Tony Award-winning actor John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys, GLEE) joined Grammy-winning and Tony- and Emmy-nominated songwriter Allee Willis (The Color Purple, Friends) on May 23 to host FOOD FOR THOUGHT, the world premiere exhibition of Young's artwork. Young specializes in Pop Kitsch art, and FOOD FOR THOUGHT spotlighted pieces that play off iconic comfort food and drinks, including mac ‘n' cheese, Good & Plenty®, Grape Crush®, and Hungry-Man® frozen dinners. The event, was a fundraiser for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).
FOOD FOR THOUGHT took place at Willis Wonderland, Willis' private studio and home to the world's largest collection of Kitsch. It is also a party house-extraordinaire, and Willis is celebrated as an impresario of inspired theme parties and events-as-performance art. Among Willis' songwriting credits are "I'll Be There for You" (the hit theme from Friends), "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" (Earth, Wind and Fire) and "Neutron Dance" (The Pointer Sisters). She also wrote the music and lyrics for the Oprah Winfrey-produced Broadway production of The Color Purple, for which she was Tony- and Grammy-nominated.
Young is best known for his Broadway turn as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, for which he won the Tony the same year Willis was nominated. He is also lead singer on the musical's Grammy-winning, platinum soundtrack album. More recently, Young has created his series of original Pop Kitsch art pieces, a selection of which will be auctioned at FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Event proceeds benefit APLA programs and services, including the Necessities of Life Program (NOLP), the nation's largest network of free food pantries for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. Guests are asked to B.Y.O.C. - Bring Your Own Can of Food-to stock the shelves of the agency's nine countywide pantries. Both Young's and Willis' artwork will be on display on June 25 - 27 at Art Project Los Angeles, a premiere silent art auction and benefit for APLA.
ABOUT AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES (APLA)
AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. With more than 25 years of service, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit apla.org.
ABOUT WILLIS WONDERLAND
Allee Willis is also a social network pioneer and impresario of inspired parties and events-as-performance art. Many of the events (including FOOD FOR THOUGHT) take place at her architecturally historic L.A. studio, a William Kesling-designed Streamline Moderne gem known as "Willis Wonderland," and often called "the house of Atomic Kitsch." It's filled with Willis' various collections, which represent one of the world's largest assemblages of Kitsch. The Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch at AWMoK.com is a social network with galleries, art, music, video and live events. Learn more about Allee Willis at www.alleewillis.com.
Photo Credit: Joshua Nantais / APLA
Jai Rodriguez
John Lloyd Young and Jai Rodriguez
Jai Rodriguez, John Lloyd Young and Allee Willis
A view of Willis Wonderland, event venue and home to the world’s largest collection of Pop Kitsch.
Virtue, 2010, by John Lloyd Young
RuPaul, Allee Willis and John Lloyd Young
RuPaul, Allee Willis and John Lloyd Young
Barry Krost and Allee Willis
RuPaul and Jai Rodriguez
Allee Willis and Pamela Des Barres
Allee Willis poses with party guests.
Party guest David, Jai Rodriguez, Allee Willis, John Lloyd Young and APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson
Slam, Bam, Thank You Spam, 2010 by John Lloyd Young
Slam, Bam, Thank You Spam, 2010 by John Lloyd Young
Explosion, 2010 by John Lloyd Young
Virtue, 2010, by John Lloyd Young
