Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Saturday Culture

The Historic Kramer House

This past Saturday, after an excellent WeHo SnB meeting at the Original Farmers Market, Larry and I zipped out to Granada Hills for a dedication ceremony. The "Kramer House" has been designated Historic Cultural Monument #933 by the Cultural Heritage Commission of Los Angeles. You can read about some of the architectural details here.
It's all very exciting. Our friends, the Kahlenbergs are the current owners and sought the designation for this 1966 Mid-Century Ranch Style home. This was our first visit to this fantastic home. The Kahlenbergs own many mid-century furnishings, wall art, etc., so the house really looks like it's vintage mid-1960's.

The view from the pool...it was a windy day!
Later that evening we attended the Second Saturday Gallery Night in Highland Park. We started out at Future Studio. The curator for this show is Heather Hoggan. She gathered mosaic panels made for trash receptacles in Eagle Rock by Arroyo artists. The theme of this project is "Make Art, Not Trash." Artists were inspired to design these panels to adorn trash cans in the Eagle Rock area. They should be installed later this year. Many of the panels are exquisitely crafted. The themes pertain to the area of Eagle Rock. Also shown was other art by the many participants.
We walked up the block to the TE Gallery, showing large wooden constructions. Then, we headed over to the historic Judson Stained Glass Studios for a tribute and retrospective exhibition of the prints of Sister Mary Corita Kent. That was followed by a trip to Mor York Gallery, which is always fascinating. The exhibit in the front space on Saturday was quilted pieces made from exotic silks. Of course gallery owner, Clare Graham's workshop in the back was dark, mysterious and infinitely fascinating. You can tell this by the amount of photos I took.



I really must recommend going to the Second Saturday Gallery Night in the Highland Park area if you've never been. You'll meet the most interesting people and see a good number of captivating artworks! Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 7th!

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9 Comments:

At 4:54 PM PST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You certainly do get around on the weekends!
The silk quilts are really beautiful.

Judy
Bakersfield

 
At 5:26 PM PST, Blogger betty said...

I'm curious about something -- what happens when a home is declared a historical monument? Can the current owners ever remodel it? Do they have to get approval to do remodels? What happens if new owners want to rebuild on the property? (I know -- that last thought makes you and everyone interested in conserving the mid-century look cringe in horror).

 
At 5:47 PM PST, Blogger Ellen Bloom said...

Glad you asked those excellent questions, Betty.

Homeowners cannot alter the OUTSIDE of a culturally historical home without consulting the committee and submitted specific plans. The exterior of the home should stay true to the era it was built. Supposedly, this house will NEVER be demolished or changed, unless some sort of law is changed, no matter who lives here in the years to come. I do believe that they can make changes to the interior of the home.
Tax benefits are given to those who own historical monuments.

There are entire websites dedicated to the rules of HPOZ's...Historic Preservation Overlay Zones. These are neighborhoods or portions of neighborhoods of one type of architecture that has not been changed since being built. We have many in the Los Angeles area.

 
At 6:03 PM PST, Blogger Kath said...

LOVE the mosaics! They are all so great I couldn't pick a favorite. (Like the gallery kitty too - art in motion perhaps? Or maybe a performance art piece?)

 
At 6:03 AM PST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fab house. Dig that pool. What fun stuff... the art works are amazing!

 
At 12:36 PM PST, Blogger MonkeyGurrrrrl said...

CHICKEN BOY!!!! WITH KITTY!!!! Love it. Also love the gratuitous nekked booty shots. :)

 
At 2:30 PM PST, Blogger Natalie said...

that house is rad!

 
At 7:26 AM PST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ellen,

It was wonderful having you and Larry over on Saturday. Thanks for the amazing shots of the house. As for the question about changing the house - I cringe at the thought - we are honored to be caretakers of such an incredible house and promise to always uphold Mr. Kramer's vision and leave history as it is. However I know our "lovely" next door neighbors would love to see the house demolished and in its place __________. Love you blog!

Hugs,

Leslie

 
At 10:27 AM PST, Blogger Ellen Bloom said...

Hey Leslie...
I think the comment about changing a historically designated home, above, was really a question on the rules and regulations about these designations. It seems that most of my commenters are very into the mid-century scene and regard it as classic.

Glad you like my photos! Best of luck with your fabulous home!

 

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