Rebuilding LA and its art

Los Angeles would not be the city it is today without its artists (and neither would this newsletter). In addition to the top events, here's a list of resources to help those impacted rebuild and restart.

Author

Steven Vargas
January 16, 2025

What an exciting time to be alive 😐 All I’m asking for is an ounce of precedented times.

Introducing: LA Fire Resources

Keeping this newsletter going has been complicated for the past two weeks. Events have been canceled or postponed and artists have been heavily impacted. In fact, Alec Egan, who I scheduled to be included in LA Art Spot this month for his upcoming show at Anat Ebgi, lost all of his new work to the fire. In the past week, events in last week’s edition received new dates. Luis De Jesus rescheduled its reception to February, The Actors’ Gang pushed its latest show to Jan. 16, Dance at the Odyssey pushed its start date to this weekend, and Benavides’ Neruda Songs at Walt Disney Concert Hall was canceled altogether. 

This newsletter would not be what it is today without artists and their work. In light of the fires across Los Angeles, this week I’ve gathered a few resources to help those impacted. 

For artists: 

Fundraising events: 

  • The Lyric Hyperion is hosting a comedy show fundraiser featuring Billie Lee, Guy Branum, Babs Gray, Chris Estrada, Matt Lieb and Biniam Bizuneh. The show is at 7:30 pm on Jan. 17 and tickets are $23.38. Get your tickets here.

  • dublab and In Sheep’s Clothing are hosting a record sale at our Sound & Vision space at The Row on Feb. 2. Details here. 

  • Leaving Records is hosting a fundraising event at Elysian Park on Feb. 8. Details here.

Large resource lists: 

Guides: 

  • Realtor Alana Gospo put together comprehensive and logistic resources and next steps for those affected by the fires. 

  • An emergency resource book collected by Animation Workers offers in-depth resources on how to talk to children about the impact of the fires.

  • Downtown Women’s Center gathered a list of shelters for those affected by the wildfires. 

For pets: 

  • This Facebook group offers a hub for sharing information about lost and found animals from the LA area fires. 

This Week’s Top Spots

Hadi Falapishi, "High Hopes," 2024. Oil paint, cardboard, resin on wood panel. 67 1/2 x 75 x 2 1/4 inches. (© 2024 Hadi Falapishi; Courtesy of the artist and BLUM Los Angeles, Tokyo, New York)

‘Hadi Falapishi: Edge of the World’ & ‘Yoshitomo Nara: My Imperfect Self’ @ BLUM

BLUM has two new exhibitions opening this weekend: one from an artist making his debut with the gallery and another commemorating 30 years since his first exhibition with BLUM. Let’s start with the newcomer. Hadi Falapishi's new body of work ranges from deskilled panels of abstracted interpretations of people to ceramic sculptures and hyperrealistic paintings. Meanwhile, Yoshitomo Nara’s “My Imperfect Self,” which marks his tenth exhibition with BLUM, uses dark humor to explore the complexities of belonging as a Japanese artist in Germany.

LOCATION: 2727 S La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034

Doug Aitken, "Vortex," 2024. MDF body, mirrored acrylic. 85 x 83 x 14 inches. (© Doug Aitken, Courtesy 303 Gallery, New York; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, ZĂŒrich; Victoria Miro Gallery, London; and Regen Projects, Los Angeles.)

‘Doug Aitken: Psychic Debris Field’ @ Regen Projects

Doug Aitken’s “Lightscape” narrative extends to Regen Projects with “Psychic Debris Fields.” Aitken addresses our relationship with the environment for this new exhibition through a multi-media presentation of large-scale sculptures created with urban debris, light, sound, fabric and more. The show begins with a large and poignant sculpture of a mountain lion made of forged material and debris, and it further immerses the viewer with imagery from Aitken’s multimedia project, “Lightscape.”

LOCATION: 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038
DATES: January 18 - February 22
TIME: On view 10 am - 6 pm Tues. thru Sat.
PRICE: Free
LINK: https://www.regenprojects.com/exhibitions/doug-aitken6 

Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green appears in recital with pianist Adam Nielsen on January 19, 2025. (Photo courtesy of LA Opera)

Ryan Speedo Green @ LA Opera

This two-time Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone is headed to The Wallis on Sunday for his first LA Opera appearance. The opera singer was the recent star of Met Opera’s productions of “Champion” and “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.” For this upcoming matinee performance, he’ll share songs by Wolf, Mussorgsky, Schubert, Mahler and others.

LOCATION: 9390 N Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
DATE: January 19
TIME: 2 pm
PRICE: $49 - $166
LINK: https://laopera.org/performances/2025/ryan-speedo-green-in-recital 

Faustin Linyekula in “My Body, My Archive.” (Photo by Sarah Imsand)

‘Faustin Linyekula: My Body, My Archive’ @ Freud Playhouse

Congolese dancer and choreographer Faustin Linyekula connects to the body’s ancestral knowledge with “My Body, My Archive” at Freud Playhouse. Linyekula tells the story of his ancestors through dance, exploring similar threads as the ones he began in 2017 with Banataba (a tribute to his maternal ancestors). By making an intimate connection with his body, he is able to reconnect with the lives that came before him for a poignant and intimate performance.

LOCATION: 245 Charles E Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA 90024
DATE: January 18
TIME: 8 pm
PRICE: $38
LINK: https://cap.ucla.edu/event/faustin-linyekula

Things: Musical Meditations

Lately, I’ve heard nothing but sirens across LA. It can be jarring and overwhelming. In an effort to relax our nervous system and recalibrate, here are a few musical remedies offered this weekend. 

Meme of the Week