Thunder Thursday: Presented by Visit Long Beach & Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Pike Outlets. 6-10:30 p.m. Free. thepikeoutlets.com/events.
3D Sculpting with Sculpt GL: Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway. 4-6:30 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Black Nerds Unite: Part 2. Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Brewitt Neighborhood Library, 4036 E. Anaheim St. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Signal Hill Library book sale: Thursday, April 18. 1800 E. Hill St. Fill a bag for $5. Cash only. Noon-4 p.m.
Dive into School: Early Math. Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library, 5870 Atlantic Ave. 3:30-4:30 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Financial Literacy For Adults: “Increase Cash Flow and Debt Management.” Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Harte Neighborhood Library, 1595 W. Willow St. 5:30-7 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Read and Create: With Agape Children’s Museum. Burnett Neighborhood Library, 560 E. Hill St. 2-3 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
University Brass Quintet/ Brass Ensemble: Presented by Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Daniel Recital Hall, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. 7:30 p.m. $10-$20. shorturl.at/hlG08.
April 19
Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach: Runs through Sunday, April 21. Marina Green Park, 386 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach. For times and ticket cost, visit gplb.com.
Shared Science Hands-On STEM Workshop: Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Dana Neighborhood Library, 3680 Atlantic Ave. 10:30-11:30 a.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
String Chamber: Presented by Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Daniel Recital Hall, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. 7:30 p.m. $10-$20. 562-985-7000, shorturl.at/hlG08.
African American Artist Showcase: Presented by African American Cultural Center of Long Beach and Museum of Latin American Art. Friday, April 19. Expo Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Ave. 5:30-6:30 p.m.
April 20
30-minute Beach Clean-up: Presented by Justin Rudd. 1 S. Granada Ave. at Ocean Blvd. 9:30 a.m. shorturl.at/ahxEJ.
Arts Film Series: “Hamlet.” Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway. Noon-2:30 p.m. 562-570-6729, bitly.ws/CtJx.
Blackout Poetry and Friendship Bracelets: Presented by Long Beach Public Library in honor of The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift’s new album. Harte Neighborhood Library, 1595 W. Willow St. 2-4 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Dia de los Ninos Family Event: Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Burnett Neighborhood Library, 560 E. Hill St.11 a.m.-3 p.m. 562-570-1041, bitly.ws/CtJx.
Earth Day Tree Planting: Office of Climate Action and Sustainability, E. 14th St., and Locust Ave. 9 a.m.-noon. 562-570-6396, shorturl.at/gtHW7.
Game Day: “Hnefatafl (Viking Chest).” Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway. 3-4:30 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Music of the Spirit: Presented by Chamber Choir. Los Altos United Methodist Church, 5950 W. Willow St. 7:30 p.m. $5-$20. 562-985-7000, shorturl.at/hlG08.
Recycle? Upcycle!: Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Mark Twain Neighborhood Library, 1401 E. Anaheim St. 2-3 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Spring Tea Party: Presented by Long Beach Public Library in celebration of National Tea Day. Brewitt Neighborhood Library, 4036 E. Anaheim St. 1-2 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
The Fabulous 50s: Presented by the Long Beach Primetime Players. Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. Fourth St. Noon. 714-269-7496.
Vivaldi Il Veneziano: Presented by Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. First Congregational Church of Long Beach, 241 Cedar Ave. 7:30-9:30 p.m. $40-$80. 562-276-0865, shorturl.at/krxQZ.
Transparent Families Outing: Presented by LGBTQ Center Long Beach. Colorado Lagoon Park, 5119 E. Colorado St. 1-3 p.m. kcoughlin@centerlb.org for more info.
Dirtbags Pre-Game Concert: Presented by Friends of the Recreation Park Bandshell. 701-939 Federation Dr., across from Wilson High School. 4:15 p.m. Free. More info: forpbs.org/dirtbags.
April 21
Educational Symposium: “Jerusalem: Crossroads of Three Abrahamic Faiths.” Presented by South Coast Interfaith Council. The Pointe Conference Center at California State University Long Beach, 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd. 562-983-1665, shorturl.at/ruvyS.
Pop-Up Market: Presented by Rose Park Roaster, 800 Pine Ave. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. roseparkroasters.com.
April 23
Coloring Calm: Meditative Art. Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Harte Neighborhood Library, 1595 W. Willow St. 5:30-6:30 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Networking Luncheon: Presented by Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. Parker’s Lighthouse, 435 Shoreline Drive, Long Beach. 11:30 a.m. $25 for members/$35 for non-members. shorturl.at/hijLO.
Tie-Dye Textiles: Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway. 4-6:30 p.m. 562-570-7500, bitly.ws/CtJx.
April 24
Drag Bingo: The Bungalow, 6400 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 200 7:30 p.m. bitly.ws/RUme.
Movie Trivia Night: Presented by the Art Theatre, 2025 E 4th St. 6:30 p.m. Free. arttheatrelongbeach.org.
Teen Cafe: Tiny Library Desk Listening Sessions. Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library, 5870 Atlantic Ave. 4:30-6 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Teen Matinee: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” Presented by Long Beach Public Library. Los Altos Neighborhood Library, 5614 Britton Drive. 4-5:55 p.m. bitly.ws/CtJx.
Queer Film Club: Presented by the Art Theatre, 2025 E 4th St. 8:30 p.m. Free. arttheatrelongbeach.org.
Ongoing
Book Drive: AOC7 Neighborhood Organization is accepting new and gently used children’s books through April 30. Drop off location: 4362 Atlantic Ave. More info: tinyurl.com/AOC7BookDrive.
Art of Wood Carving: Presented by California Carvers Guild. Meets from 8 a.m. to noon every Monday and Wednesday. Senior Center, 1150 E. Fourth St., Room 207. 562-570-3500.
Club of Harps: The harmonica club for all skill levels meets every Wednesday and Thursday at the Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. Fourth St. 1:30-3 p.m. clubofharps.org.
Accordion Meet-Up: Accordion players (all levels) and listeners are invited to the jam held on the first Saturday of every month at the Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. Fourth St. For more information, contact program coordinator Dave at 310-210-3297.
Exhibit: “Portraits, Figures and Animals from the Artist Journey of Bernette Derpaulian.” Long Beach Playhouse Gallery, 5021 Anaheim St. Runs through April 28. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
“Hamlet”: Adapted by James Rice and Amanda Karr. Long Beach Playhouse Mainstage Theatre, 5021 Anaheim St. $10-$35. Runs thru May 6. shorturl.at/MSW89.
“Hat Box”: Directed by Lola Binks. Garage Theatre, 251 E. Seventh St. $20-$25. Runs thru Apr. 20. bitly.ws/BEY8.
“Million Dollar Quartet”: Presented by Musical Theatre West. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St. Runs through April 28. $23 and up. 562-856-1999, musical.org.
Upcoming
59th Congressional Cup: World championship regatta presented by the Long Beach Yacht Club. Runs April 24-28. For more information: thecongressionalcup.com.
Festival of Great Reads 2024: Presented by Long Beach City College. 1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway. Saturday, April 27. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. festivalofgreatreads.org.
Tiny Film Fest: Saturday, April 27. Short film screenings at the Art Theater, 2025 E. 4th St. $25/program block; $35 for reception and daytime lounge access. tinyfilmfest.org/program.
Celebration of the Young Child: Presented by city of Long Beach. Saturday, April 27. BJK Main Library, 200 W. Broadway. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
7th Annual Touch-A-Truck: Presented by Justin Rudd. Sunday, April 28. 5000 E. Ocean Blvd. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Attendees encouraged to bring peanut butter/canned tuna for donation to local food banks. JustinRudd.com/truck.
Send calendar announcements two weeks prior to the scheduled event to editor@gazettes.com.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
The thirst for good music, romance and a bit of history will be quenched when audiences attend the performance of Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s season-opening production of “Dinah: A Musical Revue.”
“People’s souls are starving for something of substance that they can relate to that won’t kill them,” explained the production’s creator, Ernest McCarty. “This piece means a lot to the people who come to see it, to hear those old sounds and feel the old feelings because the radio isn’t playing Dinah Washington anymore. Where can they go to worship at the throne of Dinah Washington? ‘Dinah: A Musical Revue’ takes people back to that old feeling and those old sounds that they can’t get now.”
The show will run through April 28 at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre’s 3401 Milwaukee Street home in the Hill District. It’s the second time Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company has produced the show. The first time was in 2015.
“I produced this in 2015 right before my accident. This time there is a different cast (except for Delana Flowers, who is reprising the role as Dinah Washington). We have a live band with top musicians in the city—Roger Humphries, Dewayne Dolphin, Dewayne Fulton and Tony Campbell,” said Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Mark Clayton Southers. “Ernest, who wrote the play, was in the production last time and he directed it, but this time I’m directing it. There are 10 new songs. We have swapped songs and this time the show is being performed in our permanent home. It will have a nightclub feel. It takes place in Birdland in New York in the 1960s, so the theater is going to be transformed into a nightclub. It will be a nice night on the town for folks. We’ve been getting good comments from the audience. It’s a really nice atmosphere.”
Flowers told the New Pittsburgh Courier she’s excited to reprise her role as Dinah Washington.
LES HOWARD AS BROOK BENTON AND DELANA FLOWERS AS DINAH WASHINGTON
“When I played Dinah back then, I didn’t have as much relatable experience,” said Flowers, who hails from Lancaster, but has lived in Pittsburgh 18 years and has been acting consistently since she set foot in the Golden Triangle. “Now I can relate more to her. Now I understand trying to fill an internal void. The research I’ve done and having more life experience is going into this performance. I want the audience to recognize that we are all human beings. We see people perform and we think they are wonderful, but they have problems, and they can’t have human experiences in the public eyes. There was a lot of segregation back then and the Black artists had to do a lot to survive. Every time I perform it’s special, I get to share the stage with living legends, and I feel so honored to share the stage with them. I am grateful that they were willing to trust me with this role again. This story is important to our culture, history, and I am grateful for this opportunity.”
TONY CAMPBELL, DWAYNE FULTON, DWAYNE DOLPHIN, ROGER HUMPHRIES
In addition to Flowers reprising her role as the main character, other cast members include former KDKA-TV reporter Royce Jones, Cheryl El-Walker, Katy Cotten, Les Howard, Sam Lothard and Chris Olshefski.
“I’m playing reporter Bob Hunter who does an expose on Dinah Washington,” said Jones, who is making his professional acting debut with the role. “He has one night with her as she prepares for her Birdland performance. He becomes a fly on the wall, and he sees everything. This is the path I wanted to go down before journalism. I believe I was born to entertain. I was ready to jump into this when Mark reached out to me…If you love Dinah Washington and she’s a part of your life, musically you are going to love it. If you are just entering Dinah Washington’s world for the first time, then you are going to have an educational experience. We have to keep our ancestors’ stories alive and our ancestors’ names live for the next generation.”
DINAH WITH THE DINAH-MITES (KATY COTTEN, CHERYL EL-WALKER, DELANA FLOWERS)
“Dinah Washington was about music and singing and songs. I constructed the play around music to put in a little history and I created dialogue that she may have said to fit with the music,” said McCarty, who wrote the play in 2009. “She was a performer and businesswoman in a man’s world who booked herself. She owned herself. She said she was going to book her own self and pay herself 10 percent. She also booked other acts as well at a time when that was uncommon for women. The songstress battled weight, low-self-esteem, and other demons and tragically died of a drug overdose at the age of 39.”
Tickets for “Dinah: A Musical Revue” can be purchased by visiting Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s website at
www.pghplaywrights.org.
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RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
Other members of the list include journalist Connie Walker, entertainer Dua Lipa, entrepreneur Mark Cuban, and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni.
Jenny Holzer
Artist Kiki Smith recalled encountering Holzer’s “Truisms” photostat prints anonymously posted up in New York’s Lower East Side, where they both lived, in the 1970s.
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“We were members of the artist collective Colab and for a time lived in the same building. Jenny used words as agitprop. They were declarative, inflammatory, and provocative. She claimed no authorship but questioned the authority of language. They were rants that exemplified the predicament we faced in New York City in the late ’70s.”
Smith also highlighted the visual artist’s 1989 show at the Guggenheim Museum and the upcoming solo show “Light Lines” opening on May 17. “Jenny has allowed her art to grow by embracing collaboration and new technologies, but her singularity as an artist has always persevered and her work continues to be radical,” Smith wrote.
LaToya Ruby Frazier
Playwright Lynn Nottage said Frazier’s intimate, collaborative photographs of workers across America “force us to confront how disenfranchisement, corporate greed, and government neglect have impacted the lives of people”.
“Her work captures the anxiety, the beauty, and the reality of people negotiating the complexities of life on the brink,” Nottage wrote.
The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner also highlighted Frazier’s upcoming solo show “Monuments of Solidarity” will open at New York’s Museum of Modern Art on May 12. The exhibition will include 100 works spanning two decades of the artist’s career.
Notably, former First Lady Michelle Obama wrote the TIME essay on Golden, the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem. Obama called Golden a “paradigm-shifting curator” who often shocks people who underestimate her based on her short appearance.
“As one of the most influential people in art, Thelma knows the power of flipping an assumption on its head,” Obama wrote, noting Golden’s steadfast work bringing much-needed attention to Black artists and curators through exhibitions at the Studio Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Golden is also a board member of the Barack Obama Foundation, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Crystal Bridges Museum.
Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino described the work of Loewe‘s creative director as “always ahead of the curve.”
“Jonathan is one of the most intelligent, empathetic, and curious people I know, but he also has a wonderful sense of humor, and a capacity not to take himself too seriously,” The director of “Call Me By Your Name” wrote.
Anderson has led high-profile collaborations with artists including Julien Nguyen, Lynda Benglis and Richard Hawkins.
Anderson’s collections often include references to visual art, and the designer’s influence was evident in the brand’s first public exhibition “Crafted World“, currently on display at the Shanghai Exhibition Center until May 5. The exhibition included 150 artworks from the Loewe Art Collection, including items commissioned for fashion shows and an entire room of winning examples from the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, which awards annual prizes of €50,000.
Larry Ellison
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair praised Ellison’s work co-founding the technology company Oracle, and his vision for managing a significant portion of global data.
“Larry has the mind of an engineer, the curiosity of a thousand cats, and the humility to keep learning—which is the chief characteristic of the true changemaker,” Blair wrote.
Ellison, who is still chairman of Oracle’s board, is the fifth wealthiest person in the world. He is also an avid art collector, specializing inancient to early 20th-century Japanese art and late 19th- and early 20th-century European art.
In 2013, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco hosted an exhibition of 60 works of Japanese art from Ellison’s collection, some of them more than 1,000 years old. It was the first time items from Ellison’s private collection were available for public viewing, including a wooden Buddhist sculpture from the 13th century depicting Prince Shōtoku, a figure from Japan’s classical Asuka period.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
Stay in the loop with the Windy City’s biggest news.WBEZ Chicago
Artist Faith Ringgold, who passed away on Saturday at 93, was known for her work in a variety of artforms and for her sometimes jarring political pieces. One of her boldest works depicts the stars of the American flag reading the word “DIE” and the stripes reading the n-word. Titled “Flag For The Moon,” the piecebriefly got the artist arrested for flag desecration when she displayed it in 1970.
“She felt the American government – what they were communicating to Black people – [was] that they could put a flag on the moon but disregard Black lives back in the United States,” said Jamillah James, who curated arecently-closed exhibitof Ringgold’s artwork at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
In honor of Ringgold’s life and work, listen as host Erin Allen talks with James about the political nature of Ringgold’s art and how it serves as a bridge to the work of young Black artists today.
This episode was originally published on Nov. 29, 2023.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
When architects Hadley and Peter Arnold rescued a condemned church in Warren, R.I., they knew the 19th century building was something special. But just how special wasn’t clear until it was time to remodel the church’s windows.
Behind one of the protective storm windows sat the first public stained glass depiction of Jesus as an African American.
A nearly 150-year-old stained-glass window is displayed Monday, May 1, 2023 inside the now-closed St. Mark’s Episcopal church, in Warren, R.I. The nearly 150-year-old stained-glass window from the Rhode Island church that depicts Christ and three New Testament women with dark skin has stirred up questions about race and the place of women in both biblical and 19th century society. (AP Photo/Mark Pratt)
“This building was slated for demolition before Peter and Hadley took on the project. This window could have very well disappeared into oblivion, and we never would have known anything about it,” said Bob Dilworth, an artist and chair of Africana studies at the University of Rhode Island.
Local historians, artists and activists greeted the discovery with enthusiasm and worked with Hadley Arnold to research the window’s past and determine its future.
BNG first reported on the discovery in September 2023.
Now the 1878 stained glass is headed to a new home in Tennessee.
The Arnolds had been seeking a new home where the 12 foot by 5 foot artwork can be appreciated by the public, remain accessible to scholars and be preserved for posterity. They found a kindred spirit in the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
“They said, yes, it’s important historically, yes, in the tradition of stained glass it is unusual, and yes, it is also a living, contemporary piece of public art that could occupy a place in the heart of our community on the banks of the Mississippi” Hadley said. “Of the many conversations we had with museums, that went right to my heart.”
The MBMA, founded in 1916, is the largest and oldest art museum in the mid-South. Located not far from the Civil Rights Museum, the museum has a tradition of supporting Black artists and museum curators. Memphis also is the nation’s largest Black-majority city.
Rendering of new museum space downtown
In 2025, MBMA will complete its move to a new 120,000-square-foot riverfront building as part of a downtown revitalization project. “Memphis’ new museum will be the beating heart of our booming downtown,” said Carl Person, chairman of the museum’s board of directors.
Featuring a theater and gallery space, the new facility is centered around a large public courtyard where the museum will display the stained glass window.
Executive Director Zoe Kahr believes the window will become a “pilgrimage site” in a city where churches played a vital role in the Civil Rights movement.
“The reason we are so excited about this window is the way it could become really the central work of art for our institution,” she said. “We needed the perfect work of art that would say ‘Welcome’ and ‘You should come inside, because there’s so much more to learn here.’”
Part of a collaborative web of regional museums, the MBMA partners with Art Bridges, a national foundation devoted to expanding access to American art for young academics and members of the community.
“The window is not only an important part of history, but a powerful piece of art,” Kahr said.
Although the window is leaving Rhode Island, research on its history and importance will continue in the state thanks to a digital 3D model created by a local specialist using a high-resolution LIDAR scanner. There are also tentative plans to install a life-size replica of the window somewhere in Warren.
“Neighbors are already talking about hiring buses to head to Memphis for the opening,” Hadley Arnold said. “This was crucially important to me from the outset; that even if the window physically departs Rhode Island, its traces continue to activate our minds, hearts and actions.”
A small mining town in rural Brazil might seem an unlikely place for Latin America’s largest open-air museum. Yet, that is where art buffs and curious tourists will find the Instituto Inhotim, a contemporary-art-gallery-cum-botanical-garden nestled among mining-scarred mountains some 60 kilometers outside of Belo Horizonte, the state capital of Minas Gerais.
Everything about Inhotim feels extravagant. Three days can seem insufficient to take in everything the place has to offer. The art is set within a verdant 140-hectare park, where over 4,300 species of plants from all over the world grow among the local Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes. Nearly 600 pieces of contemporary art are on display, some inside the 24 pavilions — many of which are works of art in themselves — others outside, in a carefully thought-out symbiosis with the surrounding environment.
“The relationship between art and nature is at the heart of the creation of Inhotim,” say the curators of one of the museum’s newest exhibitions, Ensaios Sobre Paisagem(Essays on Landscape), a collection of works by four young Brazilian artists.
It is this symbiosis that makes Inhotim magical. Pavilions with mirrored walls cast back the luxuriant vegetation surrounding it. Carefully maintained lakes reflect trees, works of art, and architecturally stunning pavilions. Gallery windows frame palm trees outside as if they were a painting. Giant tree trunks intricately carved into benches, no two alike, invite visitors to take a rest under the canopy.
But not everything about the surrounding environment is paradisiacal.
“We are in a state which has the name of a company, which exported many [commodities] all over the world,” reminded the Minas Gerais-born artist Paulo Nazareth during the recent opening of his first solo exhibition at Inhotim. Literally meaning ‘general mines’, Minas Gerais’ name carries the weight of its history of exploitation of natural resources, which was long dependent on slave labor.
Inhotim does not escape from this reality. A palm-lined road leading up to the park entrance gives visitors a taste of the botanical wonders that lie ahead — but the red dust that cakes the leaves is a very visible reminder of the iron ore extraction that drives the local economy in the town of Brumadinho.
Some of the gallery’s most famous artworks — like Doug Aitken’s Sonic Pavilion, which allows visitors to listen to the sounds of the earth, or Olafur Eliasson’s Viewing Machine, a giant telescope affording a view of the surrounding mountains — engage with the nearby mining industry. Newer exhibits especially, like Mr. Nazareth’s Esconjuro(Exorcise), denounce the damaging exploitation of natural resources. But they almost certainly wouldn’t be there without it.
Paulo Nazareth’s latest exhibition, Esconjuro, at Inhotim. Photo: Instituto Inhotim
‘A sweet fruit with bitter roots’
Indeed, Inhotim is the brainchild of a mining magnate who made a fortune selling pig iron to China. Bernardo Paz acquired a sprawling farm outside Brumadinho in the 1980s, got the renowned landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx to design the gardens, and started housing his growing collection of contemporary art there.
In 2006, Instituto Inhotim opened its doors to the public and very quickly made a name for itself on the international contemporary art circuit, for its installations ambitious in both scope and scale, its showcasing of Brazilian artists like Hélio Oiticica and Lygia Pape alongside big international names, and its work with artists onsite for the creation of commissioned pieces.
Mr. Paz had a vision. He wanted to create a Disneyland, “but serious”, he said in a 2011 interview with O Globo, in which he outlined plans for countless new pavilions and 10 hotels (to this day, there is no accommodation onsite, although a first boutique hotel is due to open in December). He described his gallery as “the greatest social project anyone in the world has ever done” and believed in the transformative power of Inhotim’s beauty — both natural and artistic.
Interviews that Mr. Paz gave over the years painted a picture of an ultra-wealthy man who despised the rich and their flashiness. He believed children and the poor could appreciate art better than the educated elite.
In this spirit, Inhotim has always let Brumadinho residents in for free (as well as being an important source of local jobs) and welcomed school groups. A lot of the art is interactive — such as swimming pools in which visitors can swim and rooms filled with balloons or hammocks — and delights children.
But the image of the shy, quixotic billionaire with a utopian project was shattered in 2017 when Mr. Paz was sentenced to nine years in prison for money laundering. He was accused of having used an account intended for Inhotim donations to move USD 98.5 million between 2007 and 2008 to meet obligations in his portfolio of mining companies. He was separately found guilty of tax evasion.
The following year, a Bloomberg Businessweek exposé entitled ‘The Financial Crimes That Fueled Brazil’s Inhotim Museum’ outlined the financial and legal issues that had dogged Inhotim from the start and alleged that one of Mr. Paz’s mining companies had committed environmental crimes and used child labor (the company in question, Replasa, denied the allegations).
In a 2018 interview with The Art Newspaper, the Brazilian artist Delson Uchôa described Inhotim as a “sweet fruit with bitter roots”.
A non-profit private institution largely funded by Mr. Paz, Inhotim was struggling financially amid this reputational imbroglio when Brumadinho suffered the deadliest mining accident in Brazilian history: in January 2019, the Córrego do Feijão tailings dam burst, unleashing 12 million cubic metres of toxic waste which flattened villages and killed 272 people. Inhotim was spared material damage, but took a further financial hit as visitor numbers plunged.
A new chapter
Five years and a Covid pandemic later, the gallery appears to be on firmer footing. Mr. Paz’s money-laundering conviction was quashed in 2020, following which he said he planned to concentrate on his art. The septuagenarian nonetheless detached himself from the institute, having previously stepped down as executive director; two years ago, he donated the 140-hectare park and 330 works from his collection to Inhotim.
Today, he remains involved as president of the advisory board (formed in 2022), but some visitors are unaware that they are wandering through what was once one man’s private garden and art collection.
The gallery has also embraced a growing movement to decolonize art, making a conscious effort to work with traditionally under-represented artists. A temporary exhibition inaugurated in 2022 hosts the Museu de Arte Negra (Black Art Museum), giving life to a longstanding dream of the late artist and civil rights activist Abdias do Nascimento. The star of this year’s new season of exhibitions is O Barco / The Boat, an installation by Portuguese multi-artist Grada Kilomba that recreates the bowels of a slave ship and questions the erasure of the history of transatlantic slavery.
“This is a new moment, a new cycle for Inhotim,” said Paula Azevedo, the institute’s executive director, during a press conference inaugurating the new exhibitions.
The ideal of democratizing art persists. The entrance fee is a relatively modest BRL 50 (about USD 10) and visits are free on Wednesdays. Gallery staff — many of them young Brumadinhenses — are encouraged to also enjoy the art. Earlier this month, employees in monochrome t-shirts packed into the press presentation of the dance performance accompanying Ms. Kilomba’s installation. One young woman expressed how inspiring it was to see a black woman like her “go so far”.
At the same time, the contradictions that underpin Inhotim since its creation nearly 20 years ago have not gone away. One of its biggest backers is mining giant Vale, with whom the institute signed a BRL 400 million sponsorship deal last year — funding this year’s new exhibits and allowing Inhotim to let visitors in for free once a week. Vale is one of the companies responsible for the mining accident that devastated Brumadinho and for which justice is yet to be served.
Some might say this dichotomy is the price to pay for the existence of such a unique place.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
Manhattan was the capital of the twentieth century and Harlem as the Mecca of the New Negro helped to make it so. In Black Manhattan (1930), James Weldon Johnson, poet and NAACP executive secretary, recounts Negro Harlem’s coming into being as a real estate speculation story. He makes it seem as though Negroes were eager to be bought out and leave the Tenderloin district as plans for Pennsylvania Station at the beginning of the twentieth century assured their displacement. Meanwhile, by 1905 Harlem, with its yacht club and opera house, had been overbuilt. Housing was going unrented, unsold. Negroes, in Johnson’s history, seized the chance to live in new apartment houses and to purchase handsome dwellings. As Negro Harlem spread, German Jews and Anglo-Saxons left: “They felt that Negroes as neighbours not only lowered the values of their property but also lowered their social status.” Negro Harlem spread quickly from its hub along West 135th Street and kept on expanding.
Migration made Harlem. Many “aliens” went back to Europe with the outbreak of World War I, Johnson observes. Most importantly, no immigration meant an interruption in the supply of labor in the North. Manufacturers sent recruitment agents south to persuade Negro workers to move, and they came north in their hundreds of thousands, Johnson says. What he does not say is that they were not only in search of better opportunities, they were also escaping the violence of the South.
Johnson makes distinctions among Negro migrants, arguing that New York got a population better prepared for city life than, say, Chicago did. But the effects of congestion on the existing housing stock, the comparatively low wages and high rents for Harlem’s Negro residents, the general youth of the newcomers—these factors are not a part of the story Johnson tells, still in the flush of the Negro Awakening. For Johnson, the history of the Negro people in New York—the deadly riot against them in 1900, the Silent Parade down Fifth Avenue to protest lynching in 1917—leads to scenes of triumph. Negro soldiers back from the war in 1919 paraded up Fifth Avenue, in the opposite direction of the lynching protest parade. Harlem was not a ghetto in Johnson’s view but a destination, an achievement, a secure, settled Negro area with an established community life.
He is proud of Harlem’s reputation in the 1920s as a place for laughing, singing, and dancing, with “lines of taxicabs and limousines standing under the sparkling lights.” It is famous for its colorful, exotic, sensuous life. “The people who live there are by nature a pleasure-loving people,” strolling, socializing, chattering. Even its dozens and dozens of churches are for dressing up and flirtation. The bourgeoisie and the underworld alike bask in Harlem’s “sense of humour and a love of gaiety.” Black Manhattan is cultural history, not sociology, a celebration of Harlem’s theaters, nightclubs, and low haunts. Johnson is enthusiastic about the cultural progress that Harlem represents: Negro artists as the makers of song and dance; Negro actors finding a place on the legitimate stage and movie screens; Negro musicians heard on the radio and in the “phonograph” industry.
“The most outstanding phase of the development of the Negro in the United States during the past decade has been the recent literary and artistic emergence of the individual creative artist,” Johnson writes, “and New York has been, almost exclusively, the place where that emergence has taken place.” While sacred songs, blues, jazz, and folklore were no longer “racial” but “wholly national,” because they had been so thoroughly absorbed, the rising feeling among Negro artists strikes Johnson as such a departure that it seems “like a sudden awakening, like an instantaneous change.” A new wave of poets and novelists had overthrown the plantation tradition and the stereotypes in subject matter that were also national in character. No more banjos, possums, or watermelon. The rural past had been exchanged for the urban future. “What they did was to attempt to express what the masses of their race were then feeling and thinking and wanting to hear. They attempted to make these masses articulate,” Johnson writes.
Marcus Garvey brought to the US his message of race pride, “Africa for the Africans: At Home and Abroad”; W.E.B. Du Bois poured the scorn of his revisionist insights and original concepts on America’s history; and in the aftermath of World War I the supposed rationalism of Western societies was dismissed as delusional. The overthrow of racial stereotypes involved the appropriation of some of them. Characteristics that had been viewed as evidence of the limitations of Negro culture in America were turned into virtues: the spiritual endowments of the Negro soul. Langston Hughes vowed that his generation would express their dark-skinned selves without apology.
Johnson was older than the Harlem Renaissance writers and artists he welcomed, while elders such as Du Bois and the social historian Benjamin Brawley disapproved of this literature when it seemed to appeal to prurient interest in the low-down aspects of Negro life. However, when it comes to the visual arts, Johnson is reserved, as he also is about the Negro classical composers of his time. He acknowledges that Aaron Douglas of the “Harlem group” has won some recognition for his black-and-white drawings and as a book illustrator. Yet in spite of his “marked originality,” neither Douglas nor the new sculptors at work have, Johnson says, matched the accomplishments of Henry Ossawa Tanner and the Negro artists of the previous generation. Tanner, born before the Civil War, was still alive during the Harlem Renaissance.
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Alain Locke, the philosopher sometimes referred to as the godfather of the Harlem Renaissance, edited The New Negro: An Interpretation (1925), the anthology of poems, dramas, stories, and essays on Negro heritage, music, and art that was a herald of the new era. The Negro people had broken free and taken possession of their humanity. For Locke, the necessary militancy for self-assertion depended on discovery of the cultural past. While he is confident about music, poetry, and dance, he, like Johnson, is concerned that “there have been notably successful Negro artists, but no development of a school of Negro art.” The individual artist cannot be dictated to, “but from the point of view of our artistic talent in bulk…we ought and must have a school of Negro art, a local and racially representative tradition.”
African art could show that “the Negro is not a cultural foundling without his own inheritance.” The “portraitistic idiom” was not what young Negro artists should learn from; African art, which “is at its best in abstract decorative forms,” must teach them. Locke is thinking primarily of the sculpture that had captured the attention of contemporary European artists. “It is this aspect of the folk tradition, this slumbering gift of the folk temperament that most needs reachievement and re-expression,” even though African art, rigid, controlled, disciplined, and ruled by conventions, was the exact opposite of free and exuberant “Aframerican” art, in his view.1
When Johnson and Locke were writing, the Harlem Renaissance artists had not yet fully emerged. They’d scarcely had the time to. Interestingly enough, Locke changed his mind about the “portraitistic idiom” in the 1930s, when, as the artist and scholar David C. Driskell has informed us, representational art became associated with conservatism, as opposed to the Modernist aesthetic of European art. For Locke, the 1930s were a time when “American art was rediscovering the Negro.” There was a place for Aframerican artists and sympathetic depictions of their people in American Scene art and social realism and in the Public Works of Art Project and the Federal Art Project of the WPA.2
The Harlem Renaissance is supposed to have ended by the time the WPA and other New Deal programs went into effect. The stock market crash of 1929 discouraged thrill seekers from coming uptown, but for Langston Hughes in his first autobiography, The Big Sea (1940), the end of the “gay times of the New Negro era in Harlem” came with the funeral in 1931 of A’Lelia Walker, heiress and hostess, the “joy-goddess” of Harlem. “I had a swell time while it lasted. But I thought it wouldn’t last long…. For how could a large and enthusiastic number of people be crazy about Negroes forever?”
Johnson asked in Black Manhattan how long the Negro would be able to hold on to Harlem. In his autobiography, Along This Way (1933), the tourists may have stopped coming, but Harlem remained the capital of Negro race consciousness. The day Ralph Ellison arrived in New York in 1936 he ran into Hughes. Ellison considered himself a musician but studied sculpture for a short time with Richmond Barthé and stayed with him in Greenwich Village until he could get on his feet. He went back to Harlem and soon met Richard Wright. In 1938 Wright likened Negro writing of the past to servile petitioners. The folklore that addressed the Negro had not yet been caught in paint or stone, he added. Ellison, too, was then in his leftist phase and hurt Hughes’s feelings by criticizing The Big Sea in a review for what he saw as its lack of intellectual range. Their generation was making some of the same bold pronouncements that Hughes’s had.
During the civil rights era, another upsurge in mass consciousness, a new cool generation was promising itself that it would not make the mistakes of its elders. James Baldwin hardly mentioned the Harlem Renaissance in his writing, though Countee Cullen had been his French teacher in junior high school. Harold Cruse, looking back in The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual (1967), lamented that apart from Du Bois, who concluded that all art was propaganda, Negro intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance had failed to understand cultural revolution as a political demand. Moreover, they had allowed cultural paternalism, whether in the form of Fifth Avenue philanthropy or Marxist theory, to distract them from the nationalist goals that Cruse argued should be what Negro intellectuals concern themselves with. “After all, who shall describe Beauty?” Du Bois asked.
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Who? The artists themselves, replies the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism.” The painting and sculpture that Johnson and Locke hoped for and that Wright missed are on abundant, vibrant display, together with several graphic works, a great number of photographs, and a double-sided screen showing dance on film. It can’t be an exhibition dedicated to a school of Negro art, or even a tradition of it, because there isn’t just one. If anything, the exhibition liberates the individual African American artist. It says how eclectic the past is in its artistic practices and styles. It is a history lesson, one that reminds us that we are as far from the beginnings of Modernism as Modernism was from the Romantic era.
Then, too, the protests of the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition in response to the 1969 Met exhibition “Harlem on My Mind: The Cultural Capital of Black America, 1900–1968” had a lasting effect. The exhibition, which included photographs, photomurals, and documentation, seemed unmediated, insufficiently explained. Moreover, it offered no separate work by African American artists. (Blown-up reproductions of Van der Zee and Gordon Parks photographs were incorporated into the wall decoration.) However, exhibitions that followed in the 1970s and 1980s, such as “Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America”at the Studio Museum of Harlem in 1987, were intended to draw attention to African American artists of the past, to give visibility to work that had not been widely viewed. After Paul Gilroy’s cultural study The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness (1993), there was more interest in “hybridity” than “ethnic absolutism” as the aesthetic journey of a diasporic people. “Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance,” an exhibition first mounted at the Hayward Gallery in London in 1997, explored the global significance of the visual, literary, and musical works of the period.
“The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism”brings a similar but sharper perspective to the participants in the Negro Awakening and their international reach. “The New Negro artistic and literary community, while predominantly African American, was never either exclusively Black or American,” Denise Murrell writes in the fascinating catalog of the show. (As a curator, Murrell contributed to Le Modèle noir de Géricault à Matisse, the catalog of the unforgettable 2019 exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay. She also contributed as the curator to Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet and Matisse to Today, the catalog of an exhibition at Columbia University’s Wallach Art Gallery that same year. That exhibition, unlike the Paris show, focused on the female figure.) In addition to Murrell’s exhaustive introduction, which places the diverse works on view at the Met in a historical setting, the catalog features essays on different and sometimes unexpected aspects of the New Negro movement, such as gambling imagery, Harlem’s relation to the Dutch Caribbean, its influence on artists from the Antilles, the parades, the importance of the gay sensibility to what was then going on, and a survey of past exhibitions about the Harlem Renaissance.
The show opens with portraits of key figures of the period. Among them are the splendid, delicate likenesses of Alain Locke and Langston Hughes done in 1925 by Winold Reiss. (There is also a plaster head of Hughes done by the Cuban artist Teodoro Ramos Blanco sometime in the 1930s.) Given the scope of the exhibition, it isn’t a surprise to come across works on paper by Picasso (Minotaur and Woman, 1937; “Negro, negro, negro…,” Portrait of Aimé Césaire, Laureate,1949); paintings by Matisse (Aïcha and Lorette, 1917; Dame à la robe blanche, 1946; L’Asie, 1946), along with a drawing (Madagascar, 1943) and an etching (Martiniquaise, 1946); Miguel Covarrubias’s lovely Black Woman Wearing a Blue Hat and Dress (1927); and Jacob Epstein’s 1928 head of Paul Robeson.
The unfamiliar and unknown get to be seen. For instance, the Dutch painter Nola Hatterman’s striking portrait of the handsome sports figure Louis Richard Drenthe from 1930. Kees van Dongen (White Feathers, 1910–1912) is mentioned in The New Negro as one of the European painters influenced by African art. Jan Adriaan Donker Duyvis, born in Indonesia, introduces many viewers to a Surinamese author in his pastel-on-paper portrait of Anton de Kom. In Ballet Dancers in the Attic Rotunda, Paris Opéra (1942), the French artist Yves Brayer captures in broad strokes the fellow feeling of three dancers resting. And how many visitors to the Met will know Edvard Munch’s Abdul Karim with a Green Scarf (1916)? Munch met Karim when he was sketching a traveling circus in Oslo, made several portraits of him, and hired him to be his studio assistant.
Charles Henry Alston’s painting Girl in a Red Dress (1934) has been frequently reproduced. One of the intense pleasures of the exhibition is the sense of meeting works in person, so to speak. Some artists are represented by a single work, and it is unfair to rush through the names: Germaine Casse’s Rade de Pointe à Pitre (1920), Suzanna Ogunjami’s Full-Blown Magnolia (1935), William Artis’s Woman with Kerchief (1939), Ernest Crichlow’s ambiguous painting Anyone’s Date (1940), Margaret Taylor Goss-Burroughs’s lithograph Friends (1942). Maybe this exhibition is trying to give them their due. Elizabeth Catlett’s Head of a Woman (Woman) (1942–1944), executed before she moved to Mexico, suggests the impact of Picasso on her social realism. The number of women artists in the exhibition raises the question of why there is nothing in it by Loïs Mailou Jones, one of the few women, if not the only woman, in past Harlem Renaissance shows.
We know Beauford Delaney through his friendships with Baldwin and Henry Miller. He eschewed rigidity of form, as illustrated in his hallucinatory male nude seated on a bed, Dark Rapture (1941). Richard Bruce Nugent, naughty barefoot boy of the Harlem Renaissance, has made the cut with three drawings, a self-portrait and two from his 1930 Salome series. Four paintings by Malvin Gray Johnson, all dated around 1934, reflect a Cubist influence: Elks Marching, Jenkins Band, Harmony, and one of his best-known works, Self-Portrait. His lover, the muralist Earle Richardson, committed suicide less than a year after Johnson’s untimely death in 1934. The male nude was one of Richmond Barthé’s strongest subjects as a sculptor. His realism concentrates on masculinity as grace of movement in his bronze nudes of the Senegalese dancer Féral Benga (1935) and a Cuban boxer called Chocolate (1942).
Harlem Renaissance artists were for the most part trained, and somehow many of them traveled in order to look at art. The dream of France is most touchingly indicated by Hale Woodruff’s landscape Twilight (circa 1926), done when he was still trying to study in Indianapolis, where he probably had few opportunities to see Impressionist works.
Impressionism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, the New Objectivity—African American artists saw a great deal in Europe. But David Driskell said that the work of Aaron Douglas was unrelated to any school and was best characterized as “geometric symbolism.” Albert Barnes had shown Douglas his collection of African art. Douglas’s compositions—The Creation (1935), Noah Built the Ark (1935), Let My People Go (circa 1935–1939), The Judgment Day (1939), Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery to Reconstruction (1934), and Building More Stately Mansions (1944)—are “spatially flat,” the human forms rendered as silhouettes, stylized and angular, like jazz itself. He was a star of the Harlem Renaissance and is a climactic moment in the Met exhibition. Driskell regrets that Douglas’s most original work was his murals and illustrations, while his easel paintings, such as his prim Miss Zora Neale Hurston (1926), are mostly in the realistic style. Edwin Harleston painted a portrait of Aaron Douglas in the naturalist style in 1930.
Douglas’s peer Palmer Hayden can be unreliable in his imagery. While in the traditional still life Fétiche et Fleurs (1932) he places a Gabonese Fang head atop a piece of Kuba textile on the table next to flowers, signaling the influence of African art that Locke called for, The Janitor Who Paints (circa 1937) is perhaps misleading in its naiveté. The janitor in profile on the right bent over his work wears a beret, the broom and duster of his day job hang on the wall behind him, and on the brighter left side of the painting is a smiling woman holding a child, maybe his family. However, Mary Schmidt Campbell tells us that “an X-ray scanning of the painting performed by the National Museum of American Art shows quite another point of view of the aspiring janitor.” He is “a grinning monkey with fleshy lips and a head that has been distorted into a bulletlike shape.” Mother and child are minstrel figures, and there is a portrait of Lincoln on the wall. Hayden painted it over in 1939. His mysterious Nous quatre à Paris (circa 1930), showing four men interrupted at cards in a pool hall and looking around suspiciously, troubled some of his peers because their thick lips straddled a line between old caricature and African mask. Hayden conformed to the need for an unconditionally positive outlook in his later work, as in the collage-like Beale Street Blues (1943).
Private collection
Archibald J. Motley Jr.: Blues, 1929
Archibald Motley, also of Douglas’s generation, lived in Chicago, not Harlem. Because there is more of his work in the exhibition, we get a more vivid sense of his development than we do of most of the other artists. We can follow him from the realism of Self-Portrait (1920), Portrait of the Artist’s Father (circa 1922), and Uncle Bob (1928) to the carefully rendered details of costume and skin tone in The Octoroon Girl (1925) and Brown Girl after the Bath (1931). Yet what Motley is best known for are his formally inventive genre scenes: Café, Paris (1929), Jockey Club (1929), Dans la rue (1929), and Blues (1929). Nightlife (1943) shows how crowded his scenes are, how controlled his variations on a single hue, how detailed and seductive to the eye.
The Harlem Renaissance artists understood what Locke meant about the importance of African art. The San Francisco sculptor Sargent Johnson wanted to reveal the beauty of the Negro to the Negro and fashioned copper masks from West African prototypes. The folkloric in the Philadelphia artist Horace Pippin’s The Artist’s Wife (1936) or Self-Portrait II (1944) and in the Harlem-born photographer and painter Roy DeCarava’s Pickets (1946) tends toward the abstract, or is a substitute for it. Jacob Lawrence was still a teenager when he took classes at the Harlem Community Art Center in 1937, whose principal was the artist Augusta Savage. Lawrence’s Pool Parlor (1942) and The Photographer (1942) have that then-new folk element, while Savage’s realistic bronze head, Gamin (1929), and her symbolist ensemble Lift Every Voice and Sing (The Harp) (1939) could be said to convey the aspirations of Negro youth.
William H. Johnson, also of Douglas’s generation, lived in Europe and North Africa from 1926 until 1938. He moved to Denmark after the war, until madness toward the end of his life sent him to a New York hospital. He transformed his Expressionist technique through the use of unrestricted colors and simplicity of form into a folk art that seemed to grow from African American soil: Man in a Vest (1939–1940), a now famous image, Street Life, Harlem (circa 1939–1940), Jitterbugs II (circa 1941), Jitterbugs V (circa 1941–1942), or Moon Over Harlem (1943–1944), to name a few examples. There was a time when the abstract was seen as an escape from the burdens of social commentary, a choice that would make African American artists as free as any other American artists, but it is noticeable how predominant the representational is throughout the exhibition, how absent the purely abstract. It ends with the Met-owned multipanel The Block (1971) by Romare Bearden, done in different media, which shows a varied, self-contained ghetto street life already receding into the historical. None of Bearden’s earlier work is included. In the 1950s he fell out with the goals of the Harlem Renaissance but later changed his mind.
Three of Winold Reiss’s portraits from the 1920s have to do with education: one is of two public school teachers, the other of a college graduate depicted with two children—the future. And then there is Du Bois himself. Samuel Joseph Brown Jr.’s Smoking My Pipe (1934), Mrs. Simmons (circa 1936), Girl in Blue Dress (1936), and Self-Portrait (circa 1941) speak to a feeling about representing the race as well as the class of the subjects. John N. Robinson’s Mr. and Mrs. Barton (1942) depicts more modest people, but certainly the Jamaican-born sculptor Ronald Moody’s portrait Dr. Harold A. Moody (1946) and Archibald Motley’s Portrait of a Cultured Lady (Edna Powell Gayle) (1948) carry an atmosphere of recognizing Negro achievement.
Laura Wheeler Waring made a portrait of James Weldon Johnson in 1943, five years after his death, which may account for the tiny aspiring figures looking heavenward in the background. She did covers for The Crisis but was eclipsed in memory by Aaron Douglas’s radical cover illustrations in the 1920s. The exhibition includes Waring’s Girl in Pink Dress (circa 1927), Girl with Pomegranate (1940), Girl in Green Cap (1943), and her full-length portrait Marian Anderson (1944), which brings to mind the singer’s humble confession in her autobiography that when on tour she ironed her own gowns. “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism” brings Waring the attention she has not enjoyed since her solo exhibition at Howard University in 1948.
The historian Carter G. Woodson in A Century of Negro Migration (1918) noted that the Negro middle class in the South began to flee the violence there in the 1890s, a decade or so before the first mass migrations began. Ida B. Wells had already documented in The Red Record (1895) how terror was used to suppress the nascent southern Negro middle class. The phrase frequently used these days, “the politics of respectability,” fails to take into account that this middle class acted as a vanguard, militantly pursuing what the majority American culture did not want its members to have: the confidence of self-won success. From this perspective, the elements of protest, pride, and defiance in the Victorian-seeming Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller’s small sculptures In Memory of Mary Turner as a Silent Protest Against Mob Violence (1919) and Maquette for “Ethiopia Awakening” (1921) are fully restored, even if they do not seem as African-inspired as the catalog would have it. She stands between Tanner and the Harlem Renaissance generation.
Civil rights organizations and publications and philanthropic foundations supported African American visual artists before the Harlem Renaissance, but the William E. Harmon Foundation’s annual exhibitions and awards in New York held a special place as a showcase for the talents of New Negro artists. After the foundation discontinued the awards program in 1933, colleges and universities such as Howard, Clark, Talladega, the Hampton Institute, Atlanta University, and the Tuskegee Institute became even more important as repositories for art by African Americans, centers of conservation and preservation.3 (Much has survived in family hands.) This historical responsibility was why people were distressed by the news that financially troubled Fisk University had quietly sold in 2010, along with a Rockwell Kent painting, Florine Stettheimer’s painting of a segregated beach, Asbury Park South (1920).4 It was seen as a violation of the terms of the Alfred Stieglitz collection given by Georgia O’Keeffe. In 2012 Fisk reached an agreement to share the collection with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were the only places where the work of certain African American artists could be seen, particularly the murals that were important commissions. No doubt this is why the Met exhibition includes work finished long after the Harlem Renaissance had officially ended. “There is continuity in Negro life,” an older, wiser Ellison said.
Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts found a sad, sad place in her book Harlem Is Nowhere (2011), but as David Adjaye’s new Studio Museum in Harlem nears completion, the real estate market resented and dreaded by the Harlemites whom Rhodes-Pitts interviewed has made Harlem less and less a metaphor, a world within a world, a “metonym of tribalized (read Black) urban space,” as Greg Tate called it.5 Cultural memory has become portable in the meantime. There isn’t a Negro school of art, but the subjects of the exhibition—with the exception of a faceless redhead in Yves Brayer’s trio of ballet dancers and three blonde students among the throng in the devotional painter Allan Rohan Crite’s School’s Out (1936)—are all people of color (as if a person could be discolored, Thoreau said). Color remains a unifying principle, a theme. The photographs in “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism” are interspersed between the paintings; they are everywhere, by many, but those by James van der Zee exude the qualities of the secure, settled place of established community life that gave James Weldon Johnson hope. They just glow.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
With Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter well into its second week at the top of the Billboard charts, the internet is rife with as many hot takes and opinions as 4×4 pickups at a Jason Aldean show.
Absorbing the litany of influences, references and storylines on the 27-track Cowboy Carter takes more than a couple spins around the turntable.
The album is a lot to process. “But so is being Black in America,” said singer-songwriter Crys Matthews, who writes social-justice folk music that reflects her lived experience as a queer Black woman from the South.
Crys Matthews
Cowboy Carter has been called “overstuffed,” “botched” and “weird” but according to Matthews, the album is best described as “a love letter to Black America.” It’s a perspective that relegates many reviewers and a whole lot of armchair commenters to the role of interlopers.
“It is a conversation from Beyonce to a very specific segment of her audience,” Matthews said, with “other bits of it that are kind of like the call in for everybody else.”
Like a lipstick kiss on a scented envelope, the insider dialogue in Cowboy Carter begins as public-facing imagery. The album’s red-white-and-blue, America-forward cover art prompted Washington Post pop music critic Chris Richards to suggest Beyonce traded her BLM-era activism on an album he compared to “a GOP campaign event.”
“Anytime anybody tries to discredit the patriotism of Black Americans, it’s almost a dog whistle in and of itself,” Matthews said. “Folks always forget that people who look like me fought and died for this country.”
Taylor Crumpton, a music, pop culture and politics writer from Dallas, says reactions to the release of the cover art resulted in “one of the worst the days” she’s had during her 15 years on Twitter. The relationship between Black people and the American flag is “contentious,” Crumpton said. It is a difficult time for a Black person to hold a flag when so much in the political climate is “affecting people that look like us.”
Yet, Beyoncé’s cover image can be a “two in one,” Crumpton said. She can hold a flag “out of remembrance in history while also thinking about how harmful it is current day.”
The motivation for many Black people to enlist in the military was “to be seen as an American,” Crumpton said.
Taylor Crumpton
The tension where Beyoncé sits is the same tightrope most African Americans navigate: Being perceived as “not American” by certain segments of society while also living alongside parents, grandparents and other Black veterans who served in the armed forces, said Crumpton, whose grandfather was a veteran.
The first person of African descent arrived in Texas in 1528. Yet, Crumpton observes, Black people still remain in what she calls a “citizenless state.”
Struggling to carve out territory in spaces they have always been in constitutes the throughline in the African American story — making it unsurprising that Black artists struggle to find real estate on the country charts.
“I’m a Black Southerner, born and raised in southeastern North Carolina. And for some reason, I always have to caveat anytime I sing a song that sounds exactly like where I grew up,” Matthews explained.
“My hometown is so rural it does not get much more country,” she said. “But I’m also the daughter of an AME preacher. So of course, there’s soul music and gospel music up there as well.”
The confluence of genres onCowboy Carter sounds, to Matthew’s ear, exactly like the soundtrack she imagines for a late Millennial growing up in Houston. “This album probably looks exactly like what her iPod looks like. She’s singing her lived experience as a Black Southerner, her lived experience as a Black Texan.”
Hunter Kelly, the host of PROUD Radio on Apple Music Country, says his view of country music, its origins and the fluid nature of the genre has “expanded” significantly in recent years. Kelly has worked in country music since 2005, but it wasn’t until he worked for a country music website in 2016 that he began to see how insular the genre could be.
Until that point, Kelly lived in a space where he was able to interview and platform conservative country artists by rationalizing, “my parents are Southern Baptist evangelicals in Alabama. I can talk this language and do it.” After the 2016 election, however, listener comments alerted him to a toxic shift: “Everything got so heightened and everything came to the fore.”
“Nothing’s more sacred than what’s most white, and that would be country music.”
“Nothing’s more sacred than what’s most white, and that would be country music,” Matthews said.
Despite country music’s deep African roots, it’s no accident that the genre became whitewashed. Cold War Country by Joseph M. Thompson recounts how Music Row business leaders in Nashville created partnerships with the Pentagon, ultimately “fueling divisions over the meaning of patriotism,” according to the book description on the publisher’s website.
“When you have Black people being country, we’re not thinking about it as a byproduct of Music Row and the Pentagon to create this product, to encourage servicemen to do things for their country,” Crumpton said.
Hunter Kelly
With country music “well-preserved as this incredibly insular idea of whiteness and white exceptionalism,” Matthews isn’t surprised that white country music fans would be outraged that Beyoncé dabbled in a genre over which they feel ownership.
Yet that myopic view has made mainstream country music one-dimensional and formulaic.
“The Beyonce album addresses for me one of my chief issues with mainstream country music, which is just lack of diversity and sound even, and just lack of creativity, and also lack of knowledge of what’s come before,” Kelly said.
Part of embracing that diversity is understanding that the idea of “country” can be read as a kind of shorthand, Crumpton said. “When Black people in the United States say ‘county,’ it’s more of a catchall for identity. And that could be country music, or it could be the country of the United States.”
The concept embodies the idea that James Baldwin advocated, Matthews added. “Because we love America, it’s our job to criticize America to make it what it should be.”
And in doing that work, Beyonce’s own identity has been open for scrutiny.
Despite including up-and-coming performers Willie Jones, Shaboozey and Reyna Roberts, as well the women who sing with her on cover of Paul McCartney’s “Blackbiird” (the double “i” is a motif on the album signifying that it is Act II for three planned albums), Matthews says fans have been critical of Beyoncé “for not doing enough uplift for Black country artists.”
Yet, Matthews says many of the independent artists featured on Cowboy Carter are people she’s actually met. “These are people who could not have imagined in their wildest dream singing on a Beyonce track.” Expecting Beyoncé to “wave a magic wand and right every wrong” is “disheartening,” she said. “Who do we ever put that on other than Black women?”
“That term is still used to remind her that she’s a Black woman, regardless of all.”
Crumpton sees yet another form of stereotyping at play. Of all the slurs that have been used historically against Black women, the earliest is “the Jezebel” she noted. “And the Jezebel, for those who know who grew up in the church, like myself, like Beyonce, we’re encouraged to not be like her.”
“In the context of Beyonce, who has embodied the American dream and has become an archetype for so many Black women, and women across the United States to emulate, that term is still used to remind her that she’s a Black woman, regardless of all,” Crumpton said. “That term seems to be the most applicable to what she’s experiencing, because it’s so much about her blackness and so much about her womanhood and that intersection.”
Country music has been “terrible for women overall,” Crumpton said. “Misogyny has always taken away from women’s brilliance and excellence across the board.” But misogynoir — misogyny directed at Black women — “is even more insidious because it’s like not only can a woman not be great, but a Black woman cannot be excellent.”
Yet Crumpton also sees Béyonce using the stereotype to her advantage. “She also plays with the Jezebel stereotype, not only thinking about wickedness and sexuality and sensuality, but almost using it like a trojan horse.”
And if it is a Jezebel that brings down the patriarchal structures in country music, Crumpton is fine with that. In an essay she penned for Time magazine, she wrote: “It is time for the church girl and the Jezebel to be seen as one in the same. It is time for the structures that govern and police Black women’s bodies to die.”
Hunter Kelly, who now spends his time elevating marginalized voices on his podcast, says the project has been a reminder and opportunity to “let artists of color, and especially Black women, lead.”
Cynthia Vacca Davis directs the journalism program at Christopher Newport University. She is a longtime journalist, writing about faith and reporting community news for several outlets in the Hampton Roads area. She’s the author of Intersexion: A Story of Faith, Identity, and Authenticity from Lake Drive Books. Learn more at cynthiavaccadavis.com or on Instagram @cynthia_vacca_davis.
Earth Day, April 22, is observed in advance with events April 20-21 in the San Fernando Valley and elsewhere. Check out how you can participate in the 9th annual City Nature Challenge, April 26-29, in Los Angeles County and other areas, nhm.org/city-nature-challenge. In the photo: An almost camouflaged lizard hides under a bush on the Etiwanda Falls Trail on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in Rancho Cucamonga. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
EVENTS
Saddle Up SENSES Block Party – Old Town Newhall: Santa Clarita’s kickoff to the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival (April 20-21), 7 p.m. April 18. The Western-theme evening event includes music, activities, an on-street bar and food trucks. Free admission. Old Town Newhall, Main Street, between Sixth and Market streets. Upcoming SENSES Block Parties: third Thursday of the month through October (theme varies per month). oldtownnewhall.com/senses-block-party/
Pasadena Showcase House of Design: The Potter Daniels Manor, an English Tudor Revival Style estate, is the location of the 59th showcase of interior and exterior designers with tours on selected dates, April 21-May 19 in Pasadena. Minimum age: 10 (including infants). Tour tickets are timed entry on selected dates through May 19: $40 (1:30-4 p.m.); $50 (9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.); $35 (“Happy Hour,” 4 p.m. to closing). Parking and shuttles are off-site at Explorer Road Parking lot, intersection of North Windsor Avenue and Ventura Street, Altadena. The official unveiling is at “Premiere Night,” 4 p.m. April 19 ($300; reservations required). Proceeds from the event go to fund three music programs. The 2024 designers: pasadenashowcase.org/showcase-house/#designers. 626-606-1600. pasadenashowcase.org. Details and to purchase tickets: pasadenashowcase.org/tickets/#plan
LA Sanitation and Environment Earth Day LA 2024 – Los Angeles vs Plastics: The event includes conservation and sustainability workshops, plant and tree giveaways (while supplies last), vehicle exhibits, customer service information, entertainment, a children’s zone, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 20. Bring your own refillable water bottle to this “zero waste” event. North Hollywood Water Conveyance Yard, 10801 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood. Scroll down to the Earth Day section: lacitysan.org. Registration requested (but not required) on Eventbrite; details on free lunch (while supplies last): tinyurl.com/4smah64u
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival: The festival celebrates cowboy culture plus Santa Clarita Valley’s ties to cowboy/western films made in the area — and, of course, movie star William S. Hart — with three music stages (cowboy, country, folk, bluegrass performances), the New Buffalo Soldiers and their horses, living history areas, line dance lessons, a pioneer activities corner, food and vendors, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 20-21. The 2024 event has special concerts and events, most off-site, that require a purchased ticket and reservation; see details: tinyurl.com/3wzksmzk. Free festival general admission on April 20-21 ($100 VIP ticket that includes lunch and reserved seating at the festival’s Mane stage). Use the festival’s free shuttle site for parking: 22400 13th St., Santa Clarita (shuttle hours: 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. April 20; 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. April 21). Location of the festival, William S. Hart Park, 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall. cowboyfestival.org/
Canoga Park Block Party – Outdoor Night Market: The event includes art, classic cars display, music and vendors, 5:30-9:30 p.m. April 20. Free admission. Upcoming dates: 5:30-9:30 p.m. May 11; 6-10 p.m. June 8, July 13, Aug. 10 and Sept. 14; 5:30-9:30 p.m. Oct. 12, Nov. 16 and Dec. 14 (dates and time subject to change). Location, 7248 Owensmouth Ave. (between Sherman Way and Wyandotte Street), Canoga Park. www.myvalleypass.com. www.facebook.com/myvalleypass. www.myvalleypass.com/canoga-park-block-party
Bob Baker Day 2024: The 10th annual event, honoring Baker – founder of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Los Angeles – includes puppet shows, games, music, craft and food markets and a raffle, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 21. Special guests include grand marshal Sid Krofft (Sid & Marty Kroft Pictures); bobbakerday.com/special-guests. Schedule: bobbakerday.com/festival-map-schedule. Free admission but a reservation is required. Suggested donation $20. Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring St., Los Angeles. bobbakerday.com
City Nature Challenge – Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County: The 9th annual event invites the public in Los Angeles County (and elsewhere) to observe and take photos of wild animals and plants and fungi, April 26-29 (“Wild means not captive or cultivated. Try not to take pictures of captive animals in zoos or aquaria and cultivated plants in your garden or at a nursery,” the Natural History Museum points out on its how-to-participate page). Upload observations and photos on the free, mobile app iNaturalist. The City Nature Challenge suggests: “Find wildlife. It can be any wild plant, animal, fungi, slime mold, or any other evidence of life (scat, fur, tracks, shells, carcasses) found in your neighborhood, home, backyard, or even through your windows.” Scientists will identify and sort the public’s information April 30-May 5 and the results will be announced on May 6, 2024. Frequently asked questions: www.citynaturechallenge.org/faq. Check the list of participating cities (and some counties) on the link (if your city/county isn’t listed see how to join the project wherever you will be during the 2024 challenge dates): www.citynaturechallenge.org/participating-cities. Information on the world-wide event: citynaturechallenge.org. Details from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: nhm.org/city-nature-challenge
Chatsworth Nature Preserve Earth Day Open House: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power presents the open house that opens with a Native American blessing ceremony, followed by guided nature hikes, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 27. The event also includes environmental and community resources information and live animal exhibitions. No dogs, drones, cigarettes of any kind, bikes or scooters. Entry gate is on Valley Circle Boulevard (west of Plummer Street). Street parking available with limited on-site parking, and overflow parking at Chatsworth Lake Church, 23449 Lake Manor Drive, Chatsworth. Shuttle service from the church to the event provided by Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee, Council District 12. Details, map and more information: ladwp.com/cnpearthday
Earth Day Celebration: The event includes information on living a more “green” lifestyle including recycling information from Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment (www.lacitysan.org), HoneyLove Urban Beekeepers, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, LA Conservation Corps tree giveaways (while supplies last), arts and crafts, a display of Earth Day posters created by students and food trucks, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 27 (postponed from April 13 due to rain forecast). Free admission. Tarzana Recreation Center, 5655 Vanalden Ave., Tarzana. Details on the West Valley-Warner Center Chamber of Commerce flyer: tinyurl.com/43hjyx8e. Also, www.tarzananc.org
Southern California Garden Club Flower Show: The club’s 57th flower show, with this year’s theme “Nature’s Forces,” includes floral designs, educational exhibits, a plant market, horticulture specimens, bake sale and a white elephant sale, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 27. This is an educational and fundraising event for the club. Free admission. Sepulveda Garden Center, 16633 Magnolia Blvd., Encino. www.southerncaliforniagardenclub.com
Drag Queen World Series – a Life Group LA fundraiser: The 7th annual seriously-playing-for-fun softball game — expect the bending of regular softball rules, though — 1 p.m. April 27. Scheduled to take part: Jai Rodriguez to sing the National Anthem; game announcer is TV/Podcast personality Alexander Rodriguez; West Hollywood Mayor John M. Erickson, umpire; music by DJ Eur-O-Steve; Cheer LA performs during the 3rd inning stretch (see the website for special guests). Tickets $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Rain or shine event. Event is held in collaboration with the Fairfax High School Alumni Association Centennial Celebration and the school’s Gender Sexuality Association Youth Club. Life Group LA, a nonprofit founded in 2005, provides information and emotional support for people who have, or are affected by, HIV/AIDS (www.thelifegroupla.org). Fairfax High School, 7850 Melrose Ave., (use the Genesee Avenue entrance by the tennis courts to access the field), Los Angeles. www.dragqueenworldseries.com
Los Angeles County Fair: The fair’s theme in 2024 is “Stars, Stripes & Fun” opening, 5-11 p.m. May 3. Regular hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday-Sunday and Memorial Day (May 27). Admission is available online now for a discount. Concerts are a separate cost: tinyurl.com/2fctmxwr. Carnival information, tickets and wristbands (click on Los Angeles County Fair option): https://rcsfun.com/Ride. Parking in advance online $20; $25 at the gate. Also, Fairplex is a cashless venue. Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona. Updates: www.facebook.com/lacountyfair. www.lacountyfair.com
Classic Chevys of Southern California Car Club’s Classic Car Show: The 41st annual display of cars from the Model T through the classics and hot rods to muscle cars of today, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. May 5. Register your car in advance on the website ($30 by April 21; $35 day of show). Free admission for spectators. Rancho San Antonio, also known as Rancho San Antonio Boys Home, sells a barbecue lunch. The fundraiser for the non-profit event also includes a scale model car show (laskiscale.com), musical entertainment, a baked goods and silent auctions, raffles and vendors. Rancho San Antonio, 21000 Plummer St., Chatsworth. Find out how to register your car, 818-360-9025. Or, email: yesterdayschevys@gmail.com. classicchevysofsocal.com
ONGOING
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Call the Poppy Reserve Hotline to find out information about the 2024 wildflower bloom and tips for visiting the reserve. Hours of the reserve: sunrise-sunset daily and year-round. Visiting rules include: stay on official trails; no wildflower picking; no drones; no dogs except service dogs (recommended to have distinguishing marker on service dog). Also, the Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center is open now through Mother’s Day (May 12 this year), 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Parking $10. Check the website for a live stream view and a trail map (tinyurl.com/yv7h2rz4). Directions to the reserve (15101 Lancaster Road, Lancaster) and more information on visiting the reserve: tinyurl.com/yv7h2rz4. Poppy Reserve Hotline: 661-724-1180.
Descanso Gardens: Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Admission $15; $11 ages 65 and older and student with valid ID; $5 ages 5-12 (purchase online or at the door; the gardens are now a cashless venue). Location, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintidge. 818-949-4200. descansogardens.org
Smorgasburg Los Angeles: Outdoor food and drink market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 21 (and ongoing Sundays). Check the website or Facebook for vendors. Free admission. No pets allowed at this venue. Row DTLA, 777 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles. la.smorgasburg.com and www.facebook.com/SmorgasburgLA/
Wildflower Hotline – Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants: The Sun Valley-based foundation presents its 2024 hotline on the best locations for viewing spring wildflowers in Southern and Central California. The weekly reports, narrated by actor Joe Spano, are updated on Friday from April-May (depending upon this year’s bloom season). 818-768-1802, Ext. 7. theodorepayne.org/learn/wildflower-hotline/
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: Check the website for tour types and special exhibits. Tours: 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily (reservations online recommended; no guaranteed admission for walk-ups). Minimum age: 5. Ages 18 and older must show a valid, government-issued photo ID (security and identification and other rules before you book a tour: www.wbstudiotour.com/info/arrival-information). Admission for Southern California residents through May 31, 2024 is $58; non-Southern California residents $70 ages 11 and older; $60 ages 5-10. Parking $15. Location, 3400 Warner Blvd., Burbank. 818-977-8687. www.wbstudiotour.com/
ART
Nazarian/Curcio: “Daniel Gordon: Orange Sunrise With Flowers, Fruit and Vessels,” photographs and sculptures. Opening reception, 6-8 p.m. April 20. Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibit runs through May 25. Location, 616 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. 310-281-0961. nazariancurcio.com
ReflectSpace Gallery: “Before, After: Reflections on the Armenian Genocide,” a group show — John Avakian, Anush Babajanyan, Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, Diana Markosian, Jacqueline Kazarian, Talin Megherian, Marsha Nouritza Odabashian, Jessica Sperandio, Scout Tufankjian, opening reception, 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 20. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 1-6 p.m. Sunday. Exhibit runs through July 7. The gallery is inside the Glendale Central Library, 222 E. Harvard St. 818-548-2021. reflectspace.org
dnj Gallery: “Breath-Taking,” a group exhibit by artists with cystic fibrosis. Artist talk, 2 p.m. April 27. Gallery hours: noon-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; or by appointment. Exhibit runs through June 22. Location, 3015 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica. Email: pamel1@dnjgallery.net. www.dnjgallery.net. www.dnjgallery.net/current.html
Projecting L.A.: Thirty-two photographers’ work focusing on the people of Los Angeles (documentary, news story, street) will be projected onto an 80-foot-wide and 3-story-high viewing screen, April 27. List of photographers: www.thelaproject.org/photographers-2024. Food trucks, 6 p.m. Two screenings, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Free to attend but a reservation is required. Location, 713 N. Hill St. (Chinatown), Los Angeles. Details and to make a reservation: www.thelaproject.org/
ONGOING ART
Michael Kohn Gallery: “Rosa Loy: Glade.” Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Exhibit runs through April 20. Location, 1227 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles. 323-461-3311. www.kohngallery.com
Nonaka-Hill Gallery – Melrose Avenue: “Saori (Madokoro) Akutagawa: Centenaria,” an exhibit marking the centennial of the artist’s birth in Japan (1924-1966) and her art career. Gallery hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibit runs through April 20. Location, 6917 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. www.nonaka-hill.com/exhibitions/67-saori-madokoro-akutagawa-centenaria/
Thinkspace Projects: “A Better Tomorrow,” a group show (Gallery I); “Buakow Phasom: My Precious Things” )(Gallery II); “Common Ground,” a group show curated by Kristy Moreno (Gallery III); “Floyd Strickland: Higher Learning” (Gallery IV); “Abars: Beware of the Dawg” (The Doghouse Gallery). Gallery hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibits run through April 27. Location, 4207 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles. 310-558-3375. Email: contact@thinkspaceprojects.com. thinkspaceprojects.com
Babst Gallery: “By Her Hand,” group show by contemporary artists — Nora Berman, Star Feliz, Marcelle Hanselaar, Sylvia Maier, Jamilla Okubo, Billie Q, Susana Wald. Gallery hours: noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; and by appointment. Exhibit runs through May 4. Location, 413 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. 424-600-2544. babstgallery.com/exhibition/her-hand. www.babstgallery.com
Gallery XII: “Paolo Ventura: The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls,” paintings. Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; and by appointment. Exhibit runs through May 4. Location, Bergamot Art Center, 2525 Michigan Ave., Suite B2, Santa Monica. 424-252-9004. www.paoloventura.com. www.galeriexii.com
Hauser and Wirth: “Pat Steir. Painted Rain.” Gallery hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibit runs through May 4. Location, 8980 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. 424-404-1200. www.hauserwirth.com/locations/40274-west-hollywood/
Corey Helford Gallery: “Okuda San Miguesl: Kisses Between Universe” (Main Gallery), “Travis Lampe: Small Time Buffoonist” (Gallery 2) and “Hidden Gems from the Studio,” a group show (Gallery 3). Gallery hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibits run through May 11. Location, 571 S. Anderson St. (enter on Willow Street), Los Angeles. 310-287-2340. www.coreyhelfordgallery.com
Regen Projects: “Alberta Whittle: Learning a new punctuation for hope in times of disaster” and “By the Sea,” a group show. Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibits run through May 18. Location, 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. 310-276-5424. www.regenprojects.com
James Fuentes Gallery: “John McAllister: sometimes splendid seeming…stellar even…ripping.” Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibit runs through May 25. Location, 5015 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. 323-380-6199. Gallery’s Instagram: tinyurl.com/2r8fe8yj. jamesfuentes.com/
Nicodim Gallery: “Yoora Lee: Shadow Etched in Stone” and “Maureen St. Vincent: Maenads” (Upstairs Gallery). Gallery hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Exhibits run through May 25. Location, 1700 S. Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles. 213-265-7166. www.nicodimgallery.com/exhibitions
Artist Co-Op 7: New: “Touch of H’art,” interpretations of the natural world by local artists — Susan Ahdoot, Selina Cheng, Beverly Engelberg, Cheryl Mann, Debbi Saunders, Joi T. Wilson. Show is curated by artist Helen Kim. Gallery Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; closed on Sunday and holidays. Exhibit runs through Sept. 27. Encino Terrace, lobby gallery, 15821 Ventura Blvd. (between Densmore and Gloria avenues), Encino. Artist Co-op 7 contact, Jeanne Hahn, 818-885-8306 or jeannehahn@aol.com. www.co-op7.org
BOOKS
Book Soup: Akashic Books All-Stars Party, 6 p.m. April 18 (list of authors scheduled to attend: tinyurl.com/yr9sbrj4). Joy Sullivan discusses “Instructions for Travelling West,” poems, 7 p.m. April 23. Terry J. Benton-Walker discusses “Blood Justice,” 7 p.m. April 25. Samuel Miller discusses “Dark Parts of the Universe,” 3 p.m. April 27 (ticketed event, $22; hardcover book given out and booksigning after the talk; secure a ticket: www.booksoup.com/event/samuel-miller). Location, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 310-659-3110. www.booksoup.com
Diesel, A Bookstore: Jennifer Croft discusses and signs “The Extinction of Irena Rey,” 6:30 p.m. April 18. Esmé Shapiro and Daniel Newell Kaufman discuss and sign “Roy Is Not a Dog,” 3 p.m. April 21. Free seating is limited at the outdoor events. Purchase a book in advance to reserve a seat (click on the website’s tab for the author’s date). Location, 225 26th St., Santa Monica. 310-576-9960. www.dieselbookstore.com
Now Serving: Alexandra Stafford discusses and signs “Pizza Night,” 7 p.m. April 18 ($33 admission and signed copy; purchase here: tinyurl.com/yfeuzpbc). Iliana Regan discusses and signs her memoir “Fieldwork: A Forager’s Memoir,” 7 p.m. April 24 ($12 admission-only; $22 for admission and signed paperback; purchase here: tinyurl.com/2eahf8tj). Karla Tatiana Vasquez discusses and signs “The Salvisoul Cookbook – Salvadoran Recipes and the Women Who Preserve Them,” 7 p.m. April 29 ($20 admission-only; $38 admission and signed copy; purchase here: tinyurl.com/nd2rxm68). Location, Far East Plaza, 727 N. Broadway, Unit 133, Los Angeles. 213-395-0627. nowservingla.com
Friends of the Chatsworth Library Used Book Sale: Hardcover and paperback books plus board games and jigsaw puzzles, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 20. Chatsworth Branch Library, 21052 Devonshire St. 818-341-4276. laplchatsworthfriends.org. Details on the April newsletter: tinyurl.com/yyj2arfn
Taste of the Valley – A Food, Wine and Spirits Festival: Valley Cultural Foundation presents the event that includes samples from local restaurants, 5-9 p.m. April 18. See the list of restaurants on the website. Live music by Doctor Wu, a tribute to Steely Dan band. Minimum age: 21. Purchase tickets in advance and online $125; $200 VIP (includes valet parking; one reserved seat; a gift card from Westfield Topanga). Tickets at the door, $150. Topanga Social at Westfield Topanga, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park. valleycultural.org/event/2024-taste-of-the-valley/
Friends of the LA River Earth Day Habitat Restore and Renew: Event, 8 a.m.-noon April 20. Free to sign-up but registration is required in advance. If unable to volunteer, donations are also accepted on the registration link. Location, Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, 6350 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys. Details on the event and to register. https://support.folar.org/EarthDayHabitatRestoreAndRenew2024
Encino Food and Wine Festival – ONEgeneration: The fundraiser for the nonprofit includes food from local restaurants, beer and wine, music and dancing, 1-4 p.m. April 20. Minimum age: 21. Tickets $125. Location, 17400 Victory Blvd., Encino. onegeneration.org. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/5b84h55d
NAMIWalks: Join the National Alliance on Mental Illness – San Fernando Valley group at the 20th anniversary of NAMIWalks Greater Los Angeles County event to raise awareness of mental illnesses and reduce the stigma of mental illness, and raise funds for mental health programs, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 4. All participants need to register. No fee to register. Register online is advised; or register at 10 a.m. May 4. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. The 5K walk begins at 11:15 a.m. Also, the event welcomes dogs on leashes (there will be a pet costume contest, 10:15 a.m.). Register to walk as an individual or with a team. Raise and donate $100 for event T-shirt. Frequently asked questions: tinyurl.com/3xuwwubt. Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1315 N. Spring St., Los Angeles. Email for the walk manager, Gigi de Pourtales, at gdepourtales@namiglac.org. 310-850-9519. www.namiwalks.org. Details on the event and to register here: tinyurl.com/mw7jxnm3
Fritz Coleman: The “Unassisted Residency” show, 3 p.m. April 28. Tickets $35; $45 for cocktail table seating (must purchase two tickets for this option). Upcoming shows: May 26; June 23. El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. 818-508-4200. www.fritzcolemancomedy.com. elportaltheatre.com/fritzcoleman.html
Urban Bush Women Dance Co. – Legacy + Linage + Liberation: Performance, 8 p.m. April 19. The dance company is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Tickets $39 and up. Parking information: cap.ucla.edu/royce-hall. Royce Hall at UCLA, 10745 Dickson Court, Westwood. www.urbanbushwomen.org. cap.ucla.edu/event/urban-bush-women
Invertigo Dance Theatre: “Interior Design,” choreographed by founder and artistic director Laura Karlin, and music by Diana Kynn Wallace and Eric Mason, 8 p.m. April 20 and 5 p.m. April 221. Tickets $30 and up; VIP pre-show reception, 6-7 p.m. April 20 and premium seat, $115. Location, Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. www.centertheatregroup.org/visit/kirk-douglas-theatre/. www.invertigodance.org
Kinesis – Emerging Choreography at California State University, Northridge: Student choreographers and dancers present their best at their spring showcase, 7:30 p.m. April 24, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 25. Tickets $20; $10 seniors and students. Plaza de Sol Performance Hall, in the University Student Union, on the east side of the campus off of Zelzah Street. Parking: use Lot G3 at the corner of Zelzah Avenue and Prairie Street (thesoraya.org/en/parking/). Box office, 818-677-2488. Details: tinyurl.com/53w8dcns
Heidi Duckler Dance: “Herald In, Examine Throughout,” a site-specific dance, choreographed by Heidi Duckler and with a musical score by Jessie Cox, 6 p.m. May 18. Tickets $80. Location, in front of the historic Herald Examiner building (1111 S. Broadway, Los Angeles) and inside the Downtown LA Proper Hotel (1100 S. Broadway, Los Angeles). 213-536-5820. heididuckler.org/event/herald-in-examine-throughout
DISCUSSION
Trends in Cookbook Writing, 1970s to Now – Culinary Historians of Southern California: Cookbook author Joan Nathan discusses the topic with Barbara Fairchild, former editor-in-chief at Bon Appétit magazine, 10:30 a.m. April 20. The discussion is followed by a reception. Free admission, but a registration is requested. Use garage parking at 524 S. Flower St., Los Angeles (take ticket for parking with you and get it validated if you have a library card; see details on the website for parking instructions). Los Angeles Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles. www.facebook.com/chsocal. www.chsocal.org. Details and to register on Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/4up5nszz
Get Ready for College – Researching Colleges and Deciding Where to Go: Students and parents are invited to the workshop, 11 a.m. April 20. Platt Branch Library, 23600 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills. 818-340-9386. lapl.org/teens/college-career. Details: tinyurl.com/zp4tj43v
Peremoga – Ukrainian Outreach Forum: A gathering for friends of Ukraine with guest speakers and exchange of ideas, 1 p.m. April 20. Potluck (bring a dish to share). Reservations required to: peremoga4you@gmail.com. Calabasas Library, multipurpose room, 200 Civic Center Way. 818-731-8100. www.facebook.com/PeremogaVictory/
Channel Islands Chapter of the Embroiders’ Guild of America: The group holds a “Spring Tea” and members will answer general questions from guests attending, 9:30 a.m. April 24. Location, United Methodist Church, 291 Anacapa Drive, Camarillo. Email: president@channelislandsega.org.
San Fernando Valley Historical Society: Dinna Rivera Pitt, historian and curator at the Leonis Adobe Museum in Calabasas, discusses “Miguel Leonis: King of Calabasas?” 7 p.m. April 25. Free to attend the meeting; donations are accepted and appreciated. Meeting at New Life Church of the Nazarene, 10650 Reseda Blvd., Porter Ranch. sfvhs.com and www.facebook.com/SFVHS/. www.sfvhs.com/blog/categories/events-2
California Writers Club – San Fernando Valley: Guest speaker Luis J. Rodriguez (“Always Running – La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A.”) presents a talk “The Transformative Experience of Writing My Memoir,” 1 p.m. May 4. Rodriguez’s talk will be presented on Zoom. To attend the meeting on Zoom or in-person viewing on a wide-screen register on the website before noon May 3 (cwc-sfv.org/contact-us). Saban Wellness Center, Motion Picture and Television Fund, 23388 Mulholland Drive, Woodland Hills. www.facebook.com/luis.j.rodriguez3/. www.cwc-sfv.org
FARMERS MARKETS
Good Times Farmers Market: Grand opening, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 21. The market is scheduled for Sundays year-round. Los Angeles Valley College, parking lot A, 5800 Fulton Ave. (at Burbank Boulevard), Valley Glen. goodtimesfarmersmarket@gmail.com. Instagram: tinyurl.com/mrxcaxrn
Canoga Park Farmers Market: A certified market, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays. Rain or shine. Location, 7248 Owensmouth Avenue, between Sherman Way and Wyandotte Avenue. www.instagram.com/mainst.canogaparkfarmersmarket
El Nido Farmers Market – Pacoima: El Nido Family Centers and the City of Los Angeles present the market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Location, Pacoima Family Source Center, 11243 Glenoaks Blvd. www.elnidofamilycenters.org/farmers-market
Encino Farmers Market: ONEgeneration presents the market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays. Location, 17400 Victory Blvd. (between Balboa Boulevard and White Oak Avenue). Farmers market manager, 818-708-6611 or email: farmersmarket@onegeneration.org. www.onegeneration.org/farmers-market/
The Getty Villa: New: “Pictures Worlds: Greek, Maya, and Moche Pottery,” through July 29 (www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/picture_worlds). Ongoing special exhibit: “Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt,” through Jan. 25, 2027. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. Free admission, but a timed-entry reservation is required. Parking $25. Location, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. www.getty.edu/visit/villa/
Autry Museum of the American West: April 20: “Student Visual Arts Exhibition: Vision of Freedom,” a juried exhibit with more than 100 middle and high school students’ artwork exploring the idea of one’s personal freedom and moving to/living in the American West, through June 5 (details: tinyurl.com/dd5bt265). Ongoing special exhibits: “Sherman Indian School: 100 + Years of Education and Resilience,” through May 2024 (theautry.org/exhibitions/sherman-indian-school). “Reclaiming El Camino: Native Resistance in the Missions and Beyond,” through June 15, 2025 (theautry.org/exhibitions/reclaiming-el-camino-native-resistance-missions-and-beyond). Museum hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission $18; $14 ages 62 and older, and ages 13-18 and also students older than 18 with ID; $8 ages 3-12 (theautry.org/visit). Location, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles. theautry.org
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes: April 28: “Cinco de Mayo Family Day” includes a theatrical performance debunking the myths about Cinco de Mayo, hands-on workshops, music, tours of “LA Starts Here!” noon-4 p.m. (free to attend; beverages and food will be available for purchase; the day’s program details: tinyurl.com/zfyh7bns). Ongoing exhibit: “18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium,” through May 19. Permanent exhibits: “LA Starts Here!” “Calle Principal: Mi México en Los Ángeles.” Hours: noon-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Free admission. Location, 501 N. Main St., Los Angeles. www.lapca.org
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: Ongoing special exhibits: “Outside the Mainstream,” through Aug. 4. “Shifting Perspectives: Vertical Cinema,” through Aug. 4. “John Waters: Pope of Trash,” through Aug. 4. “Significant Movies and Movie Makers,” three exhibits through Jan. 4, 2026: “Casablanca,” “Boyz n the Hood,” and Lourdes Portillo.” Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday and Monday. Admission $25; $19 ages 62 and older; $15 students, age 18 and older with ID; free for ages 17 and younger. Location, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. (corner of Fairfax Avenue), Los Angeles. 323-930-3000. academymuseum.org
African American Firefighter Museum: Artifacts, fire apparatus, pictures and stories about African American Los Angeles firefighters. Hours: timed entry admission, 1, 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday (make a reservation on Eventbrite here: tinyurl.com/4dx5xxhk). Donation. Location, 1401 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles. 213-744-1730. https://www.aaffmuseum.org/
Bolton Hall Museum: Hours: 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Free admission; $5 donation is appreciated. Bolton Hall Museum, 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga. 818-352-3420. Email: llhs@boltonhall.org. www.facebook.com/boltonhallmuseum and www.boltonhall.org
California African American Museum:Closed for repairs due to storm-related damage. Check website or Facebook for re-opening and also for off-site programs. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Parking $15 before 5 p.m.; $18 after 5 p.m. (in the blue structure parking lot; entrance to the blue structure is on Figueroa Boulevard at 39th Street.). Location, 600 State Drive, Los Angeles (in Exposition Park). 213-744-7432. www.caamuseum.org and www.facebook.com/CAAMinLA/
California Science Center: Ongoing special exhibit: “Leonardo Da Vinci: Inventor. Artist. Dreamer.,” (californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/leonardo-da-vinci-inventor-artist-dreamer). Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission is free to the center’s permanent galleries, but there is a charge for special exhibits. Admission to the “Leonardo Da Vinci” exhibit: $22.95; $20.95 seniors and students; $15.95 (timed tickets are required for special exhibits, and also the Imax Theater; californiasciencecenter.org/visit). Location, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. californiasciencecenter.org
Craft Contemporary: Ongoing special exhibit: “ART IRAN: Falling into Language,” nine expatriate Iranian artists have used forms of the Persian alphabet, handwriting and text in their artwork, through May 5. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Admission $9; $7 ages 65 and older and students; free for ages 12 and younger. Location, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. www.craftcontemporary.org. Details on the exhibit: www.craftcontemporary.org/exhibitions/art-iran-falling-in-language/
Discovery Cube Los Angeles: Ongoing special exhibit: “Doc McStuffins – The Exhibit,” based on the Disney Junior series, through May 11 (www.discoverycube.org/los-angeles/events/docmcstuffins-exhibit). The Discovery Cube has ongoing exhibits that aim to make science fun for children. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission $18 ages 15-61; $17 ages 62 and older; $16 ages 3-14. Location, 11800 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar. www.facebook.com/TheDiscoveryCube and www.discoverycube.org
Fowler Museum at UCLA: Ongoing special exhibit: “I Will Meet You Yet Again: Contemporary Sikh Art,” through May 26. Hours: noon-8 p.m. Wednesday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Parking directions: enter from Sunset Boulevard at Westwood Plaza, turn left into the pay-by-space area of Lot 4 (198 Westwood Plaza). Location, 308 Charles E. Young Drive N., Westwood. https://fowler.ucla.edu/
The Getty Center: Ongoing special exhibits: “Conserving Eden,” through April 21. “Drawing on Blue,” through April 28. “Blood: Medieval/Modern,” through May 19 (www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/blood/index.html).”Hippolyte Bayard: A Persistent Pioneer,” photography, through July 7. “Nineteenth-Century Photography Now,” through July 7. “Camille Claudel,” sculptures, through July 21 (www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/claudel/index.html). Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. Free admission but a timed-ticket admission is required (tinyurl.com/yu6fsv3s). Parking $25 (www.getty.edu/visit/center/parking-and-transportation). Location, 1200 Getty Center Drive (at North Sepulveda Boulevard), Los Angeles. 310-440-7300. www.getty.edu
Grammy Museum: Ongoing special exhibits: “KQ Ent. (ATEEZ & xikes): A Grammy Museum Pop-up,” exhibit featuring two K-pop boy groups who are represented by KQ, a South Korean entertainment agency and record label, through June 10 (grammymuseum.org/event/ateez-xikers). “Roxy: 50 and Still Rockin’,” through spring 2024 (grammymuseum.org/event/50andstillrockin).”Shakira, Shakira: The Grammy Museum Experience,” through spring 2024. “Hip-Hop America: The Mix Tape Exhibit,” through Sept. 4. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Friday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Admission $18; $15 ages 65 and older; $12 ages 5-17 and college students with ID. Location, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. 213-725-5700. grammymuseum.org
Holocaust Museum LA: Ongoing special exhibit: “To Paint Is to Life: Art and Resistance in Theresienstadt,” artwork from four artists who depicted life in the Theresienstadt ghetto during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. Information about the exhibit that runs through Nov. 30 (www.holocaustmuseumla.org/topaint). Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission $15; $10 ages 65 and older; free for ages 17 and younger. Free admission on Sunday. Admission is by timed admission ticket. Location, 100 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles. 323-651-3704. Email: info@hmla.org. www.holocaustmuseumla.org
Italian American Museum Los Angeles: Ongoing special exhibit: “Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon,” through Oct. 13 (tinyurl.com/mrrb4pbh). Hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Admission free; donations requested. Location, 644 N. Main St., Los Angeles. 213-485-8432. www.iamla.org
Japanese American National Museum: Ongoing special exhibits: “Giant Robot Biennale 5,” an exhibit of art by Sean Chao, Felicia Chiao, Luke Chueh, Giorgiko, James Jean, Taylor Lee, Mike Shinoda, Rain Szeto, Yoskay Yamamoto (co-presented by Eric Nakamura, founder of Giant Robot), through Sept. 1. “J.T. Sata: Immigrant Modernist,” photography exhibit by the late James Tadanao Sata (1896-1975), through Sept. 1. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Sunday; noon-8 p.m. Thursday; closed on national holidays (www.janm.org/visit). Admission: $16; $9 ages 62 and older and children; free for ages 5 and younger (timed advance tickets are recommended). Location, 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles. 213-625-0414. Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamuseum and janm.org
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum: Museum hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except closed on the first Tuesday of the month and national holidays. Admission $15; $12 ages 62 and older and students ages 13-17; $7 ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger, but a ticket is required (tarpits.org/plan-your-visit/la-brea-tar-pits-buy-tickets). Parking $18. Location, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 213-763-3499. tarpits.org/
Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Ongoing special exhibits: “Painting in the River of Angels: Judy Baca,” through June 2. “Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection,” through June 30. “Imagined Fronts: The Great War and Global Media,” through July 7. “Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting,” through Aug. 4. “Vincent Valdez and Ry Cooder: El Chavez Ravine,” through Aug. 11. Plan your visit information here: bit.ly/2P3c7iR. Admission $20; $16 ages 65 and older and students ages 18 and older with a valid ID; free for ages 17 and younger (reserving/purchasing an advance, timed-entry online is recommended; prices are for residents of Los Angeles County). Location, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-857-6010. www.lacma.org
Martial Arts History Museum: The museum has relocated from Burbank to Glendale. Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Admission $12; $5 ages 6-17. Location, 201 N. Brand Blvd. (corner of N. Brand and Wilson Street; use entrance at 111 Wilson St.), Glendale. 818-245-6051. www.facebook.com/martialartshistorymuseum. martialartsmuseum.com/
Museum of African American Art: Ongoing special exhibit: Metro Art presents “Here: Arts and Culture Along the K,” through May 12. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Free admission. Location, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Level Two, Suite 283, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Crenshaw. 323-294-7071. Email: info@maaala.org. www.maaala.org
Museum of Contemporary Art: Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission is free but an advance online timed-entry ticket is required. Special exhibits are $18; $10 seniors and students; free for ages 11 and younger. Locations: the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles; MOCA Grand Avenue, 250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. 213-633-5351. www.moca.org/visit
Museum of the San Fernando Valley: Hours: 1-5 p.m. Tuesday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Rancho Cordillera del Norte, 18904 Nordhoff St. (southwest corner of Nordhoff and Wilbur Avenue), Northridge. 818-347-9665. themuseumsfvnow.org/
Natural History Museum Los Angeles County: Ongoing special exhibits: “100 Carats: Icons of the Gem World,” the centerpiece of the exhibit is a display of the 125 carats Jonker I Diamond, the “largest stone cut from the Jonker diamond — the fourth largest diamond in the world when it was found in 1934” — through April 21 (nhm.org/experience-nhm/exhibitions-natural-history-museum/100-carats). “Butterfly Pavilion,” through Aug. 25. Admission to this special exhibit is $8 by a timed ticket (30-minute time slot) and also, a general museum admission is required (nhm.org/plan-your-visit/nhm-buy-tickets). Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday (closed on Tuesday). Admission $18; $14 ages 62 and older and ages 13-17; $7 ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger, but a ticket is required. Location, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. nhmlac.org
Petersen Automotive Museum: Ongoing special exhibits: “Splendor & Speed: Treasures from the Petersen Collection,” through June 2 (www.petersen.org/splendor-and-speed). “We Are Porsche,” through July 7 (www.petersen.org/porsche-75). Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission $21; $19 ages 62 and older; $13 ages 12-17; $12 ages 4-11. Location, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-930-2277. www.petersen.org
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum: Ongoing special exhibit: “Defending America and the Galaxy: SDI and Star Wars,” through Sept. 8. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and Jan. 1). Admission: $25; $22 ages 62 and older; $18 ages 11-17; $15 ages 3-10 (purchase online here: tinyurl.com/mry5ne9h). Location, 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley. www.reaganfoundation.org
Santa Monica History Museum: Ongoing special exhibit: “Unhoused – A History of Housing in Santa Monica,” through Dec. 31. Hours: 2-5 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Admission $5; free for 65 and older and ages 17 and younger. Location, 1350 Seventh St., Santa Monica. 310-395-2290. www.santamonicahistory.org
Skirball Cultural Center: Hours: noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Closed for Jewish and national holidays (www.skirball.org/visit). Admission $12; $9 seniors and students; $7 ages 2-12; www.skirball.org/visit). Admission for the “Noah’s Ark at the Skirball” is an extra charge and by a timed-entry (purchase online). Location, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. 310-440-4500. skirball.org
Valley Relics Museum: Take a trip down San Fernando Valley memory lane, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 20-21 (see website for other dates). Admission $15 and up. The museum is located at 7900 Balboa Blvd., Hangar C3 and C4, entrance is on Stagg Street, Van Nuys. Purchase tickets at the door or online. www.facebook.com/valleyrelics and valleyrelicsmuseum.org
Wende Museum of the Cold War: Interior of museum is closed until 11 a.m. April 27 for installation of new exhibits. Check the website for details. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday (wendemuseum.org/about-us/visit). Free admission. Location, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City. 310-216-1600. 310-216-1600. Email: visit@wendemuseum.org. wendemuseum.org
MUSIC
The Canyon: Geoff Tate (Queensryche) – Big Rock Show Hits, with opening set by Fire and Water, April 18 ($32). Blank Space, a Taylor Swift tribute band, with opening set by Sullivan Grace, April 19 ($38). Wild Child, a re-creation of a 1960s Doors concert, April 20 ($26). Five for Fighting with String Quartet, 8 p.m. April 25 ($38). Doors open, 6 p.m. Headliners, 9 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). Ticket price listed is for standing-room only; table tickets require dinner purchase. Two-drink minimum. Check website for other concerts, ticket prices, dinner options and reservations. Location, 28912 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills. 888-645-5006. wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com/canyon-agoura-hills/
Boris Allakhverdyan: St. Matthew’s Music Guild presents the clarinetist and the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s, 8 p.m. April 19. Arrive early for a pre-concert lecture at 7:10 p.m. Tickets $45. St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave., Pacific Palisades. 310-573-7422. www.borisallakhverdyan.com. www.musicguildonline.org
Culture Clash – May the 40th Be With You: 8 p.m. May 4. Tickets $44 and up. The Soraya at California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. 818-677-8800. www.thesoraya.org. thesoraya.org/whats-on/en/culture-clash/
Hollywood Bowl – 2024 Season: See the schedule, subscription packages (Classical Tuesdays/Thursdays; Jazz Plus; KCRW Festival; Sunday Sunset Concerts; Weekend Spectaculars) and special events: www.hollywoodbowl.com/campaigns/hollywood-bowl-2024-season. Tickets on sale now for: Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, 3:30 p.m. June 15 and 3:30 p.m. June 16, and also, Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop Is the Love of My Life, 8 p.m. June 29. www.hollywoodbowl.com/
THEATER
High Maintenance: The Road Theatre Co. presents a world premiere of a play written by Peter Ritt about an actor coping with career issues that include playing opposite a robot in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House,” 8 p.m. April 19. Show runs 8 p.m. April 20; 2 p.m. April 21; 8 p.m. April 25; various dates through May 19. Tickets $39; $20 ages 65 and older; $15 students. Road Theatre at NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. 818-761-8838. roadtheatre.org
Singularities or the Computers of Venus: The Road Theatre Co. presents a play written by Laura Stribling about how some things change over time and some things don’t — especially for women in science, previews 8 p.m. April 22-24. Opening night, 8 p.m. April 26. Show runs various dates through June 2. Tickets $20 previews; $39; $20 ages 65 and older; $15 students. Road Theatre at NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. 818-761-8838. roadtheatre.org
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum’s 2024 Repertory Season: Tickets are on sale now for the season that begins on June 1 with Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” with various dates through Sept. 30. In addition: Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (June 2-Sept. 23); “Wendy’s Peter Pan,” a retelling of the J.M. Barrie play by Ellen Geer (June 22-Oct. 4); “Tartuffe: Born Again,” the 1664 play by Molière, translated from the original French and adapted by Freyda Thomas (July 13-Oct. 13); “The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote” by Bernardo Cubría (Aug. 24-Oct 19). Tickets: upper tier (general seating), $32; $20 ages 62 and older and students; $15 ages 5-15; lower tier, assigned seats $48; $35 ages 62 and older and students; $15 ages 5-15; also, $60 premium seating. Parking $10 in the lot; or, for free along Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Location, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. 310-455-3723. www.facebook.com/Theatricum. www.theatricum.com
ONGOING THEATER
La Traviata: LA Opera presents the opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Show runs 7:30 p.m. April 18; 2 p.m. April 21; 7:30 p.m. April 24; 7:30 p.m. April 27. Tickets $25 and up. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. 213-972-8001. www.laopera.org/performances/202324-season/la-traviata/
Freud on Cocaine: A comedy by Howard Skora, based on Sigmund Freud’s “Cocaine Papers.” Show runs 8 p.m. Fridays through May 3. Minimum age: 14 (parental discretion). Tickets $40; $50. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. 818-687-8559. www.freudoncocaine.com
Could I Have This Dance?: The Group Rep presents a play by Doug Haverty about a family who, when faced with a medical crisis, discover issues that they are wary to discuss. Minimum age: 14. Show runs 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; through May 5. Tickets $35; $30 seniors and students. Lonny Chapman Theatre, Main Stage, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. 818-763-5990. www.thegrouprep.com
In the Heights: Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center presents the 2008 Tony Award winner for best musical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quíara Alegría Hudes. Show runs 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; through May 5. Tickets $33; $28 age 60 and up, and students; $22 ages 12 and younger. Location, 3050 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. 805-583-7900. www.simi-arts.org
Can’t Live Without ‘Em: The Group Rep presents the world premiere of a play by Lee Redmond about a roomful of women discussing a man that they all know — but does he want to hear them? Show runs 7 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; 4 p.m. Saturday; through May 12. Tickets $30; $25 seniors and students. Upstairs at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. 818-763-5990. www.thegrouprep.com
Cinderella: Storybook Theatre presents a musical by Michael Paul and Lloyd J. Schwartz for children and their families, 1 p.m. Saturdays through June 8. Tickets $15. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. W., Los Angeles. Reservations, 323-851-7977. www.theatrewest.org
Submit calendar listings at least two weeks in advance to holly.andres@dailynews.com. 818-713-3708.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
