Newsletter: Essential Arts & Culture: YOLA’s new Inglewood home, art inspired by destruction, a design controversy
It’s the time of year that begs for iced coffee and even icier margaritas — not to mention a cool dose of cultural happenings. I’m Carolina A. Miranda, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, with the week’s essential art news:
A HOME FOR YOLA
When Gustavo Dudamel was appointed musical director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007, one of his priorities was establishing music programs for underserved communities. Since then, his Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) has gone on to travel the world. Now it is getting a new home in Inglewood designed by Frank Gehry. “Not only will it be a way to produce an unprecedented ethnically diverse new generation of musicians,” writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed, “but it also promises to be a new model for ways a cultural institution can serve a community.” Los Angeles Times
The Times’ Deborah Vankin has all the details on the new structure, which will be formally called the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center @ Inglewood (not a mouthful at all). The $14.5-million, 25,000-square-foot project will occupy a building that once housed a Security Pacific Bank on La Brea Avenue. Yasuhisa Toyota, who designed the acoustics for Disney Hall, will work on the acoustics. Los Angeles Times
ART IN DESTRUCTION
When the Thomas Fire blazed through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties last December, Ojai-based artist Karon Davis was forced to flee in pajamas. Themes of destruction will be at the heart of her next exhibition, “Muddy Water,” which opens at Wilding Cran Gallery in Los Angeles on Sept. 15. Of her installation, she tells Deborah Vankin, “I want the gallery to feel like you’re walking into the flood.” Los Angeles Times
IN THE GALLERIES
David Pagel has been hitting the white cubes this week and was intrigued by a “smartly focused survey” of works by Tom Wesselman at Gagosian Gallery that shows the artist “at the top of his game: playing with expectations by setting up situations which go every which way.” Los Angeles Times
Plus, Stefan Simchowitz, the art dealer once dubbed the “art world’s patron Satan,” has a new gallery housed in a former newsstand in Beverly Grove — and arts contributor Catherine Wagley paid a visit. The Newsstand Project, as the space is called, currently has a show of work by the artist Lazaros that features jars filled with objects that serve as spells. But, as Wagley notes, “a spell for wealth is not for sale.” Los Angeles Times
DR. SEUSS’ SECRET CANVASES
Theodor Seuss Geisel was famous for creating children’s books such as “The Cat in the Hat.” But he also drew and painted for pleasure. The Narrative Gallery in Laguna Beach is showcasing some of this work. In his “secret” works, Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, tells The Times’ Jessica Gelt, “you’re seeing the multidimensional side of Ted, and the depth of Ted.” Los Angeles Times
AN ICON FOR GENTRIFICATION
Artist Nico Avina has created a 7-1/2-foot tall plywood painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe bearing an eviction notice as a way of drawing attention to issues of gentrification in Boyle Heights. “As the people get displaced, so does their art,” he tells The Times’ Steve Saldivar. “The Virgen was a reflection of that. She’s also getting displaced.” Los Angeles Times
REMODELING MCASD
Two months before the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is scheduled to begin demolition on a portion of its La Jolla building designed by the Philadelphia firm Venturi Scott Brown (VSB), more than seven dozen architectural historians and critics have signed an open letter describing the change as a “mistake.” Critics say a VSB-designed entrance, which will be removed as part of the expansion plan, is a valuable example of Postmodernism. But museum officials and architect Annabelle Selldorf say great thought has been put into the changes. Los Angeles Times
A LEGEND PASSES
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” has died at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer. The Times’ obituary covers the paths she blazed: “Franklin’s impact transcended radio playlists, record charts and even musical matters,” writes Richard Cromelin. Los Angeles Times
Times music writer Randall Roberts tells the story of the groundbreaking gospel album Franklin recorded in Watts in 1972. Los Angeles Times
Mark Swed recounts the unforgettable performance of Puccini’s “Nessum Dorma” at the 1998 Grammy Awards. Los Angeles Times
Jazz critic Nate Chinen examines Franklin’s jazz roots: “Jazz was central to her musicianship, however far she rambled.” NPR
Plus, artist Adrian Piper — who will have a show at the Hammer Museum in October — pens a tribute: “Her voice, her music, and her meaning gave meaning to my life, providing even in the most parched and deadening moments the narrative of rhythm, syncopation, movement, and song.” Artforum
DISNEY ARTIFACTS AT AUCTION
For years, Richard Kraft has obsessively gathered Disneyland artifacts, including a 700-pound sculpture of Dumbo and a 48-foot long sea serpent from the Submarine Voyage. Later this month, his collection — believed to be one of the most substantial private collections of Disneyland memorabilia in existence — will go up for auction. For now, it is on view in Sherman Oaks. Jessica Gelt reports. Los Angeles Times
MORE ON MOCA
Janelle Zara has a good piece offering incoming MOCA director Klaus Biesenbach advice, including a great quote from LACE director Sarah Russin: “Get to know and think about L.A. artists as Angelenos and not transplants searching for cheaper studios.” Co-sign. Artnet
And Catherine Wagley has a terrific essay that pairs MOCA foibles with the plot of the L.A. art world murder mystery titled “Still Lives.” All I gotta say is: yes. Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles
IN OTHER NEWS…
— With the building it inhabits up for sale, the Rogue Machine theater company is relocating from Hollywood to Venice. Los Angeles Times
— The Center Theatre Group has launched a new program called FreePlay that will distribute free tickets to theatergoers under age 25 for previews at the Mark Taper Forum and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Los Angeles Times
— A review of the collected essays of pianist Alfred Brendel, which take on “sound, silence, sublimity, humor, and the performer’s critical role in the experience of music.” The Atlantic
— Martin Puryear will represent the U.S. at the 2019 Venice Biennale. ARTnews
— The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens’ has named a new director for its art collections: Christina Nielsen, who comes from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Los Angeles Times
— A Leonardo Da Vinci scholar is challenging the attribution of “Salvator Mundi,” which recently sold for $450 million at auction. He alleges the canvas was not painted by Da Vinci, but by an assistant. MSN
— The Metropolitan Museum of Art is hoping to identify subjects in their “African American Portraits” exhibition. Facebook
— A research project by artist Andrea Fraser looks at where museum boards get their money. The Art Newspaper
— A look back at the time that Susan Sontag staged “Waiting for Godot” during the siege of Sarajevo. The Stage
— Changing the gaze: Considering the work of female cinematographers. The Atlantic
— Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has been named chairman of the Pritzker Architecture Prize jury. Chicago Tribune
— Elon Musk has proposed a 3.6-mile tunnel to Dodger Stadium. Alissa Walker provides five recommendations for improving game-day traffic — like making the stadium easier to walk to. Curbed
— One of the reasons you need to listen to this podcast with L.A. painter Jim Shaw is so you can hear him doing his growling musician voice. We Eat Art
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…
Welcome to your weekend time-suck: artist-directed music videos. Artsy
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carolina.miranda@latimes.com | Twitter: @cmonstah
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