DCA Arts and Cultural Calendar
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February 2021
Afro-Latinx Festival
Celebrate cultural diversity and the African influence in Latin America at MOLAA’s Afro-Latinx Festival! Learn about the many ways in which the African influence has permeated Latin America and experience these first-hand through lectures, artistic presentations, music, dance, food, and even martial arts online.
Listen/Watch – The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
The Huntington hosts video and recorded programs each program or lecture is based on themes related to its collections. The lectures and conference remain online for on demand viewing.
Carlos Almaraz: Evolution of Form
The exhibition Carlos Almaraz: Evolution of Form focuses on the artist’s early life that significantly influenced his artistic style and form, from conceptualism and minimalism when he lived in New York in the 60s, to color and figurative work when he returned to Los Angeles.
Sula Bermudez – Silverman: Neither Fish, Flesh, nor Fowl
The exhibit presents the artists’ personal and familial histories as a woman of Afro-Puerto Rican and Jewish descent, transforming genetic data into colorful pie charts that call to mind hard-edged abstractions. Elsewhere, she embroiders vintage doilies with her own hair to depict the human body, as well as language that references the legacy of colorism and passing in the African diaspora. In the works debuting at CAAM, she addresses early global trade, the beginnings of commodification, and economic hierarchies by…
Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth
Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth profiles twenty-seven revolutionary men including Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Kendrick Lamar whose journeys have altered the history and culture of the country. Their achievements are woven within the legacy and traditions of the African American experience, becoming emblems of excellence in spite of society’s barriers. Until the Museum reopens be sure to see the Conversations around Men of Change, online tours of the exhibit, and related programs…
Buika: A Virtual Experience
Latin Grammy-nominated artist Buika hails from Spanish island of Mallorca. She creates a fusion with flamenco, jazz, soul, and dance rhythms in her songs. Buika has become an international sensation.
UCLA Asian American Studies Film Festival
This two-weekend film festival features powerful imagery and poignant commentary about meaningful issues facing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Audiences will hear from filmmakers and actors on their creative journeys, as well as from scholars, artists, and community leaders on themes that apply to today’s world. Register at the website for free tickets.
Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East
In recent years, the parameters of Islamic art (particularly as defined by museums, commercial art galleries, and private collections) have expanded to include contemporary works by artists from or with roots in the Middle East. These artists draw inspiration from their own cultural traditions, using techniques, and incorporating imagery and ideas from earlier periods. Explore the LACMA Collection of Contemporary Art of the Middle East.
From The Ford: Louie Vega & The Elements of Life
Bandleader Louie Vega is renowned the world over for helping to create and establish the soulful, Latin jazz, and deep house -influenced music style. Based in New York City, Vega is a dance music legend, both as a DJ and a producer. Louie and his band, The Elements of Life, performed live at The Ford in a celebratory 2018 concert commemorating global soul music marketing platform Fusicology’s 15th anniversary.
James Conlon’s Corner
Essays and conversations on all things opera, created for you by LA Opera’s beloved Music Director. Listen to his Podcast and grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a chat.
Digital Shorts with LA Opera
LA Opera has commissioned some of today’s most in-demand composers to create a series of short vocal works. These superstars are’ pairing up with talented visual artists including animators, experimental filmmakers, and choreographers to bring you a number of new pieces throughout the fall and early winter.
Chavez Ravine
Chavez Ravine delves into the transformation of a growing city and a small, tightly-knit neighborhood, a cherished barrio initially slated to be an affordable housing project; however, after years of city-wide scandals, the land lay dormant and eventually became the site of Dodger Stadium. Check the website for an opening date.
In Performance: Pacifico Dance Company
California’s premier baile folkllorio company takes you on a colorful journey to Mexico through music and dance. This vibrant ensemble of dancers and musicians celebrated its 25th anniversary on The Ford’s stage in 2017 with an evening exploring early Mexican history, myth, and folktales through a signature blend of traditional and contemporary dance movements.
The Stratford Festival: ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’
Four young men swear off women to devote themselves to learning—only to fall for four attractive newcomers. Shakespeare’s language reaches its most virtuosic heights in a vivacious comedy that will dazzle and delight.
Youth Operas – The Prospector
Transport your little ones (and yourself!) to the rugged American West where a colorful cast of characters meet in a mining camp during the 1850’s California Gold Rush. Here in this wild and untamed country, a prospector charms a group of coyotes with a story of cowboys and miners competing for the love of a strong and beautiful woman. The Prospector is our celebration of Puccini’s The Girl of the Golden West by Lee Holdridge and Richard Sparks, and directed…
Black Matter
Namwali Serpell, professor of literature at Harvard, discusses the origins of Afrofuturism.
Carlos Almaraz: Evolution of Form
The online exhibition Carlos Almaraz: Evolution of Form focuses on the artist’s early life that significantly influenced his artistic style and form, from conceptualism and minimalism when he lived in New York in the 60s, to color and figurative work when he returned to Los Angeles.
Waves of Calamity: Race, Water, and Power in the Evolution of Slavery’s Memory
Dr. Sowande’ Mustakeem, Associate Professor of History and of African and African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, explores the roles of bonds people, sailors, and slave ship surgeons during the centuries of racial calamity at sea. By centering maritime history and culture in the realities of transoceanic slaving, we gain greater insight into the entangled nature of the human manufacturing system and make greater meaning of the lives of the dead, thereby ensuring the future of collective historical…
LAMusArt Live!
This brand new initiative is a free collection of diverse performances: from Flamenco song and dance to Latin-Soul music to enjoy from the comfort of your home, on the second Saturday of every month. We invite you to preview the full season announcement at the website and to RSVP to your favorite concert and dates.
LACMA- Latin Sounds: Meet the Musicians
While the concert series is currently on hold, LACMA has developed a new audio series, Latin Sounds: Meet the Musicians. Spend your evenings with world-renowned artists as they play everything from Indigenous works to the latest sounds from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Los Angeles! Featured artists have included Dori Caymmi, Costazul, Echo Park Project, Mongorama, and Chuchito Valdes.
2021 Oshogatsu Virtual Family Festival
Join the Japanese American National Museum for a week of virtual, kid-friendly activities to celebrate Oshogatsu (New Year’s Day)! From interactive, offline festivities for all ages to multi-lingual storytimes and play performances, welcome the Year of the Ox with JANM!
OaxaCAlifornia: Through the Experience of the Duo Tlacolulokos
These paintings consider the relationship between the city of Los Angeles and the Zapotec communities of Oaxaca and California through the visual arts, education, social activism and literature. Oaxacan migration has had a large impact on local culture.
Mamak Khadem: A Virtual Experience
Iranian singer Mamak Khadem blends her roots in the ancient poetry and music of the Persian masters with a bold and new sound. Her latest album, The Road, invites us on a journey that includes her native Iran as well as Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, and Arab-Andalusia. Khadem draws upon a treasure trove of traditional melodies, rhythms, and poetry to create a lush sound.
Programas en Espanol
LA Opera is thrilled to offer new Spanish language, online programming that you can enjoy from home. Visit our Programas en español page for podcasts and videos. The page will be updated regularly with more special content and resources from our partners each week. LA Opera Connects está encantada de ofrecer programas en español. Visite esta página regularmente para obtener más contenido especial y recursos de nuestros socios.
Hammer Museum – Watch + Listen
Art has the power to transport us and to give insight into pressing cultural, political, and social questions. The Hammer’s lectures, symposia, film series, readings, and performances aim to spark meaningful encounters with art and ideas. Many of these programs were recorded, you can find them on our YouTube channel.
UCLA Library – Virtual Screening Room
The UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Virtual Screening Room is an online home for curated programs, many drawn from the Archive’s extensive holdings of short and feature films, television shows, and newsreels. Other programs are ticketed virtual cinema releases that provide support for Archive public programs while the Billy Wilder Theater remains closed. Past programs have included The Murder of Fred Hampton, Celebration of Iranian Cinema, and Archive Television.
José Bedia and Belkis Ayón
The Afro-Cuban Experience in Art from the Museum of Latin American Art The Afro-Cuban Experience in Art from the Museum of Latin American Art. Belkis Ayon’s mysterious images are based upon the mythology of the Afro-Cuban all-male secret society the Abakua.
L.A. PLAYWRIGHTS: WRITING FOR A CHANGING WORLD
Join us for our next L.A. Theatre Speaks panel as an all-star line-up of playwrights including Luis Alfaro, Boni B. Alvarez, Bekah Brunstetter, Aleshea Harris, Jeremy O. Harris, Molly Smith Metzler, and Dominique Morisseau talk about writing for a changing world.
LA Soundscapes: Blue13 Dance Company
Blue13 Dance Company brings to life the joy and exuberance of contemporary Indian dance, including Bollywood and Bhangra inspired dance works and demonstrations that at once entertain and educate all ages.
Tovaangar Today
Before Los Angeles’s name was first written on a map, there was Tovaangar: a gathering place and nurturing home to the Tongva people. Tovaangar Today is a virtual celebration of the Native artists and cultural creators who still thrive in the region working as poets, actors, emcees, multimedia artists, and advocates.
First Impressions, Second Chances
After months quarantined in his apartment, single Todd reluctantly embarks on a challenging new social adventure: a blind Zoom date!
TaikoProject
TaikoProject is the go-to group for a modern American style of taiko, blending traditional forms with an innovative and fresh aesthetic. These clips from the group’s annual “Rhythmic Relations” concert feature 50 drummers of all ages performing classic and contemporary taiko songs accompanied by dynamic choreography and vocals.
Stranger in the Shogun’s City: A Woman’s Life In Nineteenth-Century Japan
Amy Stanley, professor of history at Northwestern University, introduces the vibrant social and cultural life of early nineteenth-century Japan through the story of an irrepressible woman named Tsuneno, who defied convention to make a life for herself in the big city of Edo (now Tokyo) in the decades before the arrival of Commodore Perry and the fall of the shogunate.
State of LA! Midnight in the Diaspora
Curated by influential DJ and cultural programmer Sasha Ali (a.k.a. Miss Modular), Midnight in the Diaspora explores how L.A.-based artists either born outside of the United States or working between more than one country are bringing a combination of global influences to the city’s music and nightlife.
2021 Festival Guide
The 2021 Festival Guide highlights cultural offerings from our great local art institutions that you can see from home. Check out music, film, theater, literature, opera, dance, folk art, myth, storytelling, history, and lectures all through the year. Start exploring here: culturela.org/events/category/festival/
Find out more »
SOUND/STAGE by Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
SOUND/STAGE is an online concert film series produced by LA Phil Media, the media and digital initiatives arm of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. The series brings the LA Phil’s musical programs to the screen through collaborations with music video, documentary, and feature film directors. Each episode is organized around a single artist, ensemble, or theme that is explored through music as well as supporting essays, artwork, playlists, and interviews. Created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series is…
Sula Bermúdez-Silverman: Neither Fish, Flesh, nor Fowl
The exhibit presents the artists’ personal and familial histories as a woman of The exhibit presents the artists’ personal and familial histories as a woman of Afro-Puerto Rican and Jewish descent, transforming genetic data into colorful pie charts that call to mind hard-edged abstractions. Elsewhere, she embroiders vintage doilies with her own hair to depict the human body, as well as language that references the legacy of colorism and passing in the African diaspora. In the works debuting at CAAM,…
Hammer Museum – Digital Archives
Explore collection areas and past exhibitions online through these six in-depth repositories of images and research materials. UCLA Artists in the Hammer Museum Collection Corita Kent in the Grunwald Center Collection Loss and Restitution: The Story of the Grunwald Family Collection Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960 – 1985 Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960- 1980 Take It or Leave It: Institution, Images, Ideology
Growing Up in Downtown Los Angeles During the 1880s
In 1964 an audio recording was made by a member of one of the early pioneer families of Los Angeles. In the recording, Belle Buford Thom Collins recalled growing up in 1880s Los Angeles. The interviewee’s father, Cameron Erskine Thom (1825-1915), was Los Angeles County district attorney, Mayor of Los Angeles (elected 1882), and later a California state senator.
SOUND/STAGE: Las Cafeteras from The Ford
Born and raised east of the Los Angeles River, Las Cafeteras remixes roots music to tell the modern-day stories of their community and build bridges between cultures. The band believes in using their music as a tool for creating positive change and inspiring others to do the same.
Youth Operas – Figaro’s American Adventure
A kid-friendly opera based on The Barber of Seville, Figaro’s American Adventure transports Figaro and his band of sneaky barbers to colonial America. Journey back in time to colonial America where Figaro, along with his band of sneaky barbers and colonial compatriots, leads us on a musical goose chase. Ultimately, he outsmarts his adversary, and love triumphs as he helps his friend the Count win the hand of his beloved Rosina.
San Cha: A Virtual Experience
San Cha is an acclaimed singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Fans of cumbia, punk, bolero, and electro flock to see San Cha’s emotional renditions of traditional Mexican rancheras and original songs that focus on conventions of identity, power, and love.
Sanctuary: Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection
Sanctuary features recently acquired works that explore the concepts of safety and refuge as they relate to the African American experience. Whether real, staged, or imagined, the worlds depicted in these photographs and mixed-media works support complex narratives and assert the importance of claiming a place of one’s own. Until the Museum reopens be sure to see interviews with Artists and the recent acquisitions on CAAM’s YouTube Channel.
The Past in the Present: America’s Founding and Us
Professor Annette Gordon-Reed, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and one of the nation’s premier authorities on the Founding era, discusses how Americans today deal with problematic historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, in the inaugural lecture for the Shapiro Center for American History and Culture at The Huntington.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art – Online
Although the live weekly programming at our new location, St. James’ in-the-City, has been canceled until further notice, you can continue to experience the best local and international performers along with emerging chamber music artists in selected encore programs from the 30-year history of Sundays Live.
Ford Digital Festivals: Solidarity for Sanctuary
Enjoy thought-provoking panel discussions, performances inspired by the legendary Selena, and introductions to the organizations and artists working to make L.A. a more vibrant city for all. In addition to thoughtful panel discussions and a reading from poet Yosimar Reyes.
The Stratford Festival: ‘Antony And Cleopatra’
Reason and judgement prove no match for the tsunami of mutual passion engulfing Mark Antony, one of the three joint rulers of the Roman Republic, and Cleopatra, the seductive queen of Egypt. Surrendering everything to their desires, they open the floodgates to a civil conflict that will shake the very foundations of their world.
Grandeza Mexicana Presents Magia del Sureste
Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company presents favorite moments from their 2019 program Magia del Sureste, which gives life to the mystery and enchantment that are emblematic of Mexico’s Southeast ” the cradle of Mexican civilization”.
Dreamland: A Frank Romero Retrospective
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is proud to host a retrospective exhibition of work by legendary L.A. Chicano artist Frank Romero. The exhibition spans over 50 years of the artist’s career.o
Tuesday Night Project: This Is Not Just The Asian Night
Join Tuesday Night Project (TNP) for a showcase of Asian American creative expression and discussion about their multigenerational, intersectional approach to art and community. The festival includes a look back at the history of TNP’s flagship program, Tuesday Night Cafe.
California African American Museum – You Tube Channel
Did you know that you can access all of California African American Museum’s videos from artist interviews to exhibition previews and guest profiles on CAAM’s YouTube Channel? You’ll find short videos about our exhibitions and public programs plus full recordings of some of their archived Zoom programs.
Canceled
Short stories about life’s cancellation. When a pandemic turns your world upside down, and everything from the theater, to your job, your vacation, wedding, or even graduation, are all “canceled” what do you do? You write about it.
Escape
Multimedia tales that explore the desire to escape. rapped. Stuck. Nowhere to go. Nothing to do. Can’t get away. No exit. Hands are tied. Can’t do or say what you want. Nothing is going your way. When you are feeling like any or all of the above, sometimes the only thing that makes sense is to Escape.
THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL: ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’
Falling headlong in love, two teenagers defy the long-simmering hatred between their families. But daring to love one’s enemy comes with a terrible cost, as the needless sacrifice of young lives brings this heartbreaking story to its tragic conclusion.
The History of Masa with Maite Gómez-Rejón, ArtBites
Join LA Plaza on YouTube to learn about the history of maize and the significant role the grain has played throughout the centuries in Latin America. Join us as food historian and cook Maite Gomez-Rejon prepare memelas with black beans and queso fresco along with champurrado, a chocolate-based warm beverage prepared with masa. New cocina sessions are produced every Monday.
Living Room Recitals with LA Opera
Join a few artists for a can’t miss musical treat. Listen to a recital of songs from some of your favorite operas and musicals. while the artists sing from home.
California African American Museum YouTube Channel
You can access all of CAAM’s videos “from artist interviews to exhibition previews and guest profiles” on CAAM’s YouTube Channel. There are short videos about their exhibitions and public programs plus full recordings of many of their archived Zoom programs including a free yoga class and a talk with Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza and political commentator Bakari Sellers. New videos are added frequently.
LA Soundscapes: Celebrating Samba with Viver Brasil
Viver Brasil offers selections from its Afro-Brazilian repertoire, including a performance of the Orixa Oxum and a Bloco Afro (parade) spectacle, along with a percussion and interactive dance workshop for the whole family.
Jaake Castro: A Virtual Experience
Jaake is a multi-faceted musician, taking cues from the underground vogue ballroom culture, 80s synth-pop, contemporary urban artists, and deeply personal experiences. An unforgettably unique artist, they draw inspiration from a background in nightlife and event production, working notably as an event coordinator, curator, and host with various cornerstones of the underground queer nightlife community throughout Los Angeles.
Preserving Our City’s History Through Our Streets
An En Casa con LA Plaza session focusing on the work of Gov. Jose Figueroa, a General and the Mexican territorial Governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835, who devised a plan to secularize the missions in the 1830 and was later immortalized with a Los Angeles street named in his honor. The panel will discuss its opposition to a plan to rename a portion of Figueroa Street. Check back frequently, new programs are added regularly.
ArtBites – The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
ArtBites is a video series of small “bites” with educator and cook, Maite Gomez-Rejon, exploring the nexus between culinary history and The Huntington’s collections. New “bites” are added frequently, check back often.
L.A. Theatre In The Time Of A Pandemic And Beyond
Join us for our first L.A. Theatre Speaks live panel discussion as we bring together members of the local theatre community to discuss the issues and opportunities they are facing in this time of crisis.
FOR THE LOVE OF L.A
For The Love Of L.A. highlights the broad and expansive array of Angeleno creativity across diverse disciplines and geographies. More than 35 artists in total will be featured with a platform to express their views of Los Angeles that are relevant and reflective of the current time through music, dance, and visual culture.
Celebrating the Art of Iranian Cuisine
Farhang Foundation celebrates the art of Iranian Cuisine in our online series Farhang Flavor -simple and easy-to-make recipes by accomplished chefs who are inspired by Iranian cuisine and ingredients.
The Yale Puppeteers & The Turnabout Theatre
The Los Angeles Public Library presents the life’s work of Harry Burnett, Forman Brown, and Richard “Roddy “Brandon. Together, they forged a professional and deeply personal bond that lasted a lifetime and invited Los Angles to turnabout! The marionettes were a “must see” part of Los Angeles from 1941 through 1956. This online exhibit is part of a display in the Getty Gallery.
Nikita Gale: PRIVATE DANCER
In the installation at CAAM, theatrical lighting trusses are transformed into sculpture, and programmed lights dance to an unheard soundtrack of music by Tina Turner, an icon the artist has been referencing for over six years. By isolating the visual language of live performance in the gallery and separating it from the expectation of audio, Gale creates an uncanny experience that serves as a meditation on the limits of the body, the demands of celebrity, and silence as a political…
Music Stories from the Cosmic Barrio
Join us on Zoom and Facebook Live as the author and journalist Betto Arco discusses and reads from his first book, “Music Stories from the Cosmic Barrio” a collection of more than 140 stories about music he’s written for NPR, The World, the BBC, and KPCC in Los Angeles. Check back often, new programs are added frequently and all programs are archived.
From The Ford: Angel City Jazz Festival
From its founding in 2008, the Angel City Jazz Festival has grown into an essential multi-day celebration of cutting-edge jazz, featuring established and emerging music innovators committed to the evolution of jazz and improvised music.
Colibrí presents ¡Viva la Tradición!
!Viva la Tradición! concerts are always a highlight of The Ford’s seasons, with incredible mariachi groups showing off the range and power of traditional Mexican music. Join us as we look back at three amazing concerts for Hispanic Heritage Month, with performances by Las Colibrí, Mariachi Ángeles de Pepe Martinez Jr., Steven Sandoval, Marisa Ronstadt, Ballet Folklórico Ollín, and more!
African American Heritage Celebrations
African American Heritage Month is a citywide commemoration of African American heritage and history in Los Angeles. The celebration will acknowledge Southern California’s African American contributions in the areas of education, religion, the arts, culture, and the humanities. Events include dance and music concerts, and gallery exhibitions.
Mistresses of the Market: White Women and the Nineteenth-Century Domestic Slave Trade
Stephanie Jones-Rogers, associate professor of history at University of California, Berkeley, draws upon the testimony of formerly enslaved individuals, the correspondence and account books of slave traders, and a wide range of other material (including travel writing, newspapers, and business directories) to show the myriad ways in which white, primarily married, women actively participated in the South’s slave market economy, which involved the buying, selling, and hiring of enslaved people.
Christa McAuliffe’s Eyes Were Blue
Bernard and Steven Gentry are twins who have lived starkly different lives. The big reason? One is plagued by racism because of his dark skin while the other passes as white. Steven spent his childhood trying to fit in and is now a successful attorney. Bernard was a star student who dreamt of space, but his current prospects are about as dismal as the Challenger Space Shuttle that once inspired him. Spanning their 80s New York City childhood to a…
Jazz at LACMA: Meet the Musicians Live!
This year would have marked Jazz at LACMA’s 29th season of celebrating L.A.’s finest jazz musicians. While the concert series is currently on hold, you can join them for a virtual music experience hosted by LACMA’s Mitch Glickman, featuring performers planned for the 2020 season. The events will include interviews with the musicians, live performances, and video clips from the groups.
Stephanie Amaro: A Virtual Experience
Stephanie Amaro has created a unique sound of pop and jazz elements over a traditional foundation which earned a “Best Regional Album” Latin Grammy nomination in 2012 for her debut album “Con Ustedes…Trio Ellas.” Now a budding solo artist, she’s combining the lessons of her varied musical experiences into a cohesive aesthetic and unique sound.
ALOUD Podcasts
ALOUD is recorded live in Los Angeles Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium as part of the award-winning ALOUD speaker series presented by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. ALOUD podcasts are updated on a weekly basis and contain an archive all programs.
UCLA Film & Television Archive
Watch and listen to a selection of films, television, and radio programs preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive.
L.A. Theatre Goes Digital: Creating Online
Join us for our next L.A. Theatre Speaks event with local arts leaders from Geffen Playhouse, IAMA Theatre Company, Fountain Theatre, Deaf West Theatre, and The Industry Network, plus industry innovators from Situation & Oregon Shakespeare Festival discussing how we’re going digital and moving creating online.
Cancelled
Short stories about life’s cancellation. When a pandemic turns your world upside down, and everything from the theater, to your job, your vacation, wedding, or even graduation, are all “Cancelled“ what do you do? You write about it.
ARTE, MUJER Y MEMORIA: ARPILLERAS FROM CHILE
Arpilleras are a palpable testimonies to the lived experiences of Chilean citizens throughout the brutal seventeen year Pinochet regime. Colorful textile works backed with burlap, they document the stories of women and their communities, denounce the cruelty of the government, and bear witness to the human rights abuses carried out by the dictatorship.
Rembrandt in Southern California
The remarkable group of Rembrandt paintings in Southern California museums represents nearly every phase of the artist’s long and productive career. In addition, Rembrandt in Southern California provides insight into the rich holdings of etchings and drawings on paper by the master in museums throughout the region. Together, Southern California’s drawn, etched, and painted works attest to the remarkable range of Rembrandt’s achievement across his long career.
From The Ford: Boleros de Noche
In 2019, Boleros de Noche’s annual celebration of boleros brought together the internationally-renowned Los Panchos – who formed in New York City in 1944 and have since become the quintessential Latin trio romantico with the young Trio Ellas, who meld traditional mariachi roots music with the sounds of everyday L.A.
The Huntington Botanical Gardens
The Huntington is beginning a phased reopening. The Galleries remain closed. Explore living collections of orchids and camellias, a botanical conservatory, a fragrant rose garden, a children’s garden, and more, in 16 themed gardens spread over 120 acres. All visitors, including Members, must reserve tickets online in advance.
Lunch à La Park Food Trucks
Grand Park continues its tradition of lunchtime in the park by providing downtowners and park visitors a wide variety of food trucks three days per week.
ONLINE: Mindful Awareness Meditation
These free weekly drop-in sessions are offered live online via Zoom. Mindful Awareness Meditation is the moment-by-moment process of actively and openly observing one’s physical, mental, and emotional experiences. Mindfulness has scientific support as a means to reduce stress, improve attention, boost the immune system, reduce emotional reactivity, and promote a general sense of health and well-being.
Lunch À La Park: Yoga reTREAT
Grand Park’s popular yoga sessions returns in a digital format, giving participants the opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and re-energize.
Aquarium of the Pacific’s African-American Festival
The Aquarium of the Pacific hosts its 19th annual African American Festival, celebrating the rich diversity of African American and African cultures. The online festival features dance and music performances, storytelling, and crafts. This virtual event will feature African and African-American music, dance, storytelling, and historical displays. Festival performances will include Mardi Gras second-line dancing, hip hop and break dancing, tap and modern dance, soul-pop fusion music, and West African drumming, dancing, and storytelling. This is a free live-streaming web…
March 2021
Da Poetry Lounge Open MIC
Poetry and spoken word open MIC event. Currently hosted virtually on Instagram live every Tuesday night. All ages and performers welcome. Please sign up every Tuesday at 12:00 noon (PST) at wondery.app.link/dapoetrylounge
LA Opera Happy Hour
Add our Tuesday bi-weekly cocktail date to your calendar and join Associate Chorus Master-turned-mixologist Jeremy Frank at the piano for a refreshing Bellini (and a pre-Anonymous Lover palate cleanser) in an exploration of the ever-evolving perceptions of vocal beauty in this new episode of Opera Happy Hour.
The Stratford Festival: ‘King Lear’
An aging monarch resolves to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, with consequences he little expects. His reason shattered in the storm of violent emotion that ensues, with his very life hanging in the balance, Lear loses everything that has defined him as a king – and thereby discovers the essence of his own humanity.
Iconic Women of Color
Join Windy Barnes online for Iconic Women Of Color. The program is entertaining, complete with live musical selections and insightful monologues from each character portrayed. Some of these historical figures include Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Harriet Tubman, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston.
NewFilmmakers LA Film Festival – InFocus: Female Cinema
Join NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) for their next film festival on March 20th! Enjoy great films, filmmaker Q&As and networking rooms. Featured are films directed by women for our annual Female Cinema Program in honor of Women’s History Month. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.newfilmmakersla.com/events/event/march-20th-2021-monthly-film-festival-infocus-female-cinema/ Date | Time: March 20th, 2021 | 10:00am PT – 9:30pm PT
Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival
A mix of theatre pieces, musical performances’ and dance by solo female performing artists. The Festival will be virtual this year, because of the pandemic.
April 2021
Under a Mushroom Cloud: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Atomic Bomb
To commemorate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese American National Museum presents Under a Mushroom Cloud: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Atomic Bomb, organized in partnership with the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.The exhibition will include a special display of artifacts belonging to atomic bomb victims. The reopening date of this exhibit is dependent on L.A. County guidelines.
Grand Park’s Lunch – A LA Park Spring Concerts featuring L.A.’s Youth Artists
These weekly, Thursday, lunchtime concerts feature artists from L.A.’s top conservatories and training programs for high school artists. The series includes students from L.A. County High School for the Arts, California School for the Arts – San Gabriel Valley, and The Music Center’s Spotlight Program.
Common Ground: The Heart of Community
Incorporating hundreds of objects, documents, and photographs, this exhibition chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, beginning with the early days of the Issei pioneers through the World War II incarceration to the present. Among the artifacts on display is a Heart Mountain barracks, an original structure saved and preserved from the concentration camp in Wyoming. The reopening date of this exhibit is dependent on L.A. County guidelines.
Transcendients: Heroes at Borders
Transcendients: Heroes at Borders is a contemporary art exhibition by Taiji Terasaki, in collaboration with the Japanese American National Museum, that honors individuals who advocate and fight for those who face discrimination, prejudice, and inequality at borders both real and imagined. The reopening date of this exhibit is dependent on L.A. County guidelines.
The Stratford Festival: ‘Macbeth’
Surrender to a haunting story of ambition and its dark consequences, as a military hero and his wife conspire to seize the throne of Scotland.
Fitting Out Festival
A festival of short plays celebrating diversity and inclusion. Fitting out is the opposite of “fitting in”.
Holi Festival of Colors
In India, Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. The festival breathes an atmosphere of social merriment. There will be non-stop live music from great bands, yoga, mantras, dance, cuisine, and the throwing of colors.
May 2021
Asia Pacific Airlines Virtual Aviation and Uniform Exhibition
The Flight Path Museum LAX presents Asia Pacific Airlines Virtual aircraft history and inflight uniform exhibition honoring the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders to both aviation and fashion. The exhibit will be online as well as in the museum.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a citywide commemoration of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage and history in Los Angeles. The celebration will acknowledge Southern California’s Asian and Pacific Islander contributions in the areas of education, religion, the arts, culture, and the humanities. Events include music concerts, performances, and several gallery exhibitions.
John Waters
John Waters comes to the Luckman to celebrate his birthday. The influential filmmaker is turning 74.! Although Waters, who has given us such inarguable classics as Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Hairspray, hasn’t directed a film in years, he has kept busy writing books,, as an in-demand guest on talk shows and lecturer and has been honored by Lambda Literary with the organization’s Trustee Award for Excellence in Literature.
One City One Pride 2021
Each year the City of West Hollywood celebrates pride with its One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, which runs from Harvey Milk Day (May 22) through the end of June Pride month (June 30).
Andrea Bocelli
The program includes opera selections from Puccini’s Tosca, Verdi’s La Traviata, and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor alongside Broadway hits, Neapolitan standards like “Funiculì Funiculà,” and Nino Rota’s love theme from The Godfather. Bocelli also takes audiences back to the early piano-bar days of his legendary career via songs from 2018’s Si, his first album of new material in 14 years. The date of this event is dependent on L.A. County guidelines.
Haitian Heritage Festival 2021
The Haitian Heritage Festival is not just a festival but a Haitian cultural experience, with Haitian food, music, traditional folklore, Rara, dances, a Haitian Documentary, and Haitian History. The festival is also a fundraising event developed to assist the Caribbean American and Heritage Foundation and its efforts of reaching the Haitian people at risk living in Southern California and Haiti.
June 2021
Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles – 50 Free Summer Concerts
Located in Westlake’s historic MacArthur Park, Levitt LA has become a favorite gathering spot for Angelenos of all ages and backgrounds to relax, share a dance together and experience the power of free, live music. Concerts feature local favorites to celebrated international artists from more than 20 music genres. The opening date of these concerts are dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines.
Grand Park’s Sunday Sessions
Grand Park’s Sunday Sessions hosts L.A.’s finest House music curators on select Sundays during the summer months. This popular free series showcases how House music defines eras and subcultures, Angeleno-style. Amplified with a visual experience during multiple-hour DJ sets, the beats exemplify the complexities and similarities of L.A.’s many diverse and distinctive communities.
LA Pride 50
LA Pride will take place June 11-13, 2021. Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, the safety of our community and city remains our top priority. More details on LA Pride 2021 will be coming in April
Cuban American Music Festival 2021
Yambu Productions presents the annual Cuban-American Music Festival. The festival will be a regional destination event that features four musical acts, dancing, local Cuban Artists, Cuban Food, drinks, and cigars. The festival will have a number of activities including domino tables, cigar lounge, music, bands, dance instruction, art exhibits, food, and alcohol.
July 2021
Grand Park + The Music Center’s Fourth of July Block Party
Grand Park and The Music Center presents L.A. County’s largest free July 4th celebration with the annual Grand Park + The Music Center’s 4th of July Block Party. The family-friendly event will feature DJs and live bands and will be capped with one of Downtown L.A.’s largest fireworks shows, launched from the roof of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Lotus Festival
The Lotus Festival is a two day weekend filled with entertainment, food, crafts, and games. The event was originated in 1972, by the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Members of LA Lotus Advisory Board. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the festival showcases the Asian and Pacific Islander traditions and culture. The date of this event is dependent on L.A. County Covid 19 guidelines.
Peruvian Festival Chim Pum Callao LA 2021
Peruvian Fest Chim Pum Callao LA is exposing Peruvian culture to the City of Los Angeles. Celebrating the anniversary of the creation of the Port of El Callao, the festival will showcase a variety of internationally recognized Peruvian cuisine, as well as traditional drinks. In addition, Peruvian Fest Chim Pum Callao will share the different styles and sounds of Peruvian music and dance. The Peruvian Fest Chim Pum Callao LA will bring the Peruvian community together.
Central Avenue Jazz Festival
From the early 1900s to 1950s, Central Avenue was the epicenter of the Los Angeles music scene, especially jazz and rhythm & blues. With music as its binder, Central Avenue quickly became the heart and soul of the African American community in Los Angeles. Now in its 24th year, the Central Avenue Jazz Festival is a homage to the musical and cultural history of the area. The free two-day community festival presents a diverse lineup of food, art, culture, and…
August 2021
Tambo & Bones
Tambo & Bones are two characters in a minstrel show. But handled right, a minstrel show can get you a lot of money, and a lot of money can get you a lot of power. But if money and power won’t end the distress or the minstrel show, there may be only one solution: find the source of the problem and destroy it. Imaginative and provocative, Tambo & Bones is a daring theatrical exploration of the intersection of racism and…
Slave Play
The old South lives on at the MacGregor Plantation – “in the breeze, in the cotton fields…and in the crack of the whip.” It’s an antebellum fever-dream, where fear and desire entwine in the looming shadow of the Master’s House. The 54th Ahmanson Season is scheduled to begin in August 2021. The opening date of this play is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines for theatre’s to reopen.
Oklahoma!
“How is it that the coolest new show on Broadway is a 1943 musical?” says The New York Times. This is Oklahoma! as you’ve never seen or heard it before—reimagined for the 21st century, and now the Tony Award® Winner for Best Revival of a Musical. The 54th Ahmanson Season is scheduled to begin in August 2021. The opening date of this play is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines for theatre’s to reopen.
Natsumatsuri 2021 Family Festival
Join us for our annual summer celebration featuring Japanese and Japanese American performances, crafts, and activities. This event is free, but RSVPs are requested at the website. The date is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines.
September 2021
Los Angeles Marathon
This event is the largest marathon held in California, the fourth largest in the country, and the seventh-largest in the world. Different entertainment centers located throughout the course will reflect the ethnic neighborhoods and cultural diversity of Los Angeles, and the marathon runners themselves. The date of this event is dependent on L.A. County guidelines. The event is scheduled for Fall 2021. Check the website for the final scheduled date.
Il Trovatore
Dangerous passions, fatal mistakes, and terrible secrets leave two families filled with a bitter thirst for revenge (and an extreme distaste for magic). To make matters worse, two brothers unwittingly fall in love with the same woman and unleash a firestorm of fatal reckoning in the process. Performed in Italian with English subtitles. The opening date of this event is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines.
Grand Prix of Long Beach
Watch turbocharged cars tear down city streets at up to 185 M.P.H. in multiple races during the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which also offers a family zone, cars on display, and evening concerts at Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. The event date depends on Los Angeles County Health Guidelines.
Grand Opening of The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be opening in September. They will draw from its own collection of film-related objects and technology as well as the unparalleled collection of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which contains a vast range of works on paper and still and moving images covering the history of the motion picture in the United States and throughout the world. The event date depends on Los Angeles County Health Guidelines.
October 2021
Tannhauser
After escaping an erotic entrapment with Venus, Tannhauser returns to the real world to pursue the virtuous love of another. But in a momentary lapse of judgment, he shocks the town with a passionate affirmation of carnal delights… which definitely doesn’t help him woo the innocent young woman he’s smitten with. The opening date of this event is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines.
November 2021
A Christmas Carol
This timeless—and timely—tale of redemption welcomes theatergoers of all ages into an immersive experience that’s brimming with Christmas spirit. The production features dazzling staging, moving storytelling, and 12 of the most cherished Christmas carols, including “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night,” and “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.” The opening date of this play is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines for theatre’s to reopen.
Alcina
Set on an enchanted island with not one but two sorceresses (maybe evil, maybe not), a flock of discarded lovers transformed into wild beasts, and a young woman disguising herself as a man so she can track down her missing lover – it happens, right? Alcina offers a nonstop thrill ride of gorgeous music and astounding singing. The opening date of this event is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines.
The Obama Portraits Tour
Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of President Obama and Amy Sherald’s portrait of the former First Lady have inspired unprecedented responses from the public. In addition to the artworks themselves, the LACMA presentation of The Obama Portraits will feature teacher workshops, curatorial tours, and a richly illustrated book. These special presentations will enhance the conversations surrounding the power of portraiture and its potential to engage communities. The opening date of this event is dependent on L.A. County Health guidelines.
Cinderella (La Cenerentola)
Rossini’s delightfully entertaining spin on the ultimate rags-to-riches tale finds our spunky heroine (no damsel in distress here) with an opportunity to nab the most eligible bachelor in the land and outwit her social-climbing family in the process. Fast-rising operatic royalty Serena Malfi and Levy Sekgapane star as our fairytale lovers, alongside a bit of luxury casting with Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Cinderella’s mysterious benefactor. Rossini master Alessandro Corbelli returns as the stepfather who tries to foil the happy ending. …