Coming up: Celebrate Mid-Century design and more in Palm Springs; explore Frieze LA on the back lot of Paramount Studios; and visit several other art fairs and related events across town; celebrate Black History Month with a show of work by African-American alumni at ArtCenter; hear Ryan Mungia talk about the history of computer and technology advertising.
American designer Todd Oldham will present a visually entertaining talk on the extraordinary career of one of his heroes, artist and designer Alexander Girard. You can get tickets here.1) Modernism Week
It's that time of year again when the weather is perfect, the sky is blue and Palm Springs shares its spectacular MId-Century design with the world. Now in its 15th year, Modernism Weeks features 10 days of events, speakers, tours, shopping, films, parties and more that highlight mid-century modern architecture, art, interior and landscape design, and vintage culture. After the Opening Night Party, you can take tours through homes by renown architects and designers, learn about the haunted spirits, sex and politics of the Bauhaus, study mid-century mixology until you're a pro, and so much more - and that's just a sampling of day 1! While some events are already sold out (but tickets for talks are often available at the door), there are plenty still available to make the trip more than worthwhile. This Sunday DnA's Frances Anderton will talk about the furnishings that delight us in movies, with Paula Benson, Founder and Editor of the fab FilmandFurniture.com. You can find all the events by day here.
When: Thursday, Feb 13 thru Sunday, Feb 23
Where: Palm Springs Area
Tickets: Check available events and get tickets here.
2) Frieze Los Angeles
'Awards Season' isn't the only ticket in town - February in Southern California is clearly also 'Art Fair Season'. Leading a dizzying calendar of Art Fairs over the next few weeks is Frieze Los Angeles. Now in its second year, Frieze Los Angeles brings together more than 70 galleries from around the world to the iconic backlot of Paramount Pictures.
A returning feature, Frieze Projects - a program of ambitious and experimental artwork co-curated by Rita Gonzalez and Pilar Tompkins Rivas - goes beyond the gallery booths to feature new commissions and landmark works exploring themes of representation, identity and myth. According to Gonzalez and Tompkins Rivas, the project ' draws on the political context within which we are operating today. Latinx and Latin American art and histories are put into focus with projects by Tania Candiani and Gabriella Sanchez, while works by Gary Simmons and Lorna Simpson touch on themes of visibility, identity and self-fashioning in relation to the African American experience. Another idea was to bring in artists, such as Vincent Ramos and Channing Hansen to work within the archive and legacy of Paramount Pictures Studios, deepening the program’s conversation with its filmset location.'
Plus, there are films, pop-up stores, curated tours and more. You can find a complete schedule of programs, galleries and related events and get tickets here.
When: Friday, Feb 14 - Sunday, Feb 16
Where: Paramount Studios Lot. You can download the Fair Map here.
Tickets: General Admission from $25. You can find more ticket options and purchase here.
A Felix Fair - designed room at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. 3) Other Art Fairs: Felix, stARTup, ALAC, SpringBreak
Several other art fairs add to the excitement in Los Angeles this week, including Felix, stARTup Art Fair, Art Los Angeles Contemporary (ALAC), and SpringBreak Art Show.
Felix: Co-founded by Dean Valentine, Al Morán, and Mills Morándest, Felix Fair is more intimate in presentation than Frieze LA, and has a vibe like a "hip, provocative younger sibling" with really cool style. This year, 60 gallerists (up from 40 last year) will take over rooms at the historic Roosevelt Hollywood to create a unique exhibit and social experience. Expect a lot of interesting work by both emerging and established artists, and for the most part, reasonable prices. This fair was a big hit last year, and this year expects to draw even larger audiences. Opening Party Thursday, Feb 1 3, 6 -8 pm thru Sunday, Feb 16, 4 pm. The Hollywood Roosevelt, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028. Tickets $25 for full run of show, including party. You can find a list of participating galleries and get tickets here.
stARTup Art Fair: Connecting art buyers to highly vetted, up-and-coming artists in a retro chic location. Opening Party Friday, Feb 14, 7 - 10 pm thru Sunday, Feb 16, 7 pm. The Kinney Venice Beach, 737 Washington Blvd, Venice 90292. General Admission $15 / 3-day pass $30 in advance ($20/$40 at the door). You can get advance tickets here.
ALAC: Featuring fifty exhibitors from eleven countries. Opening Party Thursday, Feb 13, 6 - 9 pm thru Sunday, Feb 16, 6pm. The Hollywood Athletic Club, 6525 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Tickets from $25. You can get tickets here.
SpringBreak Art Show: Showcasing and engaging the West Coast’s contemporary art culture, featuring 60 exhibitions under the 2020 theme, IN EXCESS. Opening Preview and Party Feb 14, 11 am - 4 pm and 4 - 9 pm respectively thru Sunday, Feb 16, 7pm. Skylight ROW DTLA, Building 3, 777 South Alameda Street, Los Angeles 90021. Tickets from $25. You can get tickets here.
Place is the Space: Black Presence and Power through Art4) Black History Month
In commemoration of ArtCenter’s 90th anniversary, the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion , in partnership with ArtCenter DTLA , presents a series of exhibitions and programs honoring the achievements of the College’s Black alumni. Exploring themes of representation and identity, cultural impact and influence, the exhibition comprises three parts: Impact/300, a series of video interviews and photographs of the alumni and their work across multiple disciplines; Trailblazer: The Photography of Barbara DuMetz, a survey of the alumna’s commercial photography and portraits of prominent African-American cultural figures; and Minority Report, a group exhibition curated by alumnus Devin Troy Strother highlighting a cross-disciplinary selection of African-American artists from the College’s alumni community.
When: Opening Night Party Thursday, Feb 13, 7 - 9 pm; Exhibition runs through March 13
Where: ArtCenter DTLA, 114 West 4th St, Los Angeles 90013
Tickets: Free
Also: Place is the Space: Black Presence and Power through Art
In Place is the Space: Black Presence and Power through Art, artists Genevieve Gaignard and Rashaad Newsome address why and how they create spaces for Black histories that explore notions of rulership, power, and place. This conversation, moderated by Tyree Boyd-Pates, curator of Western history at the Autry Museum, poses questions about absence, erasure, and the process of reclaiming history for members of the African diaspora in the spaces of the art museum and beyond. This program complements the exhibition "Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art."
When: Wednesday, Feb 19, 7:00 - 8:30 pm;
Where: Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles 90049
Tickets: Free, however advanced tickets are required. You can reserve tickets here.
Also: Black History Month Festival in Leimert Park
The 2nd Annual Black History Month Cultural festival 2020 will be a free, day long community festival featuring prominent African American guest speakers, engaging workshops, live music from local bands, healthy food vendors, art exhibits and California based craft artisans. Charles Drew University mobile clinic will be on-site to offer free HIV/AIDS and other preventative health services and non-profit Open Arms Resource Center 501(c) 3 will also be hosting an art workshop and free book giveaway to youth ages 2-12.
When: Sunday, Feb 16, 11 am - 7 pm
Where: Leimert Park Village Plaza, 4337 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles 90008
Tickets: Free
5) "Do You Compute? Selling Tech from the Atomic Age to through the Y2K Bug, 1950-1999": Talk by author Ryan Mungia
It's almost impossible to imagine, but there was a time - no too long ago - when computers meant very little to the general public. Magazine ads and marketing brochures for the unwieldy machines first targeted aerospace and engineering companies, but after the invention of the microchip in the 1970s which led to personal computers and video games, flashy marketing campaigns targeting individual consumers took off. By the end of the millennium, the notion of selling tech burst wide open to include robots, cell phones, blogs, online dating services, and much, much, much more.
In his book, Do You Compute? , Cultural Anthropologist Ryan Mungia presents a broad survey featuring the very best of computer advertising in the 20th century. From the Atomic Age to the Y2K bug, Do You Compute presents a curated selection of graphic gems culled from museums, university archives, and private collections to illustrate the evolution of the computer from its early days as a hulking piece of machinery to its current state as a handheld device. Accompanied by two essays - one by Mungia and the other by graphic design historian Steven Heller - and including five different decade-long timelines that highlight some of the most influential moments in computer history, the book offers a fun yet meaningful look at the computer and how it has shaped our world. Mungia told DnA that he came up with the idea to create a visual book to offer a more cultural and creative perspective on the subject matter - usually discussed in bits and bytes. You can read more about the event and pre-order a copy of the book here.
When: Saturday, Feb 15, 4 - 6 pm
Where: Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232
Tickets: Free; click here for more information.