Who is Reseda Rising For?

The Reseda Rising Art Walk last Saturday offered residents a free event with art, vendors, live music, food trucks and even commentary on a changing neighborhood. 

It was the sixth annual art walk presented by District 3 Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, with support from the LA Department of Cultural Affairs. 

“The Valley itself is just a wonderful bastion of arts and crafts and music,” said Jake Flynn, communications director for Blumenfield. 

“This is a great opportunity to bring together a bunch of local artists … and really bring a lot of wonderful Valley artists to the forefront of the community.”

The event showcased work from a variety of artists, including surreal metal sculptures by Michael Stachowski, images of the suburban sprawl from Danny Duarte, personalized poems from Lauren Yang and live painting from artists like Pacoima muralist Juan Pablo Reyes, aka JP Murals. 

Musical performances from funky artist Tolliver and the jazzy Lucas/Heaven, as well as all-vinyl DJ sets by Chulita Vinyl Club, kept the party going.  

Attendees also shopped from artisans and vendors, including quirky ceramics from Uh Oh Pottery, natural teas from My Tea Therapy and comic books from Latinx cartoonist Jose Pimienta. The independently owned roller skate company, The Basics of Happy, even rented out skates and offered basic lessons. 

According to Andrea Miller, producer of this year’s event, “It’s not just about spending, it’s about also creating.” 

Free all-ages art activities were provided throughout the afternoon. Self Help Graphics was giving lessons on screen printing, while HIT+RUN printed free posters. LAVACAcicleta helped people make their own cyanotypes, Reseda Renaissance offered a doodle table, Collage Artists of America had a collaging project and there was quilting with Quilting for Community.

Miller said she tries to create spaces for “intergenerational engagement” and that these free community art projects give “families and people of all ages the opportunity to make.”

“We’re not just looking at art, we’re all each an artist,” said Miller. 

The Orendorffs

“A lot of them are valley-based artists, a lot of them are actually from the district,” said Flynn. “It’s kind of funny because some of the artists … I know not because of their art, but because they’ve called about a community issue.”

One can assume Flynn was referring to Reseda-based brother and sister duo Anthony and Carla Orendorff, whose booth stood out as political commentary and protest. 

“It’s my first time showing photographs. Usually, they live online,” said photographer Anthony Orendorff, excited to see the images come to life in print. 

Showcased were intimate images of women resisting – a portrait of a student protestor at the University of California, Los Angeles, women leading a Black Lives Matter rally and his own sister getting arrested for blocking the sweep of an unhoused encampment. He said he wanted to shed light on these stories and showcase their bravery in the hopes that it would inspire others to stand up. 

“I’m inspired by the rage of women,” said Anthony Orendorff. “The rage of women will heal us. And the tears of men.”

On the other side of the display wall, his activist sister Carla Orendorff spoke with a fierce tongue but had the presence of a gentle caretaker. Even a wild lizard felt comfortable resting on her shoulder throughout the afternoon. 

“This is an installation in honor of friends that we’ve lost. It’s a protest. It’s a memorial. It’s political education around homelessness here in Los Angeles, but specifically in the San Fernando Valley where 10,000 people live unsheltered here, either on the streets or in their cars,” said Carla Orendorff.

She was giving out NARCAN, a nasal spray that can treat a narcotic overdose, and copies of Street Views, a publication made with, by, and for the unhoused community and organizers. 

“How are we actually going to learn about what concerns people who are actually unhoused have, if we’re not actually listening to them?” questioned Carla Orendorff.

“This is a citizen attempt to be in conversation with people in power, who have had the power to make decisions on other people’s lives that they don’t know,” she said, pointing to Blumenfield’s support of Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18, which allows for certain limits on where people can set up encampments. 

“Many of us struggle to pay the rent, many of us live with that fear every day,” said Carla Orendorff, adding that she lives nearby in an RV with her husband. 

“If we can turn that fear into something like solidarity or understanding, we think that things can actually start to change.”

The Times They Are a Changing

“What was nice about this project is there’s so much enthusiasm from the community,” said Miller. “They really love this area. They love their neighborhood. There’s so much community pride.” 

The festival took place on Sherman Way between Etiwanda and Lindley Avenue, a segment that is part of the Great Streets initiative, designed to re-imagine neighborhood centers and focus city funding. The goal of Reseda Rising was to “use art to re-energize the streets and engage local businesses to strengthen neighborhood pride.”

“Reseda is a community that, for a long time … didn’t get its due and was under-resourced,” said Flynn, adding that Blumenfield is “doing what he can to bring out the best in what is traditionally underserved neighborhoods.” 

Flynn said this was also an opportunity to highlight some of the projects taking place in the neighborhood, including building ice skating and roller skating rinks and restoring the historic Reseda theater. 

“I think it’s dope to have an event like this. I’m just worried that it’s gonna get gentrified,” said  Anthony Orendorff. “I think the councilman was talking about a lot of new exciting things, but that comes with a cost.”

“I don’t want to see my community erased. I love my community. I don’t want Reseda to rise and the rent to rise. I want Reseda to rise, but I want the people to rise too.”