Coachella Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2
In Vol. 1, Issue No. 2, we discover transmogrify in various forms and contexts; from Kenny Irwinās robots and microwave art, to Jasmine Jueās gnarly teeth, Justin Bowerās exploding faces, Ryan Martinās magic kingdoms, plus Brianna Parraās street photography. We hope you enjoy the Transmogrify issue.
Coachella Magazine Vol. 1 No. 3
In Vol. 1, Issue No. 3, we discover Modus Operandi from Leonard Knightās singular vision of Salvation Mountain, to Adam Enrique Rodriguezās myriad of painted faces, to Sarah Elise Abramsonās otherworldly photography. Alyce Tzueās imagination āSoarās in her award-winning film, and Michelle Castilloās la vie de BohĆØme desert poetry comes alive on the page. Finally, vintage inspired fashion illuminates The Glam House. We are pleased to present and hope you enjoy our Modus Operandi issue.
MOON BLOCK produces several music + art festivals a year including DESERT DAZE, BEYOND THE WITCHING HOUR, & MOON BLOCK PARTY. Each event is curated, organized, and built from the ground up by a group of close friends and a growing collective of musicians and artists from Los Angeles and BEYOND including members of JJUUJJUU, Deap Vally, Fever the Ghost, + more.Ā Moon Block is a community effort to facilitate the ever expanding growth of the human spirit.
Desert Daze 2015:
May 2nd, 2015
Sunset Ranch Oasis
Mecca, CA
Best Coast invites you to join them for the most magical of California Nights, Thursday April 16th, in Palm Springs.
The band will perform in a setting created in their dreams, with the help of director Adam Harding, and premiere the new album for the very first time.Ā
Best Coast invites you to join them for the most magical of California Nights, next Thursday in Palm Springs.
The band will perform in a setting created in their dreams, with the help of director Adam Harding, and premiere the new album for the very first time. THEN, you get to hang out all night for a dance party, should you be so brave.Ā
Thursday, April 16th, 2015 @ 7:30pm
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
701 E Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs, CA
FREE / ALL AGES!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
Entry is limited to capacity, so get there early to ensure success.
Welcome to the premier issue of Coachella Magazine: celebrating the arts and culture of Coachella Valley, California. Each issue will feature a broad range of emerging to established artists in music, film, photography, fashion and more. Today, artists are creating their own spaces with ferocious passion and boundless ambition. In these soaring mountains and endless skies, artists see freedom ā freedom to create, innovate and break the rules.
Palm Springs, Calif. ā
Jennifer Town: Executive Chef
Text and Photography by Jorge Perezchica
Purple Room Restaurant & Stage in Palm Springs reopened Thursday, August 28āushering a new Chef, new Menu, new Crafted Cocktails and new Showsāa tall order indeed. But Jennifer Town, the new Executive Chef, is more than up to the challenge and primed for success. āI expect people to be happy with the food,ā says Jennifer Town, a graduate of the prestigious New England Culinary Institute; who also studied in Italy at Ristorante La Torre in Casale Monferrato where she learned the nuances of preparing fresh pastas, risotto and other delicacies of Northern Italian cuisine. I met Jennifer at the Purple Room Restaurant & Stage to talk about the delectable, new menu and more.
The Coachella Magazine Interview:
What is your impression of the Coachella Valley?
Jennifer Town: I love the Coachella Valley, I think itās a great community, beautiful mountain views.
What is the main difference between your previous jobs and this one at the Purple Room Restaurant?
JT: I do a lot more cooking here. Itās 3 cooks and meāitās very hands on, cooking all the time with a small group. At the Ace Hotel we had 30 cooks and me, the Ritz-Carlton had 60 cooks.
Are you also responsible for how the food is visually presented?
JT: Yes. You eat with your eyes firstāso if the food looks beautiful, you expect it to taste real good.
How long did it take to prepare the new menu at Purple Room Restaurant?
JT: 2 weeks.
What do you cook for yourself when your at home?
JT: At home, I cook a lot of pastaāRisotto, an Italian rice dish.
Did you have a mentor growing up?
JT: The values I learned from my mom and dad.
When did you get into cooking?
JT: I found the path of really learning to cook at 15. I was with my parentās friends for 3 months out of the summer, they had a fabulous cookāand thatās when I really got into cooking. When I went to USC college, I got my first apartment and started cooking all the time.
What advice do you have for someone whoās interested in becoming a chef?
JT: Make sure you really enjoy cooking. Having a passion for food.
Do you travel much to learn more about food and cooking?
JT: Traveling is good to learn about different foods and different ingredients. When I go out to eat, itās about half education and half pleasure.
Where do you get your ingredients?
JT: In California, you have really great produceāwe try local as much as we can. We think highly about eating healthyāmake sure we are treating the environment correctly.
What was your main goal with the new menu?
JT: Put a fresh twist.
What was the response to the new menu when the Purple Room Restaurant & Stage reopened?
JT: Everyone really liked the food. Lots of positive feedback.
What is one of your favorite dishes on the new menu?
JT: Purple Pear Salad,
Braised Short Ribs in Trio House blend wine,
Halibut with red pepper, olive and fennel relish.
For more information about Purple Room Restaurant & Stage visit:
http://purpleroompalmsprings.com
https://www.facebook.com/purpleroomrestaurantstage
Cathedral City, Calif. ā
The Illustrated World of Sofia Enriquez
Text and Photography by Jorge Perezchica
I was first drawn towards Sofiaās art when I attended the opening reception for a show titled āSwap. Some. Spit.ā at the Coachella Valley Art Scene gallery this past summer. Sofiaās expressive mural covered 60 ft of the gallery space wall, which was illustrated in black and white paintāteeming with paisley motifs, tear drops, porcelain-doll faces, squiggly lines, a skull-faced cupid, peculiar words and numbers and more. It was as if a daydream had been painted onto the walls and I felt my mind swirling away and falling into this worldā this curious narrative Sofia Enriquez had created. I sensed both feminine and masculine sensibilities intertwined in her work and grew even more curious the closer I scanned the wall from one end to the other.
About 2 months after the show, I sat down to chat with Sofia Enriquez in Cathedral City, where she tells me that in high school she did not excel in much except artāall the while, I found that hard to believeābecause in person, Sofia leaves an indelible impression as someone smart, independent, beautiful and talentedāand capable of so much more.
The Coachella Magazine Interview:
Has anything changed in the Coachella Valley since graduating from college and returning?
Sofia Enriquez: Itās exactly the same.
What do you feel is needed in the Coachella Valley?
SE: As far as art goes, I donāt feel there is enough art programs. Just because weāre a desert people think itās emptyābut itās not.
The mural at the Coachella Valley Art Scene galleryāhow many days did it take to paint?
SE: I spent three days working on the mural. Two walls. First day, I did the small wall. I spent 6 hours just thinking about itāI had no idea what I was going to do. I brought my favorite books: Communication Arts magazines, 19th Century Fashion book, Paisley Design book and Google searched imagesāI really like old photographs. I looked back at a lot of old stuff I already did. It just came out randomly.
Is there any hidden messages or meaning?
SE: Thereās a lot of hidden shit in there.
I notice a lot of paisley design in your workāwhat about the paisley motif inspires you?
SE: It appeals to a lot of cultures: Indian, Mexican and American.
Do you know where the paisley motif originated?
SE: I read in a book that the shape originated when cavemen started tracing the shape of their hand on the wall.
What went through your mind while you painted the mural?
SE: I listen to music while Iām painting. It puts me in the mood. I was going through a really hard time. I just graduated from school and had to think, "What am I going to do with my life?" Andā¦on the second day, I cut my hair offāgetting rid of tension. I was just going through a lot of shit with my family, my friends. I was poorāI had no money.Ā
Did you work or receive any scholarships while attending college?
SE: A scholarship from the La Quinta Arts festival and Fashion International. I worked small jobs. I lived in my car. My senior year, I was living in a garage and I didnāt like it. So, if I stayed late at school, I would just nap in my car.Ā
Do you feel art is a cathartic experience?
SE: Anything creative is therapeutic.
How old were you when you first got into art?
SE: Thirteen years old. I started painting in the 7th grade. In high school, I was bad at everything except for art. Even if I knew it wasnāt the best in the world, they were likeāthis is great.Ā
Who is the biggest art supporter in your life?
SE: My older sister.
Who are some artists that have inspired you?
SE: MuchĆ”, Frida Kahlo, Jason Pollock.
What would you like to see in the Coachella Valley 5-10 years from now?
SE: I want to see the whole city painted. All the buildings are really boring. Itās almost like, they're looking for an easy way out to put something up. I want to change how people see street art or art in general. I want to paint more murals. If I paint something small, I feel not enough people are going to see it.Ā
What about mass producing your art?
SE: If itās massed produced, itās not artāitās commercial. Thereās a lot of commercial art out thereāthey donāt need anther one.
Was this the first mural you painted?
SE: Itās the biggest mural I painted so far. Making a bigger statementāmy whole body is moving. It was the funnest, craziest, meanest experience I had.
How late did you stay up painting the mural at the CVAS gallery?
SE: Till 2 or 3am in the morning. Being up that late in downtown Cathedral City changes your whole freaking perspective how you see the city. There were a lot of peopleāhomeless, walking around. And the City Hall is just across the street! I was scared just to go out to my car. At one night, some random guy walked ināwho was obviously fucked up. It was scary. He asked, āWhere are the owners?ā I said āTheyāre in Mexico.ā The door was open because my boyfriend walked out to smoke a cigarette. And he [the homeless guy] was like, āHmmā¦this is nice.āĀ
What prompted you to come back to the Coachella Valley?
SE: I liked L.A. When I came back here, I was so anxious. I was so used to driving fast. [Here] itās way slowerānobodyās in a rush. I couldnāt find a job in L.A. I donāt feel there are any place for my generation to go to and make art. Either your a graphic designer or youāre going to make signs at Trader Joeās.
How did you get your artwork into the CVAS gallery?
SE: I met Sarah [Scheidemanā founder and executive director ofĀ The Coachella Valley Art Scene] at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. I asked her if she needed anyone to paint murals. And she said, āYeah, Totally.ā I came over to the gallery, brought all my stuff and threw it on the floor and said,āāThis is me.ā
After the show, what did you learn the most from the whole process?
SE: Be consistent. Learn how other people work and be a teamāeverything is teamwork.
What inspires you?
SE: Old photos and fashion. There can't be music without fashion and there can't be fashion without musicāitās what makes culture. I like decorative stuff. I like to do things that people havenāt seen before. I donāt like labels because itās too limiting.Ā
Are your parents supportive of your art?
SE: Theyāre supportive but they donāt understand whatās going on.Ā
What advice do you have for young emerging artists?
SE: Whatever people want to do as long as itās what you enjoy doing. Just do it.
What are you planing to do next?
SE: Bill [SchinskyāFounder/Executive Director] offered me a job sometime in the fall to teach art classes at theĀ Coachella Valley Art Centerāanybody who wants to show up. Itās a physical space that people who are pissed-off can make anything they want.
For more information about Sofia Enriquez visit: sofiaenriquez.com
Sofia Enriquezās art class begins October 23rd from 6pm-8pm at the Coachella Valley Art Center
Artist/Illustrator Sofia Enriquez.Ā 60ft wide mural painted at The Coachella Valley Art SceneĀ for the Art Show āSWAP. SOME. SPIT.āĀ July-Sept. 2014.Ā
Palm Springs, Calif. -Ā
Mariah Hanson
Interview by Emily Chavous
Producer (and party maven!) Mariah Hanson is anxiously awaiting April 2015, which marks The Dinah's landmark 25th year. Hanson has created an ambiance like none other, promoting awareness and solidarity, providing a women-charged event to celebrate the LGBT community. She never expected to make such an impact. She says anyone can do it. I'd venture to assume that not just anyone gets acknowledged with the Spirit of Stonewall Lifetime Achievement Award or The Center of Palm Springs' Legacy Award, but this year Hanson is set to receive both. I had the honor of chatting with the lovely Mariah as she was getting ready to attend theĀ Spirit of Stonewall Lifetime Achievement AwardĀ as part of the 2014 Palm Springs Pride celebration.
Emily Chavous: So, Mariah, where does your story begin?
Mariah Hanson: Well, I was a party-thrower in college. I have a legacy at Sonoma State, being the last person to be allowed to throw a party on campus. And I do believe the same is true of the Palm Springs Museum - I'm pretty sure I can't throw a party there again. (laughs)
EC: I hear The Dinah's first year, held at the museum, was a pretty good year.
MH: Yeah, it was wonderful. The Dinah Shore/Nabisco golf tournament was a very popular weekend outing for lesbians. They like golf. They like to watch golf. Somebody threw a party one year, and somebody threw another party another year, and then promoters came in got involved. I stepped in in 1991, probably about six years after people started throwing parties, and really took it to another level. I had a vision, a belief in what our community deserved. I think we had close to 1,000 [in attendance] my first year. Because of the White Party and because of The Dinah Shore Weekend I think a lot of LGBT Americans have really discovered what a beautiful place Palm Springs is.
EC: This year is going to be your 25th anniversary, what a big milestone for you!
MH: I know! I can't believe it! What happened to the time?
EC: Did you ever imagine Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend would become so renowned? Was this excitement surrounding The Dinah what you always envisioned?
MH: No. I mean at this point, The Dinah Shore Weekend is just as reputable for being the largest lesbian event in the world as it is for being a small but important music festival. The fact that we're celebrating for five days and living out loud and being treated by a city like we're an important aspect of their visitor attraction... it's all very amazing. And it wasn't like that twenty-five years ago.
EC: I imagine there were a lot of obstacles to overcome in the beginning. Do you still encounter much backlash from the community?
MH: The city is really incredible. I don't think all the hotels are up to par in their LGBT commitment, but 98% of them are.
EC: Ever get any pro golfers in attendance at the parties?
MH: I may. I doubt anybody in the tournament is going to The Weekend.
EC: Being that it's the 25th year, you're probably working on a killer lineup! Can you drop any names?
MH: I am not finished booking, but - yes! We are planning on presenting a lineup that will be jaw dropping. I'm really excited about it. We're really careful about when we announce. Fortune [Feimster] comes every year. We love Fortune, and Fortune loves us! We're very lucky that she likes to attend our event and perform at it, because she's just getting so huge. We've had Iggy Azalea, Colbie Callait, Ke$ha...
EC: Do you have a favorite performance over the years?
MH: Katy Perry! Or Salt 'N Pepa! I got a huge backlash [against Katy Perry]. Like most backlashes, the people that were screaming the loudest didn't attend the event; they'd never attend the event. Then the next year there was a Facebook Page, "Petition to bring Katy Perry back to The Dinah." I try not to pay attention to those very small but loud voices that criticize the event.
EC: Well, you have a lot of loud voices in your favor! Tomorrow, you're set to receive the Spirit of Stonewall Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations!
MH: Thank you so much.
EC: The board voted unanimously for you; it's well-deserved.
MH: They did?! Wow, that's pretty cool. Palm Springs has been very good to me, and I would not produce this event anywhere but Palm Springs. Quite frankly, at this point I don't think anyone could duplicate this event anywhere because I don't think you can take [The Dinah] out of Palm Springs.
EC: In November you're set to receive the first ever Legacy Award. How does it feel to be recognized for your efforts within the LGBT community?
MH: It's such an honor. It's really flattering.
EC: Club Skirts calls The Dinah a party with a platform. What organizations have you teamed up with this year? And what experience can party-goers expect to have during the five days of Dinah?
MH: It's five days of pure unadulterated bliss! (laughs) You get both [party and platform]. Even if someone's not getting the message during the weekend, they'll get it at some point in the act of growing older and reflecting. We've confirmed Human Rights Campaign. It's not a political event; it's not a fundraiser.
EC: I hear you've had some epic celebrity dodgeball games! Have you played?
MH: I have! I was not an asset to my team.
EC: I would definitely be the first person tagged out. So, let's talk future plans for a minute. How do you want the event to grow? Where do you hope to be in the next five to ten years?
MH: I think we're becoming more and more relevant, I think it will continue to grow. This is a full-time job. I work year-round on this event.
EC: After the big event is over, and you finally have a minute to yourself away from all of the work, how does Mariah Hanson unwind?
MH: She packs her horses into a horse trailer and goes camping!
EC: Where's the best camping spot?
MH: So far, the eastern Sierras or Bryce Canyon. Both of them are amazing.
EC: Beautiful places to reflect on years past. You've come a long way since your Palm Springs Museum party. What advice can you offer for young people that want to make an impact like you have?
MH: You gotta follow your heart and your passions. You know, I didn't set out to make an impact on the world. I set out to do the best with what I feel passionate about. I think if you can stay true to those pure emotions and don't have a lot of noise around them, you're going to make an impact on the world.
Photos courtesy of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend
For more information about The Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend or to buy your tickets visitĀ http://thedinah.com.
Palm Springs, Calif. ā
Angelina Christina
Interview by Phillip Matthew Carrillo
Photography by Coachella Valley Original Photography & Julio Vazquez
Phillip Carrillo: Can you tell the Coachella Valley about yourself?
Christina Angelina (aka Angelina Christina): My names Christina Angelina , Iām an artist. I work mostly with spray paint. I grew up in Venice, Ca. I started painting when I was really young and never stopped.Ā It became a professional thing around the age 16, Iām 32 now. Ā
PC: How is it traveling around? Do you travel a lot?
AC: Traveling and painting is awesome, I love it. Itās the perfect life for me.Ā I travel all the time. Iām constantly living out of my bag and going place to place painting murals.
PC: I first heard of you from the Salton Sea, can you tell the Coachella Valley about that?
AC: The Salton Sea mural was done with my friend FinbarrĀ Notte (@FinDac), he was coming into town from London and we were planning on working together for several months all over the place. We were planning on going to Minneapolis and New York but we both really wanted to do some work in the desert. Weāre both really drawn to doing stuff out in an open desert landscape. I found the location from a friend who travels with us as a photographer. When fin arrived in town we were ready. It took about 1 Ā½ week to finish, staying in Indio driving back and forth. We wanted to incorporate animals present in the area; rattlesnakes, bobcats, raccoons.
PC: Any artist influences?
AC: Iām influenced by artist working now and artist that worked hundreds of years ago. I have an extensive art history background. Iāve studied at UCLA as well as in Italy and Greece. Iām defiantly influenced and inspired by artist who worked hundreds and thousands of years ago and everyone working today.
PC: When did you first start painting in the Coachella Valley?
AC: I started painting out hereā¦.the Salton Sea was the first one! Iāve been traveling here as a kid. My parents have a house out in Lake Havasu, Iāve been coming to the desert my whole life. Iāve been doing small things out here my whole life But the Salton Sea was the first big thing out here, Which then led to Bar which led to everything else in the Coachella Valley.
PC: Why the Coachella Valley?
AC: I really like it, I think it has good energy. I like the people here, I like being here and working. Personally I like the feel of it here. I love sharing my work with the community. I feel all the parts of the Coachella Valley are different from each other: Indio, Slab City, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs. I like the feel of each place.
PC: We heard you were going to be doing something big in Los Angeles, can you tell the Coachella Valley about that?Ā
AC: I'm doing a mural for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts, and Sciences. Itās going to be on the old May Company building on Fairfax and Wilshire. Itās a commission for them so itās not like anything Iāve done before where I have 100 percent freedom but I basically have my freedom. Iām curious to see how it comes out, should be interesting. I have 5 days to do it starting tomorrow.
PC: Can you tell the Coachella Valley what you have been up to?
AC: I have beenā¦ since I did the mural at the Salton Sea last September Iāve traveled to New York, Florida, went to Art Basel in Miami, Denver, Iāve painted at Coachella Music and Arts Festival for the Do Lab, Boulder, Minneapolis, Brazil, a lot of work in Las Vegas as well, all over the place. I keep coming back hereāI think I come back here moreāI do more work out here then any other place.
PC: Any future projects we should keep our eyes open for?
AC: The thing for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts, and Sciences. It looks like Iām going to Brazil at the end of October and Art Basel in Miami, Florida.Ā
PC: Any shout-outs?
AC: I defiantly want to give a shout out to FinbarrĀ Notte (@FinDac), It's his birthday on the 27th of September, heās the one I collaboratedĀ with on the mural in front of Bar and Salton Sea which led us to the subsequent work out here, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" for all your hard work and awesomeness. Also big shout out to Alex Pesante (@easeonetx) who I worked with on the pieces in the back of bar and work at the Hacienda ,heās awesome, I love working with him heās brilliant, and shout out to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.Ā
PC: Any way to buy your art work, check out photos or keep updated with you?
AC: The best way to keep updated is my Instagram, @Starfightera or my Facebook. Updating my web site soon, I have a studio in Venice, also have stuff at Gallery 446 here in Palm Springs on Indian Canyon. As far as purchasing work, you could contact me direct or the studio. There isnāt a lot since most my work are murals.
Watch the video interview at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH9g4npZn-M
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