A congregation of look-alike Andy Warhols is not something that happens often. But on Friday March 6, in an Emeryville warehouse that reproduced the 1960s’ dark, industrial-driven art scene fathered by Warhol, the Third Annual Amoeba Art Show took place.

The Factory Party.

More than 60 artists showed their paintings, sculptures, installations, films, photographs and other mediums/works. And yes, there were also the Velvet Underground look-alikes, playing classic songs like Venus in Furs, Heroin, and Pale Blue Eyes in a huge, cold-concrete wing of the place, evoking the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, Warhol’s multimedia road show.

It was still early; the labyrinthian depot was staring to get packed, seven or eight rooms transformed into galleries, food and beverage flowing and Christa Päffgen’s (Nico) voice in the background; like a sonorous fog covering everyone. The atmosphere conjured an artistic scene known for exploding in a promiscuous, heroin-nourished creative feast. And it was all very similar, except there were no needles passing around.

Later on, when the Nihilist Outlook & Grace (one of the two Velvet Underground cover bands that performed) was playing, the art show became a secondary thing; the Velvet Underground’s covers were flooding the main room, a bunch of eyes were closed and everyone singing.

“I guess that I’ll be the closest I’ll get to Andy Warhol’s idea of a party and his 1960s New York City Factory,” said one of the attendees, who had Fando & Lis’ (the first feature-length film by Alejandro Jodorowsky) spider woman tattooed in his chest. Very impressive.

One of the installations, the proliferation of fungal mycelia, created by Bruce Anderson, Dale Sophiea and Curtis Tamm, was a small tunnel made out of plastic garbage bags that finished in a warmed little room with natural grass and small tree stumps to sit on. The front wall had two screens just spitting nature images, 10 or more per second, very experimental. Grass disco balls hung from the ceiling — a fixture of intertwined ideas about nature and technology through art.

Amoeba Music, the East Bay Express, OFFSpace and contributing sponsor the de Young Museum teamed up to create a Peel Slowly and See session of art, music, and the artistic spirit of a character that defined a good part of today’s pop culture.

But just like other leisure-oriented businesses that are suffering in this bad economy, this class runs the risk of going away, as they have seen the number of students drop.

Whether you are an experienced salsa dancer or you want to strengthen your rhythm, both teach group classes regularly including every Tuesday at Isabella’s Dance Studio in Emeryville.

Check out the slideshow to experience their Salsa Rueda class, hear interviews with the instructors and students first-hand.

Luckey says he hopes the show will “provide a holistic experience of the land itself as it exists now, along with the history.”  Luckey has been commissioned to perform his show throughout the country at high schools, universities and conferences.  You can catch the performance live at La Pena where Luckey will host the 3rd Annual Thangs Taken: Rethinking Thanksgiving featuring music, hip hop theater, art, poetry, and film.

If you can’t make it to La Pena, that is alright, you can still catch his act here.  Watch the slide show below.  We would love to get your comments.

Max Rubin and Michael Wu.

BY ALBA MORA // Early Saturday morning, the AMC Theater at Bay Street was packed with excited high school students, parents, grandparents and friends. They didn’t come to watch a Hollywood feature. Instead, the students’ own animation films would soon appear on the screen as part of the 2nd Annual Bay Street Animation Film Festival.

After a two-hour screening of all the submitted films, a festival judge stood to announce the festival’s three winners. The room was quiet and tension filled the air.

Michael Wu jumped from his seat when he heard his name announced as the $15,000 grand prize winner. His father seated at his side clapped loudly. A panel of six judges chose “Stalking in the Shadows,” a digitally animated film based on the video game “Assassin’s Creed,” as the best of the group. The film depicts a sword battle in great detail.

The two other winners were Max Rubin, for “The Adventures of Awkward Girl, Episode 1,” and Anna Dobos with her film “Imagine.”

Rubin’s short film portrays the experiences of a teenager and made everyone in the audience laugh. The 12th grader from Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto was enthusiastic about his win.

“The underlying message was that being awkward is beautiful. Because when something isn’t quite right, it’s perfect. And it is enjoyable to be goofy and not do things completely perfectly,” said Rubin.

Dobos is a 12th grade student from Hilo High School and was not there to receive her award.

The student animators of the winning films received scholarships to continue their higher education in the digital arts, and their schools will receive $1,000 to support and encourage animation and digital arts programs.

Not all the student participants had learned animation at school.

“I was more or less completely self-taught in animation,” said Rubin. “When I was in primary school I used to do flipbooks in the corners of my notebook. And at the time that was an early sign that I was an animator-to-be.”

“The number of films presented tripled from last year,” said Whitney Livingston, regional director of marketing for Madison Marquette, the festival’s corporate organizer. A total of 48 films were shown, but 12 of them were not eligible because their authors had already graduated. As the festival gets larger the organization wants to add more theaters for next year’s competition, said Livingston.

The festival was judged by animation executives from Pixar Animation Studios and Ex’Pressions College for Digital Arts, both companies located in Emeryville.

Bay Street’s 3rd annual Animation Film Festival will be held in fall 2009. For more information on how to submit a film, email Sarah Skotvold at sskotvold [at] mmrs [dot] com.

BY ALBA MORA // Looking for a place to have breakfast in Emeryville? Try Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe at 4081 Hollis Street – it’s the place for the hungry or the hung-over. Watch the video and check it out.

Changing Landscapes is a slideshow documenting what’s been called Emeryville’s rebirth.

In Emeryville takes you inside one of the most anticipated events of the year, the annual Emeryville Art Exhibit.

Emeryville has long been known for having a thriving artist community.  Once a year these artists get together at the exhibit’s opening reception. This year over 90 artists who live and work in Emeryville are being featured.  In Emeryville covered the opening reception. If you missed out on the party, don’t worry, we’re bringing it to you here.

The art exhibit is located at 5815 Shellmound Way and will go through October 26.

BY KATE KILPATRICK // Chau Thuy Huynh, whose pedicure footbaths caused a major anti-commie backlash earlier this year, is working on a new series of drawings that honor Vietnamese boat people. Huynh recently spoke at an “educational tea” at Compound Gallery (6604 San Pablo Ave.) on the Oakland-Emeryville border. Before the event she sat down with In Emeryville to talk about her communist upbringing, the unexpected outrage surrounding her artwork, and why she feels she didn’t do anything wrong.