Glendale neighbors create art piece to reimagine Adams Hill

The old gas station turned art gallery at Adams Square Mini Park hosted a series of installations by professional artists this year, but for the final display of 2015 more than 50 neighbors pooled their artistic talents.

“Our Starry Night” is a reimagining of the Adams Hill neighborhood with more than 36 cardboard houses painted a variety of colors scattered on a makeshift hill.

Hanging above are 660 stars decorated by students at John Marshall Elementary School.

The project was a joint effort by the wife-and-husband team of Cathy Hrenda and Stephen Meeks, who wanted to do something a little different this year when it came to decorating the park.

Hrenda said she initially predicted a small turnout, but she ended up being wrong when people of all ages showed up to paint.

“A lot of older people actually got involved in painting,” she said. “At first, they thought it was just for kids. When they realized anybody could participate, they started painting, too.”

That’s what resident Arlene Vidor enjoyed about the gathering earlier this month to put the art project together.

While some tried to experiment with nontraditional home colors, Vidor attempted to replicate her tan-with-a-green-trim Marion Drive home.

She said that while people in the neighborhood do use the park, it was fun getting them to finally meet and converse with each other.

“To see such a diverse age range — the age range must have spanned 80 years,” Vidor said.

“Our Starry Night” will be on display through Jan. 9

Hrenda said she’d like to do the same kind of community-based art project year after year, hoping more and more people will turn out and help the mini park become an artistic hub in addition to a social one.

“The first time around, you always get the people who are more risk takers,” she said. “Next year, if we do it, people will know what to expect and more of them will turn out.”

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Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com

Twitter: @ArinMikailian