Curating Los Angeles

Ends of the Earth: Land Art to 1974 Opens at MOCA

Jim Gilbert — Sun, 27 May 2012 05:12:42 +0000

This weekend MOCA opens a new exhibition called Ends of the Earth: Land Art to 1974. According to the museum, this is the first “…exhibition to deal broadly with Land art… [and] provides a comprehensive overview that reveals the complexity of the movement's social and political engagement with the historical conditions of its time.”

Cause for Optimism | Cause for Concern: Examining LA’s Future

Jim Gilbert — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:31:19 +0000

Three recent articles published by The Atlantic’s online site Cities: Place Matters provide differing perspectives on the future of greater Los Angeles. While the news is not all good, what’s clear is that some progress is being made to address the region’s looming environmental problems. Now, if only all the planning and good intentions can become a reality.

Ted Dayton Photographs The River Bridges of the Santa Clarita Valley

Jim Gilbert — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:52:54 +0000

Throughout southern California concrete bridges span rivers, washes, and arroyos. While most are utilitarian structures that don’t add much beauty to the region’s urban landscape, some incorporate design elements that, to an observant eye, are appealing to look at when viewed from certain vantage points and at particular times of day.

Angels Gate Cultural Center Tour and Open Studio Day

Jim Gilbert — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:58:02 +0000

This weekend LA Commons is launching Trekking LA 2012, its annual summer series of walking tours. The first tour of the new season is called Angels Gate: A City Within A Park. It will explore Angel’s Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro and will be lead by Angela Romero.

Hollywood, Fashion, Los Angeles: John Tierney Exhibition Opening Brings them all Together

Jim Gilbert — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:10:05 +0000

Last Thursday night I attended the opening of American Light: Paintings by John Tierney at the Paul Smith shop on Melrose. Unlike other art events I’ve experienced in the past, this one had a decidedly Hollywood / fashion industry vide. As the invitation only crowd browsed Paul Smith’s latest collection, waiters clad in all black served wine and British beer to the artist and his son Ben, Alan Aldridge, Josh Duhamel, Stacy Ferguson (aka Fergie), Ryan Philippe, Diana Aragon, Abbie Cornish and Mira Sorvino, among many others.

Member Appreciation Days Are Here!

Jim Gilbert — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:23:35 +0000

This weekend twenty of southern California’s finest cultural institutions join together to honor their members. Show an active membership card from any of the participating museums and gain entry to all the others at no charge. What’s more, you’ll also receive significant savings in the museums’ gift shops.

John Tierney Exhibition Coming to Paul Smith on Melrose

Jim Gilbert — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:51:51 +0000

Earlier this year I published a story about English painter John Tierney, who makes regular visits to southern California and has a particular fascination with the City of Los Angeles and the area in and around Joshua Tree National Park. After interviewing him for my article and spending time looking at his paintings online, I became an admirer of his work because of the way he uses vivid colors and deftly captures light and shadow in his urban and desert landscapes.

REDCAT International Children's Film Festival

Jim Gilbert — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:23:31 +0000

My family loves the REDCAT International Children’s Film Festival. The selection of shorts is always excellent, the audience’s energy and enthusiasm is infectious and the theater offers an intimate place to immerse yourself in wonderful stories from around the world.

I highly recommend you attend one or more screenings during the festival's two-weekend run. If the films are anything like the ones I've seen in the past, you won't be disappointed.

LA Light - Colin Rich's Visual Tribute to the City of Angels

Jim Gilbert — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:25:53 +0000

When executed well, time-lapse photography reveals the ebb and flow of life – the visual rhythms of human activities and the natural processes that continually unfold all around us. Colin Rich, a highly skilled local practitioner of this photographic technique and native Angeleno, has produced a mesmerizing time-lapse film that he calls LA Light.

National Park Week is Almost Here – It’s Time to Get Outdoors and Explore!

Jim Gilbert — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:09:23 +0000

There are 397 national parks in the United States, which together consist of 84 million acres of spectacular scenery, historic landmarks and cultural treasures. Twenty-six of these parks are located in California and of those, five are in the southern part of the state.

Starting tomorrow, you have the opportunity to experience the beauty of these natural wonders without having to pay the normal park entrance fee. It’s all part of National Park Week, a nationwide celebration organized by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation.