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Sunday, September 29, 2002 What
desert?
PASADENA -- Visitors to Lower Arroyo Park on Saturday witnessed an
exhibition that blended art with nature, sometimes provocatively.
The "Trail Markers II: What Desert'
installation featured about 20 art displays and was presented by
the NewTown consortium of artists.
Based on the theme "Water,' each
artist used the Lower Arroyo Park as his or her gallery. Displays
were scattered along the park's paths between La Loma Bridge and
the Colorado Boulevard Bridge.
"The goal of NewTown is to bring art
to people and take the art out of its natural surroundings,' said
Richard Amromin, president of NewTown's board of directors.
Artists George Barker and Rachel Spencer
turned an abandoned public restroom facility into their
"Wondrous, Wandering Museum of Water,' which featured
exhibits of waterrelated myths in a carnival-style atmosphere.
"Step right up! You can decide for
yourself it it's true or if it's made up,' Barker barked to
visitors, while carnival music blared from his 1963 Dodge Polara,
parked nearby.
Spencer handed out peanuts as visitors
entered the restroom to view the display. One of their exhibits
questioned the existence of mermaids and mermen by offering what
were presented as the mythical creatures but appeared to be fetal
mice floating in a small jar of liquid.
"Seen here are two babies. Can you
tell their sex?' the jar's caption read. "If they're not
moving, they're asleep. Please do not tap the glass.'
Other museum exhibits also raised
eyebrows, like the one displaying what was called holy water in
the restroom's dusty toilet.
Members of Boy Scout Troop 516 seemed a
bit perplexed by the exhibit. "Very interesting,' said Scout
Master Jerry Johnson.
"We're giving the perspective that
what you believe may not be everyone's belief, and that people
should take the time to question it,' Spencer said.
Few of the displays were as
confrontational as the museum. Some were set up and then left so
visitors could browse on their own.
"Frozen Meteors From a Parallel
Universe' by Teresa Ramirez and Jeff Kirshbaum featured about a
dozen, 2-foot-square blocks of ice, cascading down a small ravine.
Frozen inside the blocks were various photographs, some were
underwater shots of a little girl in swim goggles.
"I'm just really impressed by the
innovativeness of the artists,' said Charlayne Speed, who was
visiting from Minnesota. "The photos in the ice are so cool.'
Other installations included the Mudmen
of Los Angeles and "Dirt Break,' a recreation of a breaking
ocean wave made of dirt and bark dust.
The installation continues from 9:30 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. today at Lower Arroyo Park, on Arroyo Boulevard, a
quarter mile north of California Boulevard.
-- Marshall Allen can be reached at
(626) 578-6300 Ext. 4461, or by e-mail at marshall.allen@sgvn.com
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