MOCA gala honors Frank Gehry, others, raises $3.1 million
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles threw a glitzy bash at the institution’s Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo Saturday, raising $3.1 million and honoring…
The Broad to open the largest-ever Robert Therrien show: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
The sculptor Robert Therrien had a deep connection with the Broad museum. He was among the first L.A. artists that founders Eli and Edythe Broad…
Getty Villa sets reopening date after Palisades fire closure
The Getty Villa Museum will reopen to the public on a limited basis beginning June 27 after a nearly six-month closure forced by the devastating…
Memorialize the Movement preserves George Floyd protest murals
This Memorial Day weekend marks the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Floyd’s murder under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer sparked a protest…
Ahmaud Arbery’s mother ‘overwhelmed’ by Tonality choral tribute
Ahmaud Arbery. His name is just one that we’ve come to associate with senseless racial violence in America. On the afternoon of Feb. 23, 2020,…
Pasadena Playhouse offers childcare for ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’
I was unreasonably elated to discover that the Pasadena Playhouse is test-driving a program that offers Saturday childcare during the May 24 matinee of “A…
‘Life of Pi’ opens at the Ahmanson: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
It’s all about the magic of puppets in the play “Life of Pi,” which opened Wednesday at the Ahmanson Theatre — part of the inaugural…
Holocaust Memorial Museum strife, Tony Awards and L.A. arts news
President Trump continues to press for control over institutions that shape the arts, culture — and history. Last week the administration removed board members appointed…
The threat to PBS and the arts: L.A. arts and culture this week
A week ago, President Trump’s Office of Communications issued a news release titled “The NPR, PBS Grift Has Ripped Us Off for Too Long.” The…
Art Spiegelman, Janinah Burnett: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
“Art Spiegelman is one of the most important cartoonists in the world working today. He tackled a subject that was enormous, and he established the…
Kennedy Center slashes social impact team, and why it matters
Last week, the Kennedy Center’s new leadership, recently appointed by President Trump, laid off at least five employees working on its social impact team, including…
Alvin Ailey dance company performing ‘Sacred Songs’ in Los Angeles
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s “Sacred Songs” is a homecoming of sorts. It was initially conceived to celebrate the 60th anniversary of “Revelations,” the seminal…
Arcangelo Corelli and Atomic Café: L.A. arts events this weekend
Another reason to visit the Beverly Hills Public Library: As of this month, the Rexford Drive destination is the new home of the Paley Archive,…
Museums Free-for-All on Sunday: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
Sunday is this year’s SoCal Museums Free-for-All, an annual tradition in which more than 30 museums and cultural institutions across the region offer free admission…
Trump’s attack on the arts continues: L.A. arts and culture this week
Since President Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, I’ve been glued to arts reporting out of Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is proving to be…
Amalia Mesa-Bains art exhibit and talk at the Cheech
It’s Oscars weekend here in Los Angeles, and your Essential Arts scribes will be contributing to the paper’s expansive coverage. I’ll be watching the event…
‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’: L.A. arts and culture this week
About halfway through opening night of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at the Pantages, I had an unsettling revelation: I had totally lost the…
Will Trump cut Kennedy Center shows? L.A. arts and culture this week
Today is Presidents Day, so I figure it’s a good opportunity to take a look at how President Trump’s hostile takeover of the John F.…
Lauren Yee’s ‘Cambodian Rock Band’: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
Lauren Yee’s play “Cambodian Rock Band,” about a Khmer Rouge survivor who returns home after 30 years as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of…
Executive orders impacting the arts: L.A. arts and culture this week
President Donald Trump sent shock waves through the world of arts and culture on Friday when he announced on Truth Social that he intends to…