User:Lori Escalera

LORI ESCALERA, ARTIST

Lori Escalera was born Lori Anne Huniu (1957) in Los Angeles, California. She is best known world wide for her large Street Painting (chalk pastel) and Community Murals [1] in Southern California. A [[ Madonnara [2] Street Painter since 1994, her work covers "Madonnari" Style Street Painting (Mother and Child), Baroque Master Artist Reproductions, 3D Anamorphosis, Trompe L'oeil and original artwork. She has street painted throughout the United States, Bucerias Nayarit Mexico, and in Xi'an China. Escalera was commissioned by Bucerias Artwalk, [3] in Nayarit Mexico, Avenida de Colores [4] in Sarasota, Florida, Calle Color [5] in La Jolla, California, Madonnari Off Main [6] in Glen Ellyn, IL to assist in creating Inaugural Street Painting for the public. In 2006 Escalera was commissioned by the Little Italy, San Diego, California to create a rare permanent Street Painting Art Installation. The piece, "Blowing Bubbles" After Bechi [7], can be seen on Zia's Bistro outside wall [8], Little Italy, San Diego, California.

Escalera has directed several community murals in Los Angeles ("Postcards From Ballona," "Day to Night" and "Rivers of the World") [9] as well as community mural projects in San Diego County; such as Libby Lake Park [10], and three San Diego River Park Foundation Murals [11]. She is predominately known in South California for her Youth at Risk and Volunteer Community Murals. She was commissioned by the City of Vista, California to create a fine art mural "Vista View North" in 2007. [12].

Featured Artist/Master Guest Artist

2010: "Bucerias Artwalk" Nayarit Mexico, "LSU Sesquicentennial," Baton Rouge LA USA; "Sicilian Festa," San Diego CA USA; "Calle Color,” La Jolla CA USA; "Art Along the Rogue," Grants Pass OR USA; “Avenida De Colores,” Sarasota FL USA; "Arts Alive Coastal Rail Trail Day," Solana Beach CA USA; "Gesso Italiano," San Diego CA USA;

2009: "Sicilian Festa" San Diego, CA; “Calle Color” La Jolla CA USA; “Avenida De Colores,” Sarasota Florida USA; “Decatur Celebration,” Decatur IL USA; “Madonnari Off Main,” Glenn Ellyn IL USA

2008: "Family Day,” San Deigo Fine Art Museum, CA USA; “ESPN BassMaster Classic,” Charlotte SC USA; “Ginwa Olympic Celebration,” Xi’an China; “Madonnari On Main,” Glen Ellyn IL USA; “ASAE Conference,” San Diego CA USA; "Gesso Italiano," San Diego, CA USA; “Art in the Park,” Decatur IL USA; "Via Colore" Houston TX USA

2007: “ArtSplash,” Carlsbad CA USA; “Gesso Italiano” Little Italy San Diego CA USA; “BayShore Town Center Festival,” Milwaukee WI USA; “Avenida De Colores,” Sarasota FL USA

2006: “ArtWalk” Little Italy, San Diego CA USA; “Fun With Chalk,” Mission Viejo CA USA; “HPBA Expo,” Utah USA

2005: "Fun With Chalk," Mission Viejo CA USA; “CenterFest,” California Center for the Arts, Escondido CA USA; "40th Anniversary Celebration," First Lutheran Church, San Clemente CA USA

2004: “CTIA EXPO," Atlanta Georgia USA

2001: “Libby Lake Park Celebration,” Oceanside CA USA

Notable Honors:

2010: Best of Show [13] Justin Rudd Chalk Festival, Belmont Shore CA USA
Most Beautiful Award Dia De Los Muertos Festival Canoga Park CA USA

2009: September 2009 Featured Street Painter, Street Painting Society [14]
Best of Show [15] "Artsplash" Carlsbad CA USA
Best of Show [16] "Gesso Italiano" Little Italy San Diego, CA USA 2009

2008: Women in Art, San Diego Museum of Fine Art Family Day; Honorable Mention Justin Rudd Street Painting, Belmont Shore CA, Best of Show Gesso Italiano San Diego CA

2006: Best of Show: Corso Degli Artista, Little Italy San Diego CA

Career

Escalera has a career based in Graphic Design & Communication. In 1980 she began her career as protogé for Ben Mayer ARCA/ASID. In 1981 Escalera went into business for herself, as a provider of quality graphics and advertising, public relations, photographic and print services, serving retail and manufacturing sectors as "Graphica by Lori." In 1986 she remerged as "Lori Segreto, Design Etcetera" after divorce. In 1998 she remarried and changed her business name to "Lori Escalera, Design, Etcetera." In 1993 she began public art instruction teaching children and adults drawing, painting and tile painting. Escalera's Fine Art career begin in 2004. She took up a long time love of oil painting, and began taking paid commissions in Street Painting. Her painting style is contemporary impressionism, and figurative. Here preferred mediums are oil paint, acrylic and bisque tile painting. Her body of work consists of the Goddess mythos, Dia de Los Muertos associations, landscapes - en plein air and studio studies of people.

Community Involvement

In 1994 Escalera founded the civic art group "Culver City A.R.T. Group" [17] in Culver City, California. In 1995 local Culver Ciy community members formed "The Mural Committee" which Escalera joined as a contributing artist. The committee evolved into the "Ballona Creek Renaissance" [18] of which Escalera is a founding board member. In 2000, she relocated from Los Angeles to San Diego and became an Advisor Emeritus [19]. As a United States Marine Corp spouse, Lori become a KVN (2001 - 2006) in the Marine Corps Key Volunteer Network with the HMLA-169 Air Wing at Camp Pendleton, California. Escalera is a Founding Member of the Vista Art Foundation [20] in Vista, California.

Education

1994 Graduate of San Diego State University: Bachelor of Arts Degree, Magna Cum Laude, Graphic Design and Communication
1994 graduate of West Los Angeles College: Associate of Arts Degree, Studio Art, Honors & Presidents Award
1991-1993 attended California State University, Dominguez Hills (Miscellaneous Art History, Humanities), Honors
1980 graduate of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College: Associate of Arts degree, Commercial Art Ceritified, Honors

Bibliography

Decatur Herald & Review 8.8.09 “Lincoln Gazes Skyward from the chalk art of Lori Escalera”

Decatur Herald Review 9.20.08 “The Art of the Drawing” Street Artist prowess w/ chalk & Sidewalk on display

San Diego Union Tribune 6.7.08 “Witnesses to sad history” – Artists Chalking Xian during quake

Sarasota Herald Tribune 11.10.07 “Blood, Toil, Tears & Chalk” - More than Beautiful Images

San Diego Union Tribune 7.22.07 “A Slice of Life” Agrarian roots depicted in Public Art Project

Todays Local News, San Diego 6.22.07 “A View of Vista” Artist’s Public Art Cover Story

Vista News San Diego 6.22.07 Mural Cultivates Vista’s Art Image

Todays Local New San Diego 2.23.07 Artists In Residence Program Guajome Park Academy

San Diego North County Times 2.7.07 Vista Public Art Mural Project

Today’s Local News San Diego 10.30.05 Dia De Los Muertos Exhibit

San Diego Union Tribune 9.24.04 Street Painting Memorial

San Diego Union Tribune 7.24.05 Volunteer Artist in the Classroom

San Diego North County Times 1.20.01 Mural Artwork at Libby Lake

Culver City Chronicle 12.31.97 Art Program

Culver City Chronicle 4.9.97 Ballona Creek Mural

Culver City Chronicle 9.10.97 Grant Protocol

Culver City Chronicle 7.1.98 Dedication of Mural Artwork

The Star, Los Angeles 7.1.98 Dedication of Mural Artwork

External Links

Official Website [21]