Rain, rain, and more rain is expected this coming week, so indoor activities it is! Catch an enlightened discussion and all those new exhibits you’ve been meaning to browse. Discover a new perspective by listening to others and start the year with a little more knowledge and wisdom than years past, which should be enough to feed your heart, soul, and mind for the months ahead. And below are happenings that’ll do just that, including a slew of programs from LACMA and the Holocaust Museum, and a master pianist recital at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Need I say more? Oh, and there’s also a really cool old Hollywood estate sale going down this weekend somewhere off Mulholland Drive. Enjoy!
Arts, Culture, and Mulholland Drive Estate Sale
Dear Readers, you are cordially invited to the Mulholland Drive Hollywood Regency Celebrity Time Capsule Estate Sale happening this weekend, Saturday, Jan 7 – Monday, Jan 9. Come browse this wonderful collection of old Hollywood, amassed by a renowned actor and dancer, who had many a Hollywood greats rehearsing at her studio (which is still around today) in Burbank during the Golden Age! Items in this sale include: Books, books, and more books; Dali signed vintage “Dante”, large collection of oil paintings; antique, vintage, and modern light sconces, lamps, and furniture; film scripts; China sets; rare gold leaf mirrors; “spectacular” Hollywood Regency dining table with bamboo metal chairs; French Louis XV style ornate writing desk; “magnificent” Hollywood Regency king bed; TVs and stereo equipment; plus Brown and Jordan vintage patio furniture, vintage pots and garden décor, different woods, including virgin slats of redwood, and more! No Handbags are allowed, so please bring your own boxes. Address: 7845 Torreyson Dr, Los Angeles; Hours: Sat, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sun, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Mon, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The Holocaust Museum LA has a full schedule of thought provoking programs this week, starting with an In-Person Holocaust Survivor Talk: Eva Nathanson on Sunday, January 8 at 3 p.m. Listen as Eva shares her story of resilience and courage, spending a year hiding with her mother in various houses around Budapest, with the fear of soldiers, weapons, and small spaces still resonating with her today. There is no need to register, the event is first come, first served. 
Come for the talk, and stay for the music of Fred Katz and Joanna Bruzdowicz by Krakow-based duo Czarakcziew/Kowal at 4:30 p.m. USC Polish Music Center and Holocaust Museum LA present, Piotr Kowal and cellist Paweł Czarakcziew with a jazz/contemporary concert of classical music through the works of Polish composer Joanna Bruzdowicz and American Jewish composer Frederick Katz, featuring several premieres as well as special guests. Register here.
Next up is the museum’s Building Bridges series on Tuesday, January 10 at 7 p.m. In honor of MLK Day (1/16), the HMLA will be hosting an in-person town hall conversation, Civil Rights Then and Now, that “traces the close allyship of Black and Jewish communities, highlighting some of the remaining challenges in shared struggles against injustice.” Join honored guests for a rich and meaningful conversation moderated by USC and Berkeley professor Dan Schnur. Bonus: Early birds will be entertained with a short set by the Yale Out of the Blue A Cappela Group at 6:30 p.m. Register here. All programs are free of charge!
Finally, the Holocaust Museum LA’s newest exhibit is on view now! From The Danube To The Pacific: Reinventing Home – The Artwork Of Dave Fox. Through Dave’s artwork, this exhibition explores this idea of home – what is home, what does it mean to have one’s home taken away, and how do we rebuild or reinvent home somewhere new? Born in 1920 in Vienna, the artist’s idyllic home became a dangerous and unwelcoming place for Austrian Jews with the rise of Nazism. After finding refuge in Los Angeles, he continued to return to memories from his childhood, seeking out connection and familiarity to his homeland in the surrounding Southern California landscape and capturing scenes that mirrored his homeland. Get tickets here.
Six words – Seong-Jin Cho Colburn Celebrity Recital – you still with me? Good, because on Sunday, January 8 this young master pianist will be showcasing his mad skills at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In a recital ranging from Handel to Gubaidulina, with plenty of Romantics, Seong-Jin Cho is going to give you the feels, if not blow your mind. As The Wall Street Journal writes, “Cho is a master. He displayed an impressive variety of tonal colors and remarkable technique, dispatched with jaw-dropping panache. He had something to say and communicated it well. Experiencing this range of material from a master like Cho in the intimacy of a solo recital is truly special and unforgettable.” Tickets ain’t cheap (and are going fast), ranging from $136-$180, but I’m guessing it’ll be worth it. The magic begins at 7:30 p.m. sharp!
And LACMA is reminding us all (again) why it’s such an esteemed art/learning institution this week with its gallery tours, art classes, film screenings, and thought-provoking programs and discussions, such as In Response: Contemporary Makers on Scandinavian Design, happening on Monday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. Join artists Tung Chiang (designer, ceramist, and Director of the Heath Clay Studio in San Francisco), Jacqueline Rabun (internationally renowned American jeweler), and Anders Ruhwald (sculptor and installation artist), live and in-person for a conversation about the contemporary relevance of Scandinavian design in conjunction with the exhibition Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890–1980 moderated by curator Bobbye Tigerman. The first half of this program includes a panel discussion with open seating. The gallery will remain open until 9 p.m. for guests to view the exhibition after the talk. RSVP required.
Another long-standing LA establishment is on the roster this week as well, with The Ebell of Los Angeles: In Conversation with Steve Lopez presented by Writers Bloc on Thursday, January 12. I’ll let the event page do the talking on this one: “Could you really live happily without Steve Lopez columns gracing the front pages of the Los Angeles Times? Could you honestly live a contented life knowing that the Mayor’s Office, or City Council, the DMV, or Parking and other public “services” might evade a public spanking from Steve’s pen? Could you imagine a better dragon slayer than Steve, as he makes bloated functionaries accountable? Of course not. In his new book, Independence Day, Steve explores the thorny issue of retirement in his typical rigorous deep dive into an issue, whose insights are searching and provocative, often really funny, and always remind us that this is why someone like Steve simply should not, and must not, retire. We need him.” The evening will commence at 7:30 p.m. Please note that masks will be required. The cost is $25 per person.
Opening Friday, January 13, and on view through January 26, Future Without Fear is a new art and culture exhibit debuting at the Praz-Delavallade Gallery. This art and culture photography exhibit explores the “hopes and dreams of young people from underrepresented communities as they navigate through this moment in history”, with the experience crafted around one key question: “If you had no fear, no barriers, who would you be?” Good question. Featured photographers include Kennedi Carter, Magdalena Wosinska, Naima Green, Clifford Prince King, Abdi Ibrahim, and Doug Segars. The exhibit was created by THE WORK – a storytelling and innovation group that specializes in shaping culture infused with social impact. Praz-Delavallade is located on Museum Row near The Petersen. This exhibit is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tues-Sat, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. An opening event will take place on Thursday, January 12 from 6-9 p.m.
Community & Local Government
While rain will move in again later in the week, it looks like this weekend might be a bit drier…which means it should also be a great time to head over to Griffith Park tomorrow morning to honor the late former city council member Tom LaBonge with a hike and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the park’s new native plant landscape. Griffith Park was one of La Bonge’s most specific passions in the city he was so famously passionate about as a whole. The event, sponsored by the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and Rec and Parks LA, is free and open to everyone. Just meet at the Charlie Turner trailhead, 2840 W. Observatory Rd., 90027, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 7. After the ribbon cutting, the hike will proceed to the top of Mount Hollywood and back, a distance of about 2.5 miles round trip.
Your local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council is taking care of business this second week of the year with a virtual Board meeting on Wednesday, January 11 at 6:30 p.m. Click here to view the calendar for deets.
And the Mid City West Neighborhood Council will sing the swan song of this week’s events list starting on Monday, January 9 with the Homelessness, Refugees, and Renters’ Rights (HRRRTs) Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m., followed by a General Board meeting on Tuesday, January 10 and weekly in-person Wednesday Walks on Wednesday, January 11. Click here to check MCW’s calendar for details.
