Shana Nys DambrotEveryone’s sporting full dance cards this time of year, what with holiday gatherings among friends, family, and coworkers. But that doesn’t mean every soiree has to be seasonally themed. So here are four straight days of art-friendly events with no Christmas cheer required (mostly).
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Thursday, Dec. 18: Fallen Fruit Free Citrus Tree Adoption at One Colorado in Pasadena
Artists and food activists Fallen Fruit (Austin Young and David Burns) are dedicated to mapping, protecting and disseminating awareness about the proliferation of free-growing fruit on L.A.’s public trees. In the name of expanding their Urban Fruit Trails territory, the collective hosts a free citrus tree adoption in Old Town Pasadena. All you need are your most stylish gardening gloves, and a willingness to commit to care for your young tree for a few years while it gets established. “Besides,” says Young, “Christmas trees are lovely, but it’s kind of like murder — and you can’t eat pine cones!” 24 East Union St., Pasadena. 6-8 p.m. fallenfruit.org/news/public-fruit-tree-adoption.
Public fruit jam; Credit: Fallen Fruit
Friday, Dec. 19: Paul Chan: Off Safety at Slow Culture
It’s Flashbulb and Flashback Friday at Show Culture, hosting a one-weekend-only pop-up show of photography by music photojournalist Paul Chan. Taken between 1997-2003, mostly on the job for Kronick Magazine, many of Chan’s most captivating editorial and candid portraits of future icons like Lil Wayne, Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Black Eyed Peas pre-Fergie, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes have not been shown publicly until now. Given the depth and breadth of hip-hop culture and its legacy in L.A., the opening reception in Highland Park on Friday night should be people-watching heaven. 5906 N. Figueroa St., 7-10 p.m. slow-culture.tumblr.com.
Artwork by Patrick Nagel; Credit: Patrick Nagel
Saturday, Dec. 20: Patrick Nagel Last Chance Cocktail Sale at 2A Gallery
In a quietly repurposed trapezoidal office space on Main St. in DTLA, 2A Gallery hosts special curatorial projects that typically work with emerging artists to best utilize and transform the room to suit their needs. While painter and poster god Patrick Nagel of 1980s ubiquity wasn’t around to collaborate, a recent show of his freshly unvaulted mint-condition posters was a massive hit. For one evening only, you’ve got a chance to view — and even better, buy — one of these rare beauties for yourself, along with all the nostalgic joy and art-historical revisionism you can carry. 400 S. Main St., dwntwn. 6 p.m. facebook.com/events/940037486023993.
Sunday, Dec. 21: Christof & Neil’s Christmas Extravaganza at HM157
With music by Miranda Lee Richards, Silver Phial and the Snowflakes, this party at one of L.A.’s most intriguing architectural landmark homes has a definite indie-music bent to it. But its hosts at HM157 are such design, art, craft, and history buffs that audiences have a lot more than just excellent live tunes to appreciate. 3110 N. Broadway, Lincoln Heights. 7 p.m.-12 a.m., all ages. hm157.com.
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