Jessica Koslow

Lenny Gerard knows firsthand about disability. He had been volunteering as an art teacher at the Braille Institute for a few years when he had a freak accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. Once he recovered just enough, he had an epiphany to leave the corporate world and devote himself full time to being an artist and educator. This month, 30 of his student artists ages 18 to 82 will show 50 of their artworks in a group exhibition titled “Through My Eyes.”

“I had my accident three years ago, and I had three surgeries,” explained Gerard. “I had to relearn how to walk after each one. But I would go to the Braille Institute on a walker because I love it so much. I went back as soon as I could — the first thing I wanted to do was go back.”

Gerard teaches Abstract Expressionism, a class he developed, and printmaking to the blind and visually impaired. His goal for the exhibition was to highlight their voices rather than their disabilities. He has even pioneered a technique for his students: They put raised objects in the printing press to emboss paper, so students can feel what they’ve done. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Amy Kaps and Kaye Freeman are both over 60, but — in their opinion — they may not act like conventional older adults. In fact, in one of the accompanying performances to their art show, “Origins of Matter,” which opens Aug. 16 at Matter Studio Gallery, they will be dressed as gods of metal.

“I’m 63, and what a 63-year-old woman looks like or should be doing is still pretty pervasive,” said Freeman, who works out of a shared studio with Kaps at Allied Crafts Building in the Fashion District. “It’s important that if you can stand up and be true to who you are and be the best that you can be at this age, we have a lot to show and share.”

“I’m not into anti-aging,” she added. “Aging is important, and we need to reclaim the value of aging instead of trying to be youthful all the time. Because it’s creepy. We have to step up. Let’s become national treasures. We still have a lot of vitality and a lot to give.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Adler\Smith Gallery in Santa Monica is considered a cultural hub for surf, skate and music-driven art, thanks to the hard work and stellar reputation of Charles Adler, its co-owner. Adler had been an illustrator for advertising firms, an art director for Quiksilver and a curator for art exhibitions like the South Bay Film, Art and Music Festival when he crossed paths with Mark Smith, Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam’s manager, and his wife, Laurie — they are the Smith in the gallery’s name.

In the three years since the gallery opened, they have melded visual art with skate and surf history in a string of exhibitions, including “Collaboration: Tom Blake + Outerknown” and Stacy Peralta’s “The Joy of Decay.” Last weekend, “Dogtown: 50 Years of Fun” opened, marking the 50th anniversary of Dogtown Skateboards.

According to the gallery’s Instagram, “It’s a celebration of one of the most influential movements in modern skate culture. Born out of the raw, creative energy of 1970s Venice and Santa Monica, Dogtown redefined what skateboarding could be: fast, aggressive, expressive, and deeply rooted in surf style and street culture.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.