Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, December 29, 2018

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SOUTH PASADENA - SAN MARINO

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 29, 2018 

‘The California Romantics’ by 
South Pasadena Artist Bob 
Perine Available for Purchase


As so many already know, 
the Friends of the Library 
Bookstore, located upstairs in 
the second floor of the South 
Pasadena Public Library, is a 
small but valuable source for 
inexpensive holiday gifts for 
local friends, neighbors, and 
associates. Not only does the 
7-day a week bookstore offer a 
varied selection of pre-owned 
books at great prices, for a 
limited time they are also selling 
brand new copies of “California 
Romantics: Harbingers of 
Watercolorism” by Bob Perine, 
a South Pasadena artist, author, 
poet, publisher, and educator 
who passed away in 2004. The 
copies, while they last, are only 
$5 each. A copy would make 
a fine gift for a local art lover 
while supporting the Library.

 In 1986, Bob Perine wrote 
his “California Romantics,” 
a glossy, profusely illustrated 
trade paperback with more than 
100 color and black & white 
photos. He wrote the book 
because of the revival of Interest 
in watercolors as a popular 
art form. Perine’s efforts were 
also motivated by the growing 
body of information on the 
development of watercolor 
painting on the West Coast 
and its overall influence on 
American art of the 20th 
Century.

 In 1985, Bob Perine had written 
and published “Chouinard, 
An Art Vision Betrayed,” 
his historical account of the 
groundbreaking art school 
that was transformed into the 
Disney-financed, California 
Institute for the Arts (CalArts) 
in Valencia. In 1997, Bob Perine 
and Dave Tourje, a South 
Pasadena resident who had 
purchased and renovated the 
Nelbert Chouinard residence 
in South Pasadena, founded 
the Chouinard Foundation to 
grow and enhance the shining 
arts legacy of the legendary 
Chouinard Arts Institute. 
Since then, the South Pasadena 
Library and the Chouinard 
Foundation have partnered on 
numerous projects including 
art exhibits, panel discussions, 
and film screenings. 

 Bob Perine was born on 
November 22, 1922 and 
graduated from South 
Pasadena High School in 1941. 
Perine attended Pasadena 
Junior College before going 
into the Navy as a painter 
during World War II. On the 
GI Bill he attended USC before 
graduating from Chouinard 
Art Institute in 1950. The 
legendary art school had been 
founded by another South 
Pasadena resident, Nelbert 
Chouinard (1879-1979), who 
ran the prestigious institution 
in Downtown LA from 1921 to 
1972.

 The Chouinard Art Institute 
became a transformative 
influence on American 
culture in its own special way, 
graduating such iconic artists 
as costume designer Edith 
Head, architect Richard Neutra, 
Painter and muralist Millard 
Sheets, and Disney animator 
Marc Davis to give just a few 
examples. The Chouinard Art 
Institute trained all of Walt 
Disney’s early animators, 
leading to a longtime 
partnership. Bob Perine taught 
at the school from 1952-1954 
and also launched a graphic 
design business that created 
logos and merchandising 
materials. Perine’s marketing 
materials are credited for 
helping to popularize Fender 
and Rickenbacker guitars in the 
1960s, revolutionizing popular 
music in the process.

 Perine and Dave Tourje, an 
artist and contractor who 
had purchased the Nelbert 
Chouinard residence for his 
home, raised funds for an 
overhauled Chouinard Art 
Institute in South Pasadena 
that opened its doors in South 
Pasadena in 2003. Sadly, the 
school fell into debt with 
the assistance of dishonest 
bookkeepers. Disney stepped 
in to help with the debt and 
in the process reconfigured 
the now world-renowned 
Chouinard as CalArts while 
leaving the campus name and 
faculty behind.

HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday, December 31 - 10:00 
a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 1 - Library 
Closed

 The library is located 1100 
Oxley Street, South Pasadena.

 
South Pasadena Tournament of 
Roses Association (SPTOR) to 
celebrate and pay tribute to the 
music of Bob Marley in annual 
Tournament of Roses Parade on 
New Years morning.

 According to officials, this 
year’s entry “Three Little Birds” 
is inspired by the Bob Marley 
song of the same title. We believe 
it represents a universal message 
of optimism. With every sunrise, 
comes a new opportunity to 
pursue happiness that begins 
within each of us. The next time 
you see three little birds singing, 
just remember to be thankful for 
what you have and those around 
you: because “every little thing, 
is going to be alright”. 

 The design, that was submitted 
by local artist Mike Mera really 
resonated with us and helped to 
make it an easy choice for our 
design committee. The 2019 float 
entry will feature 3 birds singing 
on a guitar neck surrounded by 
other musical instruments and 
an old style microphone. All of 
these elements will be presented 
atop a colorful bed of fruits, 
vegetables and flowers. We feel 
the design completely represents 
the parade theme of “the Melody 
of Life”. With permission 
granted by the Marley family 
to use Bob Marley’s voice and 
music secured by SPTOR’s good 
friend Mike Crowley, we had the 
final element. 

 “Since 1893, the City of South 
Pasadena has been represented 
in the annual Tournament of 
Roses Parade. Our association 
was established in 1935 and we 
are known as “the Oldest Self-
built Float” in the parade. Our 
float is completely built and 
decorated by volunteers, and 
funded entirely by donations to 
our 501 (c) 3 foundation,” they 
said. 

 For more information about 
the float or volunteering visit: 
sptor.org. 

South 
Pasadena 
Float ‘Three 
Little Birds’ 
Getting 
Ready 

Photos By D. Lee/MVNews

South Pasadena Library 
Children’s Winter Programs

 

 The South Pasadena Public 
Library will resume regular 
children’s programming on 
January 7. These programs 
will be held in the Library’s 
Children’s Room at 1100 
Oxley Street in South 
Pasadena.

Storytimes: The line-
up includes Preschool 
Storytime for 3- to 5-year 
olds on Mondays from 10:30 
a.m.–11:00 a.m.; Toddler 
Storytime on Fridays for 1- 
to 2-year olds from 10:30 
a.m.–10:50 a.m. and for 2- 
to 3-year olds from 11:00 
a.m.–11:20 a.m.. Family 
Storytime for all ages will 
debut in its new timeslot 
on Saturdays from 10:30 
a.m.–11:00 a.m. Family 
Storytime often includes a 
creative craft activity related 
to the themes presented 
in the books that are read. 
Storytime at the Library is 
a wonderful way to support 
the development of literacy 
and social skills. Children 
will enjoy librarians reading 
age-appropriate books aloud 
to the group, and sharing 
fingerplays, songs and 
movement, and flannelboard 
stories.

Barks and Books: On 
January 14, February 11, 
and March 11, between 3:00 
p.m.–4:00 p.m., children are 
invited to visit the Library 
to read animal-related short 
stories of their choice to dogs 
from the Pasadena Humane 
Society Companion Animal 
Program at Barks and Books 
sessions. Not only does 
this make reading more 
fun, it also builds a child’s 
confidence in reading aloud. 
The available books also 
help children realize that 
animals experience a range 
of emotions similar to their 
own and that they have basic 
needs too, encouraging them 
to appreciate the importance 
of treating all animals with 
respect and kindness. Sign-
ups are required. Go to 
www.southpasadenaca.gov/
register.

 For more information 
about other upcoming 
free library programs, 
services, and resources, 
visit the Library website 
at www.southpasadenaca.
gov/library. The Library is 
located at 1100 Oxley Street 
and the Library Community 
Room is located at 1115 El 
Centro Street. Children’s 
Room: 626-403-7358.


SPHS Students 
to Perform with 
All State Choir

 
South Pasadena High 
School seniors Ashley 
Kwon and sophomore 
Nolan Call! Both students 
recently were selected to 
perform with the California 
All State Honor Choir 
March 14-16, 2019, in San 
Jose, Calif. 

 The All State Honor Choir 
brings together the finest 
high school singers from 
the entire state of California 
to perform under the 
direction of nationally 
and internationally known 
conductors. Approximately 
1,500 students audition and 
only 300 are selected for 
three choirs –mixed, men’s 
and women’s.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com