There has never been more worldwide attention on the creative culture of Los Angeles. People from all over the world came to LA for the opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and the recent celebration of the 30th anniversary of MOCA, and are already planning for Pacific Standard Time in 2011. We are living in the city everyone is watching and visiting.
Spring, like art, is full of surprises. From fruit trees to desert festivals to cover artist Mark Bradford's community advocacy, art grows in unexpected places. ForYourArt is pleased to announce its new publication, ForYourArt, which you can download here. Thanks to Ovation for its support. You can be a patron by knowing what's going on and telling your friends.
Each Week, ForYourArt highlights select cultural offerings throughout the week ahead to help you Plan ForYourArt.
FRIDAY, MAY 7
National Public Gardens Day
Getty Center (Brentwood) / Getty Villa (Malibu)
11am
The Getty celebrates National Public Gardens Day with free tours of its gardens, led by the professionals who manage them, at 11am and 2pm at the Getty Center and at 11am and 12:30pm at the Getty Villa. There will be special food items, and a 20% discount on all garden-related materials in the museum store. Post your pictures of the Getty's gardens on its Flickr site. Images will be presented online in the Getty Iris Blog and in the next e-Getty.
Greg Lauren: Alterations
8933 Beverly Blvd. (West Hollywood)
11am-6pm
Artist Greg Lauren presents a series of 40 sculpted works in the form of suits and garments, all crafted from hand-sewn and dyed paper. Exhibition on view until May 23.
SATURDAY, MAY 8
19th Annual Santa Monica Festival
Clover Park (Santa Monica)
11am-6pm
The Annual Santa Monica Festival over Mother's Day weekend follows zero-waste principles in order to reduce its impact on the environment and the community while offering a day filled with eclectic music, dance, visual arts, food, information and shopping. View full schedule here. Admission and parking are free, but festival-goers are encouraged to bicycle to Clover Park where a free bicycle valet will safely park your bike.
Neutra VDL House Music Concert Series
Neutra VDL House (Silverlake)
4pm
The first Music Concert Series at the Neutra VDL House, featuring performances by music students from Cal Poly Pomona. The house, originally designed in 1932 and rebuilt several times by Viennese-American architect Richard Neutra, served as the architect's home and workspace and was named after its Dutch benefactor, Dr CH Van Der Leeuw. The concert includes classical European works by Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Ravel. Tickets $15, RSVP to sarah@neutra-vdl.org
Meighth Day: A May Day Celebration on the 8th of May
LAXART (Culver City)
6-8pm
A special May Day celebration with manifestos, poetry and maypoles, including a performance by Scoli Acosta, the Area Sneaks Los Angeles launch, Pentagonal Monochrome (tambourine), vinyl records, the peddling of wares, small print books, foodstuffs, ceramics, paper jewelry and more. With DJ Jan Tumlir.
Chinatown Openings
Bart Exposito: Bends
Thomas Solomon Gallery (Chinatown)
6-8pm
The artist's first solo show at the gallery includes hard-edge paintings that straddle the boundary between abstraction and representation. Exhibition on view until June 1.
Patrick Lakey: Everything We Love is Going to Die
The Happy Lion (Chinatown)
6-8pm
The opening reception for an exhibition of new work by artist Patrick Lakey, who shows on ongoing body of work that explores the landscape genre of the American West and the ways in which physical space denotes psychological meaning. Exhibition on view until June 12.
Rachel Neubauer
WPA (Chinatown)
7-9pm
The opening reception for an exhibition of sculptural work by artist Rachel Neubauer. Exhibition on view until May 30.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12
Costume Council Film Premiere - Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston
LACMA (Miracle Mile)
7pm
The premiere of Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston, which chronicles America's first celebrity designer who became a hallmark of fashion in the 70s, with original footage and interviews with Liza Minnelli, Diane Von Furstenberg, André Leon Talley and Billy Joel, among others. Reception to follow. Tickets $50.