Louie Perez has released several one of a kind, original hand done drawings from the collection “Dreams of Beans” series. Here’s your chance to own some of Louie’s original artwork. Drawings will be offered at a reduced price for holidays. These prices will expire on Jan 6, 2013.

Link to Playpix online gallery: http://playpix.retailrapp.com/products

Introducing the “Dreams of Beans” Series

The pinto bean is an iconic symbol of Mexican American culture, and the center of Louie Perez’s new body of work, entitled “Dreams of Beans.”

The series includes original drawings, paintings, mixed media and limited edition signed prints. “Dreams of Beans” display compelling insight into home, family, community, as well as the exploration of identity, and the realization of a cultural metamorphosis, all viewed from Louie’s intimate window of perspective.

When looking at the body of work as a whole, we get a sense of being anchored, yet surrounded by moments of chaos, order, mystery, uncertainty, and multiple viewpoints. These snap shot moments transcend all cultures and show us a personal glimpse into the contemporary life in America.

The pinto bean in it’s essence represents the universe of ourselves, as the window sets the scene for the emotionally charged environment around us.

Also available (and almost sold out), is the “Red Beans and…” limited edition print series, which eloquently displays songwriter Perez’s playful use of words. From the whimsical “Red Beans and Mice” and “Red Beans and Lice,” to the poignantly sharp “Red Beans and Vice,” Louie Perez  sees life from these windows as a mix of simple pleasures and struggles. “Red Beans and Dice” reminds us of of the risks in life we choose to take. These are priced right and are an important collectible, as it’s Perez’s first released series.

Original drawings can be found in the Playpix online gallery and are priced for the holiday gift giving season. They also make a great gift to give to yourself too.

Thanks for stopping by the gallery and happy holidays to you and yours, from Louie and  Playpix Gallery!

Elizabeth Atikot

Director, Playpix Contemporary Art Gallery

You are invited……….

After years away from public showings, Louie Perez returns as a visual artist in a group exhibition titled “After The Goldrush: Reflections and Postscripts on the National Chicano moratorium of August 29 1970″ at the Vincent Price Art Museum on the campus of East Los Angeles College, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA. 91754. Exhibition runs from September 16th to December 16th.

Opening reception September 17th, 6-9pm. On view will be Perez’s “Bean Stigmata”, a mixed media work created in 2011.

http://vincentpriceartmuseum.org/exhibitions/archived/year-2011/after-the-go

Opening Reception – September 17, 2011, 6-8pm
After the Gold Rush: Reflections & Postscripts of the National Chicano Moratorium of August 29, 1970
The Vincent Price Art Museum

This exhibition will look at this watershed moment through the eyes of a cross-generational group of artists working in a variety of media, from the fine arts to performance, music, and the written word.

Artists and participants include: Isabel Avila, Jesus Barraza, Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin, Victor Estrada, Carribean Fragoza, María Elena Gaitán, Diego J. Garza, Estella Gonzalez, Jorge Orozco Gonzalez, Rubén Guevara, Judithe Hernández, Sergio Hernandez, Ixya Herrera, Will Herrón III, Gala Porras-Kim, Otoño Lujan, Sid Medina, Felicia Montes, Tomas Moreno, Ramses Noriega, Louie Perez, Luis Rodriguez, Luis Torres, Jesús Treviño, John Valadez, Xiuy Velo, Patricia Valencia, Devra Weber, and Luis Ernesto Zavala

Events related to the exhibition:

Thursday, September 29
Postscript 1
Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Small Gallery, 1st floor
Gallery Walkthrough with guest curator Vincent Ramos
Reading by Rubén Guevara
Performance by Felicia Montes
Free

Saturday, October 8
Postscript 2
Starts at noon
S1 Lecture Hall, 1st floor
Panel with Judithe Hernández, Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin, María Elena Gaitán, & Devra Weber (moderator)
2:00-3:00 p.m.
S1 Lobby, 1st floor
Performances by María Elena Gaitán, Ixya Herrera, Will Herrón III, Otoño Lujan, Sid Medina, Xiuy Velo
3:00- 4:00 p.m.
S1 Lecture Hall, 1st floor
Readings by Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin & Estella Gonzalez
Free

Saturday, November 12
Postscript 3
2:00-4:00 p.m.
S1 Lecture Hall
“The Three Louies.” Louie Perez, Luis Rodriguez & Luis Torres Thoughts, musings and eastside reminiscences
4:00 p.m.
S1 Lecture Hall
Film screenings by Jesús Treviño
Free

Louie speaks to high school students:

http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/01/29/music-hs/

Their little guitars all should have stickers that read, “This jarana saves drop outs.”

Los Lobos guitarist Louie Perez joked in the auditorium of L.A.’s Frida Kahlo High School that he’s always wanted a sticker like Woody Guthrie’s “This Machine Kills Fascists.”

The jarana is a ukele-sized guitar that’s the heartbeat of music from Veracruz and the Mexican version of “La Bamba.”

Perez was at Kahlo High to talk to an assembly of about 200 students. The teens in the first row seemed to hang on his every word. They’re students in Cesar Castro’s jarana class. Castro’s a legend in his own right. He learned from old school son-jarocho players in Veracruz 15 years ago and toured with the Mono Blanco group in Europe and the U.S. He planted his jarocho flag in L.A. to work with the East L.A. band Quetzal and has since formed his own groups. Many of the guitars played by a lot of L.A. Chicanos who’ve taken up son jarocho were hand made by Castro.

READ MORE: http://www.kcet.org/local/blogs/movie_miento/2010/01/strum.html