Kristin's List: A Guide to Cultivated Los Angeles

In the 1950s the seminal Ferus Gallery created an LA art scene out of a loose band of visionary beatniks. With rare footage and a soundtrack that includes Charles Mingus and the Velvet Underground, the documentary “The Cool School” traces how artists such as Ed Kienholz, Ed Moses and Robert Irwin became founding members of LA’s uber-hip modern art movement.

Owned by Walter Hopps and Irving Blum, the Ferus Gallery was also a launching point for New York artists Andy Warhol (hosting his first Soup Can show), Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein. 2008, Arthouse Films, 86 min.

WHEN: 7pm
ADMISSION: $8 General/$4 Senior/Free Students & Members
WHERE: Norton Simon Museum
ADDRESS: 411 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105
PHONE: (626) 449-6840
WEBSITE: www.nortonsimon.org

CLOSING DAY: A gallery stocked with fresh flowers alongside works by Noguchi and Mapplethorpe, what more could a girl ask for? “Living Flowers: Ikebana and Contemporary Art” is the innovative exhibit which pairs ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) with the works of over 20 contemporary artists. Whether the influences are conscious or unconscious, the two mediums have a visual reciprocity.

Three different ikebana schools will create new arrangements each week during the course of the exhibition. The schools will also demonstrate their techniques and use of materials at public programs at the Japanese American National Museum — Ikenobo on June 22, Sogetsu on July 20 and Ohara on August 24.

WHEN: 11am-5pm Tues-Sun, closed Mon
ADMISSION: $8 General/$5 Seniors/$4 Students/Free for Members
WHERE: Japanese American National Museum
ADDRESS: 369 E First St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
PHONE: (213) 625-0414
WEBSITE: www.janm.org/exhibits/livingflowers
ADDITIONAL INFO: The exhibit closes September 7

In a room filled with humming neon sculptures and eclectic vintage neon signs, painter Norton Wisdom will create perpetually changing works of art on his large scale light box. Setting the environ’s vibe, Wisdom’s whims will dictate the improvised soundscape music of David Witham (keyboards), Jeff Gauthier (violin), Andrew Pask (woodwinds) and guitarist Nels Cline (guitar). The Museum of Neon Art’s “Cryptonight” is one more way to experience the temperamental and fluid nature of light, sound and art.

WHEN: 8pm
RECEPTION ADMISSION: $10 General/Free Members
WHERE: Museum of Neon Art
ADDRESS: 136 W 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
PHONE: (213) 489-9918
WEBSITE: www.neonmona.org

Let the champagne spill forth and the chocolate cake be aplenty for all those at the christening of Skylight Books 1814. Adjacent to the original Skylight Books, the spacious 1814 gives such sections as film, theatre, art, photography and design the luxury to spread out and flourish. In addition to the all-day store discount of 18.14% at both locations, a specially formed staff band, Skylight Juice, will play a wicked brand of improvised “cacophonous soft rock.” In more ways then one Skylight Books dares to go where no independent bookstore has gone before.

OPENING PARTY: 3pm Grand Opening Party
STORE HOURS: 10am-10pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Skylight Books
ADDRESS: 1814 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
WEBSITE: www.skylightbooks.com
ADDITIONAL INFO: 18.14% discount is valid all day at both stores

The Islamic Republic of Iran is at the center of world attention, yet it remains largely unknown to the West. Join award-winning photographer Mark Edward Harris for a narrated presentation of “Inside Iran,” the first contemporary photographic book on a place seldom seen or understood by outsiders. Harris’ work offers a fascinating look at a society of juxtapositions—ancient and modern, commercial and spiritual, serene and intense, political and personal. “Inside Iran” is a crucial look at a country whose future will undoubtedly influence our own.
- Chronicle Books

WHEN: 7:30pm
ADMISSION: $7 General Admission/$5 Seniors & Students/Free Members
WHERE: Pacific Asia Museum
ADDRESS: 46 N. Los Robles Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101
WEBSITE: www.pacificasiamuseum.org

The Museum of Natural Dye Arts presents a fashion show and ornament exhibit dedicated to “the beauty of ancient Korean dyeing techniques.” Using dyes made from such plants as safflower and indigo, the works will honor the five colors and elements of Korean cosmology — blue (wood), red (fire), yellow (earth), white (metal) and black (water). Hosted by the Korean Community Center, the Museum will also demonstrate its dyeing methods at a free workshop the following day.

FRI AUGUST 22:
OPENING RECEPTION (fashion show & ornament exhibit): 7pm-9pm

SAT AUGUST 23:
NATURAL DYE WORKSHOP: 11am-2pm

ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Korean Cultural Center LA
ADDRESS: 5505 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
PHONE: (323) 936-7141
WEBSITE: www.kccla.org
MUSEUM OF NATURAL DYE ARTS: www.naturaldyeing.net

Using a lensless camera with long exposure times ranging from 1 day to 4 months, Austrian artist Andreas Zingerle captures the tranquil paths of the sun against the deep blue hues of the horizon. Presented in his five-camera installation known as “Solargrafica,” the viewer is surrounded by the usually invisible images as well as a soundscape that changes with ones position in the piece. View Zingerle’s photographic fete as well as other “Hybrid” artworks at this years Siggraph 2008 interdisciplinary computer graphics and interactive techniques conference.

WHEN: August 11-August 15
ADMISSION: $45 One Day Pass to Siggraph 2008 Conference
TICKETS: www.siggraph.org/s2008/attendees/registration/
WHERE: LA Convention Center
ADDRESS: 1201 S Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90015
PHONE: (213) 741-1151
SIGGRAPH 2008 WEBSITE: www.siggraph.org/s2008
SOLARGRAFICA WEBSITE: www.andreaszingerle.at/

Family hosts the launch of Peter Sutherland’s new book, “Muddy Treads,” a collection of photography about “the hidden beauty of ordinary objects and everyday events.” Drawing inspiration from an unkempt plot of land near his junior high school — a haven for stoners, class-cutters and idle locals — “Muddy Treads” is a study of unclaimed spaces across the country where anything is possible.
- Juliet Small Ernst

“Locals would go there to drink beer, burn stuff for fun, and drive four wheelers on the hills, some of which were steep and untracked…I like empty plots of land like that one. There is always something messed up about them that keeps them from being developed, and there’s a special kind of freedom that allows for stoners to go four wheeling in abandoned jeeps.”
- Peter Sutherland

WHEN: 7:30pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: FAMILY
ADDRESS: 436 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
WEBSITE: www.familylosangeles.com
ADDITIONAL INFO: Family will be giving away 100 signed limited posters by Sutherland

CLOSING DAY: Control, miniaturization and freedom of speech are all themes associated with the world of puppetry. Displaying works by 28 contemporary artists, “The Puppet Show” explores puppet imagery and symbolism in sculpture, film, animation and 2D work. To delve further into puppet psychology the exhibit presents a historic puppet collection in a “backstage” area, also known as the unconscious.

WHEN: 11am-6pm Tues-Fri, 11am-8pm Sat
ADMISSION: $5 suggested donation
WHERE: Santa Monica Museum of Art
ADDRESS: Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404
PHONE: (310) 586-6488
WEBSITE: www.smmoa.org
ADDITIONAL INFO: The exhibit closes August 9

Tap into the local creative flow at Pecha Kucha Night’s energized forum for young designers, architects and photographers. Allowing presenters to show 20 images for 20 seconds each, the evening generates a lively exchange around the artists’ current projects. Named for the Japanese words for the sound of conversation, Pecha Kucha Night has spread virally to over 120 cities.


WHEN: 8pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: A+D
ADDRESS: 5900 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
PHONE: (323) 932-9393
ROYAL/T WEBSITE: www.pecha-kucha.org/cities/los-angeles

OPENING DAY: From traditional Oceanic art made by native peoples of the Pacific Islands to Pan-Polynesian artifacts used for decorating restaurants after WWII, the Forest Lawn Museum’s new exhibit “In Search of Tiki” covers all the bases. In addition to the traditional Oceanic Tikis on display, the exhibit will feature contemporary Tiki artists who are trailblazing new trends with Tiki Style.

WHEN: 10am-8pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Forest Lawn Museum @ Forest Lawn Memorial Park & Mortuary
ADDRESS: 1712 S Glendale Ave, Glendale, CA
PHONE: 1-800-204-3131
WEBSITE: www.kristinslist.net
ADDITIONAL INFO: Exhibit runs August 8, 2008 thru January 4, 2009

During his six week residency at the Outpost for Contemporary Art, Serbian artist and cultural worker Nebojsa Milikic has explored notions about immigration and the American Dream in a series of self-portraits. Tonight all are invited to view Milikic’s work along with a curiosity-cabinet show of locally purchased items and a much-anticipated presentation of “some advantages of South-East-European cooking.” - Jon Love

WHEN: 7pm-9pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Outpost for Contemporary Art
ADDRESS: 6375 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
PHONE: (323) 982-9461
WEBSITE: www.outpost-art.org

“Let your Motto be Resistance!” urged abolitionist Henry Highland Garnet to frustrated African Americans in 1843. In the current exhibit of the same name, 70 stunning portraits reveal the diverse paths taken by African Americans to fight racial stereotypes over the last 150 years. The exhibit’s modern prints of old photos include images of Sarah Vaughan, Malcolm X and Joe Louis.

To view samples of these portraits visit www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/motto.

WHEN: 10am-5pm Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: California African American Museum
ADDRESS: 600 State Dr, Exposition Pk, Los Angeles, CA 90037
PHONE: (213) 744-7432
CONTACT: www.caamuseum.org
ADDITIONAL INFO: Exhibit closes September 14

CLOSING DAY: Medieval and Renaissance Christians often relied on images of Christ to describe events in the Gospels. The Getty’s new exhibit “Imagining Christ” is a collection of manuscript images that helped this group of believers comprehend Christ’s life and acts of salvation through art.

“Imagining Christ” also looks at medieval and Renaissance artists who illustrated Christ as possessing supernatural qualities that demonstrated his power over sickness and death.

Unlike Christian saints who left behind bodily relics upon their deaths, Christ’s departure was marked by his physical absence. These artists worked to portray absence as a triumphant image.

WHEN: 10am-6pm Tues-Thur & Sun/10am-9pm Fri & Sat
ADMISSION: Free, $8 for parking
WHERE: The Getty Center
ADDRESS: 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049
PHONE: (310) 440-7300
WEBSITE: www.getty.edu
ADDITIONAL INFO: Exhibit closes July 27

L.A. curator Walter Hopps brought the subversive artwork of Marcel Duchamp to the Pasadena Museum of Art in 1963. The Norton Simon Museum marks the 45th anniversary of Duchamp’s legendary exhibition with a dozen of its own pieces acquired from the show. The current exhibit, “Marcel Duchamp Redux,” features rarely viewed “ready-mades,” such as “L.H.O.O.Q.” and “The Bottle Rack,” as well as photos from the original event, which Duchamp attended.

WHEN: 12-6pm Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun, 12-9pm Fri
ADMISSION: $8 General/$4 Senior/Free Students & Members
WHERE: Norton Simon Museum
ADDRESS: 411 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105
PHONE: (626) 449-6840
WEBSITE: www.nortonsimon.org
ADDITIONAL INFO: The exhibit closes Dec 8