By Sam Skopp
Participants in the Fun-A-Day LA program have committed to creating art every day for the month of January, culminating in an art show on Feb. 11 at which their final works will be showcased. Fun-A-Day was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a program to keep artists active in their community, and has since spread to other cities, including Reseda in the San Fernando Valley, and more recently, to the larger Los Angeles area through Fun-A-Day LA, founded by husband and wife Richard Hecht and Amy Bauer.
“It’s mostly just a way to bring the community together and meet your neighbors and make new friends,” said Bauer, about her motivation for bringing the program to Los Angeles.
Coinciding with the New Year, artists begin creating on Jan. 1, and meet once each weekend at the Camera Obscura Art Lab in Santa Monica to check in with each other and continue to create in a communal environment. The final art show, on Feb. 11, will also be held at the Camera Obscura Art Lab, and include refreshments and entertainment, including a tap dancer and a poet’s corner.
Although the program has already begun, Hecht stresses that there’s still time for interested artists to join in. In future years, the program may move to other locations throughout Los Angeles, so those simply interested in checking out the program and possibly contributing in subsequent years, Hecht explained, can join now in order to feel it out.
“There’s still time to sign up,” said Hecht. “As long as you show up for the show on February 11th.”
Naomi Okuyama, the Cultural Affairs Coordinator at the Camera Obscura Art Lab, emphasized that committing to one piece of art a day doesn’t have to be stressful. While some participants are creating entirely new works every day, others are gradually building one larger work, like one participant, who is making a new square of an afghan each day. Simply taking a new photo each day is another participant’s approach.
“This sort of continual practice sort of resets your mind. It’s a great thing to do in January for the new year,” Okuyama said.
To sign up for Fun-A-Day LA, visit dreamecocrafts.com.
