Academy Award-related events are definitely starting to ramp up on the Buzz calendar this weekend (though the big night is next Sunday, March 10), but this is also very much a something-for-everyone week – including the resumption of a popular event series at the Natural History Museum, a police station beautification, a big 5K run, and more.
Friday, March 1
This evening the Natural History Museum resumes its popular First Fridays event series. Titled From Feelings to Pheromones, the season runs from 5-10 p.m. on the first Friday of each month, with tonight’s program focusing on “Animal Love.” Neuroscientist and science communicator Dr. Yewande Pearse will moderate the festivities, featuring live music from Jesse Boykins III and Annahstasia, a DJ set from Senay M. Kenfe, a discussion with Patricia LR Brennan (hosted by Pearse), a Sensory Lounge featuring LAVA (Los Angeles Video Artist), Femme House, ChocoVivo, Herbalaria, and more.
Next, starting at 7 p.m. the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures continues its series of Academy-Award-focused events with a panel discussion on Breaking the Oscars Ceiling, celebrating the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community at the Academy Awards, and centering filmmakers who both identify as LGBTQ+ and champion representation on and off-screen.
Also, if you’re still catching up on your Oscar-nominated films, there’s a local screening of The Holdovers, nominated for five Academy Awards this year, at 7:30 p.m. tonight (as well as 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday) at the New Beverly Cinema (7165 Beverly Blvd.). From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, the movie follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go.
Saturday, March 2
On Saturday, you can start the morning bright and early by joining the staff and neighbors at LAPD’s Olympic Community Station, 1130 S. Vermont Ave., for a beautification and cleanup day, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers are both welcome and needed to help tidy up in front of and around the station.
Looking a bit further east, the Los Angeles Public Library‘s Central Library, at 630 W. 5th St. downtown, is holding an all-day Plant Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., “celebrating all things plants.” Workshops and demonstrations – all free – will include Pot Painting & Repotting, Recycling and Composting with Teens, Planting Your Own Herb Garden, Meet the TreePeople, Creating a Habitat Garden, Planting 101 with the LA Dodgers Landscape Team, The Propogation Station with The Plant Chica, Bees, Trees, and Sustainability…and more.
Meanwhile, Japan House Los Angeles, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., will look at plants in another way, as the basis for shojin ryori, a type of simple vegan cooking that embodies Buddhist principles throughout the culinary process. Food as Practice | Nurturing Healthy Mind, Body & Soul starts at 12:15 p.m. (with a second session starting at 2:00 p.m.) and includes an explanation of Zen cuisine, an introduction to tableware and table manners, a tasting experience, and a Q&A.
Closer to home, the Wilshire Branch Library, 149 N. St. Andrews Pl., welcomes violinist Paul Stein, a 36-year member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, playing the beautiful music of Vivaldi, Kreisler and Joplin in LA Made Presents: Musical Travels – Tangos, Country and Kreisler. It starts at 1:30 p.m., and like all library events, is free and open to everyone.
Starting at 2 p.m., teens ages 12-15 can join in the creation of a collaborative mural in the first of a three-sesson a Make a Mural art class at LACMA. Inspired by the exhibition Painting in the River of Angels: Judy Baca and The Great Wall, artist Bianca Argueta will guide attendees in selecting a theme to incorporate into individual panels that, when combined, will create a larger mural.
And finally on Saturday, the art focus continues with The Korean Artists Reception – A Pop Up Exhibition at TAG (The Artists Gallery), 5458 Wilshire Blvd., from 5:00-8:00 p.m. The brief two-day show celebrated at the event is curated by Young man Kang, notable Korean filmmaker, who is based in Los Angeles.
Sunday, March 3
On Sunday, runners and walkers will finally get to participate in the Griffith Park 5K Run & Half Marathon, starting at 7:30 a.m. at 4730 Crystal Springs Drive. (The event was postponed from its original date in January, but although we do have some rain in the forecast this weekend, as of this writing the run still seems to be on as scheduled.) Organizers say the scenic trail course is perfect for the whole family, so all ages and abilities are welcome, and all money raised supports our wonderful LA city parks.
If you’d prefer an indoor activity, the Craft Contemporary, in Imaginary Cities – Slab Building with EUNBI, will show you how to create imaginary worlds and slab-built architectural structures in clay. From 12:00-3:00 p.m., artist Eunbi Cho will demonstrate basic slab building techniques, how to plan and design hollow forms, how to execute a clean slab build, and finishing details such as cut-outs and surface design. The workshop fee includes materials.
Next, it’s just a short skip to the Holocaust Museum LA, where – from 3:00-5:00 p.m. – instructor Donna Sternberg will conduct Ancestor’s Voices: A Movement Workshop, a participatory community experience examining inherited ancestral trauma and how it manifests in our bodies through guided movement exercises, writing, drawing and sharing.
And finally on Sunday, it’s time for one the year’s most flexible events – the Library Foundation of Los Angeles’ annual fundraiser, the Stay at Home and Read a Book Ball. Starting any time you want, anywhere you want (we recommend your favorite home reading nook), you can dress however you want (from tuxedos to PJs), with refreshments of your choice…and then snuggle in with a good book for your own little read-a-thon. And if you’d like to make a donation of any amount to the LFLA before, during, or after, it would be most appreciated. All funds raised help to support our invaluable Los Angeles Public Libraries.
Have a great weekend…and don’t forget that there are always even more terrific events to choose from – every day of the week – on our Buzz community calendar. (You can also add your own events here.)
