Velveteria facts for kids
Neon sign for Velveteria in 2006
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| Established | December 2005 (Portland, Oregon); December 2013 (Los Angeles, California) |
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| Location | Portland, Oregon: 518 NE 28th Avenue (2005–2008); 2448 E. Burnside Street (2008–2010) Los Angeles, California: 711 New High Street (2013–present) |
The Velveteria is a super unique museum in Los Angeles, California. It's special because it's all about velvet paintings! Imagine paintings made on soft, fuzzy velvet fabric. This museum shows off hundreds of these cool artworks.
It was started by Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin. They have a huge collection of over 2,000 velvet paintings. Many people say Velveteria is the only museum of its kind in the world!
The museum first opened in 2005 in Portland, Oregon. Later, it closed there in 2010. But don't worry, it reopened in 2013 in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
The Story of Velveteria
The Velveteria museum was created by Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin. They are from California but lived in Portland for a while. The museum first opened its doors in 2005. It was located at 518 NE 28th Avenue. Back then, it cost only $3 to get in.
Moving and Reopening
In 2008, the museum moved to a bigger spot. This new location was at 2448 East Burnside Street. The ticket price went up to $5. However, the rent for this larger space was much higher.
Because of the high costs, Velveteria closed in January 2010. Caren and Carl decided to move back to Southern California. They said they "never made any real money" from the museum.
They even wrote a book about their amazing collection. It's called Black Velvet Masterpieces: Highlights from the Collection of the Velveteria Museum.
In December 2013, Velveteria found a new home. It reopened in Los Angeles! The museum's full name became "Velveteria Epicenter of Art Fighting Cultural Deprivation." As of 2017, it costs $10 to visit.
What You'll See Inside
When Velveteria was in Portland, it looked like a normal shop from the outside. But inside, it was a world of velvet! You would walk through "hot-pink crushed" velvet curtains. A sign at the entrance promised a "life-changing experience!"
The museum showed about 400 velvet paintings. These were from Caren and Carl's huge collection. None of the paintings were for sale. Some artworks were even displayed in a special black light room. This made them glow!
Amazing Artworks
As you walked around, you could read handwritten notes. These notes were from Caren and Carl. They shared fun facts and thoughts about the art.
The paintings show all sorts of things. You might see pictures of blessed virgins or pretty landscapes. There are also sad clowns and unique creatures. One painting, Unicorn Combover, shows a unicorn with a woman's hairstyle!
You can also find portraits of famous people. There's a special area for Michael Jackson. Other paintings show Anderson Cooper, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and Elvis Presley. It's a truly unique art experience!
