Adaptation: Arts Calendar October 5-11

A dark musical comedy about adaptation and truth (and lip syncing), an appreciation of a feminist touchstone at 50, paintings of reverence for trees, surrealism about life with wild animals, Oaxaca’s modern and traditional musical tapestry, art for community uplift, pumpkins invade the night garden, short attention span photography appreciation, a new play about the spirit of Boyle Heights, navigating the art world, ameliorating colonization, celebrating indigeneity, putting poetry back in schools, absurdist activism for the planet.

Edgar Arceneaux: Boney Manilli at REDCAT (Photo by Bailey Holiver)

Thursday, October 5

Edgar Arceneaux: Boney Manilli at REDCAT. A dark musical comedy in the shape of a pop music video, a puppet show, and a burial ceremony, written and directed by interdisciplinary artist Edgar Arceneaux. “Edgar,” a visual artist overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, frustration, and self-loathing, is unable to complete his play on the infamous pop music duo, Milli Vanilli. His brother attempts to adapt Disney’s Song of the South into a play about Black liberation. Their mother, a failed pop singer, is slowly fading away with dementia. Their lives spin from pathetic to bizarre, becoming strangely intertwined as their individual searches for truth collide. 631 W. 2nd St., downtown: Thursday-Saturday, October 5-7, 8:30pm; $30; redcat.org.

50 Years of Ms. Magazine (Hammer Museum)

50 Years of Ms. Magazine, with Dolores Huerta and Eleanor Smeal at the Hammer. Since its founding in 1973, Ms. magazine has been a source for news, analysis, and commentary with a feminist point of view. In this panel, the magazine’s executive editor Katherine Spillar looks back on its legacy and the future of feminism alongside labor rights champion Dolores Huerta; Eleanor Smeal, cofounder of the Feminist Majority Foundation; Carmen Rios, consulting digital editor for Ms.; and Michele Bratcher Goodwin, award-winning author and host of the Ms. podcast On the Issues. Book sale and signing reception follows for 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Thursday, October 5, 7:30pm; free; hammer.ucla.edu.

Sylvain Latendresse: Paso Robles Woods, 2022

Sylvain Latendresse: The Secret Life of Trees at Café Amici. Based on places in central California that the artist knows and loves, his landscapes are dreamlike, and sometimes surreal, with rich Fauvist colors and dappled textures. Underpinning Latendresse’s work is the scientific concept of the “invisible exchanges of energy” and the recent discovery that photosynthesis is a quantum process, which allows for multiple states of being at once. For Latendresse, capturing what cannot be seen and only intuited is at its very core a meditation on the ineffable quality of nature and even consciousness itself. 469 N. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills; Reception: Thursday, October 5, 6-9pm; free; sylvainlatendressepaintings.com.

Al Sur de la Frontera Creator, Artistic Director, Music Director, and Soloist Carmina Escobar (Photo by Laura Pardo Photography)

Friday, October 6

Al Sur de la Frontera at The Ford. Conceived by Mexico City-raised, Los Angeles-based  interdisciplinary artist Carmina Escobar, this innovative production brings together the traditional music from the Sierra Zapoteca of Oaxaca with experimental arrangements, featuring the Oaxacan LA-based Maqueos Music youth philharmonic band, multidisciplinary artist Dorian Wood, indigenous trilingual Mixtec rapper Una Isu, Latina coloratura Soprano Maria Elena Altany, Chicano “futuristic laser gangster bass” electronic musician Baseck, multi-instrumentalist and conductor extraordinaire Yulissa Maqueos, and Escobar—an extreme vocalist whose own practice and research inspired the project. 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood; Friday, October 6, 8pm; $27-$38; theford.com.

AMBOS Project at Long Beach Museum of Art

Ordinary People at Long Beach Museum of Art. Inspired by Angela Davis’ Freedom is A Constant Struggle, LBMA presents an exhibition that transcends conventional art boundaries to champion community support through social practice. The museum has invited a diverse array of Los Angeles-based community-first organizations to serve as guest curators, each showcasing their art practices that extend beyond traditional studio settings. Collaborators include: Crenshaw Dairy Mart, QUA–LGBTQ Ukrainians in America, Tlaloc Studios, AMBOS Project, People’s Pottery Project, and Slanguage Studio. 2300 E Ocean Blvd., Long Beach; Opening Reception: Friday, October 6, 7-9pm, $20; On view through January 12; $12 admission; lbma.org.

Carved at Descanso Gardens (Photo: Jake Fabricus)

Carved at Descanso Gardens. For three weeks in October, hundreds (thousands even) of carved pumpkins line a mile-long meander through the grounds and woodlands of the famous Camellia Forest. This year’s nighttime hours event features fresh activities, and new and classic installations along with all the pumpkins ever—such as the extremely Instagrammable luminous jack-o’-lanterns, hand-carved giant pumpkins and an expanded “Rhizome” installation by Tom and Lien Dekyvere—plus holiday-themed (aka pumpkin-spiced, probably) food and adult beverages. 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge; October 6–29, timed entry slots 6pm-9pm nightly; $30-$45; descansogardens.org.

Edith and moth flight by Emmet Gowin (PAC LA)

Photographic Arts Council Los Angeles Presents: A Picture A Minute (Virtual). To honor the organization’s 10 year anniversary, PAC LA presents an unusual and dynamic online photography event that celebrates the power of images and the art of storytelling. Based on Agnès Varda’s groundbreaking 1980s television production Une minute pour une image, PAC LA has assembled a group of deeply engaged artists, collectors, gallerists, and curators, who have all been chosen for their diversity and breadth of knowledge. Each participant will have just one minute to convey the essence of their chosen image, thereby exploring a wide array of subjects and emotions through the lens of photography during this celebratory event. Friday, October 6, 5-6pm; free; Register via eventbrite.com.

Company of Angels

RISE at Company of Angels. The Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights was once known as The Ellis Island of the West Coast. Providing a home to European and Asian immigrants, Latinos, and African Americans, it created a multicultural haven. This rich convergence of cultures resulted in a unique tapestry of American life. RISE, a new play written by Kimba Henderson and directed by Lui Sanchez, follows the journey of Emmeline, an African American woman born and bred in Boyle Heights. As the neighborhood evolves throughout the decades, we explore the ties that bind her to it and unravel the tragic mystery behind her unrelenting resolve to never leave. 1350 San Pablo St., Boyle Heights; Performances October 6 – November 5; $25; companyofangels.org.

Images of plants and animals from Book 11 of the Florentine Codex- Cuitlachtli, Tapachtli, Nopalli, Elotl. Ms. Mediceo Palatino 220, 1577 (Courtesy the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence, and by permission of MiBACT)

Saturday, October 7

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the Getty Center. An annual family event to learn about Southern California’s vibrant Native American cultures, sharing traditional and contemporary Indigenous perspectives and narratives. Activities include: a tasting menu selected by culinary anthropologist Claudia Serrato, using linocut stamps to create your own work inspired by the Florentine Codex, a plant guide to the gardens illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre, Carmina Escobar, Micaela Tobin and Jacqueline Wilson performing artist Raven Chacon’s score For Zitkála Šá (2017–2020). This event complements the launch of the Digital Florentine Codex. 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood; Saturday, October 7, noon-4pm; free w/ advanced registration; getty.edu.

Yulia Pustoshkina: Travel Light (Courtesy of Corey Helford Gallery)

Bound by Nature at Corey Helford Gallery. Featuring new works by Canadian illustrator and author Dena Seiferling, Portland-based hyperrealist nature painter Lisa Ericson, and Russian born/Sydney-based painter Yulia Pustoshkina. Opening the same night is a solo show by the award-winning German artist duo Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk [coarse], titled Because I Wanted You To Know; a solo show by Japanese artist Kazuki Takamatsu, Parallelization Era; and the second installment of the group show series, Literartistry: Art Inspired by the Written Word. 571 S. Anderson St., downtown; Opening reception: Saturday, October 7, 7-11pm; On view through November 11; free; coreyhelfordgallery.com.

Ann Carlson and inkBoat at the Nimoy

Ann Carlson and inkBoat: These Are the Ones We Fell Among at the Nimoy. An hour-long duet created by award-winning interdisciplinary artist Ann Carlson, whose poignant sense of humor, coupled with a nod to the absurd, has created a dreamscape inspired by the movements, myths, and metaphors of our non-human cousins—ranging from the most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita, to the largest land mammal, the elephant. Performed by Shinichi and Dana Iova-Koga of USA/Swiss-based experimental dance and theater company inkBoat, the piece juxtaposes elegance in the face of extinction. 1262 Westwood Blvd., Westwood; Saturday, October 7, 8pm; Sunday, October 8, 3pm; $32; cap.ucla.edu.

TOASTER

Sunday, October 8

Get Lit: Poetic Convergence at the Skirball. An annual convention of educators, student leaders, arts champions, and poetic giants. Enjoy a full day of workshops, panels, and breakout sessions to forge and strengthen bonds between students, teachers, schools, and communities. Topics include: How educators can involve the arts, especially writing and poetry? How to demonstrate to students the crucial role that literature has played in history and social movements? What are the best ways to encourage their critical thinking and support their voices? Panelists, speakers, and workshop leaders include: F. Douglas Brown, Luis Rodriguez, Mike Sonksen, Dr. Amrah Salomon, Austin Antoine, Sam Sax, Toaster, Angélica Maria, and more. The event focuses on educational practices, but is open to all attendees. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood; Sunday, October 8, 8:30am-4pm; free w/ registration; getlit.org.

Umar Rashid: The American Prometheus (Tongvaland), 2016, acrylic on drywall, 12 ft. x 18 ft. (Courtesy of the artist)

Tuesday, October 10

In Conversation: Artists Sithable Mlotshwa and Umar Rashid at LACMA. Mlotshwa is an award-winning artist based in the Netherlands whose multi-media work critically examines Dutch and European histories of slavery, colonialism, and racism. Rashid is an acclaimed Los Angeles–based artist who deploys diverse media to produce alternative histories that reimagine colonial narratives. The pair will discuss the ways that their practices critically reconsider and reimagine colonial histories, presented in collaboration with the exhibition The World Made Wondrous: The Dutch Collector’s Cabinet and the Politics of Possession; LACMA curator Diva Zumaya moderates. This program includes access to The World Made Wondrous starting for 30 minutes both before and after the conversation. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile; Tuesday, October 10, 7pm; free w/ rsvp; lacma.org.

Untitled (100 Yen), 1982 (© The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Licensed by Artestar, New York)

Wednesday, October 11

Conversation: Navigating the Art World Today, at Basquiat: King Pleasure. Jean-Michel Basquiat lived in the spirit of generosity. Understanding that artists need support in order to flourish, he created and fostered a sense of community by actively investing in the work of fellow artists and encouraging them to pursue their ambitions. Elevating other artists was important to him, and integral to how he showed up in the world. Join curator A.J. Girard, alongside Jean-Michel’s sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux (co-administrators of the Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate), as they host an intimate talk with an impressive array of multidisciplinary artists. Laci Jordan, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., Murjoni Merriweather and Deun Ivory will discuss their work and personal journey making art in today’s world. 100 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Wednesday, October 11, 6pm; $40 includes exhibition viewing; kingpleasure.basquiat.com.

William Eggleston, 1972 (PAC LA)

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