Talking in L.A.
Los Angeles is the Cultural Capital of the 21st Century. From visual art to cutting edge music to innovative theatre and live performances to some of the world's leading cultural institutions - we truly have it all. But all great cultural capitals have - in addition to the arts and culture as mentioned - a forum for public discourse. The Greeks had the agora for assembly, education, and interaction; and though we have our own Agoura, there is something missing in terms of the town square of Los Angeles, unless you know where to look for it.
Coming together for intellectual exchange is nothing new in University Park, Westwood, Eagle Rock, Westchester, Northridge, or any other neighborhood with a college or University. But where does the populace gather when no longer attending classes or lectures on campus? And further, where does one go to find these intellectual exchanges for free? With a little effort, we've compiled this list for you (after the jump), the inquisitive Angeleno looking for intellectual discourse in the metropolis:
Free Los Angeles Lecture Series
Zocalo LA:
Zocalo, or town square, is the Latin counterpart to the Greek agora. In a city with no true town square (much to the chagrin of Pershing Square promoters and AEG), this program travels from venue to venue (over a dozen) almost weekly presenting talks and experts who come to give their perspective and answer questions. Though free, the events often "sell out" due to the demand. Part of the demand comes from the reception that always includes free drinks (of the alcoholic as well as soft kind) and free food that is light (but could be made a meal). These speakers and panels delve into tough issues, current affairs, and taboo topics .
Aloud at the Central Library
The Los Angeles Public Library offers some of the must unique and impressive services from the City of LA. With the support of the Library Foundation, the Central Library hosts multiple speakers and panels each week through their Aloud program. These free events feature authors, political leaders, and experts on a wide range of topics. They are scheduled a few months in advance, so it's good to check the calendar in advance because each event requires reservations (and they fill up quickly).
Farmlab Salons
Farmlab, built in a space under and adjacent to Spring Street at Gold Line crossing, offers a number of programs. You may not know the lab, but you may be aware of one of their first projects, "Not a Cornfield". The FarmLab Salon, though, is a free, almost-weekly exchange that brings together speakers on a topic to present a perspective on the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. There is no free food here, but a modest donation gets you lunch and supports the organization.
SCI-Arc Lecture Series
SCI-Arcm as an institution of learning offers programs that are free and open to the public. These lectures are focused on architecture, but that doesn't mean you have ato be an architect to attend or appreciate the speaker and topic. Recent topics have included the political in the "Urban Transformations in Istanbul" as well as "new media" with the founding editor of BLDGBLOG. Check out the calendar, as they schedule these programs well in advance (almost every Wednesday and most Fridays).
It is recommended that you sign up for the email list of each of these essential series (or check their sites frequently) to attend them and create the culture of interpersonal exchange that is required of a Cultural Capital.
The Getty Center & Villa
Beyond the set series listed above, the Getty offers free lectures and tours daily, some repetitive and others unique to an exhibit or item in the collection. All are worthwhile to wet your appetite for futher human interaction in cultural conversation.
And yes, various other venues have free lectures, panels, and/or discussions, but these are the biggies that demand your attention and attendance. (For those with a more solid wallet, there are other series one can pay for, like TownHall LA, or the series at the Skirball.)
Get out there and talk about issues, art, cultural, yourself, each other. We'll hit that cultural glass ceiling if we don't further the interpersonal engagement that historically defined the cultures of Athenians, Venetians, Romans, Parisians, Amsterdamians, and Londoners. That, and that they were commercial centers first - but that's a whole other issue.
Photo by feaverish via Flickr