Art for NoHo’s Sake
Frances Lee didn’t need an excuse to attend the ninth annual NoHo Theatre and Arts Festival on Saturday.
“What more of an excuse do you need than a giant daiquiri in a football and a beautiful day in Southern California?” said the West Hollywood resident as she sipped a strawberry drink from a plastic football-shaped container.
Despite temperatures in the 90s, thousands of people came out to enjoy art shows, music, dance, theater, food and vendors. The weeklong festival--part of the area’s continuing effort to attract people, businesses and attention to the NoHo arts district--is a showcase of local talent and industry.
“The NoHo arts district has really helped the image of North Hollywood,” said Theresa Couch of North Hollywood as she munched on caramel corn. “This fair helps the neighborhood really feel like a community.”
The NoHo district rejuvenation began nine years ago as a way to revitalize corridors along Lankershim Boulevard. Last year, the festival was held in conjunction with the grand opening of the Metro Red Line station, a 17-mile subway station. It attracted nearly 250,000 people, and organizers hope this year will be the same.
“I’ve seen this place mushroom with theaters, restaurants and costume shops,” said Audrey Marlyn Singer, director of the Actors Forum Theatre in North Hollywood. “This area is going to blow up. Everybody wants to be here.”
Near a yellow banner that read, “All the World’s a Stage in NoHo,” 16 artists painted a mural, which will be displayed on Tujunga Avenue. The mural will depict a colorful view of what North Hollywood is expected to look like after development is completed.
“We want to show there are a lot of fantastic artists here, and the area is ripe for businesses to come in and use us in many ways,” said Susan Krieg, an artist and muralist who lives in North Hollywood.
Nearly 150 vendors offering such things as fruit-scented candles, homemade cookies and haircuts were at the festival.
People could choose from such foods as mango smoothies, teriyaki bowls, Cajun catfish, roasted corn or black-eyed bean porridge.
Local artists also displayed their work, like Joe Bravo’s selection of painted images on flour tortillas.
More than 40 small theaters have opened in NoHo in recent years, and many were featured at the festival, including Theatre East, the Deaf West Theatre and the Actor’s Forum Theatre.
“This festival brings people into the area and gets people aware of what’s going on here,” Singer said. “We reach people from all over the city who think the Valley is a separate nation.”
The festival will continue today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Lankershim Boulevard, between Cumpston Street and Magnolia Boulevard. Admission is free.