Shana Nys Dambrot
A giant art show devoted to felines, painting shows, book and also art talks, one of the Chapman Brothers, a sculptural intervention in the park, experimental ballet, a play by August Wilson, poetry about the cosmos, and two completely different feminist video projects both called “Where do we go from here?” Must be something in the air.
Adam Lister in the Cat Art Show
Thursday, October 14
Cat Art Show 4: A New Beginning. More than 70 globally recognized and emerging artists, including Gia Coppola, Karen Finley, Frohawk Two Feathers, Haroshi, Jim McKenzie, Soey Milk, Annie Montgomerie, Marion Peck, Giulia Rosa, Vanessa Stockard, Britt Ehringer, Adam Lister, Yosuke Ueno, and Casey Weldon — represent over 16 countries, in sculpture, collage, painting and illustration with one thing in common. They are cat people, just like curator Susan Michals and the dedicated followers of this evolving exhibition series. Installed throughout the former Hop Louie, the kitsch and nostalgia levels are sure to run high; but at the same time, these mysterious and mischievous furry creatures have been spellbinding to children and monarchs, poets and pharaohs, since forever — and as this show proves, for good reason. The Golden Pagoda (formerly Hop Louie), 950 Mei Ling Way, Chinatown; Opening reception: Thursday, October 14, 8-10pm; on view through October 24; free; catartshow.com.
Moshtari Hilal at Womxn in Windows 2021
Womxn In Windows 2021: Where Do We Go From Here? Womxn in Windows presents its third annual storefront exhibition of video works by womxn filmmakers and video artists, alongside the works of Ginger Q and Janna Ireland. Curated by Zehra Ahmed, the videos are an exploration of personal narratives and environments as seen through the lenses of five artists: Kesh, Morehshin Allahyari, Moshtari Hilal, Olivia Gastaldo and RaFia Santana; womxn from varied cultural backgrounds spanning across Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Trinidad, the United Kingdom and the United States. Watch the films from the street and tune into the audio of the film via a QR code and listen on your own devices. Opening night features artwork guides, live performances by Kilo Kish, Kablito and Kesh, a bar, tacos, the limited edition exhibition zine and merchandise from event partners, Pure Beauty. 700 S. Main St., downtown; Opening night: Thursday, October 14, 7-10pm; on view 24 hours a day through November 15; free; womxninwindows.com.
Conrad Egyir at UTA Artist Space
Friday, October 15
Conrad Egyir: Inauguration at UTA Artist Space. The Ghanaian artist’s transnational practice deftly blends West African and American sensibilities, iconographies, and styles. Elaborating upon the school motifs found in his past work, Egyir returns to the idea of education as a site of growth, individuality, and success, especially for immigrants. As the artist says, “The past year saw me and a lot of my friends and colleagues having to cope with the cancellations, postponements, and uncertainties the pandemic placed upon us. This is a way for me to take back control of the narrative on my own artistic terms.” 403 Foothill Rd., Beverly Hills; October 15 – November 13; free; utaartistspace.com.
Elysian Valley Arts Collective presents: John Densmore (Virtual). EVAC, producers of the Frogtown Artwalk, present a virtual tour through Frogtown and interview with legendary drummer John Densmore in celebration of his latest book, The Seekers: Meetings With Remarkable Musicians (and Other Artists). Watch as Densmore and host Rex Weiner meander through the creative enclave along the L.A. River, meeting artists and musicians while they discuss the book’s tales of iconic personalities like Bob Marley, George Harrison and the Dalai Lama. The Zoom event will culminate in a live Q&A with Densmore. Friday, October 15, 7pm; free/donation; evartscollective.com.
Dinos Chapman at One Trick Pony
Dinos Chapman: Blood Shit + Fluff, and Edward Cushenberry: Heavy-Handed, at One Trick Pony. Edward Cushenberry lives in the Los Angeles area where he splits his time between photographing his life and drawing everything else that’s going on in his world, in an attempt to merge real life with romanticism. The Tate Modern’s artist page for Chapman’s solo work apart from his sensational collaborations with his brother Jake would like you to know that, “Abject art is used to describe artworks which explore themes that transgress and threaten our sense of cleanliness and propriety particularly referencing the body and bodily functions.” 1051 S. Fairfax, Mid-Wilshire; opening reception: Friday, October 15, 6-8pm; on view through November 13; free; instagram.com/onetrickponygallery.
Mercedes Dorame in front of Pulling the Sun Back – Xa’aa Peshii Nehiino Taame, at Los Angeles State Historic Park (Photo by Ian Byers-Gamber. Courtesy of Clockshop)
Saturday, October 16
Mercedes Dorame: Pulling the Sun Back – Xa’aa Peshii Nehiino Taame, at L.A. State Historic Park. A site-specific installation inspired by the three elements of Tongva community structures, intertwining the traditional Tongva Kiiy (home), Shyee’evo (healing space), and Yovaar (ceremonial space). The artist’s practice is an expression of ceremonial intervention in collaboration with her ancestral lands, connecting to ancestral knowledge as a means of reconciliation and reclamation in order to build radically imagined futures. In this project, Mercedes Dorame collaborated with Clockshop and architectural designer Lilliana Castro to create a structure that invites the viewer to orbit through layers of home, healing, and ceremony centering on an oculus aligning with the sun. 1245 N. Spring St., Chinatown; Saturday, October 16, 3-5pm; on view through January 31; free; clockshop.org.
Michael Childress and Richard Colman at New Image Art
Michael Childress: Pictures of the Floating World; and Richard Colman: 33 Lilies, at New Image Art. Childress’ process obfuscates forms and colors, which in turn creates a melding of scientific diagrams with otherworldly auras. Each of his paintings stems from both our world and the unknown. The channeling of light, form, and color collide together forging multi-dimensional entities. Colman explores sentiments of loss and beauty with this new body of work. He delves into a mystical head-scape where his iconic figures contort, curve, and spiral which act as a reflection of the constant shift within the human psyche. 7920 Santa Monica Blvd., WeHo; Opening reception: Saturday, October 16, 6-9pm; on view through November 13; free; newimageartgallery.com.
Alexa Guariglia at Moskowitz Bayse
Alexa Guariglia: Curl Memory at Moskowitz Bayse. In her latest series of paintings, Guariglia replaces the improvisational brushwork of earlier bodies of work with meticulous all-over compositions that declare space and depth through pulsing repetition and intricately layered pigmentation. Intuition happens early in the process, followed by a meditated deployment of color. Still, Guariglia’s real-time urge to resolve problems on the paper as they arise brings her synaptic impulse to the fore, as the paintings’ initial structure begins to liquefy under the dazzling and occasionally blurring hum of the crisp watercolor and gouache. 743 N. La Brea, Hollywood; Opening reception: Saturday, October 16, 6-8pm; on view through November 13; free; moskowitzbayse.com.
Olga Esther at Thinkspace
PONI: Un dia a la vez, and Olga Esther: Princesses, Gender Mandates and Other Stories, at Thinkspace Projects. Hilda Palafox — aka PONI — examines the mystery and meaning of the feminine physical, emotional, and mental state. Perceiving the visible body as shapeless matter willing to mold itself, Palafox utilizes shapes, colors, and textures that seem to embody Latin American women. Olga Esther uses the symbolism of princess-tales to broach the subjects of gender and feminism, investigating how the construction of identity and the women who, despite society’s pressure, disobey and stray from these societal expectations. 4217 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams; Opening reception: Saturday, October 16, 6-9pm; on view through November 9; free; thinkspaceprojects.com.
BalletX
BalletX at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Philadelphia’s powerhouse company BalletX, led by Artistic & Executive Director Christine Cox, makes its Segerstrom Center for the Arts debut! Diverse and innovative, the company commissions new works that are “fresh, inclusive and connect to what people want.” (Philadelphia Citizen). Celebrating their 15th Anniversary, BalletX has been blazing a path of creativity and innovation across leading stages including The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater and Jacob’s Pillow, and has quickly become the “IT Company” to watch. 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Saturday, October 16, 7:30pm; $39; scfta.org.
The Messenger (Photo by Lauren Desberg)
Sunday, October 17
The Messenger at Lacy Studio Lofts. A new dance theater performance by Olivia Mia Orozco created in collaboration with Julienne Mackey presented inside Laurie Shapiro’s magical immersive visual art installations. Informed by Hopi creation and agricultural mythology, and Hopi Folktales, the work blends these influences to create an inspired story honoring the earth and bringing lessons from the past to enrich our futures collectively. The work plays with themes of the infinite nature of reality and the interconnectedness in us all. 2684 Lacy St., Cypress Park; Sunday, October 17; 5pm and 7pm; $50; performativepopups.com.
Carlo McCormick at Tristan Eaton at LBMA
Carlo McCormick and Tristan Eaton in conversation at the Long Beach Museum of Art. It’s the final two weekends to see Tristan Eaton’s blockbuster show, and he is wrapping it up with a one-on-one artist talk with legendary New York-based culture critic and curator Carlo McCormick, author of numerous books, monographs and catalogues on contemporary art and artists. They sit down to survey the show and talk about Eaton’s work from a historic and cultural lens. 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach; Sunday October 17, 2-3:30pm; free; instagram.com/tristaneaton.
Amanda Maciel Antunes Where We Go From Here, 14-50, multichannel video 2017-19
Amanda Maciel Antunes: Where Do We Go From Here? at Luna Anais Gallery. A new work of performance art by Amanda Maciel Antunes and the public premiere of her film, Where We Go From Here, shot between 2018-2019 during residences in the Amazon, Brazil, and Los Angeles. Commissioned by Luna Anaïs Gallery, the performance is part of Ithaca, Amanda’s solo exhibition on view now through October 28, that responds to Homer’s Odyssey through a feminine lens. The evening is produced by Ilona Berger, and as the artist writes the film is, “intended to recreate the experience of being in different places at the same time…as an attempt to understand the interconnectedness of my notions of home and memory.” Tin Flats, 1989 Blake Ave., Frogtown; Sunday, October 17, 7pm; free; lunaanais.com.
August Wilson’s 7 Guitars, at A Noise Within. In 1948 Pittsburgh, old friends gather to mourn the death of a young guitarist and his dream of stardom. This heartrending blues opera combines touching elegy, humor, and emotional grit as the characters strike their own notes in a discordant world that threatens their hopes and lives at every turn. Bursting with musical lyricism and courage, Wilson’s Pulitzer-nominated play continues his theatrical saga that richly captures the spirit and heritage of Black Americans in the 20th Century. 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena; October 17 – November 14; $25-79; anoisewithin.org.
Sanford Biggers: Reconstruction, 2019. Antique quilt, birch plywood, gold leaf, 38 x 72 x 19 in. (© Sanford Biggers and Monique Meloche Gallery. RCH Photography)
Monday, October 18
John Jennings at the Visual World of Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch at CAAM. John Jennings, a best-selling author, graphic novelist, curator, and professor, is widely known for his graphic novel adaptations of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Kindred. For Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch, now on view at CAAM, Jennings collaborated with the artist on an accompanying graphic essay and video. Hear Jennings discuss Mother Patchwerk, the powerful video and graphic essay he contributed to the exhibition catalogue, both of which introduce the layered meanings inherent in the art and craft of quilting that are seminal to this body of Biggers’s work. 600 State Dr., Exposition Park; Monday, October 18, 7pm; free; caamuseum.org.
Eric Garen at CalTech
Tuesday, October 19
Eric Garen’s Poems of the Planet at CalTech (Virtual). Discover how educator and astrophotographer Eric Garen (BS ’68) combined his love of language and scientific training into Poems of the Planets: Solar System Science in Verse and Prose. Originally written with middle school students in mind, the book invites readers of all ages to delight in the hidden wonders of our solar system, from the highly corrosive atmosphere of Venus to the wacky antics of the moons circling within the icy rings of Saturn and everything in between. Garen will be joined by Katherine de Kleer, assistant professor of planetary science and astronomy at Caltech, who served as science advisor for the book. Tuesday, October 19, 5pm; free; events.caltech.edu.
Unknown Artist, Pictorial Map, 1947. Color printing on paper, 27.5 x 20 inches (Courtesy of Forest Lawn Museum)
Wednesday, October 20
Unveiling the Past: The Art & History of Forest Lawn. A new exhibition reveals the rich history behind the iconic art and architecture of Forest Lawn. The exhibition features paintings, drawings, sculptures, stained glass, maps, archival photographs, and more! The evening will include free exhibition tours, complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres, live music by the Happiness Band, and remarks by the curator. Forest Lawn Museum, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale; Opening reception: Wednesday, October 20, 5-7pm; on view through March 13; free; forestlawn.com.
Britt Ehringer in the Cat Art Show
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