Church of Scientology of Pasadena Hosts Art and Photography Exhibit

PRLog (Press Release) - Jun 30, 2009 -
The Church of Scientology of Pasadena hosted a free art exhibition at its future home, the historic Braley Building in Old Town Pasadena. Some 500 guests attended the grand opening,  where 25 artists displayed their works in the Scientology Church’s 18,000 square feet of space.

Eden Stein, President of the Church of Scientology of Pasadena (http://www.scientology-pasadena.org) and host of the exhibition, emphasized the value of art and culture, saying, “Art is very important for the community and society. Art is something you can look at, hear and feel.  Art is the soul food of all people. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard said: ‘A culture is only as great as its dreams and its dreams are dreamed by artists’. We thank the artists for giving us the opportunity to showcase their work.”

Guests were welcomed at the exhibit’s entrance by the work of Di Dier Lourenco from the San Marino Art Gallery.

Internationally recognized Los Angeles-based photographer Natalie Franco, who received three Honorable Mentions in the 2005 International Photography Awards, presented some of her early photographic documentation of people struggling with AIDS and drug addiction, and selections of her later works in which she fuses a hybrid of fictional elements and fantasy.

An African atmosphere infused the paintings of local artist George Combs, a favorite among Pasadena youth who know his work from the murals he created in several Pasadena schools. Other featured artists included Nestor Rodriguez, Patrick Chapman, Michael Earl Anderson, Floris van Breugel, David Taveras and Gianina Ferreyra.