by Sebastian Ramirez | Nov 17, 2021 | General, Lifestyle, News, The Arts
Los Angeles, CA. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) hosted its 10th annual Art+Film Gala on November 6th, honoring artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. The event, attended by more than 650 prominent guests from the art, film, and fashion industries, was co-chaired by LACMA trustees Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio. Honorees Kevin Pemberton, Amy Sherald, Kate Capshaw, and honoree Steven Spielberg, were all wearing clothing by the event’s sponsor, Gucci. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for LACMA) This year’s event raised $5 million to support LACMA’s film initiatives, as well as future exhibitions, acquisitions, and programming. Returning once again as presenting sponsor of the Art+Film Gala, Gucci expanded its longstanding and generous partnership with the museum by supporting LACMA’s presentation of The Obama Portraits Tour and the companion exhibition Black American Portraits. Audi provided additional support for the gala for the third year.
Art+Film Gala Co-Chair Leonardo DiCaprio and honoree Steven Spielberg, both wearing Gucci, and Bob Iger (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA)
Diane Keaton and Serena Williams, both wearing Gucci, attend the 10th Annual LACMA ART+FILM GALA (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA)
Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus, both wearing Gucci. Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for LACMA)
Paris Hilton attends the 10th Annual LACMA ART+FILM GALA. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA)
Chris Martin and Judd Apatow (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA)
Blackwell and Lil Nas X, both wearing Gucci, (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA)
Morgan Spector, Rebecca Hall, Sophie Hunter, and Benedict Cumberbatch, wearing Gucci, (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA)
Julia Carey and James Corden, both wearing Gucci, The Bullitts, Nicole Avant, and Ted Sarandos (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA)
Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin (Photo by Donato Sardella/Getty Images for LACMA)
“It meant so much to honor Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, both artists of extraordinary vision, as we welcomed their iconic portraits of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to LACMA, alongside Steven Spielberg—one of the greatest artists of American cinema,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO, and Wallis Annenberg Director. “As co-chairs of the Art+Film Gala for 10 years, Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio have made this such an important event for all the creative industries in Los Angeles, and I’m so appreciative of their dedication to the gala and the museum.”
The Obama portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, at LACMA through January 2, 2022.
Art+Film Gala co-chair Eva Chow said, “I am delighted that the return of the Art+Film Gala was such a tremendous success. It was such a pleasure to recognize the creative achievements of all three of our honorees and to celebrate a decade of art and film at LACMA with our longstanding partner Gucci. I’m so grateful to Alessandro Michele, Marco Bizzari, and everyone at Gucci for their friendship and steadfast support, as well as to Celeste for giving us a spectacular performance that no one will soon forget.”
Renowned artists, distinguished guests, and luminaries from the art, film, fashion, music, and entertainment industries arrived at the Art+Film Gala’s red carpet adjacent to Chris Burden’s iconic Urban Light (2008) on Wilshire Boulevard. Guests then enjoyed a cocktail reception and a DJ set by the legendary D-Nice outdoors. Guests also visited the Resnick Pavilion to see two new exhibitions, The Obama Portraits Tour featuring paintings by honorees Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, as well as Black American Portraits. Following cocktails, guests moved into the Art+Film pavilion overlooking Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass (2012) for a special dinner—a collaboration between chef Joachim Splichal of Patina Restaurant Group and chef Mattia Agazzi of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Beverly Hills. Recently awarded a Michelin Star, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Beverly Hills represents a culinary universe by interlacing the colors and flavors of Italy with its new Californian surroundings.
After Michael Govan and Eva Chow welcomed the crowd, Tracee Ellis Ross gave a tribute to honoree Amy Sherald. Ava DuVernay then gave a tribute to honoree Kehinde Wiley, which was followed by a short film about the artists by Christine Turner. Guillermo del Toro then presented a tribute to Steven Spielberg, and guests enjoyed a montage of the director’s films.
Following the dinner program, guests were invited back outside where Sienna Miller introduced the evening’s performer, Celeste, who delivered a captivating performance of soulful hits from her debut album “Not Your Muse.” Shabaka Hutchings and the Free Nationals shared the stage for her set, and Florence Welch joined Celeste for a special duet of the Marvin Gaye classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
About LACMA:
Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of more than 147,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the region’s rich cultural heritage and diverse population. LACMA’s spirit of experimentation is reflected in its work with artists, technologists, and thought leaders as well as in its regional, national, and global partnerships to share collections and programs, create pioneering initiatives, and engage new audiences.
by Shriya Nayyar | Aug 31, 2021 | Coming Up, News, The Arts
Los Angeles, CA. On August 21, 2021 the Hammer Museum at UCLA opened two new exhibitions to the public. For their Houseguest exhibition, the museum invited Monica Majoli, a Los Angeles-based artist and professor of art at UC Irvine to create art out of works from the collections of the museum and the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts. Majoli’s exhibition is called ‘Shadows Fall Down’ and explores the human relationship with the body, in terms of both sensuality and sadness.
A multimedia collection called ‘The Histories (Old Black Joe)’ was revealed on the same day as the Hammer Projects exhibition. The collection looks at the effects that culture, geography and American history all have on each other. The collection’s creator, David Hartt, is an artist living in Philadelphia and working as an associate professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Fine Arts.
The Armand Hammer Collection, an art collection that showcases the tastes and interests of the Hammer Museum’s founder, will return to the museum on August 28, 2021. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the museum additionally continues to hold events online and more information about these events can be found on their website.
Untitled by Paul P., part of the Shadows Fall Down exhibition.
More about the Hammer Museum:
“The Hammer Museum at UCLA believes in the promise of art and ideas to illuminate our lives and build a more just world… A vibrant intellectual and creative nexus, the Hammer is fueled by dynamic exhibitions and programs—including lectures, symposia, film series, readings, and musical performances—that spark meaningful encounters with art and ideas. And through our unwavering commitment to free admission and free public programs, the Hammer is open for all and free for good.”
For more information about the Hammer Museum, click here: https://hammer.ucla.edu/
by Shriya Nayyar | Aug 17, 2021 | Coming Up, General, News, The Arts
Los Angeles, CA. The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) recently announced its Cultural Grants Program for non-profit organizations in Los Angeles. The grant aims to benefit those organizations planning to hold arts events, activities, and/or projects for the public between July 1, 2022 and June 20, 2023. These events are selected based on whether they uphold the DCA’s community values as they provide to or perform for the LA public.
The application process is rigorous. The DCA has four eligibility criteria for the non-profits, along with the criteria of specific categories. This year, the DCA encourages applicants to enter events for these particular categories: culture/history presentations, literature or publishing projects, media activities or presentations, design/visual art exhibitions or museum projects, or traditional/folk arts activities/presentations. The DCA has provided an educational introduction and online instructions for applicants, and actively encourage them to attend webinars or workshops that will allow to them to better prepare for the application.
DCA Cultural Grants Program guideline poster.
The announced deadline for applications for this up to $80,000 grant is August 27th, 2021 at 11:59pm.
For more information about the Cultural Grant Program, visit https://culturela.org/grants/cultural-grant-program-org/
For more information about DCA grants and application process in general, visit http://dcaredesign.org/grants/
More about the DCA:
“DCA advances the social and economic impact of arts and culture through grantmaking, public art, community arts, performing arts, and strategic marketing, development, design, and digital research. DCA creates and supports arts programming, maximizing relationships with other city agencies, artists, and arts and cultural nonprofit organizations to provide excellent service in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles.”
For more information, click here: https://culturela.org/
by Shriya Nayyar | Aug 10, 2021 | Coming Up, Feature, News, The Arts
Los Angeles, CA. Free Arts LA was founded with the goal of helping children in the foster system who had suffered from trauma or abuse by teaching them to express themselves and rebuild their self-esteem through art and craft. Today, the organization helps over 22,000 children across Los Angeles by pairing children with adult mentors and volunteers who guide the children through the artistic process of painting, drawing, writing, or other arts, serving as positive influences while the children find and improve themselves after their difficult experiences. Due to the pandemic, however, volunteers who wish to work directly with children must undergo their two-day training course over Zoom.
Free Arts LA volunteers taking a fun break while undergoing their online training course.
Free Arts LA offers several programs through its partners, namely an 8-week long Mentorship program, their Court program where children are encouraged to engage in arts to provide them with a safe space before appearing and testifying at the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse, and Free Arts Day, a fun one-day event held across LA county that helps children have fun and builds their sense of community.
Art Swagger LA, an art and design fundraiser held annually, has partnered with Free Arts this year and all proceeds from the event will go directly to the organization, helping to further develop its programs. The fundraiser will include a virtual panel, a silent auction, and – if Covid-19 conditions improve – an in person event on September 30th, 2021.
For more information about Art Swagger 2021, click here: https://www.artswagger-la.com/
More about Free Arts for Abused Children:
Free Arts programs inspire hope in the lives of children from ages 5-18 who have experienced abuse, neglect, poverty and homelessness through innovative creative arts programs and positive interactions with caring adult volunteers. Free Arts LA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
For more information about Free Arts, click here: https://www.freearts.org/
by Annie Melnick | Aug 3, 2021 | General, News, The Arts
Los Angeles, CA. The Broad, a contemporary art museum in Downtown Los Angeles, is known for being one of the world’s largest modern art collections. The museum has hosted many family oriented events; most recently, it partnered with the Los Angeles Public Library to host summer art school classes. The online format not only allowed for promoting social distancing, but made the classes more accessible for children and their families.
From The Broad:
In July, families with kids are invited for four live one-hour virtual drawing sessions. Facilitated by The Broad’s Visitor Experience Lead David Candelaria, participants will create a drawing inspired by works on view in the museum, while learning words used in contemporary art.
During the drawing session, librarians from the Children’s Literature Department from the Los Angeles Public Library will share and discuss books related to the activity’s theme.
Each workshop includes a live in-gallery segment showcasing the artwork that inspired the activity. Families will have time to share their creations at the end of the session.
All sessions are free to attend and held over Zoom. Sessions will be translated live into Spanish.
The four pieces of artwork used as inspiration: Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (1981), Roy Lichtenstein’s Still Life with Green Vase (1972), Julie Mehretu’s Six Bardos: Transmigration (2018), and Nathaniel Mary Quinn’s C’mo’ and Walk With Me (2019).
The classes were hosted every week throughout the month of July, each one having a different theme based off of a piece at the Broad. The themes were Portraiture, Still Life, Color and Abstraction, and Collage respectively. At the end of the session, participants get the opportunity to share their creations with each other.
For more information on future events, or to learn more about museum visitation, make sure to visit The Broad.
by Cameron Jackson | Aug 3, 2021 | Coming Up, Feature, General, News, The Arts
Los Angeles, CA. The Barcid Foundation is a Native American non-profit organization dedicated to providing initiatives and opportunities for indigenous peoples within media, tech, and STEM. It’s calling for film submissions for its 15th annual Skins Fest that will be taking place in November. Alongside Comcast NBCUniversal and many other sponsors, Barcid oversees the yearly LA Skins Fest in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. The festival takes place November 16th – 21st, 2021 in Hollywood. It aims to showcase the rising talent in Native American filmmaking.
Skins Fest Native Youth Filmmakers feature
At the 2018 LA Skins Fest, President and CEO of Barcid, Ian Skorodin, remarked on how Native American artists and cinema has grown with the festival: “We have seen Native Cinema grow into a genuine force with a voice that is finally being heard. Native filmmakers have been pushing creative limits and will have the acknowledgement they deserve.”
14th Annual LA Skins Fest.
Information about how to make a submission can be found on the Skins Fest website.
In addition to the LA Skins Fest, Barcid runs a host of other events and workshops to help foster Native American artists and help people grow their professional careers. Barcid Foundation’s goal is to use media as a tool for cultural, educational, technological and economic development to help the Native American community.
The Native Current: Multimedia Workshop introduces children ages 9-17 to new ways of thinking about the LA River through film.
About Barcid
The Barcid Foundation is a nonprofit tax-exempt 501c3 that oversees several Native American endeavors, including the LA SKINS FEST. Barcid was founded in 2004 to offer educational opportunities to Native American communities through multimedia programs. Barcid projects include the preservation of decaying library materials that pertain to Native American history, video production of PSAs for local Native American non-profits, and the LA SKINS FEST.
About LA Skins Fest
The prestigious Los Angeles Skins Fest ranks among the country’s best film festivals and is an annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers, and critics. The LA Skins Fest is considered a major launching ground for Indian Country’s most talked about films. Founded in 2007, the Los Angeles Skins Fest, now presenting screenings in the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, is a multi-day and multicultural event celebrating the art of film, TV and new media. The Los Angeles Skins Fest’s long-standing commitment is to join filmmakers and film connoisseurs together to experience great cinema. The exciting schedule consists of dozens of filmmakers presenting their newest works, special artist development programs, tributes to community leaders, special events, and remarkable films. Festival headquarters are in Los Angeles, CA.
