5 Design Things To Do This Week

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Your week in design events from DnA.

mujievent

1. Muji Meets Southern California 

The Muji empire hit Southern California for the first time this past December with its new store opening on Hollywood Blvd. Westside fans of Muji’s understated, affordable goods will be thrilled that the Japanese company is continuing its Southland expansion with a new store opening June 20th in Santa Monica. In anticipation of the opening, Masaaki Kanai, president of Muji, and Hitoshi Abe, chair of UCLA’s Department of Architecture and Urban Design, will discuss the formative role of Japanese aesthetics in their lives and careers, in a dialogue moderated by Brooke Hodge, director of Exhibitions and Publications at the Hammer Museum. The event is sold out, except to DnA listeners and readers! Muji is offering 25 spots: just RSVP directly to Lindsay at llopez@lippingroup.com.

When: Wednesday, May 28; 6:30-8:00 PM

Where: Venice Arts, 1602 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica

Tickets: Free but reservations necessary; 25 spots available to DnA listeners; RSVP to llopez@lippingroup.com.

Click here for more information.

2. L.A. Times Hero Complex Film Festival

For those looking to satisfy an appetite for fantasy movies, the Los Angeles Times is sponsoring a Hero Complex Film Festival. While many of the screenings are sold out, fans of Monty Python, Gremlins, and How to Train Your Dragon 2 will not be disappointed. Best of all, they’ll be screened at the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theater.

When: May 30-June 1, 2014

Where: TCL Chinese Theaters at Hollywood & Highland

Tickets:  Click here for tickets.

Click here for more information.

Gere Kavanaugh fabric3. Artecnica Celebrates Gere Kavanaugh

Artecnica is the Los Angeles-based product design company, founded in 1986 by husband-and-wife duo Enrico Bressan and Tahmineh Javanbakht, and known for its collaborations with established and emerging designers and craftspeople. On June 1st, the company will honor the work of the longtime Los Angeles-based textile, industrial and interior designer Gere Kavanaugh with an installation featuring her work (Fiber by Kavanaugh, photographed by Jay Oligny, above.) This is a advance event for the LA Design Festival, which kicks off June 13 with a party at which Kavanaugh will be awarded LADF’s Julia Morgan ICON Award.

When: Sunday June 1st

Where: 508 S San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles

Tickets: Free, but RSVP required. RSVP here.

Click here for more information.

lacma brazil game

4. Lecture: The Upcoming World Cup in Brazil

Ever wondered soccer fails to ignites passions in the U.S. as it does in the rest of the world? A lecture by Professor Andrei Markovits followed by a panel discussion will attempt to answer that question in a historical context. Plus, for the price of a ticket to LACMA, visitors can check out the exhibition currently running at LACMA Fútbol: The Beautiful Game.

When: Sunday June 1st, 1:00 PM

Where: LACMA Bing Theater

Tickets: Free and open to the public.

Click here for more information.

takahashi murakami

5. Un-Private Collection Series at the Broad Museum

Hear a celebrated artist and writer in conversation: Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (left) and British-born, Japan-based travel writer Pico Iyer. Murakami, famous for his “bold, graphic works that merge fine art, design and animation” has 11 pieces that are part of the Broad Art Collections. His dialogue with Iyer is part of a series in anticipation of the opening of the Broad Museum on Grand Avenue, whose complex skin is being revealed as construction moves towards its anticipated 2015 completion.

When: Thursday, May 29 at 8:00 p.m.

Where: Orpheum Theatre; 842 Broadway, Los Angeles

Tickets: $12; Click here for tickets.

Click here for more information.

And don’t forget to listen to our most recent DnA, “Putting the ‘Cool’ Back in L.A. Mobility.”

If you would like an event to be considered for DnA’s weekly 5 Design Things post, please email all information about your event and jpegs to caroline.chamberlain@kcrw.org by the Wednesday prior to the week of your event.