Word up … at Rutberg’s

Visual arts
Jack Rutberg Fine Arts in Los Angeles has a beautiful, locally driven, museum-quality show on at its LaBrea Avenue gallery, an expansive exhibition titled “Letters from Los Angeles: Part II – Identity & Self Identity Through Text in Art.” The rich exhibit curated by Rutberg includes more than 70 works by 40 contemporary L.A.-based artists ...

Shulamit Gallery wishes us Happy Nowruz

Visual arts
Circulating around Shulamit Gallery’s quietly beautiful new exhibit that features artists Doni Silver Simons and Pouya Afshar, a single work caught my eye. [This new-ish art gallery, steps away from Venice Beach, has as its mission the support and promotion of Israeli and Iranian artists.] “Nowruz,” the photo-realist work, above, decorates an alcove of the ...

L.A. billboard update

Film · Visual arts
Trolling Sunset Boulevard (which is normally a lot of fun) got an added boost in the form of this huge placard, an open birthday card to Zsa Zsa Gabor, who is now resting at home in Beverly Hills.  Zsa Zsa’s main squeeze, aka Prince Frederic von Anhalt, enjoys using billboards as a means of self-expression. ...

Connoisseur collection of dance-movie posters grace Barnsdall exhibit 1

Dance · Film · Visual arts
“I was born with a poster gene! When I was a kid I used to ‘color in’ the New York Times (black & white) print ads for theater. When I saw the poster, I’d compare their color choices [to mine].” Collector Mike Kaplan offers this charming anecdote in explanation for a lifelong obsession as we ...

Animated women of film-animation world step out — in gallery show

Film · Visual arts
“Ladies of Animation,” a gallery exhibit featuring personal works by female artists from major film studios including Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks opened a few days ago at GRspace. Artists Victoria Ying, Sho Murase, Helen Chen, Nicole Mitchell, Clio Chiang, Griselda Sastrawinata, Anna Chambers, Lorelay Bove, Claire Keane, Fawn Veerasunthorn, Brittney Lee, Kendelle Hoyer and Lissa ...

Stravinsky in West Hollywood, 1967, captured by photog Bobby Klein

Music · Visual arts
I had been invited back to the Maestro’s house one evening to show him some of my previous work. He took me into his study and locked the door. Beethoven was playing on these huge Voice of the Theater speakers really loud. Stravinsky had been ill and was being watched like a hawk by his ...

Strong women of early L.A. dance highlighted in Dorothy Chandler Pavilion exhibition 9

Dance · Visual arts
It is so thrilling to have a visual arts exhibition accompanying our Joffrey Ballet performances this weekend. Installed at one end of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion’s glittering mezzanine level, the display feels like an historical moment for L.A dance.   Modest in appearance but profound in impact, the exhibit gathers photographs of innovative dance that poured ...

Good art-gab Saturday @ L.A. Art Show

Ideas & Opinion · Visual arts
The L.A. Art Show‘s featured exhibit, “Letters from L.A.,” addresses the unique use of text by the city’s visual artists, forms the centerpiece of the fair. And the fair is a huge, noisy and fun community celebration. The line-up at the Show this weekend got my attention; in particular a panel discussion that looks excellent. ...

E.O. Hoppé’s “London” a jewel in Santa Monica

Visual arts
“Hoppé is to London as Atget is to Paris,” art curator Graham Howe tells us in an email. Howe manages the E.O Hoppé estate as the CEO of museum services organization, Curatorial Assistance, in Pasadena. He’s just organized a special exhibit of Hoppé’s London photography now on view at Bergamont Station in tandem with PhotoLA. The German-born ...

Enjoy a Pall-Mall courtesy of commercial artist Mary Blair

Architecture & Design · Visual arts
Were we to select a brand of cigarettes, these concept sketches and the final advertisement (circa 1959) by the famed commercial and fine artist Mary Blair would surely influence our decision. Mary Blair Pall-Mall advertisement images, courtesy of the magic of mary blair