From the gritty streets of LA’s noir history to a pineapple under the sea, events this week truly have the range. You can watch a virtual interactive puppet show or get ready for the Golden Globes with a panel of nominated filmmakers…and more.
Arts & Culture
Larchmont’s own Chevalier’s Books presents a talk with Los Angeles poet/performer Rich Ferguson on Thursday, March 4th at 7:00 p.m. to discuss his new collection Everything Is Radiant Between The Hates. The book “offer[s] free verse and prose poems ranging from hip satire to elegy and beyond – to gentle mantras that you might repeat to yourself in a parking lot or in bed at night when your obnoxious downstairs neighbor won’t quieten down.”
Another book event you can attend on Thursday, March 4th at 4:00 p.m. is a discussion presented by the Holocaust Museum LA with Leslie K. Barry about her acclaimed novel, Newark Minutemen, an “epic story of love and heroism set in 1930s America and based on real Events.”
On Saturday, February 27th at 4:00 p.m. the Larry Endmunds Bookshop’s first virtual event will be a conversation with film and fashion historian Kimberly Truhler about her new book Film Noir Style: The Killer 1940s ,which “explores twenty definitive film noir titles and traces the intersection of film noir and popular fashion through the decade and beyond.” The event is free, but RSVP is required.
For even more books, take part in Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair, which is taking place virtually through Sunday, February 28th. This year the fair, “expands upon the rich tradition of our longrunning and beloved NY and LA Art Book Fairs, including over 400 exhibitors from 43 countries, with online programs, performances, games, and more.”
This weekend is also the 7th annual Bob Baker Day from the iconic Bob Baker Marionette Theater. The virtual celebration, starting on Saturday, February 27th at 10:00 a.m., is presented with Metro Arts. You’ll be able to watch your favorite puppets perform all around Union Station through March 7th on Metro’s Facebook, Metro Art’s Facebook and and Union Station’s YouTube channel. You can also watch the marionettes “unicycle, roller skate, wagon, ride a ball, dance, welcome visitors and generally have a grand time exploring the historic station— alongside some of their classic puppet numbers— during this online carnival of inspiration and creativity” through the interactive map at BobBakerDay.com.
The Golden Globes are this weekend, so in preparation, the American Cinematheque and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association present a symposium with the 2021 Golden Globes Foreign Language Nominees on Saturday, February 27th at 11 a.m. Five of the nominated filmmakers, Jayro Bustamante (La Llorona), Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), Filippo Meneghetti (Two Of Us), Edoardo Ponti (The Life Ahead) and Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round), will participate in a free roundtable moderated by journalist, producer and member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Silvia Bizio.
For a cinematic experience that’s maybe a little less distinguished but probably a lot more fun for any kids in your life, head down to the Rose Bowl through Sunday, February 28th where Paramount+ hosts an “an in-vehicle exclusive drive-through and drive-in screening experience” of The Spongebob Movie: Sponge On The Run. Tickets are $30, and all proceeds will go to Heal the Bay.
History & Community
Fort LA (or Friends of Real Estate Treasures LA), in partnership with Pasadena’s Gamble House Conservancy, hosts a presentation on Saturday, February 27th at 11:00 a.m. by Jeffrey Head about the architect Wallace Neff, who “spent most of his career building a reputation as Southern California’s artful, exemplary regionalist, but by World War II he had other projects on his mind. Neff began to explore the possibilities of unconventional construction techniques, forms, and materials in his “Airform” (or “bubble”) houses, with implications for shelter far beyond Southern California, as Jeffrey Head, author of No Nails, No Lumber: The Bubble Houses of Wallace Neff will illuminate for us.” Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members.
Esotouric’s weekly webinar on Saturday, February 27th at 12:00 p.m. focuses on a very different style of LA architecture: Storybook, “ a fantastical blend of medieval motifs and whimsical twists that seems ripped from the pages of a fairy tale.”
Local Government
The Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council hosts a Q&A session about voting in the GWNC Elections on Saturday, February 27th at 1:00 p.m. The last day to request a ballot is March 9th!
