Local News from NELA

Got Legos to Spare??

I’m passing along this post from Patch by Andrea C. Quezada about the Lego Club the Arroyo Seco Library is hoping to start.  My grandkids will hold onto their Legos until they get tired of moving them from place to place and/or they pass them along to their own children.  If you or yours are ready to part with the little plastic blocks, why not donate your stash to a local & good cause?

Branch hopes to implement a new program by the start of the summer.

Arroyo Seco Library would like to start a LEGO club, but there’s just one problem.

They don’t have any LEGOs.

The library is seeking donations of gently used LEGOs and Duplo blocks to help get the program off the ground in time for the summer.

“It was public demand,” branch manager Dora Suarez said. “Children have asked for them to use for an art project or just to build a design.”

Arroyo Seco Library is asking for small (LEGO) and large (Duplo) building blocks so children of all ages can enjoy the fun.

With summer vacation just around the corner, students will be out of school and the LEGO club will be a fantastic solution to summer boredom.

“They would use them here in the library, basically it’s like having puzzles,” Suarez said. “We’ll have them in the children’s room and the kids can build whatever they want. It’s something to keep them entertained during the summer.

Suarez said, “I guess it will be an added activity before we have a larger program.”

If you’d like to make a LEGO donation, donations can be dropped off at Arroyo Seco Library. The library is located at 6145 N. Figueroa St. For further information about the program, contact a branch librarian at (323) 255-0537.

Support NELAart & Local Artist

The good folks at NELAart.org have a campaign going on Indie GoGo, a site where folks can raise money for projects.  Here’s the link: Let’s Take it to the Next Level – NELAart goes Non-Profit.  Here’s a bit about the campaign and what they hope to create for the NELA Art Community.

What is NELAart? Northeast Los Angeles Arts Organization. And where is it? Northeast Los Angeles includes Mount Washington, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Cyprus Park and Glassell  Park. This area of Los Angeles has some of the city’s most diverse collection of artists and a rich history of being an arts community. There are more and more creative artists moving here everyday. We’re surrounded by fine and commercial artists, designers and architects, musicians and performers, and as more move into the area they find kindred spirits… and a community that celebrates the arts.

What are some of the things NELAart is planning to do you may ask…we want to spread the word about the arts in this area. We want to assist artists with the things they may need help with such as applying for commissions or putting together a portfolio. There will be grants, in fact we’ve already started a micro-grant program that gives artists cash. It’s based on the live micro-grant funding model that’s sweeping the nation. Artists present projects to patrons that have bought tickets, and in most cases enjoyed a little food and drink, and those patrons vote on the project they like best. The winner receives the money from the ticket sales. It’s crowd funding like Indie GoGo but it happens right in front of you. We also are planning indie film nights and literary salons, performance and music events, pop up galleries and we’re helping to bring more arts to the local schools.

As an organization we also want to be able to provide information to the arts community such as calls for art, business oriented classes and lectures, insurance, and some of the things most artists cannot always access. All of this requires staff and that requires funding. We’re not asking for the world, just some start up dollars. And there are goodies to help encourage you to give us some assistance.