Barker Block Lofts and Filter Magazine Announce Summer Concert and Art Series in Downtown Arts District

Summer Sunset Series Features Celebrity-Hosted Artistic Events, from Interactive Live Art Mixers to Alternative Music Acts, July 10 Through September 11

The Love Hangover Art Showing

Los Angeles, Calif. (PRWEB) July 9, 2008 -- The Kor Group's Barker Block is set to co-host the new Sunset Series with Filter magazine July 10 through September 11, 2008. Summer-inspired food and drinks will accompany a full range of creative artistry including live music performances, art exhibitions, interactive live art and spoken word, film screenings, a book release and DJ spinning.

"Barker Block, in the heart of the downtown Arts District, is the ideal setting for these summer events teeming with creativity," said Alan Miller, Publisher of Filter magazine. "With its art galleries, innovative retail, Downtown Film Festival headquarters, and diverse residents, Barker Block is already downtown's creative haven. These Thursday-night events are celebrations for this community and the entire city."

The Sunset Series launches July 10 at the Barker Block Gallery with an interactive art mixer featuring live art, photobooth and beverages. Subsequent festivities are set for:

• July 31 with host actress Amber Tamblyn (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), featuring the release of the Write Bloody-published novel, What It Is What It Is by Paul Maziar and art by Matt Maust (of Cold War Kids).
• August 14 spotlights "The Love Hangover Art Showing" featuring live art and auction as well as a live set from Los Angeles favorites Castaneda and the New York City buzz band The Kiss Off.
• August 28 guests can beat the heat by enjoying a sunset social with mellow tunes, wine tasting and a film screening.
• September 11 The Sunset Series rounds out the summer with live musical performances by Two Sheds and a psychedelic performance by West Indian Girl featuring an Indie Rock Chess tournament with the band and their musical opponents. All events begin at 6 p.m. For more information on the concert series, please visit www.myspace.com/filtersunsetseries.

In addition to the Sunset Series, Barker Block is also the new headquarters of The Downtown Film Festival - Los Angeles' Summer Screening Series with weekly screening mixers leading up to the five-day Downtown Film Festival August 13 -17. The mixers alternate between Wednesdays and Fridays each week from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. and feature shorts and classics. The Summer Screening Series is open to the public, but visitors must RSVP in advance. Guests should visit www.dffla.com for more information.

The Barker Block loft community continues to welcome diverse new services. Urth Caffé organic coffee company and headquarters is scheduled to open in fall 2008 and Step Up Women's Network is a nonprofit, national network of women dedicated to strengthening community resources for women and girls in underserved communities through after-school programming. Primo Cucina's restaurant and combined gourmet market is scheduled to open in the winter of 2008 adding a unique international flavor to the retail collection at Barker Block.

Other retail, restaurants and galleries at Barker Block include the Arte Calidad Cultural Institute and Gallery, Cleveland Art Gallery, dog grooming, training and daycare center LoftyDog, and furniture store Loft Appeal. The live/work spaces of Barker Block are formed from the Barker Brothers furniture factories and warehouses, the oldest of which date to the 1880s. Every individual loft offers surprising details that can only come from such a unique setting. Each of the 297 loft residences is outfitted with the most up-to-date residential amenities suitable for both living and working. These homes range from 734 - 2,971 square feet, with interiors crafted to stimulate creativity. Among the more prominent details are soaring ceilings, immense windows, exposed brick walls, heavy timber rafters, wood or concrete floors, rooftop skylights, mezzanines, basements and ground floor patios. In the heart of Barker Block is a courtyard with a dramatic water feature and soft landscaping. the social spaces at Barker Block include rooftop pool deck with spa and cabanas; state-of-the-art fitness center; attached parking garage; and storage unitsThe entire block is set within the dynamic Arts District, with its dramatic views of the skyline and the historic bridges over the Los Angeles River.

The Arts District is close to everything downtown Los Angeles has to offer. Destinations such as Disney Hall and Staples Center are within easy reach, as are the cultural hubs of Chinatown and Little Tokyo, and centers of commerce such as the Fashion District. The wealth of nightspots and restaurants - from the Golden Gopher bar to r23 and Café Metropol - are within easy reach.

The Barker Brothers furniture business was founded by O.T. Barker in 1880, when Los Angeles had dirt sidewalks and barely 11,000 residents. As the city grew so did Barker's furniture empire and the classic buildings that now form the basis of Kor Development's Barker Block. Noted Los Angeles architecture firm Nakada & Associates, along with Kor's team of urban designers, have transformed and integrated these seven structures - each of a different era and construction style, and each possessing its own sense of grace - into this complete live/work community.

About Kor Development

An innovative presence in the real estate and travel industries, Kor Development is redefining the concept of home with its distinctive hotel and residential properties. Every Kor project reinterprets the modern-day environment, blending the comforts of home, business necessities and leisure amenities in unique settings. Respect for the historic character of landmark buildings and their local legacies guides Kor's redevelopment approach; insight into modern residents' desires for a luxurious yet relaxed lifestyle underscores the design process. The result: personal spaces at sought-after addresses, rich in classic and vintage elements, up-to-the-moment conveniences and inspired interior design. Kor Development was recognized as one of the nation's top residential loft designers in Dwell magazine's Design Guide.

The sales office for Barker Block is now open at 513 Molino Street (east of Alameda, between 4th Street & 6th Street). Phone 213-620-9650 or visit www.barkerblock.com for a map and complete information.

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