Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? Me neither, until just this past week, and to kick off this month-long jubilee of verses and stanzas, the Holocaust Museum LA will present the documentary film AFTER: Bringing the Dead Back to Life, which explores poetry written about the Shoah. Chevalier’s Books will also be bringing its poetry game this week with an evening of poetry readings, along with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which I consider poetry in motion. So much poetry, so little time. And, of course, there’s other cool stuff happening, too.
Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
Described as Magic Realism, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s works are easily recognized worldwide, and the Lighthouse Artspace Hollywood is giving you the opportunity to step inside her brilliantly colored and uncompromising art with Immersive Frida Kahlo. Using large-scale projections and a tantalizing musical score, this 360-degree sensory envelopment is something not to be missed. Having just opened on March 31, you can be one of the first to experience this groundbreaking exhibition with 25,000 sf of open space and state-of-the-art technology. Timed entry tickets are required. The cost ranges from $35 for kids (6-16 yrs) to $100 for VIPs. The Lighthouse is located in the former Amoeba Music building on Sunset Blvd, and is also home to the smash hit Immersive Van Gogh.
And I’ve got some good news and bad news from The Broad. I’ll get the bad news out of the way first – it’s the last weekend to catch Since Unveiling: Selected Acquisitions of a Decade, closing on Sunday, April 3, which highlights works that have entered the Broad collection in the last decade, featuring 53 works by 27 artists, including a dedicated presentation of works by Cindy Sherman (right) spanning the artist’s career. Same-day tickets are released online daily, in addition to the museum’s monthly ticket release. Access to the exhibition is free with general admission tickets. Oh, and before I forget, the good news is that there is always something new and exciting to come. Museum hours are Wed–Fri, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sat–Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Celebrating 55 years, the International Gem and Jewelry Show has become America’s longest running and most beloved jewelry show. This direct-to-consumer jewelry jubilee is returning to the LA Convention Center, Friday, April 1 – Sunday, April 3. Skip the middleman and shop securely from a diverse selection of vendors, with a little something for everyone. Tickets are $6 online and $8 at that door. Please note that photography is not allowed, and children under 9 are not permitted. Hours are Fri 12-6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The LA Phil keeps the music flowing this week with Celebrity Recitals and Concerts for Kids at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, starting on Saturday, April 2 at 11 a.m. with Toyota Symphonies for Youth. Celebrate the electrifying sounds of Afro-Cuban dance music on the orchestral stage with MacArthur Genius Grant winner and composer Dafnis Prieto, Latin Dance band People of Earth, and the wonderfully gifted musicians of the LA Phil, as they tell the story of a young dancer discovering her own art, passions, and capabilities. Recommended for children ages 5 to 11 (Bonus: come early for Pre-Concert Art and Sound Activations). Tickets range from $23-$27. And those much anticipated Celebrity Recitals will take place on Sunday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 6, featuring celebrated Pianists Lang Lang and Yuja Wang, respectively. Tickets start at $63, but they’re going fast!
And don’t miss a virtual screening of AFTER: Bringing the Dead Back to Life, the forthcoming film by director Richard Kroehling, on Wednesday, April 6. This compelling and innovative documentary, presented at no cost by the Holocaust Museum LA, explores poetry written about the Shoah. Producer Janet R. Kirchheimer, poet Alicia Ostriker, and Holocaust scholar Dr. Michael Berenbaum will discuss the role of poetry in a world that still grapples with genocide. This program is presented in honor of National Poetry Month. Click here to register.
From its humble beginnings in 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has grown from a small group of African American dancers into a “revolutionary company that transcends barriers and celebrates the African American cultural experience”. Taking place on one of the largest stages in the US, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, audiences will witness different programs of mixed repertory, which all conclude with The Company’s enduring classic, Revelations. Using African American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Revelations “fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul”. Wow, I want to go to there. Performances will only run from Wednesday, April 6 – Sunday, April 10, so don’t wait! Tickets start at $34.
What-what?! Even more poetry is happening this week, but in-person this time, as it’s Poetry Night again at Chevalier’s Books on Thursday, April 7 starting at 7 p.m. Head over to Larchmont Village for an evening of poetry readings with Andrea Carter Brown (September 12), Chloe Martinez (Ten Thousand Selves), and Cynthia Hogue (In June the Labyrinth). The cost is free, but don’t forget to RSVP!
Lastly but not leastly, the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center is back in action, highlighting shorts created by women at the annual Sistas Are Doin’ It for Themselves Short Film Showcase, streaming now through Sunday, April 10. These screenings and dialogues are an opportunity for emerging African American female directors to share their skills, talent and vision through film screenings, while giving the audience a chance to view and discuss the “artistry, passion and sacrifice involved in the independent filmmaking process”. Support films by 30 emerging black female filmmakers at the cost of only $10!
History & Community
There’s a great chance to get a little dose of both history and community this weekend as the historic West Adams Heights-Sugar Hill neighborhood (located south just south of Washington Blvd. between Western and Normandie) brings neighborhood yard sales back in a big way with more than 10 households joining together for sales on Saturday and Sunday, April 2 and 3, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk from sale to sale along Oxford Ave, Hobart Blvd., Harvard Blvd., La Salle Ave, and Cordova Street, between Washington Blvd. and the 10 freeway, check out the beautiful historic homes (including several LA Historic Cultural Monuments and/or National Register of Historic Places designees), and choose from lots of great bargains on furniture, clothing (including designer and vintage items), kids’ items and toys, yard tools, plants and seeds, house parts (sinks, light fixtures), building materials, bikes (vintage or tandem), holiday decorations, fishing gear, golf clubs, kitchen ware, dishes, and vintage collectibles including jewelry, vinyl records, watches, antique dolls, historic postcards, and much, much more. (Hint: you might even run into Buzz co-publisher Liz Fuller at one of the Harvard Blvd. sales.)
Next, join the Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society on Saturday, April 2 from 12-3 p.m. as Windsor Square resident Linda Woolverton graciously opens up her home for an intimate interview highlighting her fascinating career as a screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. She is the first female screenwriter for The Walt Disney Company and the first with a sole writing credit on a film that grossed $1 billion dollars! She is also the first woman to have written an animated feature, for Beauty and the Beast, which is the first animated film ever to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. The cost is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. Refreshments will be served.
Local Government
This week, the Hang Out Do Good “Looking Local” candidate conversation series features CD 5 candidate Sam Yebri. It’s a free Zoom event, starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 3, and you can sign up here if you’d like to tune in.
Also on the local politics front this week, the Windsor Square Association, Larchmont Boulevard Association, and Larchmont Village Association are teaming up to host a Zoom-based forum featuring five of the candidates who will be on the primary election ballot for CD 13 this spring: Albert Corado, Steve Johnson, Mitch O’Farrell, Kate Pynoos and Hugo Soto-Martinez. It starts at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 4. Sign up here if you’d like to attend.
Your local NC, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council has just two virtual gatherings this week starting with the Sustainability Committee on Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m., followed by the Resilience Committee on Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. Click here to view the calendar.
And the Mid City West Neighborhood Council will wrap up this week’s events with three meetings, along with their weekly in-person Wednesday Walks, starting with the HRRRTs Committee (Homelessness, Refugees, and Renters’ Rights) on Monday, April 4, followed by the Social and Racial Equity Committee on Tuesday, April 5 and the Planning and Land Use Committee on Thursday, April 7. Click here to check Mid City’s calendar for details.
