A design studio explores utopia at SCI-Arc, go beyond bling at LACMA’s jewelry show, check out the delightfully kitschy Hollywood Christmas Parade, the trees get illuminated at Descanso Gardens, and shop for handmade holiday gifts at CAFAM and in Boyle Heights.
1) Michael Sorkin Studio and Terreform: Metrophysics
Longtime architecture critic and advocate Michael Sorkin (and guest on last week’s DnA) also runs a design studio, Michael Sorkin Studio, and a nonprofit research studio, Terreform concerned with “non-commercial – even utopian – projects and ambitions.” The studio, explains Sorkin, “works in a single spirit with a focus on questions of city, on its morphology, systems of equity, and metabolic behavior.” Results of the team’s work can be seen on display in an installation called Metrophysics at SCI-Arc through Dec 4.
When: Now through Dec. 4, Monday through Friday 9 am – 6 pm
Where: SCI-Arc Gallery, 960 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Free parking available in the parking lot at 350 Merrick Street, between Traction Avenue and 4th Street.
Tickets: Free and open to the public.
2) Enchanted: Forest of Light
The oak trees and botanical collections of LA’s Descanso Gardens will, for the first time, be bathed in theatrical illumination, starting Friday, with a 43-night show called “Enchanted: Forest of Light.” Stroll through the one-mile path and view 10 distinct displays including the Japanese Garden, the Camellia Forest, and even conduct your own symphony of light and sound in the Oak Grove. See Descanso Gardens like never before as it comes to life in color and wonder. Tickets are timed and must be purchased in advance.
When: Opens Friday, Nov. 25 and runs through Jan. 8, 2017
Where: Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
Tickets: $24-$28. Note: tickets are sold by date and time for 1/2 hour intervals. Some dates/times are already sold out, so don’t wait! Get tickets here.
3) This is not On-Line Shopping
Support local artisans and get one-of-a-kind gifts for family and friends. Unplug and interact at these markets in the Miracle Mile area and Boyle Heights, both showcasing the work of innovators and makers in a wide range of arts and crafts.
¡AyE! Boyle Heights: Alternative to Black Friday Marketplace
When: Friday, Nov 25, noon – 4 pm
Where: City Labs Boyle Heights, 553 S. Clarence St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
Tickets: No charge.
When: Saturday, Nov. 26, 11 am – 6 pm
Where: Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5814 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, 90036
Tickets: No charge.
4) Hollywood Christmas Parade
If you seek a super-sized dose of L.A. kitsch and commercial holiday cheer, the Hollywood Christmas Parade is for you. Join Grand Marshal Olivia Newton John, along with hosts Eric Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams for this perennial holiday parade whose proceeds go to Toys for Tots. Floats, balloons, bands, equestrians, celebrities and more.
When: Sunday, Nov. 27, 5 pm
Where: Various Locations. See Route and Street Closures here.
Tickets: Free curbside seating (grandstand seats are sold out)
5) Beyond Bling: Jewelry from the Lois Boardman Collection
This exhibition at LACMA marks the first outing for Lois Boardman‘s recently donated collection of over 300 pieces of international contemporary studio jewelry that represents the full spectrum of unconventional jewelry-making in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Made from both precious and non-precious materials ranging from gold and silver to PVC and Neoprene, over 50 pieces from the collection are presented in context and (often surprising) comparison to jewelry from across LACMA’s permanent collection, including an array of ancient Egyptian scarabs.
When: Now through Feb. 5, 2017
Where: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tickets: Free with general admission