Art Project, CRAFTED, Tempers San Pedro's Reputation as LA's 'Surliest Neighborhood'

Wander around downtown San Pedro and you'll discover no less than 35 artist studios, live/work lofts and galleries. Move to the LA Waterfront District and you'll find CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles, a project of the LA Port to convert warehouse space into a creative space, that is home to over 100 artists and craftspeople. A quick Internet search will reveal at least a dozen organizations devoted solely to supporting the arts in San Pedro, including the headquarters of the National Watercolor Society.

This enclave of about 85,000 residents, located at the southernmost tip of the City of Los Angeles, usually described as a working class blue collar community, is in reality a hidden treasure trove of fine artists and crafters. According to the 2010 Census, approximately 7% of San Pedro residents describe their profession as arts and entertainment.

On Saturday, November 23, Southern Californians will be able to explore the works of local San Pedro artists at An Artful Holiday San Pedro. From 12:00 to 6:00 PM at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles, the event showcases the work of local fine artists and crafters and promotes the purchase of works by San Pedro artists as holiday gifts.

An Artful Holiday San Pedro is the brainchild of marketing entrepreneur Pat Means, art collector and entrepreneur owner of Turning Point Communications. Means partnered with James Preston Allen, a community catalyst, founding president of the San Pedro Arts, Culture and Entertainment district and 35-year publisher of Random Lengths News, to develop this platform for showcasing the San Pedro arts community.

Allen says, "The arts bring a much bigger social benefit to our community than is commonly recognized." And the leaders of the San Pedro business community are just now beginning to understand the value of the arts both in its ability to create a place and in education to create meaning and purpose. "The arts are the way that we access our deeper sense of humanity and an expression of who we are as a people that doesn't come from a perspective of a balance sheet or a profit and loss statement."

According to Means, "An Artful Holiday San Pedro is an opportunity to invest in the work of world-renown artists or, to be among the first to collect the next creative superstar."

For more information about this event, call (323) 300-4038 or turningpointmag@aol.com. Art lovers can preview - and even purchase works from San Pedro artists participating in An Artful Holiday San Pedro at www.artfulholiday-sanpedro.net.

About Turning Point Communications
Turning Point Communications has a 20-year track record of success in community relations, marketing, public and government relations, media, strategic positioning and business development. We influence decision and policy makers, engage community influencers, and frame effective communication through the media to help our clients form relationships with consumers, constituents and policy and decision makers in Southern California.

About Random Lengths News
Random Lengths News (RLn), Los Angeles Harbor's oldest newspaper, has been the independent, progressive newspaper of the Los Angeles/ Long Beach Harbor Area for nearly 35 years. RLn publishes every other Thursday, reaching 63,000 readers in the seven cities of the Harbor Area; San Pedro, Long Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Wilmington, Carson, Lomita, Harbor City. RLn is proud of the readership and support from the Harbor Area labor unions, who allow us exclusive distribution inside most of their union halls.

About CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles
CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles is a new concept for Southern California; a large-scale permanent craft marketplace. Our classic World War II-era waterside warehouses re home to hundreds of individual craft-artists, designers, and artisanal food makers. Each artist presents their unique handcrafted goods in a vibrant patchwork of creativity.

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