Results tagged “culture”

       

This weekend brings the opportunity to check out many of our area museums for a can't-beat-it price: Absolutely free. If you've got more time than dimes these days, hit up as many of our amazing art, history, science, and culture museums at no charge.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced yesterday that after four decades, they were ending their much-loved weekend film series, but hopes to reassure fans and patrons that they aren't abandoning film altogether, reports the LA Times.

The Sports Museum of Los Angeles opened with much fanfare on November 28th last year, but just three months later has already closed its doors to the general public, according to the Downtown News.

MOCA's grim financial outlook is no secret, and although there has been public mobilization to help raise the profile of the museum's plight and show whoever will pay attention that Angelenos want their art, some see the changes that need to come as being more fundamental.

A host of Eastern European countries and South Korea were accepted into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program today, meaning visitors from these countries will be permitted an unlimited number of travelers to visit the U.S. without a Visa. And that's good news for Los Angeles' tourism, says Mayor Villaraigosa: “Los Angeles already enjoys a strong community of nearly 400,000 citizens of Korean descent, but this new program will strengthen our economic and cultural ties with South Korea to unprecedented new heights." His office thinks the program could bring an additional 200,000 tourists and $60 million in visitor spending to Los Angeles within a year. The program will go into effect next month.

Some 40 concerts and hundreds of musicians later, The World Festival of Sacred Music ends today with a free concert on the beach featuring over 300 performers such as The Pasadena Scottish Pipes and Drums ensemble, Agape Choir, a REMO Drum Circle facilitated by Christine Stevens, Viver Brasil, Capoeira Batueque, Swing Brazil and Banda Juvenil Solaga from Oaxaca. The event, called Honoring the Sea, takes place on the beach at the end of Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica from 3:00 p.m. to sundown (6:41 p.m.). And best of all, this beautiful program is free.

As a city known for its beautiful weather and beautiful people, you'd think it would be difficult to name a more ideal city for singles than Los Angeles. However, Forbes.com, actually found 15 other cities that they think are a better fit for bachelors and bachelorettes in their "8th Annual Best Cities for Singles" list.

The Getty made an announcement yesterday that is disappointing some: hours are dropping back and parking fees are raising starting next Tuesday. This means tonight is the last Friday night you can enjoy the Getty until 9:00 p.m. as it will drop to its new time of 5:30 p.m. next week. Additionally, all other days except Saturdays, which will remain with its 9:00 p.m. closing time, will close a half hour earlier than usual at 5:30 p.m.

Reviews of Jay Babcock's review of Los Angeles didn't go so well in the comments section yesterday. Babcock, the man behind Arthur Magazine, left Los Angeles for Brooklyn earlier this month. Soundboard on LA Times caught up with him and quizzed him about his move and Babcock went off on Los Angeles.

The man behind Arthur Magazine, Jay Babcock, recently took the indie rag's operation to Brooklyn where he decided to resettle. Soundboard, the LA Times music blog, got a hold of him for a short interview. His answer to the first question, "what prompted the move to Brooklyn?", is quite a read:

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"The neighborhood surrounding the Watts Towers presents a stark contrast to the well-maintained aesthetics of this national monument, and currently the residents have limited means to capitalize socially or economically on this cultural currency," reads a pamphlet about the Watts House Project, which self-describes themselves as an an artist-driven urban revitalization project that hopes to be a catalyst for solutions and change in the community.

Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick is bringing up one of LAist's favorite topics: Los Angeles. The once City Councilwoman (and probably future City Councilwoman when she runs and probably wins) wanted Los Angeles to be tourist friendly and not just for tourists, but for residents.

This annual fundraiser is focused on the legendary Ventura County strawberry, and has lots of food, crafts, and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Strawberry Meadows of College Park (3250 South Rose Avenue, Oxnard). Tickets: $12 Adults; $5 Youth (Ages 5-12); $8 Seniors (55+); $8 Active Military and Dependents with ID; Children 4 and under are free

Since billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad has funded Los Angeles institutions such as LACMA's BCAM and UCLA's Stem Cell Institute, Curbed LA asked its readers what he should spend his money on next if it were to be a civic project. The "Subway to the Sea" won with overwhelming results.

C. Thi Nguyen, senior editor of Chow Digest at chowhound.com and a UCLA Grad Student opines in opposition to the County's move to put harsher regulations on Taco Trucks. It appeared in today's edition of the LA Times' The Guide:

Portland based musician and known as "the Stephen King of Indie Pop," Chris Robley and his band -- Fear of Heights -- play at Mr. T's Bowl tonight in Highland Park. Plenty of MP3s to check out of this indie-pop folk band below.

We comb through tons of event listings so you don't have to. LA events have come back from its winter doldrums tonight. Big time. Here's what's happening around town tonight -- there's lots of learning mixed in between all the great entertainment stuff.

Ray Bradbury will receive France's highest Arts & Letters Award, the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, tonight at 6pm in Beverly Hills for his contributions to literature all over the world.

Joel McHale hosts The Soup, a celebration of the most embarrassing moments in pop culture every Friday night on E! From Tila Tequila to Yo Gabba Gabba you can count on The Soup to gather all the "best of" moments into one big pot of funny. LAist headed to the E! studios for a backstage tour, taping of the show, and one on one with the man who is not afraid to say Oprah's Va-Jay-Jay on national television. When we arrived Joel was in the makeup chair prepping for the show.

Could you imagine Los Angeles without the Getty Museum? If that serene white chunk of Italian marble nestled above the 405 suddenly removed its bulk to some other parts, would you notice? Would you care?

COMEDY: Good for the Jews brings their rock/comedy show to the Knitting Factory tonight. Check out their MySpace page for their hits like “Jews for Jesus,” “JDate” and “They Tried to Kill Us.”

While I deeply love many different kinds of Christmas music, this is one form that tugs hard at the heartstrings. Soul music is just a perfect vehicle for the kind of unironic SINCERITY that I want from a good Christmas song, that makes their heartwarming messages hit home completely. Here's a few to put your mind at ease.

About the above picture: The Rawking Refuses To Stop!, a blog of all things Los Angeles pop culture and MP3, shares with us their best concert photos of 2007. Above, they sneak out of LA to New York to see Les Savy Fav at the Bowery Ballroom (we'll just say they did the same thing when they came here). Don't forget -- you still have today and tomorrow to enter our Rufus Wainwright/Belinda Carlisle...

No deal in the writer's strike before Xmas folks, so we might just have to entertain ourselves. Monday's looking sparse - oh wait, was I supposed to highlight dreck like K-Ville, Samantha Who?, and Deal or No Deal? No thanks. 6:00pm Larry King Live CNN - Relatively new Los Angelino Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham is the interviewee today. Will there be more talk about her hubbie's giant schlong? Or about how she sleeps naked with...

One of the most important composers of the 20th Century, German avant-garde and electronic composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, has died. The cause of his Wednesday death, which was announced today, is unknown at this point. Stockhausen made his way into pop culture when his image appeared on the Beatles album cover to the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. After 9/11, his name surfaced in the main stream media when the press misinterpreted a statement...

...and then America pants and wheezes after half a block The state fitness data released yesterday found that LAUSD students "are less physically fit than the state average" (Daily News). There's no surprise in that. But you have to admit, it's really lame. We live in California for heaven sakes! This isn't flatland cornfield Illinois where gym class is a required five days a week, kindergarten through senior year (and that state still has...

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sweet P has designed club wear, sleepwear, and retro inspired pieces. She sites John Galliano, Marni, Chloe, Phillip Lim, and Balenciaga as favorite designers. Combined with her childhood love of Sonny and Cher and passion for surfing and motorcycles, she represents the fun side of Southern California culture. Her first Sweet P collection will be available in February 2008. On Project Runway week one, Sweet P wowed the...

We at LAist love Zocalo's Public Square Lecture events (especially when they're either about porn or food porn) and we know lots of you love Mexican food. So we're excited about their event coming up on Tuesday December 11th called The Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles, which will be moderated by Jonathan Gold, L.A. Weekly Restaurant Critic and idol-worthy food writer. The scoop and the lineup, from their website:Zócalo has gathered together some of the...

Read our exclusive LAist interview with G4TV's Olivia Munn to find out how she feels about playing Gay Chicken with Kevin Pereira, living in Los Angeles, and making out with her spray-tan lady