Angels in our MIDST
From Westside Weekly

"It's about community, it's about spirit, it's about looking into the angels' face and seeing yourself." - Anna Siqueiros

There may not be as many of them around as the name of our town implies, but over the next few weeks angels will be easily found here in our City of Los Angeles.

We're not talking saintly do-gooders replete with imaginary halos, however.

We're talking 80-pound, human-sized, androgynous fiberglass angel sculptures, complete with wings, crafted and mass produced by artist Tony Sheets, son of the artist who painted all the Home Saving Bank murals decades ago.

More than 200 of the angels are expected to become canvasses for local artists' imaginations as they will be decorated and placed on the streets of Los Angeles County over the next two weeks.

The project, which will eventually benefit the charities Volunteers of America and Catholic Big Brothers, is a knock-off of a concept used in other cities, but with an L.A. twist.

"The idea came from my watching TV a year ago and seeing the Cows on Parade in Chicago," said Cal Winslow, vice president of the Los Angeles office of Volunterrs of America. "I thought it made sense to do angels for Los Angeles."

Chicago, New York and Zurich, Switzerland, have all held successful Cows on Parade public art shows in the past few years, where cows are painted or decorated by different artists and erected all over their respective cities.

Sponsored by the city of Los Angeles, the angels can be spotted at a street corner of plaza near you until the end of May, when Sotherby's will auction them all off with the proceeds going to the two charities.

More than 1,000 design submissions were received, but because private sponsors had to be found for each angel, only one-fifth will be decorated, painted or otherwise embellished.

A host of Westside artists are currently busy decorating their angels.

"Some people call us kooks, but we call ourselves creative pleople", said artist and part-time clown Anna Siqueiros, as she applied holographic starts over her "Reflections" angel in the backyard of her Venice home last week.

While she worked, a group of Venice musicians, who, for one day only were calling themselves the "Riffraffers," played a series f bluegrass ditties.

Underneath the holograph stickers, Siqueiros' angel is covered with ink hand prints courtesy of the constant stream of characters that drift through her place.

A guest book of those who've placed their hands upon the angel include the signatures: "The Prince f Tahiti" and "michael the Empire State Buildign Sky Diver".

"I've tried to get them to put their last names, but what can you do?" she said.

Then completed, the angel's face will be a mirror.

"It's about community, it's about spirit, it's about looking into the angel's face and seeing yourself," said Siqueiros, tapping the artistic talent that runs in her blood.

Her great-uncle was famous Mexican social realist muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros.

"Everyone calls this place Anna's Secret Garden," said Martin Alcala, chair of the Gabrielino?Tongva Indians of California Tribal Council and a frequent visitor to Siqueiros' garden. "She's the Grand Dame of Venice".

Although her name has been sponsored by the Wilshire Grand Hotel in downtown LA, Siqueiros is unsure of where her creation will be placed.

According to Winslow, other artist creations include a tin man angel, a monarch butterfly angel, a Chicago Cow with wings, as well as angels decorated with stained glass, tile and blue night scenes.

The angels will be clustered together in certain areas, said Winslow, such as Westwood Village, Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade and in Hollywood.

Pacific Palisades artist Dana Torrey recently completed two angels, one called Volunteer Angel, which will be installed at the California Plaza in downtown LA.

Her concept is that of an angel sitting on a bench.

Behind the bench, on the spot next to the angel, will be a second pair of angel's wings, so whoever sits on the bench will wear the wings that say "Be an angel -- Volunteer".

"I wanted the angel to be interactive," said Torrey, a former feature film art director.

His second angel is scheduled to be placed at Los Angeles International Aerport, where it will open a door of the LA skyline and appropriately welcoming people to the City of Angels.

Meanwhile, Venice artist and flutist Ellen Burr is in the final stages of completing her "Angel of dreams".

There is a collage of international stamps on the lower side of the angel's wings, representing many of the nationalities who have settled in LA. On the top side of the wings are messages from fortune cookies, marking the different fates of people who have come.

Burr's angel is being sponsored by the nonprofit Venice Theatre Works, housed at the Electric Lodge at Electric and California avenues, whre the angel will stand once it's done.

Burr said she is nervous about how her angel will come out. Then she does, she keeps reminding hersef of what the famous dancer and choreographer Martha Graham once said.

"It is not your busines to determine how good it is; nor how valuable it is; nor how it compares with other expression," Burr said. "It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.

You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the Channel open."