Wasn’t it ever so – small-town girl with her big-time dreams moves to the City of Angeles, hits it big, goes Hollywood? And so it is again. Julia Dean, that’s right, that Julia Dean, and this Julia Dean, once of Broken Bow, Nebraska, sometimes of these parts, and always of The Julia Dean Photo Workshops, is hosting the grand opening from 7-10 p.m., this Saturday night, of her new center of photography in Hollywood, at 755 Seward St, Los Angeles, CA 90038. It’s goodbye Venice Beach, hello Walk of Fame.

Fine art photographer and guru Aline Smithson, JDPW’s perpetual teaching star, and proprietress of the must-visit photo blog LENSCRATCH, just offered a featured interview of the shining Jewel.

Julia is a life force. Her enthusiasm and instant likability keeps photographers coming back for more. Growing up in Broken Bow, Nebraska, she is a natural story teller, a wide-eyed observer, and feisty go getter—characteristics that came into play after graduation from RIT, when she went to work as an apprentice to Berenice Abbott. Berenice was a huge influence on Julia, not only in her photographic and printing skills, but in her quest to be an independent career woman. Julia went on to travel the world, work for AP as a photo editor, write a children’s book, and start teaching. In 2008, she earned the great distinction of “Photo Person of the Year, when Photo Media Magazine named Julia as the “person in the photography industry who has best demonstrated exceptional artistic and business accomplishments, photographic passion, devotion to the industry, inspiration to colleagues and humanitarian achievements in the community.”

Featured at the grand opening will be the reception for Berenice Abbott Prize Winner Christopher Capozziello’s award winning project, For God, Race and Country.

A second exhibition is of emerging Los Angeles photographers, The Next: L.A. Photographers 2011, a collection of work from students of Aline’s advanced class at JDPW.

So here’s your itinerary. First, visit Aline’s place, and take a look at her own extraordinary work.

Then come on by the grand opening. I’ll be there. Julia and I will be doing our best Gable and Lombard “opening night.”