Mar 16

Mar 16 Venice Art Crawl Planned For St. Paddy's Day

If your favorite color is green and you prefer to drink dry stout when viewing art, then you're in luck. The first Venice Art Crawl of the year takes place Thursday night, March 17th, on St. Patrick's Day. So whether you're planning to art crawl or bar hop, or a little of both, there are more than 30 parties and pop-up exhibits throughout the neighborhood to consider. (The Rasta Bus is providing free shuttle service to all of them!) Not sure where to start? Here are a few group art shows with added entertainment including live music, complimentary drinks ... and cats.

Jules Muck Kitty Mural (*Photo by The Cat Club*)

St. Catty's Day Feline Fest

Get your pawrty on at Fringe Salon on Abbot Kinney. They'll have music and cocktails ... err, cat-tails, and cat art in various mediums from local and international artists—among them, Venice's well-known muralist Jules Muck. They'll also have actual cats and kittens up for adoption. The evening will celebrate the launch of Venice-based The Cat Club, a "nonpurrofit" dedicated to helping local kitties find a forever home. $10 suggested donation at the door.

Fringe Salon // 1605 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice 90291

Dogtown Artists United

Dogtown Artists United is putting together a multimedia, multi-sensory experience over at NextSpace on Main Street. About a dozen Venice artists are in the mix with everything from painting and photography to light sculptures and performance art. DJ Loboman will also be on hand to provide the music, which is always a good sign of a great party.

NextSpace // 1600 Main St. Venice 90291; 6:30 to 10 p.m.

Andrea Tan mural on Speedway. (*Photo by Charlie Dingo*)

Live Mural Paintings

Someone vandalized Andrea Tan's mural on Speedway, but it's cool because now she and fellow muralists Jules Muck and Parker Winans will be doing some live painting and mural restoration during the Art Crawl. If you happen to be cruising down Speedway, stop over between 19th and 20th from 6:30 to 10 p.m. to see them in action. They'll also have Artisan Made Wearables for sale by Dominic Coatney of Coatney Creative.

Art & Candy

If you're looking for an event to settle into for the evening, here's a good option. Organized by Nicole Muyingo (Venice Art Crawl, The Supper Club), Art & Candy has pulled together works from Flavio Kampah Campagna, Priscilla Witte, Matt Warren, Aldo Chacon and Constance Brantley for a mixer at the Winston House, a private loft just off Abbot Kinney, with live music, complimentary wine and yes, all the sweets you can handle. Admission $25

Art & Candy @ Winston House // 1285 Electric Ave, Venice; 6pm-10pm

Art Show + Party @ Bank of Venice

Equal parts St. Patrick's Day festivities and Venice Art Crawl, the Bank of Venice will be featuring local artists Flewnt, Venice_Life600, and Justin Melillo, with live painting and art for sale, as well as food and drink specials, DJs, raffle and an art crawl after party starting at 10 p.m.

Bank of Venice // 80 Windward Ave. Venice 90291

David Tanych Larger Than Life

Even if you aren't familiar with his name, you've definitely seen his work—David Tanych's larger than life "Tools of the Trade" sculptures are displayed on the corner of Westminster and 5th Ave. He'll be unveiling new pieces at the Art Shack-Teau for the Venice Art Crawl along with paintings from Meryl Lebowitz. The opening will be followed by live music from New Orleans' funk band The Gumbo Brothers.

The Art Shack-Teau // 1008 5th Ave; 6:30 to 10 p.m.

For a complete list of events check out Venice Art Crawl. You can print the map from here, or better yet, download the Boardwalk App to create a customized interactive map on your phone. The next crawl takes place Thursday, May 19 and according to the Venice Chamber of Commerce, will be concentrated along Abbot Kinney with featured "tech events."