrived in T-shirts and jeans.

Money Matters: Dinner tickets were $225. Art Walk posters signed by Lita Albuquerque were on sale for $150. “We don’t have the exact figures yet for the whole weekend,” said Sheila Goldberg, “and if anybody tells you any different they’re making it up.” Best estimates ran upward of half a million dollars raised by the two days of the Art Walk.

Quoted: “I picked the ‘60s theme because the clinic is all about the spirit of volunteerism,” said Patti Marcus. Asked about her outfit (a temporary tattoo combined with a multicolored hippie skirt), Marcus said, “Sure I wore this in the ‘60s. I’m living proof that hippies came out of Orange County.”

Triumphs: After two days of walking around Venice from studio to gallery, most of the guests seemed relieved not to have to sit through a black-tie dinner, or get dressed up at all.

Glitches: The room was decorated with protest signs with such ‘60s slogans as “Peace Now,” “Burn Your Bra” and “Free Patty Hearst.” As far as we remember, Patty Hearst was a free bird until well into the ‘70s.