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GUESTS: Man One, Artist, Lewis McAdams, Board Member of the Friends of the LA River

Friends of the LA River recently gained permits from the County and the City for artists to paint a large portion of the river walls near downtown LA. Graffiti writers from around the city gathered to create the largest production ever seen in Los Angeles – and some one thousand people headed down to the River to witness it. Days after the production was finished however, LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina expressed outrage over the murals. A long-time opponent of graffiti, Molina met with Friends of the LA River (FOLAR) stating she wanted the pieces whitewashed. A small portion of the wall space that was painted was not permitted, and FOLAR agreed that that portion could be painted over. However, a massive portion of the production was painted over last weekend – Molina’s office has said that she didn’t order the whitewashing, and it now remains a mystery who whitewashed the river. Meanwhile, local graffiti writers are organizing an open forum to address the city and county’s permit policies, the whitewashing of the Arroyo Seco murals, and more. Painter and pioneer graff writer Chaz Bojorquez will give a historical overview, and will approach definition of vandalism, tagging, graffiti and art. Other panelists will also talk about how graffiti is used as a form of resistance, and a tool with which to communicate struggle. The forum will take place Saturday, November 17 at CreWest Gallery in Downtown LA and will be moderated by gallery director and graff artist Man One.

For more information, visit www.folar.org/ and www.crewest.com/