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Venice News Updates

News of Venice, CA and Marina del Rey CA

Mary Pickford Feature of VHS, 14 December

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Mary Pickford will be the feature for the Venice Historical Society (VHS) evening 14 December, 7 pm at the Oakwood Recreation Center (California and 7th Ave).  Award-winning documentary filmmaker Elaina Archer will show rare film clips of Pickford and comment on all.

Price is $8 for non members and $5 for members.

Jill Prestup, president of VHS,  says:

This lecture is a tribute ti one of the most powerful and talented women in American cinema.  Elaina will be presenting rare clips from Pickford’s films, discussing her life and entire career from 1909 to 1933.  She will show clips from the films filed in Venice.  Elaina will also share the work the Mary Pickford Foundation is doing.

In With the New VNC Board; Thanks to the Old VNC Board

Thanks to the old VNC board

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In with the new VNC board

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Councilman Mike Bonin swore in the new members of the Venice Neighborhood Council Tuesday night at the Westminster School. The 21-member board will serve for two years. After the ceremony, it was business as usual.

VHS to Show “Things That Aren’t There,” 17 Feb

The video “Things That Aren’t There,” hosted by author/historian Marc Wanamaker and narrated by broadcaster Ralph Story, will be the highlight of the Venice Historical Society (VHS) meet Wednesday, 17 February at 7 pm, Oakwood Recreation Center, 767 California.

“Marc will be telling you of his involvement in the making of this video,” said Jill Prestup, president of VHS. “This film will be showing you well-loved icons of Los Angeles and Venice Landmarks from the 1920s to the 60s that are no longer with us, but certainly not forgotten. This video scrapbook is filled with personal photographs, film clips and home movies gathered from the attics and collective memories of Angelenos who shared their personal experiences.”

Entry fee is $5 for members and $8 for nonmembers.

Venice Community Housing Says Senior Center Would Be for Storage, Plus

Becky Dennison, new executive director of Venice Community Housing Corporation, says Venice Community Housing plans to use the Westminster Senior Center primarily for storage but proposal to Recreation and Parks Department also included other amenities for the homeless.

In a previous story (https://veniceupdate.com/2016/01/27/10467/), it was stated that Venice Historical Society wanted the Westminster Senior Center on Pacific for their archives to be used in many ways including possibly a welcome center. Also bidding for the senior center was the Venice Community Housing Corporation. At the time it was not know what the Venice community Housing Corporation planned for the property.

“I wanted to let you know that the proposal we submitted for the use of the Westminster Senior Center focuses primarily on a voluntary storage program for unhoused residents of Venice,” wrote Ms Dennison. “We currently operate a small, mostly volunteer-led program but the need is far greater than our current space and volunteer-only program can accommodate.

“Our proposal also included the possibility of other services at the site, depending on funding and direction from LAHSA, such as showers and restrooms and connections to housing placements and wait lists. As you know, the homeless community in Venice is incredibly underserved and, until we can reach our goal of housing for everyone, these proposed programs could provide much needed services as well as improve the community for all housed and unhoused residents.”

POP Story to be Told

Authors and historians Marc Wanamaker and Domenic Priore will tell the story of Pacific Ocean Park (POP) 28 April, 7 pm at SPARC, 685 Venice Blvd.

Jill Prestup, president of Venice Historical Society says: “POP would not have come into being at all, had founder Charles Strub not tiffed with Walt Disney over who would be boss at Disneyland. So Strub awakened to the idea of his own G-rated fun park. This is that story. POP rides weren’t just thrills but adventures. Marc and Domenic will bring all that back. 
 


Domenic’s book, co-authored by Christopher Merritt, titled “Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles’ Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier” will be on sale.

Price will be $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers.

VHS will Feature “Piers” Lecture

“Piers” will be the lecture subject of Domenic Priore, author and historian, at the next Venice Historical Society (VHS) meet 19 August at 7 pm at SPARC, 685 Venice Blvd.

He will discuss will discuss the legendary amusement park piers of the Pacific – Venice-of-America and Ocean Park Piers, including Fraser’s Million Dollar Pier and Pickering Pleasure Pier, also the little-known Crystal Pier. Once they graced the beaches from Santa Monica to Playa del Rey.

Domenic will be talking about those legendary amusement park piers, the movies filmed there, the celebrities who visited, and, a highlight will be the showing of very rare film clips of Mary Pickford and Mabel Normand taken by the piers. The film clips are around 1910-1915.

Admission will be $5 for VHS members and $8 for non-members. Refreshments will be available.

LACMA to Feature Edward Biberman, Venice

LACMA will showcase Edward Biberman and the painting “Abbot Kinney and the Story of Venice” 18 May.

“The exhibit includes other works of art from the museum’s collection, as well as historical photographs and ephemera from local collections that trace the rich and colorful history of Venice,” according to Jill Prestup, president of Venice Historical Society.

VHS to Participate in LA Heritage Day

Members of the Venice Historical Society will have a booth at the LA Heritage Day at the El Pueblo Historical Monument Sunday 27 April from 11 am to 4 pm.

The LA Heritage Day takes place inside the historic Pico House and the Plaza at El Pueblo historical monument adjacent to Olvera Street, across from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

“It” Girl is It Tuesday

The Venice Historical Society (VHS) has documentary titled “Clara Bow: Discovering The ‘It’ Girl,” by historian filmmaker Elaina Archer. Show starts at 7, held at S.P.A.R.C.(Old Venice Police Department Building), 685 Venice Boulevard.Free for VHS members, $5 for non-members. Snacks available.

It is produced, co-written and co-edited by Elaina Archer and narrated by Courtney Love. The Executive Producer of this film is Hugh M. Hefner.

Clara Bow Will Be “It” at VHS

The Venice Historical Society (VHS) will play the award-winning documentary titled “Clara Bow: Discovering the ‘It’ Girl,” by historian filmmaker Elaina Archer. Show starts 7 pm, Tuesday, December 10 at SPARC, 685 Venice Blvd. Admission is $5 for non-members; free for members.

The Executive Producer of this film is Hugh M. Hefner. It is produced, co-written & co-edited by Elaina Archer and narrated by Courtney Love.

Enjoy vintage scenes filmed on the Abbot Kinney Pier in Venice. Find out why Clara Bow was the ‘It’ girl and how she became Hollywood’s first sex symbol. Archer will be answering these questions and more after the show.