The weekend is blowing up with a great mix of arts and culture, starting with an Afrocentric bazaar at California Plaza, the opening of a new exhibit at the Hammer Museum, live dance performances at The Wallis, and a street food festival at the Rose Bowl. Wowza! You can then look forward to the Body Art Expo and a screening of St. Elmo’s Fire later in the week.
Arts & Culture
If you feel like venturing a bit west of Larchmont this weekend, the Hammer Museum has a new exhibit opening on Saturday, August 14, with Canadian artist Brian Jungen’s latest work. In this installation, Jungen uses “consumer goods and materials to question depictions of Native American experience in popular culture.” The exhibit runs through October 31 and admission is free. Museum hours are Thurs-Sun:11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; the restaurant is currently closed. Located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd at UCLA in Westwood.
Moving east to downtown, Grand Performances presents Head Wraps in the Park on Saturday August 14, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at California Plaza. This “Afrocentric bazaar” started by Fatima Dodson, owner of Runway Boutique (formerly located at 807 S. La Brea, and now thriving in the West Adams area), was created to celebrate head wraps and African culture and beauty, with food, fun and community. The event is free, but click here to RSVP.
And on Friday, August 20 from 7-9 p.m. Grand Performances continues with a “dreamy synth-pop” set by Latinx artist Katzu Oso, with singer-songwriter Irene Diaz to follow. Click here to RSVP.
Live dance returns to The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with The Chandelier, performed by Heidi Duckler Dance, Thurs-Sun, August 12–15 with an 8 p.m. start time. This site-specific work choreographed by Heidi Duckler, and created specifically for The Wallis, is based on the Brazilian novel of the same name. Tickets are $50. The Wallis Annenberg Center is located on Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. There will also be an Audience Post-Show Talk-Back with Heidi Duckler, Paul Crewes and Magdalena Edwards immediately following the performance on Friday, August 13.
Looking forward a bit to next weekend, catch Versa-Style Dance Company: Box of Hope, from August 19-21. Be part of Versa-Style’s Wallis debut as the group performs its latest hip-hop dance theater production with the sounds of R&B and Motown as the backdrop. Tickets are $35; all shows start at 8 p.m. And in case you were wondering, here are The Wallis’ safety protocols.
I’m also happy to report that Tropicana Movie Nights at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel are still happening, with a showing of St. Elmo’s Fire, Monday, August 16 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $16-52, with advance purchase required. Bonus: If you dress up in the theme of the movie, you’ll receive free candy or a free cocktail.
Finally, for a very different kind of art, this year’s Body Art Expo will take place at the LA Convention Center, Fri-Sun, August 20-22, featuring more than 200 world-renowned tattoo artists, with tattoos and piercings done on site. There’ll be 20 contests over three days, along with music, beer, and freakshows! Tickets are $20-45, and can be bought in advance or at the door. Hours are Fri: 2-11 p.m., Sat: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and Sun: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Food & Fun
Calling all foodies and anyone who loves eating, good times, and more eating…inspired by the night markets of Asia, the multicultural street food festival FoodieLand Night Market is happening at the Rose Bowl this weekend, August 13-15. Featuring more than 150 vendors, with live music, DJs, carnival games, and cocktails. Tickets are only $5! Advanced tickets required; no tickets will be sold at the door. Hours are Fri: 3-10p.m., Sat and Sun: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, for those who still prefer online events during the current Delta variant surge, the Culinary Historians of Southern California is offering a Zoom-based talk at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 14, with author and University of Kansas professor Eric C. Rath. The topic is the History of Sushi, “beginning with a fermented food very different from the modern treat.” According to CHSC, “Sushi was a much different recipe 1,200 years ago when it was first mentioned in Japanese records. The likely derivation of “sushi” is “something sour” indicating that it was a fermented food, one that took months if not years to prepare.” The event is free, but registration is required at the event link above.
History & Community
Two more virtual events this week will be hosted by the Petersen Automotive Museum on the same day, Saturday, August 14, starting with the museum’s second annual Virtual Car Week (Aug. 12-14), from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. In celebration of Monterey Car Week’s return, this event will feature exclusive garage tours, historic content, event livestreams, interviews, and celebrity car meets. To enjoy Virtual Car Week, subscribe to the Petersen’s YouTube channel here. Next on the calendar is Petersen Virtual Concours, August 14 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. This fully-judged contest, also to be shown on the museum’s YouTube channel, had more than 100 vehicles submitted last year and should be even bigger and badder this year. And lastly, it’s worth nothing that the Petersen’s Pfaffenhausen Speed Shop special exhibit will be closing on Sunday, August 15. Museum hours are Tues-Sun 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; advanced tickets required.
Kids & Family
Many LA families will be thrilled to learn that the Bob Baker Marionette Theater has recently re-opened in its new space at 4949 York Blvd., in Highland Park, and is now running Re-Opening Revelry, “a new hour long celebration of the Bob Baker Marionettes’ favorite things…from birthday cake and picnics, to holidays and seasons.” The show runs weekends through September 12 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. According to the troupe, there will also be more festivities inside and out at every performance, and “preceding the first show of each day, the puppets will open the theater doors with pomp, circumstance, and safety scissors,” to welcome and thank the community. Tickes are available here.
With many regular schools starting up again next week, this is the last week for Makers Mess Mini Makers Summer Art Camps at ROW DTLA, August 14-20, with Reduce, Reuse, Create as this week’s theme. Campers will get a new perspective on everyday objects and the potential they have to become something special. You can do the whole week at $475 or camp a la carte at $95 a day. Hours are M-F from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., with early drop off at 9:30 a.m. for an additional $25 and late pick up for $65 until 4 p.m. Mini Makers is for kids ages 4-12, with a limit of 14 kids per day; masks required. Be sure to pack your kiddos a lunch and water, too. Located at 777 S. Alameda St., Space 124, Los Angeles.
Local Government
For local government aficionados, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council‘s Outreach Committee will be holding a special meeting on Monday, August 16 from 6:30-8 p.m. Click here for details.
And the Mid CIty West Neighborhood Council has two meetings this week. First up is the monthly Public Safety & Well-Being Committee meeting on Tues, August 17 from 7-8:30 p.m. Click here for details. Then it’s the Transportation & Sustainability Committee’s turn with a meeting on Wed, August 28 from 7-9 p.m. Click here for details.
