Canoga Pop, an art walk on the sidewalks of Sherman Way in downtown Canoga Park, brought the community together on Thursday evening to see and purchase artwork, listen to music and to support local business including the small restaurants in the area.
About 130 artists of all ages and skills, plus some craftspeople, had display set-ups in designated areas between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Canoga Avenue.
Vita White, the prime organizer of the event and owner of Retro Relics antique store, said that the main stipulation for entry was that the artwork had to be handmade. She also said that it was important to her, and for the event, to embrace a wider age group and amateur and professional art skill levels.
Mary Paterson, from the Canoga Park Improvement Association, said that the organizers this year wanted to have people walk up-close to businesses and restaurants on Sherman Way — instead of having the stretch of the street being blocked off to traffic.
There were no food trucks this year, because the organizers wanted visitors to patronize the restaurants, including Follow Your Heart, Grandi Italiani, Henri’s, the Real Juicery and other restaurants on the side streets off of Sherman Way in the “arts district.”
The evening also included a 6 p.m. goodbye/retirement party, with a reservations, for businessman and community activist Michael Sirota. Sirota, was president for 30 years of Woodland Printing in Canoga Park. He served the past two years as president of the Canoga Park Improvement Association.
His wide-ranging community involvement included serving on the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council, as a member of the Board of Directors of Main Street Canoga Park, a past president of LAPD West Valley Jeopardy Foundation (a gang diversion program), a board or committee member for the Guadalupe Center, plus participation in Lions Club, the Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade, the Los Angeles Free Clinic, the Evening Optimist Club and other organizations.
The art walk was sponsored by the Canoga Park Improvement Association (the nonprofit that manages the Historic Old Town Canoga Park Business Improvement District), Retro Relics, Canoga Park Artwalk, Third Thursdays at Canoga Park, Farmers Insurance Tamara Heinig, the Real Juicery and J and P Autobody Repair LLC.
Information on the event, www.facebook.com/Retrorelicsetc
Canoga Park Improvement Association, 818-346-7480. Email: info@cpia.la. www.cpia.la