Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

The Week Ahead – Events for January 29-February 4, 2022

The NINGYŌ: Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls exhibit will open on Thursday, February 3 at the JACCC in Little Tokyo.

 

If I was a new year’s resolution kind of gal, it would be to practice what I preach and give myself the gift of experiences, especially since LA has such a copious amount of options to choose from. And with such a bounty of diversity and culture at your fingertips, there is always something to do and discover. As for this week’s newest discovery, I found a Japanese doll exhibit opening at the Japanese American Culture and Community Center in Little Tokyo. The rest of the week’s venues are regulars, but they never disappoint.

[Please note: most venues and events require masks, proof of full vaccination or negative test results, and some may soon require proof of a booster shot as well. Also, as the current COVID-19 surge continues, some in-person events may be canceled or rescheduled.]

 

Arts, Culture, and History

 

Spring won’t officially be upon us until the later half of March, but Craft Contemporary is going for it early with the Opening Reception of its spring exhibitions on Saturday, January 29 from 6-9 p.m. Guests will enjoy first access to the galleries, complimentary beverages, and live DJ music. Artists and curators will also be present. The spring exhibits include; Daisy Hightower: An Installation by Rosalyn Myles, Diedrick Brackens: heaven is a muddy riverbed, and Jaishri Abichandani: Flower-Headed Children. The cost is free for members and $12 for non-members.

The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles will have its annual board of directors meeting this Saturday, January 29, followed by an illustrated presentation, at 3:30 p.m., with author Christopher Long on his new book, Jock Peters, Architecture and Design: The Varieties of Modernism. A German-born architect and one of the pioneer modernists in LA, Peters became famous for his chic interiors of the iconic Bullocks Wilshire, as well as a series of cutting-edge houses in and around Los Angeles. The lecture will present many photos and drawings from the architect’s personal archive, published for the first time in Long’s insightful book. Tickets are $12, and free for members. Buy a copy of the book here.

The LA Phil at the Walt Disney Concert Hall is closing out January this weekend with Beethoven and Mendelsshon on Saturday and Sunday, January 29-30. Elim Chan conducts while pianist Igor Levit plays classics by Mendelssohn and Beethoven. Tickets range from $52-$191. This delightful prospect will be followed by a full week of concertos to kick off February, including Bronfman Plays Rachmanioff’s Third, starting on Thursday, February 3 with a four day run through Sunday, February 6. Pianist Yefim Bronfman joins the Music Director of the Vienna State Opera, Philippe Jordan, for this “richly melodic concert” that concludes with music from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet. Tickets range from $20-$214  (depending on which day you attend).

Next on the list, The Maltese Falcon (1941), John Huston’s iconic film noir and one of the greatest films ever made (another classic I have yet to see), will be on the big screen at the Hollywood Legion Theater Drive-In, Sunday, January 30 at 8 p.m. Humphrey Bogart stars as San Francisco P.I. Sam Spade, on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar (Mary Astor), and their quest for a priceless statue, the Maltese Falcon. The cost starts at $30 per car, and includes one soda, one candy, and unlimited popcorn for each passenger. Space is limited, so don’t wait!

LA’s oldest independent bookstore and Larchmont Village staple, Chevalier’s Books, is at it again hosting a virtual book talk with author Nancy Balbirer on Tuesday, February 1 from 7-8 p.m. Almost Romance is a romantic-comedy memoir that tells the true story of how “a pack of Hollywood television writers and the denizens of a fabled but cursed Manhattan apartment building helped the author and one of her best friends turn a thirty-two-year almost romance into a real one.” Pre-order a signed copy of the book here, and kindly RSVP. Please and thank you.

Join the Holocaust Museum LA from the comfort of your own home this Wednesday, February 2 for a virtual movie screening of documentary film, Determined. A native of Vienna, Avraham Perlmutter was only ten years old when Nazis arrived. To keep him safe, his parents sent him to the Netherlands, but German forces were advancing fast. Based on Perlmutter’s autobiography, viewers will journey through a story of survival, perseverance, loss, and humanity, featuring a Q&A with director Keren Perlmutter, Avraham’s daughter, and descendants of Peter and Gertrude Beijers, who hid Avraham for over a year in the Netherlands. Showtime is at 11 a.m. Click here to Register.

Lastly, the traveling exhibition NINGYŌ: Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls opens Thursday, February 3 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC), located on San Pedro St. in DTLA’s Little Tokyo neighborhood. Under the title NINGYŌ, which means “human shape” in Japanese, the doll culture that has been cultivated over the long history of Japan will be introduced through a total of 67 carefully selected dolls, divided into 4 sections: Ningyō to pray for children’s growth, Ningyō as fine art, Ningyō as folk art, and Spread of Ningyō culture. Admission is free; open Tue-Sun from 12-4 p.m. through March 13.

 

Local Government 

 

Greater Wilshire Neighborhood CouncilTo fulfill your community involvement quotient for the week, you can engage with the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council’s Sustainability Committee, at its meeting on Tuesday, February 1 at 7 p.m., and the GWNC Resilience Committee on Wednesday, February 2 at 7 p.m. Click here for Zoom links and details.

And finishing things up on Thursday, February 3, the Mid City West Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Click here for details.

 

 

 

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Julia Christiansen
Julia Christiansen
Julia is a native Angeleno and jack of all trades, having worked in television, visual effects, professional sports, health and wellness, and custom design. She currently resides in El Segundo.

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