Topline:
Downtown L.A. landmarks are lighting up with massive portraits of Angelenos — including Edward James Olmos and George Takei — protesting recent immigration raids. The public art campaign asks the public: “Am I next?”
Backstory: The Department of Homeland Security says it’s made more than 5,000 arrests in L-A since June. And the sweeps continue.
Read on ... to find where across L.A. you can see these portraits.
Drive through downtown Los Angeles at night and you’ll see billboard-sized portraits of Angelenos projected onto landmarks like the Japanese American National Museum and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
It’s not an ad campaign. It’s protest through art — a new project condemning the federal immigration raids that have swept up thousands across the region in recent months.
One by one, portraits of dozens of Angelenos who’ve voiced their opposition to the raids flash across the buildings. A few are recognizable right away like Edward James Olmos and George Takei, veteran actors and activists who’ve fought against racial injustice.
“This is totally, totally one of the most extraordinary moments of my life, because it's one of the most difficult,” Olmos said.
Olmos compared this period to the civil unrest that rocked L.A. in 1992. He famously led cleanup efforts afterward.
“I did a lot of work during that period of time in the community to help bring it back,” Olmos said. “But this is brutal because it's just beginning. People don't understand. They think, ‘Oh, well, you know, they came in here, they did their thing, and now they left.’ No, it's just beginning.”
The Department of Homeland Security says it’s made more than 5,000 arrests in L.A. since June. And the sweeps continue.
“Unlike those who hide behind masks, we show our faces — proud, visible, and unafraid,” said Miguel Santana, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation, which is leading the campaign.
The foundation’s own building on Temple Street is a canvas for the glowing black and white portraits that drivers can see from the 101. “Am I next?” reads the message next to the faces.
“When anyone's rights are stripped away, everyone is at risk,” Santana said. “When guilt replaces innocence, our Constitution is under attack. That's why we ask, ‘Am I next?’ Because any of us could be.”
Interspersed between the photos are the first names of people seized by immigration agents with a line about the circumstances:
Mauricio, waiting for a bus.
Juan, on lunch break from his construction job.
Miriam, waiting in court
For Japanese Americans who lived through World War II, the raids feels like a repeat of history. Use of force. Loss of due process. Targeting of ethnic communities.
George Takei recalls the day his family was forced from their home to be incarcerated with other Japanese Americans in camps. Two soldiers stomped up their porch, he said, and banged on the front door.
“They carried rifles with shiny bayonets on them,” Takei recalled. “My father came rushing out, and the soldier said, ‘Get your family out of this house.’”
When Takei’s father asked for more time to pack, one soldier pointed his bayonet at his face. The family raced to gather their belongings. Takei’s mother was the last to come out.
“She had our baby sister in one arm, a huge duffel bag in the other and tears were streaming down her cheeks,” Takei said. “The terror of that morning is seared into my memory.”
Takei is raising his voice now, when few did for his family back then. His portrait — and those of others — will continue to be projected onto the buildings until the raids end, Santana said.
The portraits are also being projected onto the sides of the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach and the Social and Public Art Resource Center in Venice.
In addition to the projected portraits, the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is also showing an installation about belonging in L.A. with more than 30 large-scale digital images by nine local artists including Lalo Alcaraz and Brandy Gonzalez.
"Their work tells stories of migration, struggle, resilience and unity," said LA Plaza's CEO Leticia Rhi Buckley. "These are not just visuals. They are voices."
Santana said his foundation is in conversations with more institutions around the state who want to show the "Am I Next" portraits. The campaign isn’t limited to large buildings, with Santana noting that the images can be projected onto people’s homes.
In the meantime, more portraits are being added to the project. Learn more at the Am I Next website.
Topline:
At the California African American Museum’s annual King Day event, museumgoers listened to and reflected on a speech the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered less than a year before his assassination.
“Three Evils of Society”: As part of its program celebrating the civil rights leader, the Exposition Park museum played King’s keynote address to the 1967 National Conference on New Politics in Chicago. Attendees participated in a group discussion after.
Youth musicians: Later, the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles performed.
Read on … for more about the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend is typically busy for the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. On Monday, the orchestra finished its third performance of the weekend at the California African American Museum, which included a musical rendition of the civil rights leader’s seminal “I Have a Dream Speech.”
It was flautist Tionna LeSassier’s first time playing with the orchestra on the federal holiday. Tionna said she began playing flute when she was 12.
“I feel really relieved that I was able to accomplish such a big performance for a really big holiday,” Tionna, who has been playing flute for more than two years, said. “I cannot believe I’m here playing with these amazing musicians.”
The orchestra’s performance, which included pieces like “We Shall Overcome” and the “Afro-American Symphony,” capped off the museum’s annual “King Day” celebration.
The event is held on the federal holiday that honors the legacy of the Baptist preacher whose nonviolent protests and eloquent speeches helped shift American attitudes about race in the 1960s and beyond and lead to landmark Civil Rights legislation.
Earlier in the day, museumgoers listened to and reflected on a recording by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. from 1967. Nearly 60 years later, event participants said, the words still feel fresh.
“When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are incapable of being conquered,” King said in “The Three Evils of Society,” his keynote address at the National Conference on New Politics in Chicago.
Cameron Shaw, executive director of the Exposition Park museum, told LAist on Monday that the speech has “incredible relevance to the political and social moment and what we’re going through as a people today.”
In a brief discussion after the speech, one attendee spoke about the need to interrogate racism as a systematic ill, not just as one-off acts, and another commented on the importance of standing up to injustice.
Shaw says the museum’s celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has evolved over the last several years, but one of the main throughlines she sees is the continued message of “speaking truth to power.”
“When we celebrate Dr. King today, we celebrate all of the folks past and present who have been brave enough to speak truth to power,” Shaw said. “That is something we truly need.”
Monday’s event also featured a faux stained glass workshop inspired by an exhibition the museum has on display about architect Amaza Lee Meredith.
The museum’s King Day event was one of several celebrating the Civil Rights leader this weekend in L.A.
Topline:
Italian fashion designer Valentino died Monday at his Roman residence. He was 93.
Valentino's legacy: In the world of haute couture, Valentino embraced sophistication, elegance and traditional femininity through his dresses. His work embodied romance, luxury and an aristocratic lifestyle. He dressed the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis, as well as modern stars, including Anna Wintour to Gwyneth Paltrow and Zendaya.
How he got his start: Valentino owed much of his success to his former lover and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. The two met in Rome in 1960, where Valentino had opened his first couture studio. They founded Valentino Company the same year. Together, the pair built a fashion empire over five decades.
Retirement: They sold the Valentino company in 1998 for nearly $300 million. It made $1.36 billion in revenue in 2021, according to Reuters.
Read on ... for more about Valentino's early life.
Italian fashion designer Valentino died Monday at his Roman residence. He was 93. His foundation announced his death on Instagram.
Dubbed an "international arbiter of taste" by Vogue, notable women wore his designs at funerals and weddings, as well as on the red carpet. He dressed the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis, as well as modern stars, including Anna Wintour to Gwyneth Paltrow and Zendaya.
The image of style and lavish living, Valentino's signature features included crisp suits and a "crème brûlée" complexion — due to his fervor for tanning. He was heavily inspired by the stars he saw on the silver screen and had a lifelong fixation with glamour.
"I love a beautiful lady. I love a beautiful dog. I love a beautiful piece of furniture. I love beauty. It's not my fault," he said in The Last Emperor, a 2008 documentary about him.
In the world of haute couture, Valentino embraced sophistication, elegance and traditional femininity through his dresses and trademarked a vibrant red hue. His work embodied romance, luxury and an aristocratic lifestyle.
He was born Valentino Garavani and named after the silent movie star Rudolph Valentino. A self-described spoiled child, the designer acquired a taste for the expensive from a young age; his shoes were custom-made, and the stripe, color and buttons of his blazers were designed to his specifications.
His father, a well-to-do electrical supplier, and his mother, who appreciated the value of a well-made garment, catered to their young son's refined palate and later supported his fashion endeavors, sending him to school and financing his early work.
Growing up in the small town of Voghera, Italy, he learned sewing from his Aunt Rosa in Lombardy. After high school, he moved to Paris to study fashion and take on apprenticeships.
Valentino owed much of his success to his former lover and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. The two met in a café on the famed Via Condotti in Rome in 1960, where Valentino had opened his first couture studio.
They founded Valentino Company the same year, and its first ready-to-wear shop opened in Milan in 1969. Together, the pair built a fashion empire over five decades.
They separated romantically when Valentino was 30 but remained business partners and close friends. Valentino knew little about business and accounting before meeting Giammetti; together, they formed two parts of a whole — Giammetti the business mind, and Valentino the creative force.
"Valentino has a perfect vision of how a woman should dress," Giammetti told Charlie Rose in 2009. "He looks for beauty. Women should be more beautiful. His work is to make women more beautiful."
They sold the Valentino company in 1998 for nearly $300 million. It made $1.36 billion in revenue in 2021, according to Reuters.
Even after his retirement in 2008, he couldn't completely leave fashion behind and continued to design dresses for opera productions.
Once the fashion world became more accessible to the public, millions of aspiring fashionistas bought jeans, handbags, shoes, umbrellas and even Lincoln Continentals with his gleaming "V" monogram. By the peak of his career, Valentino's popularity would rival that of the pope's in Rome.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Topline:
Rams fans are snapping up $10 tickets for Sunday's SoFi Stadium watch party of the NFC Championship game.
Why it matters: There won't be any football on the field in Inglewood on Jan. 25. But thousands of Rams fans will get the chance to cheer together during the NFC Championship game.
Why now: The SoFi event is happening because of the Rams' overtime heroics in Chicago on Sunday. They beat the favored Bears, 20-17, to advance to the NFC Championship game. One more win and they'll be back in the Super Bowl. The Rams' most recent appearance in the big game was Super Bowl LVI (56 for those of us who don't count in Roman), when they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.
About those tickets: A check at 11 a.m. Monday showed thousands of people in the Ticketmaster queue waiting to get access to the watch party tickets — but they were all gone once the purchase window opened. By noon, it appeared more tickets had become available. Your luck may vary. You can check this Rams website for more info.
What's next: The Rams face the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 25. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the AFC Championship (New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos, kickoff at noon Sunday) in Super Bowl LX (60) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, home to the San Francisco 49ers.
In this edition:
Patrick Page takes on Shakespeare’s villains, a rock & roll sleaze show, The Puffy Chair and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
LAist has a full list of all the events going on today in celebration of MLK Day — check those out here.
I spent Wednesday night screaming my head off with Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters as they spent two-and-a-half hours ripping through their hits at the Forum, with an audience that included friends and family of the band (I even spied legendary tennis star John McEnroe in the crowd). The show included a touching — and subdued — solo tribute to drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022. They are one of the best bands to see live (the screaming just isn’t as cathartic on Spotify!), and we’re lucky to call them Angelenos.
There’s all kinds of music to lift your spirits and lighten your load this week, too. Licorice Pizza’s upcoming picks include indie-pop band Echosmith at the Mint on Monday, and Replacements legend Tommy Stinson at Alex’s Bar, also on Monday. Tuesday, U.K. singer-songwriter Jacob Banks is at the Troubadour, and on Wednesday there are a ton of options, including Robert Randolph at the Grammy Museum, hip-hop star Duckwrth at the Blue Note, Saving Abel at the Whisky and the Metal Hall of Fame ceremony at the Roxy. Also on Wednesday, Twice begin their residency at the Forum through Sunday. Plus, the Beachlife lineup for May was just announced, with sets from James Taylor and Duran Duran on tap — something to look forward to!
Elsewhere on LAist, you can meet a landlord who uses astrological signs to choose renters, find out what chefs think about the new tortilla mandate and try a Taiwanese bagel in Pasadena.
Through January 26
Broad Stage
1310 11th Street, Santa Monica
COST: FROM $45; MORE INFO
Shakespeare’s villains are as timely as ever, brilliantly laid out and executed by actor and writer Patrick Page in this one-man show at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Page has a long history of playing the biggest roles in Shakespeare, from Brutus in Julius Caesar opposite Denzel Washington to Iago in Othello at the Washington Shakespeare Company. In this 90-minute show, Page blends his take on Shakespeare’s personal history with current pop culture references and expert quick-turn soliloquies that embody the Bard’s most vicious characters; I especially enjoyed the after-show talkback, where Page generously answers your most pressing Shakespeare questions.
Through February 28
Craft in America
8415 W. Third Street, Fairfax
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
There’s art in the tools that make art. That’s the premise of the current show at Craft in America, Tools of the Trades: American Handmade Implements & Devices. Cleverly laid out on the walls and pedestals of the gallery space, everything from intricately engraved scissors to saws to compasses and carving tools is on display and organized by their utility.
Monday, January 19, 7:30 p.m.
Vidiots
4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock
COST: SOLD OUT, WAITLIST AVAILABLE; MORE INFO
Original mumblecore brothers Mark and Jay Duplass have gone on to numerous mainstream projects (Mindy Project, Industry and Transparent, just to name a few), but it all started with indie darling The Puffy Chair. The brothers, plus Katie Aselton, will join for a screening of the roadtrip/buddy comedy about an adventure to pick up, you guessed it, a puffy chair, on the film’s 20th anniversary.
Wednesday, January 21, 8 p.m.
Zebulon
2478 Fletcher Drive, Frogtown
COST: $38.63; MORE INFO
Do you like fun? Night Scene has it all — they call it a “rock & roll sleaze show” but it’s a little bit of everything — DJ night, live performances, cool visuals, featured dancers and more. This week, check out sets from Frankie and The Studs, special guest Domenica Fossati (Brazilian Girls) and creator Ashley Hayward.
Wednesday, January 21, 7 p.m.
Wallis Annenberg PetSpace
12005 Bluff Creek Drive, Playa Vista
COST: $30; MORE INFO
Laugh along with your furry friend (and meet some potential new ones!) at Wallis Annenberg PetSpace’s Stand Up For Pets comedy night. Can't Even Comedy presents an evening of stand-up headlined by Tacarra Williams (Bring the Funny, Totally Funny Kids) and hosted by Caitlin Benson.
Monday, January 19, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
LA Memorial Coliseum
3911 S. Figueroa Street, University Park
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Use your day off to support youth in L.A. with Angel City FC and L.A. Works. You’ll help put together 1,500 sports kits for youth across Los Angeles, giving them the tools they need for learning and play. The opportunity brings volunteers like you together to honor King’s community vision.
Through February 14
Good Mother Gallery
5103 W. Adams Blvd., West Adams
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
You’ve seen them all over — those telephone pole signs that look like ads, but really are an art installation and the brainchild of L.A.-based artist RABI (David Emanuel Mordechai Torres). This conceptual installation brings his long-running subservice public intervention into a gallery space for the first time ever. WE BUY SOULS! has attracted attention for its place as “artwork, equal parts installation, performance, marketing experiment and dark satire,” with the posters directing people to a hotline where they are prompted to leave a message dictating the value of their soul and why. Ponder that and other deep thoughts while exploring RABI’s work at the Good Mother Gallery in West Adams.
Monday, January 19, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Alana’s Coffee Venice
2524 Pacific Ave., Venice
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Three inspiring speakers from across the worlds of Hollywood and literature will share stories and insights into their careers — for free! — at the new Alana’s Coffee speaker series. Inspired by Lectures on Tap and other “hang and learn” projects popping up, this first one features Patricia Rust (The King of Skittledeedoo), Kimberly O’Hara (author and storycoach) and Nancy Nyberg (former Fox exec).
Thursday, January 22, 5 p.m. to close
Descanso
5773 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile
COST: $55; MORE INFO
Celebrate a year of new Mexican spot Descanso on Wilshire with an all-you-can-eat taco night for $55. Plus live painting, a DJ, margarita flights and more. The event benefits Food Access L.A.
