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Coronavirus is wreaking havoc on schools, stores, businesses and events. With in-person concerts, talks, comedy shows, food festivals and other gatherings cancelled, we have turned our events column into a “nonevents” column. It will remain this way as long as social distancing and stay-at-home orders are in effect.
During this difficult time, please consider contributing to your local arts organizations or to individual artists and performers.
Watch new and notable films from Mexico. Check out an art show focused on mental health awareness. Attend the Brand’s online opening of its annual works on paper show. Make it easy like a Saturday morning with Grand Park’s latest virtual series. Listen to Charlie Kaufman discuss his latest movie, I’m Thinking of Ending Things.
Friday, Sept. 11
The Way I See It
As part of the Film Independent Goes to Washington series, explore the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama through the eyes of White House photographer Pete Souza. The documentary will be available to view for 72 hours.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Friday, Sept. 11 – Sept. 20
12th Annual Hola Mexico Film Festival
The largest Mexican film festival outside of Mexico moves online this year, streaming 20 of the best films to emerge from Mexico. That includes its opening selection, Chicuarotes, which follows the crimes and capers of two working-class teens. It’s the second movie directed by actor Gael Garcia Bernal. You must get a subscription to PANTAYA to watch the movies.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO
Friday, Sept. 11; 6 p.m. PDT
An Evening Conversation with James Cromwell
The Robey Theatre Company’s online conversation series takes place via Zoom with actor and activist James Cromwell (Grand Horizons, Hamlet, Othello, Babe). The discussion revolves around the current and future state of the theater, COVID-19’s impact on the performing arts and the art community’s response to movements for racial and social justice. A Q&A session with the audience follows the conversation.
COST: FREE with RSVP, but a $10 donation to support the theater is appreciated; MORE INFO
Friday, Sept. 11 – Sunday, Sept. 13
Virtual Maritime Festival
The Ocean Institute in Dana Point joins forces with oceanic institutions around the globe to hold an educational, online event for kids of all ages. Learn how three-masted topsail cargo schooners transport coffee through the Costa Rican jungle, explore marine life, delve into the history of Polynesia and Hawaii, discuss the impact of plastic pollution on our oceans.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Friday, Sept. 11 – Sunday, Sept. 13
Lightbox Expo
Character designer and illustrator Bobby Chiu (Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland) and Emerald City Comic Con founder Jim Demonakos turn their expo — a celebration of the visual arts — into an international virtual art show. The weekend features more than 200 presentations with a focus on animation, illustration and concept art. Guests in the virtual show floor include Oscar winner Everett Downing (co-director of Hair Love), Rona Liu (production designer at Pixar Animation Studios), James Gurney (creator of Dinotopia), Natalie Hall (artist on The Shape of Water) and Andy Park (director of visual development at Marvel Studios).
COST: $1 – $40; MORE INFO
Friday, Sept. 11; 12 – 9 p.m.
Rave The Vote
The digital channel Lost Resort TV continues its Twitch livestream series hoping to increase voter registration while raising funds for organizations focused on change and unity. Listen to electronic artists perform live or spin sets. This week’s lineup includes The Blessed Madonna, Carl Craig, Yaeji, Aluna, DJ Holographic and DJ Pierre. The final event takes place on Oct. 2.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Saturday, Oct. 31
Kinematic Exposures
Von Lintel Gallery
Bendix Building
1206 Maple Ave., #212, downtown L.A.
The gallery opens a solo show of new work by award-winning fine art photographer and photojournalist Osceola Refetoff. View formerly unseen pinhole camera works. Saturday’s opening hours run from 3 to 8 p.m. and masks are required. Private 30-minute viewings are available by appointment.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Friday, Oct. 30
Brand 48
Brand Library & Art Center — 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale
For the first time, the library presents a virtual reception for its 48th annual juried exhibition of works on paper (or paper used as a structural material). Curated by Dan McCleary, artist and founder of Art Division, the 108 works illuminate the resilience of the creative spirit in the middle of a pandemic. The virtual opening takes place on Saturday at 2 p.m., and registration for the Zoom link is required. A printed catalog will accompany the exhibition.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 5 p.m. PDT
Q&A with Writer-Director Charlie Kaufman
In Kaufman’s latest film, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, a woman travels with her boyfriend to his parents’ secluded farm, where she questions everything she thought she knew about herself and the world. A Q&A with Kauffman about the film, which is available on Netflix, takes place via Zoom.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 4 and 8 p.m.
Banda El Recodo
City National Grove of Anaheim
2200 East Katella Ave., Anaheim
The Mexican brass banda, which has been in existence since the 1930s, plays a Fiestas Patrias Drive-In show to celebrate Mexican Independence Day (Sep. 16) and month. The ensemble plays two shows where fans can celebrate and dance outside their cars as long as they wear a face mask and stay next to their vehicle at all times. Attendance is limited to 250 cars per show. For Recodo fans who won’t be able to attend in-person, livestream tickets are available via ticketon.com.
COST: $250 per car; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 10 – 11 a.m.
Grand Park’s Easy Mornings
The new weekly digital experience, which was filmed live on location in Grand Park, offers families a calm start to the weekend. Each episode features morning meditations with yoga instructor Courtney Seiberling; coloring workshops with GURL Museum Day; nature photography tips from Las Fotos Project; cooking demos with participating food trucks from Grand Park’s Lunch à la Park program; and performances or conversations with different artists and community members. The series continues on Saturdays through Oct. 3 and will be available on all of Grand Park’s digital channels.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Sunday, Sept. 13
Virtual Biodiversity Bash
The Los Angeles Zoo holds a second weekend of learning events that examine California’s biodiversity. These virtual sessions and activities are designed to celebrate the state’s exceptional biodiversity and encourage us to protect it. Workshops during the weekend include Bees, Birds, Bugs, and Butterflies Bioblitz, L.A. Zoo’s Bird Gardens and how to grow a succulent garden.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 1 p.m. PDT
Ideas for Resisting Artist Talk and Workshop
The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery’s juried exhibition Archive Machines opened online earlier this summer. Artists in the latest section of the exhibition use archival materials to critique the histories of colonization and structural injustices. Learn about artists Woohee Cho, Malisa Humphrey and Farrah Karapetian’s works. Viewers will also be able to ask questions or share their own ideas for resisting, which will become a resource on the LAMAG’s website. This program will be held on Zoom. Make your reservation no later than Friday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 5 p.m. PDT
Modern Drummer Festival 2020
LiveXLive livestreams a fest for drummers and percussionists as a tribute to Rush drummer Neil Peart, who passed away earlier this year from brain cancer. Watch artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins, Styx’s Todd Sucherman, Rascal Flatts’ Jim Riley, Anthrax’s Charlie Benante and Korn’s Ray Luzier. Fan donations and a portion of the proceeds and will benefit brain research at Cedars Sinai. The event streams live and as a PPV at livexlive.com. Ticket prices include a 90-day rewatch.
COST: $12.99 – $150 (includes a meet and greet with some of the musicians); MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Saturday, Nov. 14
Skin in the Game
Brent Holmes curates a group exhibition by 12 artists who challenge mainstream assumptions of Black identity and artistic practice: Crackhead Barney, Q’shaundra James, Cat Jones, Karla Lagunas, Antwane Lee, AJ McClenon, Mark Steven Greenfield, Carlos Ramirez, Se7en Captures, Lance L. Smith, and duo Jason Woodberry and Marcus Kiser. The show focuses on Black voices but also includes artists of various ethnicities and backgrounds. The group show launches online and hopes to allow in-person viewing at Palos Verdes Art Center.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Starting Saturday, Sept. 12
Breaking the Code
L.A. Theatre Works offers recordings of both contemporary and classic plays, each performed by noted actors of stage and screen. Every Saturday, audiences can stream that week’s radio broadcast online for free, along with productions from previous weeks. Starting this week, listen to Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code, which, based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges. The cast includes Simon Templeman, Sheelagh Cullen, W. Morgan Sheppard and André Sogliuzzo.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 10:30 a.m. – noon
L.A. Soundscapes: Versa-Style Dance Company
The Ford’s new series presents the history and culture of L.A.’s music and dance scenes. Teaming with Versa-Style, the session takes families around the world for “Origins of Hip Hop: An Educational Journey Through the Cultural History of American Streetdance.” Learn about hip hop’s roots in African and Latinx diasporic communities through locking, whacking, popping and freestyle. Log on early (10:30 a.m.) for a craft session with multidisciplinary artist and educator Jay Davis who shows how to create a stenciled bandana. RSVP today at theford.com/la-soundscapes-crafts.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Sunday, Dec. 27
Small Victories
Collaborating with L.A.’s Thinkspace Projects, the Lancaster Museum of Art and History, presents the group show Small Victories, which focuses on suicide prevention and mental health awareness. The show features new works from dozens of artists including ABCNT, Ador, AKACORLEONE, Dragon76, Ghost Beard, Hanna Lee Joshi, TMRWLND, Waylon Horner and Wiley Wallace. 10% of sales will be donated to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 7 – 9 p.m.
Love in Action
The Los Angeles LGBT Center hosts its first-ever telethon to raise funds for the center’s vital programs and services. The night is hosted by KTLA 5 news anchor Cher Calvin and actor Jane Lynch, a former member of the center’s board of directors. Catch appearances and performances by Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, Sia, Margaret Cho, Jay Leno, Lily Tomlin, Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, RuPaul and a ton of other people. Watch on KTLA 5 and online at KTLA.com and lalgbtcenter.org/love.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 8 p.m.
San Fernando Valley Summer Drive-In
Westfield Fashion Square
14006 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks
My Valley Pass presents two screenings on Saturday night: Batman at 8 p.m. and Terminator 2 at 11 p.m. Tickets are required for each film, and each person in the vehicle needs to have a ticket.
COST: $20 – $95; MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 12; 7 – 8 p.m.
Virtual Magic Show
The Magic Castle presents an interactive magic show via Zoom, hosted by magician Matt Marcy and featuring performers Michael Gutenplan and Juan Luis Rubiales. For the first time in its 57-year history, the venue has begun offering curbside takeout and you don’t have to be a member. If you spend $50 or more for dinner on Saturday, the show is free for nonmembers.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO
Dine & Drink Deals
Who doesn’t miss going out to eat or stopping by a bar for a drink? Here are a few options from restaurants and bars as we work our way back toward normal.
- Milo & Olive in Santa Monica has reopened for outdoor dining and is stoking its wood-fired oven. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. every day and the restaurant will soon add breakfast and lunch on the patio.
- The team behind Jerry’s Famous Deli recently opened Jerry’s Patio Cafe & Bar in Marina del Rey. With an outdoor patio area and walk-in takeout counter, the restaurant offers modern comfort food — matzo ball soup, a pastrami sandwich, a brisket dip and a pastrami burger.
- Partnering with the Westside Food Bank to help feed those in need, Santa Monica Place has joined the Macerich Million Meals Challenge. If it meets its modest goal of raising $2,000, it will provide 8,000 meals to people in need. Donations can be made online through Sep. 15.
