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Want to read more about Leo
Politi, Centennial year programs and events,
and the communities response to all the
festivities? Click
here to see a
variety of blogs and articles written about
the Centennial.
Kick Off Celebration
Copy of the
program from the Official Kick Off event.
For the City of Los Angeles
and the Leo Politi family the "Leo Politi
Kick Off" Celebration was a day to be
cherished. So many of you brought your
Leo Politi, autographed books artwork,
photos of paintings and precious stories to
share with his family and friends. It
rained leading up to the event and then all
at once the sun came out. Leo
Politi had to be smiling as he saw all the
children dressed in their cultural costumes,
dancing, singing and celebrating his art
with puppet shows and readings of his books.
The Politi family would like to thank all of
you who volunteered and participated.
The El Pueblo Park Association, The El
Pueblo Historical Monument, The City of Los
Angeles and the Merchants of Olvera Street.
For those of you that did not make it, you
missed a very special and unique day that
made us proud to be an Angeleno. We
hope to see you at future centennial
festivities. Last but not least, 99
THANKS to David and Sherry Gold
of the 99 cents only store for making this
wonderful program possible and for all the
special things that you quietly do for the
City of Los Angeles. God Bless you.
http://viewfromaloft.typepad.com/viewfromaloft/2008/01/more-on-leo-pol.html
Upcoming 2008 Centennial Events
In February of 1996, at the
reopening of the historic Angels Flight
Railway on Bunker Hill in Downtown Los
Angeles, a frail, old
artist -- who many have called "The Artist of the
Angels"-- stepped into Olivet,
one of the two antique cars of the little
funicular. It was only fitting that this
Los Angeles treasure, artist & author Leo Politi,
be the first to make the short journey to
the top of Bunker Hill since he
had so immortalized that hill in his books and
artwork. Following his historic ride, hundreds of fans patiently
waited in line as Leo Politi signed autographs. Politi
would give each fan the time and respect
he or she
 so deserved. Sadly for Los Angeles, Mr. Politi's
own time would soon run out. Within
weeks of the reopening of the Railway, he
passed away. In November of 2008, Leo Politi would have been
100 years old. As Los Angeles and the
rest of the world celebrate Politi's
lifelong work in this, his Centennial Year,
the Angels Flight Railway Foundation is
planning an art installation immediately
adjacent to Angels Flight of large,
weather-resistant, ceramic reproductions of
nine Politi's
paintings of Bunker Hill. As passengers
ascend and descend on the 107 year-old Angels
Flight Railway, they will have a glimpse
into the City's past through Politi's
depictions of historic Bunker Hill. The
Foundation also is working on a
complementary publication about Bunker
Hill's history, to be illustrated with
Politi artwork.
This Angels Flight project is but one of
many Southern California
tributes to the life and work of Leo Politi
on the occasion of his
centenary.
Jim
Dawson is a longtime Los Angeles writer
who has written nearly a dozen books on
popular music and culture, including
"What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record?"
has just finished writing a book on
Angels Flight to be published by Arcadia
Press. Dawson has also written
feature articles for the Los Angeles
Times and over a hundred album liner
notes for various record companies
around the world. Leo Politi, who
has been called by many "The Artist of
the Angels" will be featured in the
book. Dawson will include photos
of Leo Politi as well as his
paintings of Angels Flight. The
book will be released August 11, 2008, which happens
to be Leo Politi's Centennial year.
Click
here: ANGELS FLIGHT GOES TO
THE MOVIES
 Princeton University will be celebrating
the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial with an
exhibit entitled “Leo Politi’s Los
Angeles.” The exhibition, which will
celebrate Leo Politi’s art and it’s
diversity, is now being planned with
dates and times to be announced.
The City of Brea will
present a Leo Politi Centennial Art Exhibit
at the City of Brea Art Gallery. The
exhibit will spotlight Leo Politi's fine
art... This will be the most comprehensive
Leo Politi fine art exhibition to date.
This special centennial collection will
include works from the early 1930's through
many seldom seen paintings of the 1990's.
The gallery will also show a few of Politi's
children's books, from inception to
completion, including sketches, character
studies, story boards, correspondence and
finished art. Exhibit will run from
July 12, 2008 through July 27, 2008.
"Characters will
come Alive" In honor of
Children's book author and
illustrator Leo Politi's
Centenary. As part of the
children's summer reading club
of the Robertson Branch of
Los Angeles Public
Library. Moy Moy, from Leo
Politi's classic children's
book, steps out of the pages to
entertain us with some magical
stories of her own. This
year would have been
author/illustrator's Leo
Politi's 100th Birthday.
Don't miss this heart warming
event. Thursday, July 10
at 4:30 pm, at 1719 S. Robertson
Boulevard, Los Angeles,
California 90035.
The mission of
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture
Book Art is to inspire,
especially in children and their
families, an appreciation for
and an understanding of the art
of the picture book. This
most important and unique
Museum, located in Amherst,
Massachusetts has long admired
Leo Politi's work and his
importance to Children's book
art. The Eric Carle Museum
has expressed a desire to honor
Leo Politi for his vast
contributions to the field of
children's book art. The Leo
Politi Family supports the
mission of the Eric Carle Museum
and is pleased to partner with
the Carle in someway.
 On
August 23, 2008, the
Thousand Oaks Library is very proud
to join the Leo Politi 2008
Centennial Celebration. Our library
has enjoyed a friendship with Leo
Politi over the years. He made
many visits to our library and
we are very excited to participate
in this celebration. We are making
plans for Ann Stalcup author of “Leo
Politi, Artist of the Angels” to
lecture, give her wonderful slide
presentation and autograph her book.
Members of the Leo Politi family
have promised to attend and share
their stories and artwork with us.
If you share Leo Politi's
love for parks, then you're invited to join
The Friends of the Parks and The Los Angeles
Department of Recreation and Parks, to
celebrate The Leo Politi Centennial.
The celebration will take place at the park
that bares his name. Politi, a park
advocate wrote and illustrated "Tales of the
Los Angeles Parks" and many award winning
children's books. Bring your kids,
there will be piñatas, Chinese kite flying,
painting and many more activities for the
young. So if you love parks and have a
child's heart, come celebrate The Leo Politi
Centennial with us in 2009.
 Santa Monica Public
Library, will be celebrating The Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial with special
events and displays. Ann Stalcup
author of "Leo Politi, Artist of the
Angels" will make a slide presentation
lecture on Mr. Politi. She
has agreed to autograph her book as part
of our celebration. In addition
Santa Monica's Angel City Press,
publisher of a new coffee table art book
that will feature Leo Politi's "fine
art" period, the Author Rob Wagner and
the Politi family are all planning to be
part in our 2008 Centennial Celebration.
JANM will profile Leo
Politi and the contributions that he
has
 made to their community.
Japanese American National Museum's
"Best in Americas Spirit" continues with
a salute to Leo Politi with a small
exhibit of his paintings, sketches, and
his Children's book "MIEKO" in the
Japanese American National Museum lobby
during Nisei Week.
The exhibit will commence at the
beginning of Nisei Week
August 16, 2008 and
run through Leo Politi's
birthday which is November 21.
Escondido "The City of
Choice" and the Escondido Public Library
will be celebrating the Leo Politi 2008
 Centennial with a Leo Politi art exhibit
in
September, 2008. The
exhibit
will feature Escondido Public Library
owned Leo Politi paintings as well as
borrowed paintings from art collectors
and the Leo Politi Family. Ann
Stalcup, author of "Leo Politi, Artist
of the Angels" will make an appearance
and give her acclaimed slide
presentation talk on Leo Politi's life
and work. She will visit with the
public, answer questions and autograph
her book. Leo Politi book readings
and other children events are being
planned and dates and times will be
announced.
 The Department of
Cultural Affairs, City of Los
Angeles in September 2008 will celebrate artists,
muralist, author, illustrator, Leo
Politi and his 2008 Centennial with
a feature article in DCA's Latino
Calendar. The article will
spotlight Politi's children books
"Pedro the Angel of Olvera Street",
"Juanita", "Pancho", "Rosa" and "The
Nicest Gift". In
addition there will be examples of
Leo Politi's artwork from the early
forties from "Aqui Se habla Espanol"
and "Stories from the Americas". The
calendar will list many of the
hundreds of planned festivities
celebrating The Leo Politi 2008
Centennial.
Florida-Brockway Memorial
Library of Miami Shores is
excited to be planning their
participation in the Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial
celebration. A very
special Leo Politi art
exhibit will be on display.
A puppet show of one of the
twenty five children's books
Leo Politi authored and
illustrated will be
performed. Martin
Politi, grandson of Leo and
local Shores resident, will
participate in the program
with a special reading of a
favorite of his
grandfather's books.
Martin Politi will also
share his fondest memories,
photographs and other
personal items while growing
up. The event is
currently planned for the
month of September.
Exact dates and times to be
announced.
Book lovers
celebrate the centennial of
Leo Politi's birth with a
special exhibition at the
Santa Monica Antiquarian
Book, Print, Photo and Paper
Fair September 6-7.
The public will
.JPG) have the
opportunity to view a
special display of signed
Leo Politi books, artwork
and other material at the
book fair, hosted annually
by Bustamante Enterprises in
conjunction with hundreds of
antiquarian book-sellers from
around the world. The
Politi family will share
many personal items and
memories of the
Caldecott-award-winning
author and illustrator,
whose beloved work
celebrates the rich cultural
diversity of Los Angeles.
Collectors are also invited
to bring pictures of their
own inscribed Politi
collectibles to the book
fair, along with their
personal stories to be
considered for inclusion in
a forthcoming work the
Politi family is preparing
about his autographed books.
The book fair is being held
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 6, 11
a.m. To 4 p.m. Sunday,
September 7 at the Santa
Monica Civic Auditorium,
1855 Main Street in Santa
Monica.
Leo Politi
spent many hours at Mission
San Juan Capistrano doing
research and creating the
characters of his Caldecott
Medal winning, "Song of the
Swallows". Paul Politi
says that his father had
many wonderful memories of
the Mission. He will
share some of these memories
with the Mission Docent
Society on Thursday,
October 23, 2008, at
1:30, in the Mission's
Soldiers Barracks.
This date coincides with the
feast day of St. John of
Capistrano, and is the day
that signals the return of
the famous swallows to their
southern home in Goya,
Argentina. A quote
from the book: "Farewell,
Golondrinas, For you will we
yearn, May God bless your
Journey, And guide your
return." The
public is invited with paid
admission to the Mission.
Please visit their
web-site for more
information:
www.missionsjc.com.
Mission Preservation Society
members are admitted free.
The Monterey Peninsula
will celebrate The Leo Politi 2008
Centennial with an exhibit about the
beautiful mural that Leo Politi
created for the children's picture book
room. It will include photos,
correspondence, history, and his
original sketches for the mural. The
exhibit will be installed on October
1,
2008 and will run through Nove mber 29,
2008. Ann Stalcup will speak about
her tribute to "Leo Politi, Artist of
the Angels" on Wednesday, November 19,
2008, at 7p.m., in the Library Community
Room. Special programs for both
children and adults are being planned
with a spotlight on "A Boat For Pepe"
and "The Butterflies Come."
Dates, times and events to
follow.
Mission San Juan Capistrano will Celebrate Leo Politi's
Centennial during his centenary (2008-2009).
Among planned exhibits will be "original
illustrations" from his Caldecott Medal
Award winning book "Song of the Swallows"
that was centered at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
In addition to the Caldecott Medal, the
prestigious Regina Medal awarded to Leo
Politi in 1966 by the Catholic Library
Association will also be exhibited.
The Regina Medal is awarded annually to a
living exemplar of the words of the
English poet Walter de la Mare, "only the
rarest kind of best in anything can be good
enough for the young," for continued
distinguished contribution to children's
literature without regard to the
nature of the contribution. Dates and
times of exhibits to be announced.
 On Sunday,
October 5, 2008, The
Leo Politi Branch Library, will have a
special Leo
Politi Day - Open House. Ann Stalcup, author of
"Leo Politi, Artist of the Angels" and the Leo Politi family will participate in the libraries'
"Meet and Greet." Included in the event will be
a special Ann Stalcup slide presentation, multi
cultural finger food, Ann Stalcup autographing
her book, mingling with the Leo Politi
family and others with special
surprises. This event will be part of
the Politi Branch Libraries celebration
of the LEO POLITI 2008 CENTENNIAL
 Cardinal Timothy Manning
once said "the artistic genius of Leo Politi
is his gift of being able to penetrate the
heart of a child and to reproduce in his
works the innocence and loveliness of those who reflect the
Kingdom of God." The San Fernando
Mission will present for the first time ever
Cardinal Manning's personal collection of
Leo Politi's Books with personal artwork.
November 3, 2008 - January 3, 2009
An exhibit of other
Leo Politi artwork, to be selected
by the Politi family, in our Meeting
Room on Friday  November 7, 2008
and
Saturday November 8, 2008.
On a date to be
determined a reading by family member of
Mr. Gim
Fong on “Mr. Fong’s Toy Shop” followed
by a craft by GAB volunteer Margie Lew.
The activity will be on making Chinese
lanterns out of New Year red envelopes.
On Friday, November 21,
2008,
a celebration of the
life of author and
artist Leo Politi on his
birthday. A program at 3
pm in our meeting room
where our children’s
librarian reads one of
Leo’s books and other
cultural diversity and
Thanksgiving related
materials. Special
guests who knew Leo
Politi well will come to
share their personal
stories that they have
about Leo. A craft
activity will follow and
refreshments served.
-
LUMMIS HOME EXHIBIT
In the early 1970's The Lummis Home held an
exhibit of Leo Politi's art. At the
opening, Leo Politi said "This is one of the
happiest moments in my life, to see my
paintings hanging in such an aesthetic and
harmonious setting. The Lummis House
is California at its best." In
November, 2008 The Lummis Home will once
again adorn Leo Politi's art. An
exhibit is now being planned that will
feature Leo Politi's Native American
artwork, most of which has never
before been seen in public. The
Historical Society
of Southern California
will host this very
special exhibit. Dates and
times to be announced.
 The Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard,
California will be celebrating the Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial with an exhibit
entitled "Leo Politi, Capturing the
Heart", featuring never before seen examples of
Leo Politi's fine art. Included in
the exhibit will be paintings featured
in his definitive monograph art book
entitled, "Leo Politi, Capturing the
Heart of Los Angeles". The exhibit will
run from Saturday, December
13, 2008 - Sunday, February 22, 2009.
 December
16-24, 2008 Pedro will lead Los Posadas in
celebration of The Leo Politi 2008 Centennial.
In addition for this event a special edition
printing of "Pedro the Angel of Olvera Street"
for the first time will have pages which were
previously printed in sepia tone, now printed in
full color as Leo Politi's original art
intended.
 An around the
world, around the town, exhibit
of Leo Politi's books, art and
mural. Special book
readings, events and surprises
all celebrating THE LEO POLITI
2008 CENTENNIAL. Days, times and
events to be announced.
-
-
CITY OF
RANCHO MIRAGE
In December 2006 -
February 2007 the Rancho Mirage
Library presented their acclaimed
art exhibit "Leo Politi's Children."
In November 2008 - February 2009
the City of Rancho Mirage as part of
their celebration of Leo Politi's
Centennial will present a
continuation of their "Leo Politi's
Children" exhibit with all new
paintings. The Centennial
celebration will culminate with the
installation of a Leo Politi's
Bronze of " Children Reading" at the
Rancho Mirage Library. Date
and times of installation to be
announced
 2008 ground breaking
ceremony outside the Madden Library for The
Leo Politi Garden designed by Robert Boro.
The date and time will be announced in the
future.
Joelle Dobrow,
President of the
Edendale Library
Friends Society
(ELFS) in Echo
Park along with
Sheila Anthony
chairwoman of
the Leo Politi
Sculpture
Committee will
soon begin to
raise funds for
the costs of
casting
,delivery and
installation of
a Leo Politi
bronze sculpture
at the Edendale
Library. The Politi
Sculpture will
depict two life
size children
reading a book
with their dog
looking on. Ms Dobrow is
creating a Power
Point
presentation to
use at Chamber
of Commerce,
Neighborhood
Council and
other meeting
events to raise
money for their
Libraries Politi
Bronze Sculpture
Project. The
Edendale Library
is walking
distance to
Sunset Boulevard
and Echo Park
Avenue which is
now known as Leo
Politi Square
Assemblyman
Kevin de Leon
who represents
the 45th
Assembly
District in
California is
planning a Leo
Politi art
exhibit in the
California State
Capitol in
Sacramento as
part of the Leo
Politi
Centennial
Celebration in
2009.
-
JULIO SANCHEZ
Artist and Muralist
Julio Sanchez was commissioned to paint
three murals at Leo Politi Elementary
School in Los Angeles. Sanchez chose to
salute Politi and his children books, by
painting in Politi's early style.
Now Julio Sanchez will celebrate the Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial by painting a
special portrait of Politi, to be
displayed at the school that bares his
name. It will also be included in
future Politi centennial events and the
future Politi tribute exhibit being
planned by some of Los Angeles' best
Angelino Artists. Each artist will
pay tribute to Politi's life and
influence through their art. The
exhibit is being organized by Los
Angeles Photographer Jose Luis Sedano.
 The
Friends of Edendale Branch Library are
planning a Leo Politi art exhibit in
the fall of 2008. The Edendale
Branch Library features a large poigant
Ernesto De La Loza mural that shows many
of Echo Parks local treasures. Included
in the De La Loza mural is the image of
Echo Park’s long time resident, Leo
Politi. Just a few blocks east of the
Edendale Branch Library on Sunset
Blvd. and Echo Park Avenue is “Leo
Politi Square”.
The soon to be re-opened
Angels Flight "The shortest railroad in
the world" will join in the celebration
of The Leo Politi 2008 Centennial. Leo
Politi cut the ribbon and took the first
official ride for the re-opening of
Angels Flight and prior to his
passing. Mr. Politi painted many
wonderful paintings of Angels Flight
including some in his book "Bunker Hill
Los Angeles ".. reminiscences of by gone
days.
 Caravan
Book Store on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles is proud to
participate in the centennial celebration of
author and artist Leo Politi. He was a
friend of the proprietor and his family, and
Mr. Politi often visited the store.
Now the second and third generations of the
54-year-old business will continue to honor
Mr. Politi's work with 5" X 7" colorful
postcards of his paintings as well as some
of his books and books about him in the
world famous Biltmore Hotel display case.
OSMAF
A Non Profit Tax Exempt 501c3
Public Benefit Corporation will be
publishing 22 “new” Leo Politi special collector edition, postcards for
The Leo Politi 2008 Centennial celebration. The
new Centennial set, will bring the
total to 40
Leo Politi Postcards. The artwork selected will
spotlight Politi’s love for the city of Los
Angeles and it’s diversity. All of (OSMAF)
proceeds from the sale of the postcards will
be used for the foundations educational,
cultural and historical programs. Their goal is
to spotlight the cities harmonious diversity and
the appreciation of the historic significance
of Olvera Street, the city’s birthplace, and its
importance in the formation of Los Angeles.
 Leo Politi
has continually supported “Feria De Los
Ninos” the concept of using cultural arts to
instill self- esteem, confidence, cultural
pride and family respect through creative
expression, discipline, training and
achievement. Leo Politi’s support and
poster artwork has been a part of the “Feria
De Los Ninos” tradition. September 2009
, The Los Angeles,
Department of Recreations and Parks and
“Feria De Los Ninos” join the Leo Politi Centennial Celebration at Hollenbeck
Park in East Los Angeles celebrating the
rich and diverse culture of Latinos, that
promises to be a memorable time for all.
Author Ann Stalcup, has
worked as an elementary school teacher
in England, Canada and the United
States. She has visited well over
100 countries and has numerous published
magazine articles inspired by the trips
that she has taken. Silver Moon
Press published "Leo Politi, Artist
of the Angels," Ann's
10th book. Ann, already an admirer
of Leo Politi's work, first met him in
the early 1980's. A friendship
began and over the years she experienced
many cherished meetings. Like the
man, the memories were unique and
colorful. Her book was based on
those meetings, research, and on
interviews conducted with his family,
friends, and admirers. His son
Paul states, "Author Ann Stalcup has
seen and experienced so many wonderful
things on her travels that she could
have written about; the fact that she
wrote a book on my father is a great
honor in itself." He continues, "What I
love about her book is the simplicity
she used in capturing the essence of my
father, the same simplicity my father
used to capture the essence of a child." Ann
will be giving a series of lectures and
slide shows on Leo Politi and
autographing her book "Leo Politi,
Artist of the Angels" throughout
California for The Leo Politi 2008
Centennial.
 David Katz of Silver Moon
Press is proud to be the publisher of LEO
POLITI: ARTIST OF THE ANGELS, which
showcases the life and work of Leo Politi.
He takes great pride in his
association with the lifelong achievements
of this multi-talented author and artist, a
man who was as comfortable writing for
adults as he was for children. In
recognition of Leo Politi's 2008 Centennial,
a special gold seal will be added to each
book sold during the centennial year.
Angel City Press is proud to
announce the publishing of "Leo Politi, Capturing the
Heart of Los Angeles." This full-color
monograph examines the life and work of Leo
Politi, the beloved artist and author, whose
paintings, illustrations and sculptures
vividly articulate the multiethnic
identity of Los Angeles. Trained as a
fine artist in Italy, Politi worked as a
street artist on L.A.'s famed Olvera Street
and achieved national attention with his
twenty children's books and a coveted
Caldecott Medal. Remembered for capturing
the heart of Los Angeles, both on paper and
in the minds of its people, Politi's
artwork is showcased in this extraordinary
volume, in time for the Leo Politi 2008
Centennial. ISBN-13 978-1-883318-76-5
/$45.00
Rob Wagner,
journalist and author of nearly two dozen
books along with screenwriter Larry Bischof,
Suzanne Politi Bischof and Paul Politi have
written a coffee table biography book on Los
Angeles artist, Leo Politi entitled "Leo
Politi, Capturing the heart of Los Angeles."
Though he is celebrated as an author and
 illustrator, Politi's lesser known but
equally important work can be found in his
early art, sculptures and murals.
Readers will be treated to nearly 300 images
of his work. The book will include his
fine art, completed long before his fame as
a children's illustrator. Featured images
will include paintings on Bunker Hill,
Chinatown, Olvera Street, Little Tokyo, and
his many other picturesque hangouts. A
majority of the paintings will be
unpublished, never before seen art, mostly
from private collections, as well as some
rare clip art. If you study close some
of the 20th Century's social, idealistic,
and cultural advances made in Los Angeles,
you will find the fingerprints of this
humble, un-assuming man with a gentle heart.
Leo Politi is considered an indigenous part
of the California Landscape.
The Leo Politi family is
assisting Angel City Press and author Rob
 Wagner with the selection of paintings and
carvings to be featured in the Leo Politi
Coffee Table Art Book entitled "Leo Politi,
Capturing the Heart of Los Angeles." An gel City
Press intends to publish the book in time
for The Leo Politi 2008 Centennial.
The book will reveal many facets of Leo Politi's career, a major focus will be on
his early fine arts period. To achieve
the finest representation of Leo Politi's
work, the family is requesting collectors to
email jpg photos of any painting or carving
that they would want to be considered for
inclusion in this very important art book.
Jpg photos should be emailed to:
family@leopoliti.startlogic.com
 Marge
Bitetti in her "new" Arcadia Book
entitled "Images of America,
Italians in Los Angeles" was one of
the first to acknowledge the Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial. In her
book Bitetti devotes eleven pages to
Politi and his art, including his
acclaimed mural "The Blessing of the
Animals" and painting of Simon
Rodia's Watts Towers. For
close to 60 years, Politi's
paintings (and books) celebrated Los
Angeles's rich cultural diversity.
Included in the book are paintings
of Angels Flight, Chinatown,
Little Tokyo, Olvera Street
and Bunker Hill.
-
CHINESE
AMERICAN MUSEUM
Located in the
historic Garnier Building
(1890), the last surviving
structure from the Los Angeles
original Chinatown, the Chinese
American Museum (CAM) opened in
2003 with the goal of
cultivating public awareness,
understanding and appreciation
for the more than 150 years of
Chinese American history in the
United States. To celebrate Leo
Politi's Centenary the Chinese
American Museum is planning a
Leo Politi exhibit featuring his
Chinatown paintings, books and
sketches. The exhibit will take
place in 2009 in conjunction
with the Lantern Festival. Exact
dates and times to be announced
Brecksville Center
for the Arts joins the Leo Politi
Centennial
 celebration. Located in
Brecksville, Ohio, Brecksville
Center for the Arts will be part of the 2008
centennial by offering classes and
workshops designed to celebrate Leo Politi's life and work. Their
popular After School Arts Program
brings art classes to elementary
students in local schools. The
instructor, artist Stephanie Sibits,
will devote classes in 2007 and 2008
to the Leo Politi legacy.
Artist/illustrator Amy Trosino will
also celebrate the centennial by
devoting classes in her "Story Art:
Live in Tale Workshops" to the
famous artist/illustrator. Art
projects will be posted on the
Brecksville Center for the Arts (BCA)
website. Other art and
literary activities are planned for
the 2008 Centennial.
The Tierra Blanca
Dance Company, part of the Tierra
Blanca Arts Center is a non- profit
organization dedicated to helping
low income children discover
and promote Mexican Culture and
traditions through
music and
dance. The young
dancers learn and appreciate the
regional dances of Puebla, Jalisco,
Chipas, Chinacas, Calabaceados to
name a few. The Tierra Blanca Art
Center admires Leo Politi’s books
for promoting values and his love
of culture and tradition. Blanca
Araceli Soto will honor Leo Politi
by interpreting his books through
dance and music. On October 12, 2007
as part of the City of Pasadena’s
Art night, they performed Leo Politi’s books at the Pasadena
Library. In 2008 the Tierra Blanca
Dance Company will continue to
celebrate Leo Politi's centennial
by interpreting
his books
through
dance. They will
be performing at
other Leo Politi
celebrations.
The Lugonia
"Forget Me
Not" Garden
was created
in 1998 by
now retired
Lugonia
elementary
school
teacher
Diana
Holly
and her 5th
grade
class. This
garden
provides
students,
parents,
 and
the
community a
place to get
acquainted
with nature
and it
enhances the
school
campus
environment.
Since its
inception,
the garden
has been a
focal point
of pride,
beauty, and
knowledge,
not only for
the School
but for the
entire
Redland's
community.
The Smiley
Library
commissioned
a
stained
glass window
to pay
special
tribute to
the Lugonia
"Forget Me
Not" Garden.
The Garden
has inspired
other
Redland's
Schools to
create their
own gardens.
For a decade
now, the
students
have been
reading Leo
Politi's
books in the
Garden. One
of their
favorite
stories is
from Ann
Stalcup's
book "Leo
Politi,
Artist of
the Angels."
This story
tells about
the weeds in
Politi's
yard. Leo
Politi found
these weeds
to be so
beautiful
and
decorative
and was
saddened
when his son
had cut them
down before
he could
capture
their
wondrous
beauty on
paper. The
students
wanted to
celebrate
Leo Politi's
centennial
by creating
garden full
of those
wondrously
beautiful
and
decorative
weeds. The
Leo Politi
Weeds Garden
was a
perfect way
to honor the
life of Leo
Politi.
The alumni
of Our Lady
of Loretto
Elementary
School have
a most
interesting,
and
nostalgic
website.
They not
only
celebrate
their
school,
church and
community,
but also the
history of
the
neighborhood
in and
around Echo
Park, and
the City of
Los Angeles.
For years
they have
included Leo
Politi and a
huge example
of his art
on this
wonderful
website and
soon they
will add a
tribute to
Leo Politi
and the
centenary of
his birth.
Editions du signe in association
with The Archdiocese of Los
Angeles has just
published The History of The
Archdiocese of
Los Angeles 1840 –2007, by
Msgr.
Francis J. Weber. Chapter 3
entitled Clergy, Religious &
Laity, acknow-ledges the
contributions of Leo Politi.
Msgr. Francis J. Weber states
of Politi, “He was an
indigenous part of California’s
landscape who will never die or
be diminished in the hearts and
souls of his public.” A quote
from Timothy Cardinal Manning
about Leo Politi is also
included in the book
As part of the Leo Politi
2008 Centennial Celebration
The Olvera Street Merchants
Association Foundation
(OSMAF)
will produce
an Oral
History DVD that will
feature families and friends that
inspired Leo Politi's
art and literature for more
than half a century. The
gleeful,
warm response from children
as they see themselves
reflected in his gentle
stories continues to be a
wellspring of the beauty of
the human spirit. The
documentary
will tell of the quiet
legacy of a man who graced
their lives and affected so
many visitors with his
little drawings and stories
of the children and families
of Olvera Street and
Los Angeles. The
DVD will be shared with
Schools, Libraries & with
many scheduled Centennial
Celebrations through out the
out the United States.
Elisabeth Waldo's multi cultural
music and dance celebrates
 the diversity that
inspired Leo Politi's art with an enchanted
evening under the stars .
View Elisabeth's collection
of Leo Politi art and enjoy
the music, costume and dance
of many cultures.
Experience the romance of
old California, beautiful
music and Leo Politi art as
Elisabeth Waldo's Historical
Rancho celebrates The Leo
Politi Centennial.
Experience the romance of
old California, beautiful
music and Leo Politi 's art
as Elisabeth
Waldo's Historical Rancho
celebrates The Leo Politi
Centennial in 2009.
-
THE
TORRANCE LIBRARY
The Torrance Library
will be celebrating The Leo Politi 2008
Centennial with special events and
displays.
-
THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY
Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
The Leo Politi family, will join with the
New Chinese Garden of glowing Fragrance that
opened to the public in 2008. As part of a
series of events and  children’s workshops
focused on the Garden and what it offers,
two Leo Politi books, “Moy Moy” and Mr.Fongs
Toy Shop will be featured in the program
series.. Also participating will be Mary
Joe who was the real “Moy Moy” in Leo
Politi’s book and her three brothers Frank,
George and Harry also in the book. Members
of The Fong family will also participate
with the book Mr. Fong’s Toy Shop. Reading
and signings of both books are now being
planned and will be scheduled for May/June
2009. The Leo Politi Centennial will run
through November 26, 2009.
The Italian Hall is
planning an exhibit on Leo Politi and
his art as the concluding part of the
Leo Politi Centennial. Past Events
 January 26, 2008
was the
"official
kick off" of
the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial.
It was also the commencement of the Leo
Politi Art Exhibit at the Pico House. The
exhibit contains never before seen Leo
Politi paintings, sculptures and surprises! The
festivities included music, dance and
celebration of Olvera Street's beloved Artist,
Muralist, Author and Illustrator. The
Historical Pico House is located across from
Olvera Street, and is part of El Pueblo de Los
Angeles.
Recently the El Pueblo Park
Association (EPPA) proudly celebrated the 75th
anniversary of the City of Los Angeles's
treasured mural "America Tropical" by David
Alfaro Siqueriros. On
January 26,2008 the El Pueblo Park
Association and El Pueblo de Los Angeles
Historical Monument are proud to celebrate and
honor another treasure, the artist Leo Politi,
who painted the 1978 Blessing of the Animals
mural on the Biscailuz Building in El Pueblo.
The year 2008 marked Politi's Centennial with
many events, exhibitions and festivities planned
throughout the country. The Official
"Kick
Off" for the Centennial was held in the Pico
House at El Pueblo where there was an
exhibit mounted by the Politi family in honor of
their father. The reception, also in the
Pico House, was cosponsored by EPPA and El Pueblo
de Los Angeles Historical Monument.
David Gold is a proud and treasured
Angelino. For many years David
Gold, Leo Politi and others
 volunteered
their time and resources to help save
Hazard Park, Elysian Park and other
endangered Los Angeles Parks.
David Gold is also an admirer of Politi's talent and has a large
collection of his art. However in
2008, rather than celebrate Leo Politi's
100 Year Celebration (Centennial) David
Gold founder of the 99¢ Only Store will
celebrate Leo Politi's (99th) NINETY
NINTH YEAR....AGAIN. Last
year he and his wife, Sherry were part
of the Olvera Street Oral History
Documentary and this year they sponsored
99% of the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial
Kick Off Souvenir Program with the El
Pueblo Park Association. They will
continue celebrating nine days a
week......
First
floor Gallery Exhibit of the entire Bunker
Hill Collection... Many paintings not
included in his 1964 book "Bunker Hill , Los
Angeles"... reminiscences of bygone days.
The first time ever!! The
entire collection was shown!! February
2, 2008 - June 14, 2008.
 To
coincide with the Bunker Hill/First Floor
Gallery exhibition and the Leo Politi
Centennial, the Los Angeles Central
Library’s children’s room featured
eleven glass cases of Leo Politi books.
Most of Leo Politi’s twenty children’s books
that he was both the author and illustrator
were being featured. Also
included were some of the children’s
books that Politi only illustrated.
On January, 22, 2008
Linda Scambray of the
Friends of the Leo
Politi Library read
Little Leo
to the students of
Wolters Elementary
School. She explained to
the students that
Little Leo
was a true story that
started in Fresno and
took place when when Leo
was their age and how
Leo Politi grew up to be
a world famous artist
and author. Linda
encouraged the students
to read more and also to
write their own
stories. Ivan and Rose
Rowe, friends of Leo's
friend Arnie
Nixon, donated
Little Leo, Juanita,
Pedro the Angel of
Olvera Street
and Ann Stalcup’s
biography entitled,
Leo Politi, Artist of
the Angels to
the school library for
Leo Politi’s 2008
Centennial. Wolters'
librarian, Sandy Prieto,
promised to calendar
more Leo Politi book
readings for the
centenary with a special
presentation to thank
the Rowe family.
Theatre of the Puppets (formerly Teatro
de los Puppets) for over 30 years
has taught, mesmerized and entertained
hundreds of thousands of students in
schools and public libraries all over
Southern California with their timely,
educational puppet shows. On many, many
occasions, Leo Politi sketched and
enjoyed Theatre of the Puppets’ many
productions, and especially The Reading Railroad
with its
puppet rendition of the book, Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street. Most memorable
for Leo was a performance at the
Open House at the Hollywood Bowl.
After that performance, Leo used to say
with a big smile, “Pedro performed at
the Hollywood Bowl…. and he sang like an
Angel.” On
January 26, 2008 for the Grand Opening
of The Leo Politi 2008 Centennial at
the Historic Landmark, the Pico House,
Theatre of the Puppets Co-Founder Bill
Sousa, Artistic Director Bob Stone, and
two of Bill’s grandchildren, Michael
Sousa Jr., and Sara Serrander Sousa gave a special performance of
Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street.
Bill came out of retirement to pay
homage to the memory of his dear friend,
Leo. Sara, now a mother, as a young
child was herself “The Angel of Olvera
Street” for several years. Mark your
calendars now, so that you don’t miss
this most memorable day and historic
performance. Come and see our beloved
Pedro, his Grandfather, and other dear
friends from this book “come alive”.
 In 1959, Leo Politi met a little girl and her older
brothers in the picturesque
section of Los Angeles known as
Chinatown. After a year of
having sketched them, playing
and interacting, one of Leo Politi's finest children's
books, entitled "Moy Moy" was
born. On January 26, 2008
Mary Joe as she is known today
and her brothers will celebrate
the Leo Politi centenary "Kick
Off" by reading their now famous
book in Helman Quan at the El
Pueblo Historical Landmark.
Bring the kids and come enjoy a
very special day of festivities
and share this precious moment
in time.
http://blogdowntown.com/2008/05/3321-meeting-moy-moy
The Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial has been
such a blessing to his family.
One of the greatest blessings
has been their interactions with
the Yan Family. In 1960,
when Leo Politi created the
book, "Moy Moy" (meaning little
sister), it was based on a real
family: three brothers of the Yan family, Frank, George, Harry
and their little sister Mary
Joe, who in the book is ""Moy
Moy." From the centennial
"kick off" on January 26, 2008
at the Pico House/El Pueblo
Historical Park, Moy Moy
and her brothers have played a
major role in the celebration.
They shared their precious
memories with Leo's family,
friends, and fans through the
items personally received from
Leo, along with their own
collection of his works.
These photographs and
recollections help bring Leo
Politi's paintings to life.
Harry Yan has now created a
website, and with permission by
the Yan family, we invite
everyone to view the exquisite
collection of memories they continue
to cherish.
Leo Politi Elementary
School is thrilled to be part of the
Centennial Celebration. After all Leo
Politi's  appreciation of books, art, and
children is present in
all we do.
Our kindergarten students will be counting
down the days 'til January 26. (The
official kick-off of the Leo Politi 2008
Centennial.) For our Leo Politi
Centennial Festival, every class on campus
will become experts on one Leo Politi book
and will create a project celebrating his
work. Our older students will get to
know "Leo Politi's Los Angeles," from Olvera
Street to Echo Park. Also, there will
be other ways that we will celebrate Mr.
Politi's centennial, but the students
say, "for now, they are TOP SECRET."
-
RENE ROWLAND
Rene Rowland, Composer,
Performer and Educator will
conduct The Leo Politi
Elementary School Student Choir
at the artist's 2008 Centennial
Celebration on January 26, 2008
at El Pueblo de Los Angeles
Historical Landmark. The
students sang their school
song that was co-written by Rene
Rowland and Leo Politi. In
addition, Rene also be read Politi's book "Emmet"
for the children at the Hellman
Quan, which is located in The El
Pueblo Historical Park.
Charles Wright wrote and
recorded the
multi-million-selling hit
record, "Express Yourself", now
considered a modern day
standard. Charles Wright
helped make  Watts, California
internationally famous.
Along with his group, The Watts
103rd Street Rhythm Band, they
had a string of world wide
"hits". As an admirer of
the late Leo Politi, Charles
Wright will feature Leo Politi's
painting of the "Watts Towers"
in his soon to be released
documentary video. In
addition, he dedicated and
sang his new composition "God
Bless the Children" with
the Frank D. Parent School Choir
and the Leo Politi Elementary
School Choir at the Leo Politi 2008 Centenary "Kick Off"
event on January 26, 2008
Esteban Coronado and his adult
group, Ballet Coco, along with his
children’s group, Ballet Fiesta, has
for many years been an integral part
in
developing the growth of diverse
cultural events in Southern
California. He is credited with
playing a key role in maintaining
traditional culture in the “Los
Angeles Performing Arts Scene.” For
close to thirty years Leo Politi was
one of Esteban Coronado’s most loyal
fans, attending all of Ballet
Fiesta’s dance performances. Coronado even made an exception and
allowed Leo Politi to attend
rehearsals and sketch the dancers. On January 26, 2008 at the
Centennial opening at the Pico House, Esteban Coronado and his Folklorico dance troupe “Ballet
Fiesta” celebrated the Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial with a
special performance for his long
time friend and fellow artist.
The Mission Parish
School of San Juan Capistrano is
"one of the oldest" if not the
oldest  school in
California.
Located on the Historical grounds of
the San Juan
Capistrano Mission, it played a
very special roll at The Leo Politi
2008 Centennial "Kick off
festivities" on January 26, 2008.
Caldecott Medal Award Winner, "Song
of the Swallows" was Leo Politi's
most famous book. The setting
of the book was San Juan Capistrano
Mission. It was during the
making of this book that a very
unique friendship between Politi and
the Mission was born. It
lasted close to fifty years.
However even after Leo's passing the
school continues to honor this bond
by creatively honoring the book at
many of their school events.
Students, faculty and parents at
Mission Parish School payed honor
to Leo Politi as they made the "Song
of the Swallows" come alive for the
beginning of their dear friend's
centennial. Details to follow
at a later date.
The Tierra Blanca Dance
Company, part of the Tierra Blanca Arts
Center, celebrate Mexican Culture with
music and dance. They saluted
Leo Politi's life by interpreting his
books through dance at the January 26,
Leo Politi 2008 Centennial "Kick off"
festivities at the El Pueblo de Los
Angeles Historical Landmark. In
2008 they will also be performing at
other Leo Politi Centennial events.
Those of you who
have visited Appleby books
website know that for many years
there has been a page and a half
tribute to Leo Politi. Mr.
Politi played a major role in
the history of Appleby Books. In
our early days
 as booksellers,
we
acquired a beautiful first
edition of his book “Juanita.”
The copy was signed and
inscribed with watercolor
embellishments by Leo Politi. We
fell in love with Politi’s
beautiful story of a Los Angeles
child and the Blessing of the
Animals and soon decided to
specialize in Children’s
literature and illustrated
books. We have been happy with
our choice ever since and feel
we have Leo Politi to thank for
that. In 2008, Appleby Books is
planning to join his many
appreciative fans in celebrating
Leo Politi’s 2008 Centennial.
Part of the January 26th
premier festivities will include
cultural entertainment from Leo Politi books and special book
readings for the children. May Ellam, Appleby Book’s founder
said, “on this very special day,
it is going be my honor to read
Leo Politi’s “Juanita” to the
children of Los Angeles.”
Las Angelitas
del Pueblo, is a group of
Angelinos that show their love
for the history of Los Angeles
by giving docent tours of the
historical buildings at El
Pueblo de Los Angeles.
Part of their tours includes
visiting the Leo Politi painted
"Blessing of the Animals" mural
on historical Olvera Street. As part of the groups
celebration of the Leo Politi
2008 Centennial, Las Angelitas
del Pueblo invited Paul Leo
Politi, the son of artist,
muralist, author and illustrator
to speak at Las Angelitas del
Pueblo's first
quarterly/luncheon meeting.
Included in Paul Politi's talk
was showing a video and
photos of his father and
portions of the "new" Olvera
Street Merchants Association
Foundation Oral History DVD. The meeting was held at the Hellmon Quon Building on
January 28th 2008.
 During
the month of January 2008, The Chinatown
Branch Library celebrated The Leo Politi
2008 Centennial with three displays on the
Caldecott Medal award. One display case
exhibit featured a collection of
Caldecott Medal Award winning books, with a
“special” tribute to the just announced 2008
Award winner. This special exhibit spotlighted Leo Politi’s award winning books,
plus "one of a kind documents" on loan from
his family. One of the highlights of this
special exhibit was Leo Politi’s
original paintings from "Song of the
Swallows" along with the
actual Caldecott Award Medal.
The
Chinatown Branch Library, as part of
their Chinese New Year
Celebration, exhibited some of Leo Politi’s Artwork on Chinatown’s
community. The “Special Two Day Exhibit”
on Friday, February 8, 2008 and on
Saturday, February 9, 2008. was
attended by members of the Leo Politi
Family. They were at the Library to
meet the public and answer questions
about the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial. Also,
during the month of February, there was a reading of Leo Politi’s book “MOY
MOY” by Mary Joe who is the original
Moy Moy. The reading was
followed by a craft activity by GAB
volunteer Marge Lew on how to make a
fantastic Chinese dragon out of beads,
pipe cleaner and curling ribbon.
 Focal
(Friends of Children and Literature)
presented a Leo Politi Celebration, in honor
of the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial Year,
enjoyed special guest readers and children
activities. This event was located
at the Central Library, 630 West 5th Street,
Downtown Los Angeles (Children Literature)
on February 3, 2008 from 2 p.m. till 4
p.m.
The Million Word Challenge
is an annual Los Angeles County-wide
literacy campaign promoting a culture of
literacy at home and academic achievement at
school, culminating with the annual Feria
del Libro:A Family Book Fair. The initiative challenges students to read
millions of words outside of the classroom. This campaign is a partnership between the
City of Los Angeles, First 5, Families In
Schools, the Los Angeles County Office of
Education, and the Los Angeles Unified
School District with supporting sponsorship
from La Opinion, NBC 4, T52, Target and
Washington Mutual. Each participating
school will have the opportunity to select
one student to receive a $50 gift
certificate valid for purchasing books at
the Feria del Libro: A Family Book
Fair, held on June 7, 2008.
Student winners will be announced at the end
of May and be recognized by their local
schools. This year, the Million Word
Challenge will honor the Legacy of
Author/Illustrator Leo Politi and celebrated
his Centennial by staging the Million Word
Challenge Kick-Off at Leo Politi Elementary
School on February 21, 2008 at 9:00
AM.
As part of the celebration
of Leo Politi's 2008 Centennial, Long Beach
Librarian Suzanne McMillan, has donated to
the Politi family the painting of
 "Poncho"
and his little dog. The Politi family
gratefully accepted the painting and has
named it "Poncho from Long Beach" and named
the dog, "McMillan." The family will
take "Poncho from Long Beach" and McMillan"
to their favorite framer for "Poncho from
Long Beach" to pick out a frame that he
feels at home in. (If "Poncho from
Long Beach" would like matting, he may also
choose matting.) Once "Poncho from
Long Beach" is framed, the Politi family
will make arrangements with future event
organizers to display "Poncho from Long
Beach" and his dog "McMillan." Where they
can then look forward to meeting Leo Politi
fans.
The "Kick Off" of the
"Million Word Challenge" on February 21,
2008 at the Leo Politi Elementary School,
2481 West Eleventh Street, Los.JPG) Angeles CA.
90006 began at 8:30 a.m. with a
Continental Breakfast hosted by the School.
Speakers and guests included David Brewer,
Superintendent of the Schools LAUSD,
Monica Garcia, President, LAUSD Board of
Education, Evelyn Martinez, Executive
Director, First 5 L.A., Darline Robles,
Superintendent, LACOE, Richard Alonzo, Local
District 4 Superintendent, LAUSD and Ilene
Abramson, Los Angeles Public Library,
Director of Children Services. Sylvia
Lopez from KCAL 9 was the Mistress
of Ceremony. The Leo Politi Elementary
School showed and told their "Joy of
reading" by performing two dances from two
Leo Politi Children's Books.
 In conjunction with
their annual awards luncheon California
Readers celebrated The Leo Politi
2008 Centennial. Every year the
California Readers presents their Annual
Golden Leo Politi Award to a California
Author. The Centennial was even
more special to the 2008 recipient as
there were many Leo Politi
surprises. All teachers, librarians,
authors, illustrators, parents, book
lovers and Leo Politi fans were anxious to
attend. February 23, 2008 11am-3pm
Pickwick Gardens, Terrace Room..
The South Pasadena
Library, in conjunction with The Friends
of the South Pasadena Library, had
its 2008 Leo Politi Centennial
celebration. On February 28, 2008, there
was a special, one- day-only
exhibition entitled "Leo Politi's
Children." On display were
examples of Leo Politi's stunning
original art work. In
addition, the library had an
afternoon program for children and an
evening program for adults. The
children's program included special
book readings and Politi related
participation activities. Lectures
on Leo Politi were given by authors
Ann Stalcup and son Paul Politi at 7p.m.
See for yourself why the wonderful
children of greater Los Angeles were Leo Politi's, "Mona Lisas." http://www.ci.south-pasadena.ca.us/library/events/Leo_Politi/leo_Politi_bio.html
 The
City of South Pasadena takes great pride
in the Leo Politi Mural at the South
Pasadena Public Library which is
considered a city treasure. As part of
the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial
Celebration the South Pasadena City
Council placed on the February 22,
2008 agenda, an item to
proclaim
February 28, 2008 LEO POLITI DAY IN SOUTH
PASADENA.
On Thursday, March 13,
2008 at 1 p.m. the students at Leo Politi Elementary School gave a
special performance called "Leo Politi's
Friends Around the World." It was followed by a special showing of
student artwork based on Leo Politi's books. The event was part of the year-long celebration of the school's beloved namesake..
On
January 23 2008, Ann Stalcup presented
three assemblies on Leo Politi for
Grades K-5. . She concluded by reading
“Pedro the Angel of Olvera Street” to
the youngest groups so that they could
hear the simplicity and beauty of one
of Politi’s stories. After her visit
Ann Stalcup received many wonderful
letters from several of the classes. Her
favorite letter said, “You were better
than a blooming flower in the days of
spring.”
Saturday, March 29,
2008 in honor of “The Blessing of
the Animals” festival at Olvera
Street, there was a reading of
the Leo Politi’s books “Saint
Francis and the Animals” and “Emmet”
at the library accompanied with a
related craft. Animal crackers were served.
 Leo Politi's mural comes
alive with the Blessing of the Animals
March 22, 2008. A very special day was combined with a Centennial Celebration and many surprises. Many parents brought their kids, their animals and their love of tradition and celebrated!
On April 8, 2008 author and Leo Politi biographer Ann Stalcup gave a 30 minute presentation at Taft High School. Her audience was fascinated to learn more of the ethnic areas of downtown Los Angeles that had inspired and influenced Leo Politi's work. Ann's presentation of part of Taft High School's "Passport to Learning".
On
April 15,2008 a presentation was given to
Castelar Elementary School’s
Fifth Graders under the
direction of ex-principal
Dr. William Chun-Hoon,and in
conjunction with the Friends
of the Chinatown Libarary, the students had been studying Leo Politi’s
connection with their school.The
fifth graders completed in
writing essays interpreting
what they felt Leo Politi
intended to convey with his
multi-racial mural which is
on a wall at the entrance of
their school. The two
winners, a girl and a boy,
read their essays to the
group following an Ann
Stalcup talk and slide
presentation on Leo
Politi.
Saturday, April 26
2008 Leo Politi's beloved 1946 book Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street
was read and performed by the Theatre of
Puppets at the 13th Annual Los Angeles Times
Festival of Books at UCLA. Pedro appeared at 5pm on the Reading by 9 stage in
the Festival's children's area.
140,000 people attended the 2 day event, the
largest book fair in the USA. Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street is the only one of Leo
Politi's 24 children's and adult books
currently in print. It was sold at
the Festival to benefit the Olvera Street
Merchants Foundation.
On Sunday April 27, 2008 from 1:00 -
5:00 p.m. the Smiley  Library paid
honor to Leo Politi as part of their
celebration of the Leo Politi 2008
Centennial. Included was a special
exhibit of the "Redlands Impressions"
book. Original paintings from the book
were on display throughout the
library. Also in the Children's Room Leo Politi's mural of Children
reading was on exhibit. Members of the Leo Politi
family were there to share in
the festivities. On Saturday
April 26, 2008 at 2 p.m. Ann Stalcup presented a program on Leo Politi's
life and work for the children of
Redlands. Then on Sunday April 27, 2008
at 1 p.m. Ann again gave a program
as part of the centennial celebration.
Mission San Juan Capistrano on May 3,
2008 combined their popular "Battle
of the Mariachis" with a special one day
Leo Politi art exhibit to help celebrate
The Leo Politi 2008 Centennial. In
1950 his book "Song of the Swallows"
that was set at Mission San Juan
Capistrano was awarded the coveted
Caldecott Medal. To help celebrate
The Leo Politi's milestone centenary,
his family hand picked from his over
sixty years of sketching on Olvera
Street, his most festive paintings. The art together with the wonderful and
authentic Mariachi music at the Jewel of
the Missions setting, was an
art exhibit not to be forgetten.
On May 10, 2008,
under the sponsorship of the
Literary Guild of Orange County,
the 15th Annual Festival of Women's
Authors participated in
 the Leo
Politi 2008 Centennial by presenting
Ann Stalcup, author of "Leo Politi,
Artist of the Angels," as one of the
eight featured speakers. Ann was
the events only Children's Book
Author. She gave a talk and
slide presentation on the "Life and
work of Leo Politi." The event was
open to the public, but attendance
was limited to 500.
Registration began in late
February and filled very quickly.
February 28, 2008:
Leo Politi-themed tea party for Life
Members of the Arne Nixon Center
Advocates at the home of Denise
Sciandra, ANCA president in Fresno,
California. The Arne Nixon
Center Advocates is the "Friends"
group for the Arne Nixon Center for
the Study of Children's Literature,
a research collection housed in the
Henry Madden Library at California
State University, Fresno. It
was established in 200l with a
donation of 22,000 children's books
and a $1,000.000 dollar endowment
from Professor Arne Nixon. Leo Politi's books and artwork are an
important part of this collection.
Once a year, ANCA has a special
program to show its appreciation of
its Life Members. In this
centennial year of Leo Politi's
birth, they decided to honor Leo. Thirty-five Life Members gathered at
the Sciandra residence that was
transformed into an English tea
room. On each table was a
potted plant in a planter decorated
with Politi artwork. A vase
decorated with his artwork and
filled with a blossoming branch was
centerpiece on the food table.
Bookmarks hung from it that were
created for the occasion with a
picture of Politi's "Three Little
Girls in Pink." The china
cabinet was filled with Denise's
Politi books, artfully arranged
among pink blossoms. To end
the afternoon, Denise showed a
PowerPoint slide presentation
featuring Leo Politi's stories set
in Los Angeles and inclu | |
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