Last weekend, there was so much to do, we hardly knew where to turn first. This weekend, of course, the big event – and it doesn’t matter that it’s not at all local – is the Super Bowl. The extravaganza is, of course, such a behemoth that planners of other events are clearly steering clear. So our local-ish list is much shorter this week, giving you the choice of either taking in a greater percentage of the listings…or just taking some time to chill, and maybe even, OK, watching the big game yourself.
On both Friday (12-4 p.m.) and Saturday (12-5 p.m.), the John C. Fremont Library, 6121 Melrose Ave., will hold its monthly Friends of the Library Book Sale to raise funds to support the library’s extensive free programming. Beneficiaries include French classes twice a month, the monthly Needles Arts Circle and Origami Club, and the highly successful Reader’s Theater, which offers patrons the chance to “act” in a play without having to memorize lines or worry about costumes or sets. (You can also join the Friends group, while you’re at the library, for just $10 per year.)
For those looking for some creative activity on Saturday, the William Grant Still Arts Center, 2520 S. West View St., will be holding a free Paper Sculpted Doll-Making Workshop, from 2-4 p.m., with artist Howard Marshall, Jr.  An accomplished artist and art teacher for more than 30 years, Marshall has exhibited his works at both the Junior Arts Center Gallery in Barnsdall Park and the Noah Purifoy Gallery at the Watts Towers Arts Center. In 2007, he designed the poster for the 26th Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and the 31st Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival. Marshall’s African-American and Native-American roots greatly inspire and influence his creative works, and his teaching philosophy is to encourage “Every young person to use his or her imagination.”
Later, on Saturday evening, there’s more art on view as the LaunchLA gallery, 5858 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 205, hosts an opening reception, from 6-9 p.m., for two series of paintings by artist Holly Elander (“Solitary Shadows” and “Their Home”), along with painter Christine Rasmussen’s “Fenomenal” series (see images above). Elander’s “Solitary Shadows” series “explores backstreets and voyeuristic views of alleyways and neighborhoods during the eerie quiet of night,” while “Their Home” is “a tribute to Elander’s family residence as a center of whimsical animal activity – from raccoons on the roof to snakes sunbathing in the driveway.” Rasmussen’s “Fenomenal” explores “the idea of femininity as a force of nature through the juxtaposition of ethereal cloth forms set against the linear structures of urban landscapes.” The event is free, but space is limited, so if you’d like to attend, please RSVP to [email protected].
Sunday, of course, is game day…so everything else (except probably your local grocery store, which will undoubtedly be doing blockbuster business in beer, soft drinks, chips and party food) is pretty quiet.
The one local event we found is from the brave souls at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, who will counter the day’s sports focus with a talk that should be of great interest to local architecture and decor fans. “Ruskin and the Re-Framing of Art,”, starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the museum, will feature a lecture and conversation about the early 20th Century Arts and Crafts movement, with speakers Timothy Holton and Gabriel Meyer discussing the philosophy and history of Arts and Crafts pioneers John Ruskin and William Morris. Please RSVP at [email protected] if you’d like to attend.
Finally, this weekend will bring one of the last two weekend closures of Wilshire Blvd., between Western Ave. and Manhattan Pl., for Purple Line subway construction prep work, before a full 10-day closure of that area kicks in on February 16. The street will close tonight (Friday) at 8 p.m., and will re-open at 6 a.m. on Monday. Fore more information, see https://www.metro.net/projects/notices/notice_purpleline_021717/ .
Also, street improvements are continuing on 6th Street, between La Brea and Fairfax, this weekend. From 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, city crews will be resurfacing the intersections 6th/La Brea and 6th/Fairfax. Again, just a heads-up if you’ll be travelling in the area.
Have a great weekend!
