#253: WWA Gallery

The Bone Shaker, Kelly Hutchison

Sometimes the coolest places are right in front of you. How many times have I stood in line at Tender Greens in Culver City without even a glance at its neighbor next door, the WWA Gallery? A couple of weeks ago while Yelp surfing, I saw that they were having a CreepyCute exhibit. We invited our favorite creepy/cute goth friends to join us, and I took some pictures for you guys to enjoy.

WWA stands for the Wonderful World of Animation. Admission is free and we spent a good half hour admiring the art here. The CreepyCute exhibit runs until February 9th and is followed by an exhibit titled "I Believe in Unicorns, Too!" which runs from February 16th to March 23rd. Check it out!

Buttercup Farm, Dee Chavez

Nightwatchmen, Dee Chavez

Skull Anomaly 5, Jonathan Bergeron

Goodbye Kitty, Chase Tafoya

Saint Gus and Pilot, Larkin

 Feed Me Lover, Larkin

Albino Peace, Desiree Fessler

Girl With Round Glasses, Tansy Myer

Time Machine, Vincent Cacciotti

In This Land, Jeremiah Ketner

Lil Nubby Jr, 64 Colors

Have you been to the WWA Gallery? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below! 

WWA Gallery

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#250: Orchid Fever

Happy 2013 L.A. adventurers! Our first post of the new year is for all you crazy horticulturists. 

It's a jungle in Culver City... If you loved the wildlife at STAR Eco Station (#247), head over to Orchid Fever, Culver City's greenhouse jungle paradise. Here you'll find koi fish, turtles, a fake crocodilian, and orchids galore.

 Roar! (or whatever sound crocodilians make)

Orchid Fever is known for producing the best, longest lasting orchids in L.A.. I'd seriously never seen such beautiful orchids. Every plant there looked fake (that's meant to be a compliment). 

I recently took my mom here because my parents grow orchids at home, and she was in heaven. 

We didn't buy anything on this trip, but I really enjoyed just walking around the spacious store. Next time I need to get a gift for someone, they're getting an orchid! Oh, and for all you guys out there, Valentine's Day is coming up next month, so if you were planning on getting your gal roses, why not step out of the box a little and give her an orchid? 

Have you been to Orchid Fever? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

Orchid Fever

#248: Branded Arts Murals

Los Angeles has its share of amazing murals but Branded Arts in Culver City has done the incredible feat of covering virtually every square foot of its wall space with art. It's a sight that made me do a double take as I drove past it on Washington Blvd. Street parking is abundant and the murals are free to view. Be sure to go around the corner to see all the art. 

** Update: Thank you to reader JenGod for letting me know that the murals are being demolished in January to make way for an upscale retail area. I'm so sad :( Please check these murals out this month before they're destroyed! **

While you're in the neighborhood, also check out the Culver City Architecture Walk (#180)!

Have you been to the Branded Arts murals? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

Branded Arts

#247: STAR Eco Station

Pet a boa constrictor, gaze into the third eye of a monitor lizard, and meet a baby crocodile at the wildest place in Culver City: the STAR Eco Station. The Eco Station rescues exotic wildlife and takes in endangered and illegally trafficked animals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Center.  For just $8 you can take an hour long tour of the facilities. 

When we went on a Saturday afternoon, there were only six other people in our tour group. We started in the aquarium room, where our guide pointed out a giant black fish in one of the tanks. How did this fish find its way to the Eco Station? The poor guy grew so large that it busted through its owner's glass aquarium! The owner had no idea that this breed of fish would grow so strong or large. Sadly, "pets gone wrong" seems to be the story of many of the animals at the Eco Station.

so sad 

We noticed that a lot of the birds at the Eco Station didn't have feathers. Our guide told us that birds get very attached to their owners, and when their owners abandon them or give them away, they become distressed and start plucking out all their feathers. :(

 

The interior of the Eco Station is amazing--it reminds me of being in the Jungle Book! That's no coincidence; Hollywood set designers lent their talents to transform the Eco Station into a wild jungle paradise.

reptile enclosures

a baby crocodile

Our guide referred to this little guy as a crocodilian, which blew Brad's mind because he didn't know that "crocodilian" was even a word. He proceeded to say "crocodilian" about twenty times throughout the day.

A boa that we got to touch

we touched this guy too

Are you an animal lover?  Be sure to also check out The Gentle Barn (#195) and The Wildlife Learning Center (#190)!

Have you been to the STAR Eco Station? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

STAR Eco Station

#240: Culver City Farmers Market

What do Culver City's Farmers Market and my husband have in common? They're both short but have plenty of personality! 

This market is one block long on Main Street between Culver and Venice Blvd. It's open on Tuesday from 3-7pm and there's free parking right near the market.  

Kelly invited me and my little girl to walk around the market last week, where I purchased some coconut juice straight from the coconut, a Korean sticky rice dessert, and beef jerky. 

Kelly snagged a couple of cobblers from the cobbler lady and a gourmet balsamic vinegar.  

It's impressive how many booths they fit onto this stretch of Main. There were booths selling bakery items, hummus and dips, cactus tortillas, smoked meats, crepes, artisan chocolate, jewelry, gourmet Korean food, fresh seafood, knife sharpening, plenty of fruits and vegetables, herbs, and wild mushrooms. There was also a clown, and this guy playing music for little kids:

Even though this farmers market is quite small, I like the quality of vendors who sell here (the seafood booth is expensive but fantastic!) and the friendly atmosphere of downtown Culver City. 

Check out more farmers markets here: Beverly Hills (#229), Westwood (#171), Hollywood (#139), Mar Vista (#134), Santa Monica Main Street (#91), and Santa Monica Arizona Ave (#90). 

Have you been to the Culver City Farmers Market? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

Culver City Farmers Market

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