Your week in design events from DnA.
1. Butterfly Pavilion
What can be more humbling — and inspirational — to a designer than the beauty of Mother Nature? Immerse yourself with hundreds of butterflies from 30 different species and the plants that surround them at the Natural History Museum’s 16th annual Butterfly Pavilion.
When: Open April 13 through September 1, 2014
Where: Natural History Museum
Tickets: $17; Click here for tickets.
Click here for more information.
2. Union Station Celebrates 75th Birthday with Party, Book and Exhibit
L.A. was formed in its early years by its extensive network of railroads, owned by warring private rail companies who eventually unified under the roof of the lovely union station that celebrates its 75th birthday on May 2nd. Designed by John and Donald Parkinson and erected in 1939, Union Station is one of L.A.’s most iconic buildings. Now rail is having a comeback and the station is the the heart of a huge redevelopment that may bring high-speed rail to downtown. See drawings and other historical documents on show at Los Angeles Public Library.
Celebrate the birthday at Union Station itself on Saturday May 3rd when Metro throws an all-day party. More info here.
And listen to this week’s DnA where Frances Anderton interviews the author of the recently-published book Los Angeles: Union Station.
And while we’re at it, go to Union Station this Wednesday April 30 to participate in a flash mob in celebration of International Jazz Day. Find out more here.
Also just published is Los Angeles Union Station: Tracks to the Future, written by William Bradley, and published by Angel City Press.
Lastly, this week architect John Parkinson had a downtown square formally named after him.
When: Opens May 2nd and runs until August 10, 2014
Where: Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library; 630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles
Tickets: Free and open to the public.
Click here for more information.
3. The Director’s Series
Want to learn more about the Helen Pashgian’s installation Light Invisible now on display on LACMA? Join LACMA CEO and Director Michael Govan for a talk where they’ll discuss Pashgian’s early influences and her interest in a variety of different materials such as resins, epoxy and acrylic.
The artwork on display at LACMA was recently acquired by LACMA through a gift from LACMA trustee Carole Bayer Sager.
When: Monday April 28, 2014 7:30 PM
Where: LACMA Bing Theater; 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
Tickets: Free, but reserve a spot here.
Click here for more information.
4. L.A. River Cleanup
The L.A. River was once a punch-line of out-of-towners who would use it to deride Los Angeles and its love affair with concrete. But after 25 years of campaigning by Friends of the LA River, it has garnered widespread support for remaking it as public space. Join Friends of the Los Angeles River this weekend as part of an effort extending over 3 Saturdays to clean up the L.A. river at various sites along its 48 mile breadth. Read more about it in this article by DnA’s Carren Jao.
DnA did wonder though, is the design of the flyer an an evocation of all the garbage in the L.A. river?
When: Saturday May 3, 2014 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Where: Various sites along the L.A. River.
Tickets: Free and open to the public.
Click here for more information.
5. Hecho en LA: Yo Santosa
Branding is a ubiquitous term and a multi-million dollar industry but what does it really mean, especially for designers carving out a niche in brand design? Yo Santosa founder of her own firm Ferroconcrete, whose branding experience in the entertainment industry includes work on Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and the film 300. Join her for this AIGA: Hecho En LA talk where she’ll talk about the challenges of establishing her design firm and working in branding.
When: Wednesday April 30, 2014 6:30-9:30 PM
Where: Maker City LA; 1933 S Broadway, Los Angeles
Tickets: $30; Click here for tickets.
Click here for more information.
And don’t forget to listen to our most recent DnA “The Art of Ritual: Coachella, Passover, a Schindler Church”