Who says you have to pay top dollar for a good time in Los Angeles? Certainly not me, and I’ve got so many FREE events for you this week it’ll knock your socks off, or one sock at least – the sock that matched the one that mysteriously vanished in the dryer – so, in theory, I’m doing you two favors. Anyhoo, you’re welcome, and with the exception of a few “pricier” options below, you’ve got a nice variety of freebies to choose from. You can take a trip to the Museum of Neon Art, transport yourself to a tiny “living art” island in Japan, immerse yourself in art and relaxation at Tag Gallery, learn about the restitution of Nazi art plunder, or take to open, car-free streets at CicLAvia. See you around!
Arts, Culture, History, and Freebies
Lots of cool haps going down at the Petersen Automotive Museum this week, starting with a Little Sparks Workshop: Art + Archeology on Saturday, April 15 at 9 a.m. Inspired by the Museum’s new Daniel Arsham exhibit, this fun and interactive workshop explores the history, science, and art behind the car. Little Sparks is for kids ages 3 to 6, and is included with the price of museum admission. Workshops run Saturday mornings from 9-10 a.m. General admission tickets can be purchased here. And for the adults…this year marks the 75th anniversary of the iconic Porsche (correctly pronounced “Por-shuh”), and in honor of such milestone, The Petersen will be hosting a full day of “unforgettable experiences” in celebration of the new We Are Porsche exhibition opening on Saturday, April 15. Tickets for the Opening Day Event range from $150-$911 (what clever pricing). Check the website for more info. 
Next up, those crazy, cool cats that run the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, along with Save Beverly Fairfax, have put together a sweet treat of an outing this weekend to Gelato and Angels (located in the Art Deco Silberberg Building) for an Ice Cream Social celebrating the recent Historic Cultural Monument designation of the Silberberg! Whoop whoop! Head on over to the Beverly-Fairfax district this Saturday, April 15 from 1:30-3 p.m. for an afternoon delight of tantalizing gelato concoctions, such as the “La Brea Tarpits,” “Black Hawaii,” and “Cookie Attack,” while you socialize amongst old friends and new. The former insurance building is also home to several independent design shops that you can check out as well. This is a no-host event. Check the website for parking options. The building is located at 7290 Beverly Blvd. between La Brea and Fairfax. Tickets are FREE; reserve your spot here.
JAPAN HOUSE LA is debuting yet another groundbreaking exhibit this week, Symbiosis: Living Island, on view Saturday, April 15 – July 5. The installation explores the Inujima “Art House Project,” designed to revitalize this depopulated Japanese island by integrating contemporary art. This “unique symbiosis between art, architecture, community, and ecology” has been transforming the landscape of this tiny island, which was once a thriving center of copper refining and stone quarrying, and is now home to just 25 households. The exhibition celebrates and “transports visitors to this “living art” island through the sights and sounds of everyday life, captured through an experiential diorama of the island and its art pavilions.” Hours are 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Mon-Fri) and 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Sat-Sun). Oh, and entry is FREE!
Also, be sure to catch the tail end of this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival, which will be wrapping up this weekend on Sunday, April 16. Celebrating film legacies and the 100th Anniversary of Warner Bros Studios, the Festival will shine a special spotlight on the legacy of WB at three historic theaters in the heart of Hollywood – the Hollywood Legion, Hollywood Roosevelt, and TCL Chinese 6 Theatres. Join your fellow classic movie lovers to collectively experience these films as they were meant to be experienced – on big screens in cool, old theaters. All venues are within walking distances of each other and are ADA accessible. Check the full schedule here. Individual tickets are $20 for most screenings and events. Tickets to the Official Closing Night presentation of The Big Chill (1983), if available, are $30. Students get 50% off with valid ID. Please note that all individual ticket sales are cash only.
Come help reduce particulate matter and improve air quality for the day at Ciclavia’s 44th Open Streets Event for all! On Sunday, April 16 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Mid City Meets Pico Union for an Earth Day rendition of this highly popular event. Enjoy four miles of car-free streets that will be available for you, the denizens of the great City of LA and beyond, to experience in a new and transformative way. Presented by Metro and in partnership with Accelerate Resilience L.A. (ARLA), whose mission is to engage, empower, and activate individuals and communities to collectively accelerate meaningful, equitable, and holistic resilience to climate change. CicLAvia is FREE to attend, and open to people-powered transport only, so feel free to jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, or spectate along the route. In addition, there are many local gems, activities, and businesses to check out near and along the route – discover them through CicLAvia’s new Interactive Digital Map here.
Need a breather? Yoga at Tag Gallery has you covered this weekend with a soul-centering Spring Renewal: Breathwork, Yoga Nidra, Reiki class on Sunday, April 16 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Six galleries of new artwork and refreshments will also be provided for your viewing and consuming pleasure. Capacity is limited to 25, so get your tickets, like, now. The cost is $35. Founded in 1993, TAG is an artist-founded and operated not-for-profit arts cooperative that provides mutual-benefit and creative freedom to members of the organization, encouraging the exploration of new media, artist collaboration, and artistic focus in hopes of enriching individual artists, our community, and the art world at large. TG is located at 5458 Wilshire Blvd.
Who isn’t fascinated by art history, especially that of neon art, and the fine folks of the Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society agree! You’ve been graciously invited to join members, and non-mems alike, for a tour of a little-known but very cool museum, The Museum of Neon Art. On Sunday, April 16 at 1 p.m., you’ll be treated to a guided tour of “a very special place” by museum owner Carrie Siegel at the low, low cost of just $10 for members and $15 for non-members. You can also opt to throw in Tom Zimmerman’s book of historic L.A. neon, Spectacular Illumination for $30. Capacity is limited, so get your tickets today. The Museum is located in Glendale at 216 S. Brand Blvd., with convenient parking at The Americana right across the street. There will also be a no host lunch to follow at either Shake Shack or In and Out (yum!), which are both a short walk from the museum.
Come gather with Holocaust survivors and your community at an in-person, outdoor Yom HaShoah Commemoration ceremony at Pan Pacific Park, to honor those who survived and remember those who lost their lives, on Sunday, April 16 from 2-4 p.m. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the uprisings at the Sobibor and Treblinka Death Camps. Those who resisted did so with “courage, human dignity, and defiance, and the continued importance of standing up together against pervasive and increasing antisemitism remains crucial.” The program will include the Consul General of Israel – Dr. Hillel Newman, Mayor Karen Bass, LA City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, the reciting of the Mourner’s Kaddish and El Malei Rachamim, music performed by actual Holocaust survivors, and more. This FREE event is presented by the Holocaust Museum LA and is open to the public; please register here.
If you happen to be a WWII history buff and art lover like me, and even if you’re not, I think you’ll find this next event super interesting: Restitution of Nazi Art Plunder: Recent Successes and Ongoing Challenges. Join others seeking knowledge this Thursday, April 20 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Holocaust Museum LA for a special in-person panel discussion on the continuing efforts to return works of art looted by the Nazis, examining a case study of the Gutmann collection with descendant and author of The Orpheus Clock: The Search for My Family’s Art Treasures, Simon Goodman, along with art historian and retired senior archivist at the Getty Research Institute, Isabella Zuralski-Yeager. This fascinating convo will be moderated by Elizabeth Campbell, historian of Nazi art looting and founding director of the Center for Art Collection Ethics (ACE). Tickets are $15 for Adults (18+) and FREE for kids (17 and under), seniors, military, students and teachers. RSVP here. Bonus: the event will also be live-streamed here.
Even though Earth Day officially lands on April 22, it really should be an on-going everyday kind of thang, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of delightful events like Earth Day Movie Night at the Petersen Automotive Museum happening all month long. Bring the kiddos and hang out at the very sleek PAM on Friday, April 21 for a screening of WALL-E, with fun family activities and snacks to enjoy before the screening. WALL-E (2008) is an Oscar-winning CGI-animated film set on a wasteland Earth circa 2800, where the last robot on the planet, a centuries-old trash compactor named WALL-E, romances a sleek, high-tech android. I’ve never seen it myself, but I heard it’s a tearjerker, so don’t forget to bring tissues – you know, in case you “get something in your eye.” Admission is $5 and FREE for members. Standard parking rates apply. Event takes place from 5:30-8 p.m.
Local Government
The Mid City West Neighborhood Council is back again this week with the Planning and Land Use Committee starting things off on Monday, April 17, followed by the Public Safety and Well-Being Committee on Tuesday, April 18 and the Outreach and Civic Engagement Committee on Thursday, April 20. Check MCW’s calendar for details. Please Note: all meetings will now be held at the Pan Pacific Park Senior Center (lunch room), 141 S. Gardner St., Los Angeles. There is no remote option. “We hope to see you in person,” love the MCWNC.
Your local NC, voted “most attractive” back in high school, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council will have just meeting for the Outreach Committee this week, on Tuesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the JC Fremont Branch Library, Community Room (6121 Melrose Ave.) Check the GWNC’s website for agendas and full calendar here.
