(Photo courtesy of Ofelia Esparza)

Ofelia Esparza is an esteemed artist and noted maker of stunningly beautiful Dia de los Muertos and other traditional altars. You might have caught her work in Puro Muerto or at Self-Help. You can experience Ofelia’s Dia de los Muertos altars at the following over the next few days:

ChimMaya Gallery in East L.A. ~ 5283 E beverly Blvd two blocks

East if Atlantic Blvd.


The Pico House Gallery in Olvera Street: Day of the Dead 

Exhibit ~ October 18- November 19.

               
Community altar at Plaza de La Raza outdoor stage. 

Opening November 1, 4-9PM


Self-Help Graphics upstairs ballroom ~ 3802 corner of Cesar 

Chavez & Gage Ave. E.L.A Day of the Dead Celebration 

November 2, 4-10PM.

               
Altar Photo Installation ~ First Street Studio, E. 1st St, 

near St. Louis Street, in Boyle Heights (L.A)


Additional Altar at Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Park

Recipe modified from Kraft Food’s African American Flavor Center for your taco-centric Hallowe’en party tonite:

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
2 tbsp Mexican spice mixture
12 Taco Shells
3/4 cup Salsa
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced pitted ripe olives
Preparation:
Mix meat and spices. Shape into 36 (1-inch) balls; place in 15×10x1-inch baking pan.

Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. Fill each taco shell with 1 meatball; drizzle with salsa. Top with 2 meatballs dipped in sour cream. Garnish with olives to make “eyeballs.”

Kimono culture lives in Los Angeles. From Torrance to Little Tokyo to the Valley, Japanese, Japanese American, and gaijin (non-Japanese) ladies alike practice the art and lifestyle of kimono. Fumi Akutagawa is among the trail blazers of Japanese lifestyle in L.A., a kimono consultant for 40 years. Trained and certified in Japan, Akutagawa has brought her knowledge stateside, becoming the premiere kimono consultant of Southern California, regularly offering lessons in a peaceful nook by the Buddhist Temple Zenshuji of Little Tokyo. Mme Akutagawa’s expertise is in teaching kimono, ikebana, and tea ceremony. As a consultant, she is best known for her work in the film Memoirs of a Geisha, and she has also worked on many stage productions of Madame Butterfly.

But when Hollywood isn’t hot on her tail, Akutagawa participates in a myriad of cultural activities in LA. A Japanese event in Los Angeles is nothing if Akutagawa is not there. Often she presents her own fashion shows, as she did at The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys. The headliner for an all-day cultural affair, Akutagawa unpretentiously sustained her command of the spotlight. She single-handedly conceived ensembles for and dressed 18 models, including yours truly, Eva Ruiz, for a stroll on the Japanese Garden’s catwalk.

Akutagawa’s attention to detail and her creativity is most reflected in her obi arrangements. The obi, for those of you who are not kimono savvy, is the silk sash that wraps around a woman’s middle and ties in the back to form a bow. Not all obi bows are created equal, and Akutagawa’s are always the best. Creating bows with four or five folds from a single rectangle is nothing short of remarkable.

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Hollywood ~ CA

We wrote about the transcendent performance of My Pet Dragon when we saw them perform at The Artwallah Festival a while back. We just caught this video of their song “Pagan Blues.” It’s pretty badass and reminds us of why we were feeling them so much to begin with. Although an appearance by the talented and lovely Reena is missed, the video has a lot of power. Give it a minute.

The 6th annual FITLA this year features performances in Spanish and English by Bolivia’s Teatro de Los Andes:

In a Yellow Sun (Memories of an Earthquake)

Peru’s Yuyachkani Cultural Group:

Ana Correa in Rosa Cuchillo.

Debora Correa in Te Voy A Contar (Once upon a time)

and the clowns of Mexico’s Teatro Sin Paredes:

La Excepcion Y la Regla.

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