Allied Artists Return to Village Green for Annual Art Exhibit and Sale

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains & Seashore will return to the heart of The Village for its fifth annual Art Exhibit and Sale, which will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Palisades Village Green on Sunday, July 17.

Allied Artists is a 20-year-old organization comprised of local artists who paint representational art of the Santa Monica Mountains and beaches, present art shows, and raise funds in support of conservation and environmental organizations. The group collaborates with organizations like National Wildlife Federation, #SaveLACougars, Mountains Restoration Trust and others.

Local artists and Palisadians Susan Flanigan and Russell Hunziker will exhibit their art at this year’s show.

Flanigan came to Southern California in 1982 from Wales, living in the Palisades and Malibu for over 30 years.

“When the opportunity presented itself to pursue her love of painting the great outdoors, she joined the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and has never looked back,” according to a press release.

“I am captivated by the light and shadows of the water and land, the subtle changes that occur on a sunny day or a cloudy day, never cease to amaze me,” she shared. “I love trying to capture that hazy moment or nature’s clever light. For me, painting in the field is magical; to be surrounded by the color and honesty of nature is inspiring. When I paint, I am completely absorbed in all of the beauty I see.”

Hunziker has lived in the Palisades since 1986, and is an active painter, board member of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and former board member of Topanga Canyon Gallery.

“Nothing gives more pleasure than hiking in the local mountains and beaches, and then being able to communicate what I feel through my landscape paintings,” Hunziker shared in a statement.

Additional artists include Robert Scopinich, Inchol Kim, Bonnie Freund, Linda Melber, Virginia Kamhi, Marnie Piuze, David Block and Kit Plumridge. The group will present original, representational oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel landscape and seascape paintings of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Allied Artists will be donating a portion of all sales to nature conservancies. Proceeds will also support the Village Green, according to the press release.

For more information and other upcoming events, including free monthly paint-outs, visit allied-artists.com.