By CJ Gronner It has been all about the art lately in Venice, and a recent Saturday night was a big one for it. C.A.V.E. (Center for Audio and Visual Expression)  Gallery on Abbot Kinney had the opening of renowned street artist Shark Toof’s Ping Pong Show AND it was the big celebration for SPARC‘s...

By CJ Gronner We always look so forward to the Abbot Kinney Festival every year, and this year could not have been a more perfect day for it. Gone was the oppressive heat at the beach that some maniacs have been complaining about (Never me), and a gentle breeze blew through the sunshine to create...

By CJ Gronner The Hammer Museum came down to put on the “Venice Beach Biennial” (which the materials all keep calling a “tongue in cheek” play on the Venice Biennale in Italy – Thanks, we get it.), where a bunch of “Museum” artists joined the Venice artists that are down on the Boardwalk every day,...

By Greta Cobar The Hare Krishna Festival of the Chariots is the world’s oldest religious observation, and this year marks the 36th such celebration in Venice. Called Ratha-Yatra, the festival is a celebration of the Deity Jagannath. People attend the festivities to catch a glimpse of Jagannath, whose statue only comes out of the Temple...

By Dean Henderson The Hammer Museum’s Venice Beach Biennial, an open air art exhibition, will take place July 13-15 on Ocean Front Walk. Fifteen Venice boardwalk artists will be among the nearly 50 artists exhibiting their work during the free three-day event. The Venice Beach Biennial (VBB) name is a reference to the famous Venice...

Venice’s own Fire Station #63 will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, May 5, from 8 am until noon at the firehouse at Venice Blvd. and Shell Ave., next to Beyond Baroque. Come and meet Capt. Rex Vilaubi and his intrepid crew, check out the big red fire engines and equipment, tour the station...

By CJ Gronner One of the most adorable things you could ever do in Venice, California is attend the annual Holiday Boat Parade in the Venice Canals. This year was the 30th one, and I think it might have been the best yet. I say that because the mood of the boating participants and the...

By CJ Gronner The 8th Annual Other Venice Film Festival was another success – and a blast – this year, featuring wonderful work from our own local filmmakers, as well as entries from around the world. The festival ran from October 13-16 this year, and it all started out with a big rager at Beyond...

Michael McClure of Beat Generation fame celebrated his 80th birthday at Beyond Baroque, Oct. 20. McClure was a fictionalized character in the Dharma Bums, Desolation Angels and Big Sur, all written by Jack Kerouac. He read with Allen Ginsberg on the night that Ginsberg first read Howl. His play, Beard, was raided by the San...

By Don E. Geagan and Suzanne Thompson In a time when we are consistently threaded by the loss of public space and facilities, such as the Venice Post Office, a very special building continues to serve the community. On Saturday, October 29th, a place dedicated to the possibilities of language, housed in the Old Venice...