Design Team: Lazzari + Evans
Margaret Lazzari: www.margaretlazzari.net
Lauren Evans: www.laurenevansvisualartist.com
Contact: ledearts@yahoo.com
PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS EXECUTED BY THE LAZZARI + EVANS DESIGN TEAM:
THE VIEW FROM ABOVE
LAX Terminal 7, Departures Level Lobby. Installed July 2023
This mural depicts the iconic view of the Los Angeles coastline that passengers see from the air above LAX. You can see the shoreline, the major traffic arteries, the end of the LAX runway along with Marina del Rey, the South Bay, Palos Verdes Peninsula, and the distant Catalina Island. The painting emphasizes the city’s vastness, movement, and a sense of potential.
The aerial view of Los Angeles is divided into three panels, with the tall verticals on the left alluding to high-rise buildings in civic centers. On the right, the long horizontal panel is like the sweep of the Santa Monica Bay. Between them are California-native fan palm leaves, which are quintessential symbols of Los Angeles, as they line so many streets and beach walkways. Here they suggest the idea of warmth, sun, romance, and pleasure.
The work is both organic and geometric, an apt metaphor for the built environment of the city that also contains many outdoor expanses, including parks, nature preserves, canyons, beaches, and mountains. The vibrant, dynamic palette communicates the pulse, energy, and excitement of being in the cultural, artistic, creative city of Los Angeles.
HABITAT
El Rancho Verde Apartments in the City of San Jose, California, completed in 2020
A five-panel permanent public art installation at the El Rancho Verde Apartments in the City of San Jose. It features birds in habitats around the San Jose area, including parklands, marshlands, forested areas, seashores and arid hillsides. The bottom parts of the panels are acrylic paint on aluminum, while the upper areas are etched acrylic sheets that change and glow given the time of day.
FACING THE SUN
The City of Palmdale, Development Services Entrance Public Art Project, Palmdale, CA, Installation date spring 2018
Both the sun and the wildflowers are strongly associated with the City of Palmdale. Facing the Sun emphasizes these two themes: 1) the movement of the sun; and 2) images of desert wildflowers. Surrounded by mountains and high desert, is comprised of a 20-foot tall sculpture set in a concrete base. That sculpture consists of 5 large cut-out aluminum panels painted all over with familiar blooms to the area, from coreopsis, lupine, desert mallow, and paintbrush plants and from the Joshua tree flowers. The panels point in four directions like a weather vane.
The low, wide concrete base is etched with compass points marking locations of sunrise and sunset on the longest day of the year, the shortest day, and the equinox. It also marks astronomic north and magnetic north and contains diagrams of the phases of the moon. The logo of the City of Palmdale is etched opposite of the sun on the base.
TRACKS
The County of Los Angeles Public Art Project for the Castaic Animal Care Center, Castaic, CA. Estimated Installation date August 2016. Our fence design features the tracks of animals, including dogs, cats, tortoises, goats and horses, all of which have found shelter in the Castaic Animal Care Center. This welcoming fence replaces an old barrier fence, and it blends multiple mesh patterns for visual interest and directionality that echoes the movement of the animals. Fabricated by Lace Fence Architectural Fabric, Inc.
EGRETS TAKE FLIGHT
City of Manhattan Beach Sculpture Garden Program, Manhattan Beach, CA. Installation Date 2015. The sculpture represents three great (common) egrets, which are year-around residents in the Manhattan Beach area, and all along much of the West Coast. Each bird panel is painted representationally on one side. The abstract painting on the other side of each panel contains bright pigments and iridescent colors, in patterns that suggest growth, water movement, and luminosity.
SEA AND SKY
Fairwind Project Tripointe Homes, Huntington Beach, CA. Installation Date 2015
Utilizing a steel structure form the historic Lamb Elementary School in Huntington Beach, the seven panels range from eight to ten feet in height. One side of each panel features sea gulls flying against deep blue, suggestive of sky or water. The other side of each panel features juvenile white sea bass, as can be seen in the nearby Bolsa Chica wetlands.
EXUBERANT BIRDS
Longfellow Sustainable Living Street Project. City of Santa Monica, California. Installation Date 2014. Three permanent public art works installed along a two block section in southern Santa Monica. Theme: Dynamically engaging urban dwellers with the nature that is specific to the area (sea birds, wild parrots, and perching birds).
PLANTING A GARDEN
Rotating Pasadena Public Art Program, City of Pasadena, California: October 2011-September 2013. East Walnut Site-specific Commission with original 5-panel artwork created for the site. Theme: Transforming an unassuming vacant lot by “planting” a garden consisting of panels with indigenous wild flowers and Pasadena roses. The pieces transform from day to night, with painted sections juxtaposed with illuminated Plexiglas etchings. We also planted actual wildflowers around the artwork.
LA County Civic Artists Pre-qualified List 2014-2016. Selected as an artist team
PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS EXECUTED INDIVIDUALLY:
Margaret Lazzari Public Art Commissions
Los Angeles Metro Orange Line Extension, Sherman Way Station. Opened June 2012. Painted art panel and mosaic floor design for each of two platforms. Theme: Making commuters more aware of their environment by connecting urban growth with natural and imported vegetation at that specific spot.
Riverboat Museum Mural of Flora and Fauna, Dubuque, Iowa. 1981. Large painted mural recording historical record of local flora and fauna. Total size: 27’ x 10’
In addition, Lazzari has been a finalist, with proposals developed for the following:
1) Los Angeles Metro Neighborhood Poster Series 2009.
2) Mural Wall for Lyon Development Project at Broadway and Magnolia, Long Beach, CA. 2009.
3) Los Angeles Cathedral mural competition, 2003
Lauren Evans Public Art Commissions
Digital Billboard Art Project, San Bernardino-Corona-Riverside, CA 2011. A temporary display of several artists’ works presented on digital billboard.
Sunset Strip Guitar Town Project, West Hollywood, CA 2010. Mixed media, paint with collaged musical scores, temporarily installed.
Globes for Santa Fe Springs Sister City Park, Santa Fe Springs, CA 2006. Permanent artwork developed in conjunction with landscape architects.
Shoe Tree: Part of Urban Tree II Sculpture Project, Unified Port of San Diego, San Diego, CA 2005
Public Art/Sheep project, Boys and Girls Club Fullerton, CA 2003. Collaborative project involving the club’s children creating the artwork.
Century West BMW Animation Project, collaboration with Toluca Lake Elementary School 2000-2001 Development of curriculum, teaching basic animation techniques and production of animated film, Burbank, CA
BIOGRAPHY: Margaret Lazzari
Margaret Lazzari is an artist, writer and Professor of Art at the Roski School of Art and Design at the University of Southern California. Until 2016, she was Vice Dean of Art and Vice Dean of Faculty, with budgetary, planning, and personnel oversight for the school.
In addition to her artwork (see exhibition list below), Lazzari is the co-author of Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach, an art appreciation text with equal representation of Western and non-Western art (Cengage, 5th Edition). She is co-author of Drawing: A Sketch and Textbook (Oxford University Press, 2015) and co-author of an upcoming book on Life Drawing, also to be published by Oxford. Her single-author textbook is The Practical Handbook for the Emerging Artist (Cengage, 2nd Edition).
Lazzari received a National Endowment for the Arts Individual Fellowship for works on paper in 1995. Her MFA degree, with an emphasis in painting and drawing, is from Washington University in St. Louis.
Margaret Lazzari Individual and Two-person exhibitions
2017 “Wild Biology.” El Camino College Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2016 “Energy, Matter, and Light.” Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2015 “Moving in Color.” Mt San Antonio College Gallery, Walnut, CA (Catalog)
Distinguished Woman Artist of the Year: Margaret Lazzari. Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, CA. (Catalog)
2014 "Big Spaces, Small Gems" Stone Rose Gallery, Long Beach, CA
"Place, Change, Light" with Bob Alderette, Whitter College, Whitter, CA
2013 Individual exhibition at PS Zask Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2011 “Acts of Meditation.” Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, Los Angeles, CA
2010 “Rhino Ideologies and Wild Biology,” Two person exhibition with Lauren Evans, Marks Center for the Arts, Palm Desert, California.
“Recent Paintings,” Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL.
2009 “Coming Together,” Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center. Catalog.
2007 “Wild Biology,” Gwenda Jay/Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004 “fluid,” Santa Ana College Art Gallery, Santa Ana, CA. Catalog
“Primary Forces,” Clarke College, Dubuque, IA. Two-person show
2003 "Margaret Lazzari: Recent Paintings” at Peppers Gallery, University of Redlands, California
"Recent Works," Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California
2001 “Fountains,” Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Embodied States: A Survey of Work 1998-2000,” Laband Gallery of Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. Catalog
2000 “Embodied States: A Survey of Work 1998-2000,” Riverside Art Museum, CA, Catalog
1998 "Floating," Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago, IL
1996 "Myth and Sensuality," The Art Works Gallery, Riverside, CA
"Sensual Immortals," El Camino College, Torrance, CA
1995 "The Figure: Form/Transform," The Art Works Gallery, Riverside, CA
"Paintings," Patricia Sweetow Gallery, Napa, CA
1994 Solo Exhibition, John Thomas Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1992 "Power & Water," LAX: Los Angeles Exhibition, Fisher Gallery, USC
"Ideal/Beauty," Rio Hondo College, Whittier, CA
"Middle-managers, Bureaucrats & Young Entrepreneurs,"Loyola-Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
"Figure and Ground," The Art Works Gallery, Riverside, CA
Solo exhibit, John Thomas Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1991 Solo exhibit, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibits (LACE), Los Angeles CA
Solo exhibit, Woman's Building, Los Angeles, CA
“Recent Work,” Christopher John Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Head Studies,” WilliamsLamb Gallery, Long Beach, CA
Lazzari Selected Group Exhibitions
2016 "Art and Science" Hoyt Gallery, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
2015 "Body of Water" El Camino College, Los Angeles, CA
“Visualizations in Art and Science.” South Bay Contemporary, San Pedro, CA.
2014 "Beautiful Planet" El Camino College, Los Angeles, CA
2013 "Sense and Sensibility," Mt San Antonio College, Walnut, CA
2012 “Metro Orange Line Artists.” Los Angeles Valley College Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Breaking in Two: Provocative Visions of Motherhood.” Arena 1 Gallery, Santa Monica, California. Catalog.
“Departures” PS Zask Gallery, Los Angeles.
2010 “Figure and Landscape.” Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center. California
“Thickening the Plot,” Angel’s Gate Cultural Center, Los Angeles
“Body and Soul,” Three-person exhibition, Platt Bornstein Galleries, American Jewish University, Los Angeles.
Other group exhibitions have occurred at Laguna Art Museum, Pharmaka Gallery, Huntsville Museum of Art in Alabama, BGH Gallery in Bergamot Station, LACE Gallery, Temple University Gallery in Rome, and other locations.
BIOGRAPHY: Lauren Evans
Lauren Evans is a Los Angeles artist and full time faculty and gallery director at Los Angeles Southwest College. In addition, she has extensive experience teaching in community environments, to diverse populations. Evans has exhibited regularly for over 20 years and has completed several public art commissions.
Evans has extensive experience in community outreach and programming associated with public art commissions. Lauren worked with at risk youth on art projects at Covenant House in Hollywood, California, in a program funded by public art monies. She also taught art classes with Cry Help, a rehab facility in North Hollywood, as an educator who was part of their public art outreach program.
Evans’ MFA degree with an emphasis in sculpture is from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Lauren Evans Exhibitions
2018 “Not just Drawing a line with Intent” Arc Gallery, Chicago, IL
2017 "Welcome to the Rhino" SoLA Gallery Los Angeles, CA (Solo exhibition)
2016 "In Harms Way" Central Booking, New York, NY (Catalog)
2016 "Skyline" South Bay Contemporary, San Pedro, CA (Catalog)
2015 “Beautiful Planet” El Camino College Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2014 "Inside Out" Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR
“The Brain” Art and Science Collaborations INC, New York Hall of Science, Queens, NY
2013 “Bound,” Phoenix Gallery, New York. Group Exhibition. (Catalog)
2012 “Recreating Nature” Platt and Borstein Galleries, American Jewish University, Los Angeles, CA
2010 “Rhino Ideologies/Wild Biology” Lauren Evans and Margaret Lazzari, Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts, Palm Desert, CA
2009 “Group Think” Kim Abeles, Joyce Dallal, Lauren Evans, Karen Koblitz, Patty Wickman Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA (Catalog)
“Solo Exhibition” Kishwaukee College Art Gallery, Malta IL
“American Portfolio VI” Art Gallery Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR
“Earth-Air-Fire” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
2008 “Yelling at your Environment” Harrington Arts Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Wild Life/Wildlife” Mount Ida College Gallery, Newton, MA
2007 “Combined Private Collections” Golden West College Gallery, Huntington Beach, CA
“On/Off: Art in the Digital Era” Cabrillo Gallery, Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA
1997 “West Coast Painting and Sculpture” Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA
“A Gathering” Side Street Projects, Santa Monica, CA
1996 “International Artists Writing Reading Room” Side Street Projects, Santa Monica, CA
1995 “Lauren Evans-Martin Betz” Rio Hondo College, Whittier, CA
“On Site at the Gate 95” Angels Gate Cultural center, San Pedro, CA
“Barbara Bay Graphic Arts Exhibition” West side Jewish Community Center, Los Angeles, CA
1994 “Unlikely Cast of Characters” ADR Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA 1994
“Standard Equipment” The Brewery Art Complex, Los Angeles, CA 1994
1993 “October Show” Lindhurst Gallery, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, CA
“Reconsideration’s, 13 Los Angeles Artists” Lindhurst Gallery, Los Angeles, CA