Los Angeles

On May 20th, 2012, ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE…

finger projected solar eclipses on my door

…is the rare event that came to us here in LA late this afternoon from 5:24 until 7:42, peaking at 6:48, so up on the deck I arranged my hands in the NASA-recommended finger formation of a waffle to see the eclipse play itself out, projected in eight little solar eclipses on the blue dome door.

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By Fritz Haeg on May 20, 2012 | science | A comment?
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On May 16th, 2012, LEO CARRILLO STATE BEACH…

Leo Carrillo State Beach

…was always one of my favorite city escapes when I first moved to LA from NYC in 1999, when everything was all California Dreaming newness to me, which it feels like all over again, while inspired to rediscover the city after being in and out, but mostly out, of town for the past few years  – and back on the beach today for walking and reading and collecting a few marine artifacts I could count the number of people on two hands. (more on Wikipedia)

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By Fritz Haeg on May 16, 2012 | Los Angeles
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On May 14th, 2012, RUNYON CANYON…

view over Runyon Canyon towards downtown Los Angeles

..the scenic Hollywood Hills / Santa Monica Mountains park popular with fit youngish Angelenos in the ‘industry’ is not a place I get to visit very often, but wanting to make a gradual informal tour of the wild regions of the city, it’s where I headed today for a hike up and sweaty jog down. (more on Wikipedia)

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By Fritz Haeg on May 14, 2012 | Los Angeles
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On May 12th, 2012, MATILIJA POPPIES…

Matilija Poppies at Theodore Payne

…or Romneya coulteri, or fried-egg flower, are the towering white petaled and yellow native Californians whose drama is greeting visitors to the Theodore Payne Foundation right now (the place I can’t get enough of, and where I have returned today for some native grape vines, currants, sages, and such) – which of course leads to excited inquiries about, and high demand for, a plant that really should to go in the ground before the rains in six months, and not now before the summer heat…patience.

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By Fritz Haeg on May 12, 2012 | flowers
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On May 11th, 2012, CRESCENT CITY: A HYPEROPERA…

Katie Grinnan's 'Junk Heap' for Crescent City

…opened tonight, featuring set installations by artist friends Alice Konitz and Katie Grinnan (presenting a bright shiny colorful dramatic ‘Junk Heap’).

Crescent City is a hyperopera with music by Anne LeBaron, libretto by Douglas Kearney, and directed by Yuval Sharon. It’s the inaugural production of The Industry, a new home for new and experimental opera in Los Angeles. The Industry is bringing together over 50 artists from every discipline to create and inhabit the landscape of a mythical city called Crescent City. Anne LeBaron’s raucous, electronica-infused hyperopera, featured twice in New York City Opera’s VOX Showcase, springs to life in an industrial warehouse at Atwater Crossing.

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By Fritz Haeg on May 11, 2012 | art
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On April 25th, 2012, FLYING OVER THE 110…

over the 110

…with the San Gabriels in the distance was my welcome home yesterday.

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By Fritz Haeg on April 25, 2012 | Los Angeles
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On March 9th, 2012, SUNSET TRIANGLE PLAZA…

kids with bikes and basketballs enjoying the first days of the street plaza

…was a jolt to the eyes on a hot bright midday lunch excursion to Forage today, coming upon the brand new street-to-plaza conversion at this very familiar intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Maltman – just down the hill from my first L.A. home from 1999-2000, and the location of my favored Saturday farmers market – so I’m thinking yay people, boo cars as I’m DRIVING by. (more info on LAcurbed)

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By Fritz Haeg on March 9, 2012 | Los Angeles
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On March 4th, 2012, A CLEAR WARM WINTER NIGHT…

Northward L.A. view from deck of Glendale, Eagle Rock and the 2 Freeway

…after a hot sunny summer-like 80 degree day spent in shorts gardening is my prelude to a late night red-eye to NYC, and all of the early March weather it implies, making the day more special, and harder to leave home.

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By Fritz Haeg on March 4, 2012 | Los Angeles
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On February 23rd, 2012, IN CONVERSATION AT CCA…

L.A. Convention Center

…for the Otis College of Art & Design’s Graduate Public Practice convention occupation program called Re/Locating Learning: Public Practices as Art at the College Art Association 100th Annual Conference housed in the very very dreadful Los Angeles Convention Center, a hostile  environment that could pretty much suck the humanity out of even the most earnest gesture – but there we were gathered in an intimate circle of 15 chairs on a bright red carpet in the corner – having a thoughtful talk with the students about engaged expansive social public practicy kinds of art, organized by Chair Suzanne Lacy with curator Sally Tallant, and artists Pablo Helguera and Sara Daleiden,  joined by writer Linda Weintraub.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 23, 2012 | art
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On February 22nd, 2012, WEEKLY FOOD CART VILLAGE OFF FIGUEROA…

weekly food cart gathering off Figueroa

…caught me off guard while doing some L.A. re-entry grocery shopping on the other side of the hill in Highland Park, exiting Figueroa Produce – my new favorite neighborhood market and go-to place when I miss the farmer’s markets – where I came upon a make-shift main street of various food makers, families making themselves at home on the asphalt for impromptu urban picnics, and smiling faces of Angelenos happy to have a temporary place to ‘walk’ down the ‘street’ for some ‘food’ with friends.

 

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By Fritz Haeg on February 22, 2012 | food
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On February 21st, 2012, 110 NORTH L.A. RE-ENTRY ON AIRPORT BUS…

view of downtown LA framed through the LAX airport bus window

…is a typical return to town lately, delivering me to Union Station – the highlight of which is the vista of the city and mountains (if you’re lucky) from the top of the massive 105 to 110 interchange which then directs us north to downtown, dramatically framed in the bus window.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 21, 2012 | Los Angeles, travel
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On February 12th, MY BARBARIAN’S BROKE PEOPLE’S BAROQUE PEOPLES’ THEATER

My Barbarian’s Broke People’s Baroque Peoples’ Theater at Human Resources

…kicked off last night at LA’s Human Resources in Chinatown (where, despite the crowd, I managed to get real Doris Day parking – right at the front door) with an opening for the big exhibition of new work and videos plus an audience participation performance of ‘personification’ where about 15 spectators were pulled up on ‘stage,’ dressed in ‘My Barbarianesque’ stage attire, and instructed to pull a paper from a hat with a term to personify – first all at once and then one by one….revealing motivations such as ‘adjunct pedagogy,’ ‘Iran and Afghanistan,’ ‘Summer,’ ‘psychiatry,’ ‘success,’ and ‘condescension.’  (website)

Human Resources presents My Barbarian’s Broke People’s Baroque Peoples’ Theater, a residency in the form of a gallery installation that includes new videos, sculptures, and a performance environment.  The project highlights the paradoxes of an art practice founded in critique, which nonetheless relies on economic forces that are worthy of serious criticism.  In this time of spectacle and disparity, excess and poverty, the baroque figures as an ornate frame that contains all of these extremes.  My Barbarian performs a variety of styles within this frame; camp drag, baroque opera, communist drama, countercultural performance and world theater all accumulate into a set of narratives that assimilate too much information.  Enacting this accumulation, the group developed characters such as “Shakuntala DuBois” and “Cassandra Wasserstein Shakespeare,” masked figures who are trapped within cyclical forces they can foresee but cannot change.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 12, 2012 | performance
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On February 11th, 2012, LUNCHEON ON THE NEW BLUE TABLE…

lunch in the dome on triangular modular table plus baby

…(a triangular modular system that can take just about any form you can imagine) in my dome organized by Francois Perrin this afternoon was an intimate kick-off for his upcoming LA-Paris program at the end of the year – events, activities and projects created collaboratively by artists & architects from the two cities – and today for soup, bread, beets, and a chocolate torte, included Linda Taalman, Frank Escher, Ravi Gunewardena, Oscar Tuazon, Dorothée Perret, Piero Golia, Eric Wesley, plus two little ones for whom I made a pretty great impromptu kiddie table.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 11, 2012 | architecture, food
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On February 10th, 2012, LANDING IN LA…

a warehouse vs. mountain view headed towards LAX

…makes me very very happy these days, returning to home and the winter climate that allows me to garden in shorts…and today we are getting the mega-warehouse view as we bank south over downtown.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 10, 2012 | travel
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On February 4th, 2012, BUDDING GRAPE VINES…

grape vine bud with a great view from the deck railing overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains

…(which I have been training around the house for the past 11 years) are a sign that we have entered the back side of winter, the surprising reminder that Southern Californian spring is here, or close, with things in the garden getting greener by the day – like the leafed-out California Oak and the orangey leaf and blossom buds of the Pomegranate – which is all a bit bitter-sweet after three mostly settled tranquil months at home and tomorrow beginning a more steady rhythm of travel through the spring and summer…sorry to miss the daily details in the garden.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 4, 2012 | gardens
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On February 2nd, 2012, BROCCOLI ON THE ROOF…

dusty brocolli green growing on the roof

…was planted a few weeks ago in the new terraced beds I labored over for weeks, now finally paying off with some evidence of slow February vegetable growth, plus that lovely spectrum of dusty peculiar shades green only seen in cool-season crops.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 2, 2012 | gardens
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On February 1st, 2012, WILDFLOWER SEEDLINGS…

green sprouts pushing up

…are taking their time popping up their heads above the soil on the roof that I carefully prepared for them, after planting a few weeks ago – a combination of the Rainbow and Shady mixtures of native California wildflowers seeds from Theodore Payne, my local non-edible plant mecca…..

Rainbow Mix:

  • Clarkia amoena, (Farewell-to-Spring)
  • Clarkia unguiculata, (Elegant Clarkia Mixed Double)
  • Eschscholzia californica, (California Poppy)
  • Eschscholzia californica maritima, (Golden West Poppy)
  • Gilia capitata, (Globe Gilia)
  • Lasthenia californica, (Goldfields)
  • Layia platyglossa, (Tidy Tips)
  • Lupinus succulentus, (Arroyo Lupine)
  • Phacelia campanularia, (Desert Blue Bells)
  • Phacelia tanacetifolia, (Tansy leaf Phacelia)

Shady Mix:

  • Clarkia amoena, (Farewell to Spring)
  • Clarkia unguiculata, (Elegant Clarkia Mixed Double)
  • Collinsia heterophylla, (Chinese Houses)
  • Nemophilia maculata, (Five Spot)
  • Nemophilia menziesii, (Baby Blue Eyes)
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By Fritz Haeg on February 1, 2012 | gardens
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On January 29th, 2012, MY BARBARIAN AT THE BALL…

My Barbarian in heavy make-up and scarves and loungey gowns at the Ball

…(the Ball of Artists, that is) last night gave us a little preview of some upcoming new work for their big big show at Human Resources next month – yes, we are looking forward to that.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 29, 2012 | performance
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On January 28th, 2012, JEDEDIAH CAESAR AND FLORA WIEGMANN…

whirling dervish sort of dancer as a white disc collapses

…presented a dramatic scene at the entry to tonight’s Ball of Artists – on the very West Side, very Beverly Hills, very opposite side of town from me and my circle, where I was feeling like I had entered another dimension of my typical urban reality here – with a dancer hypnotically  twirling a white disc dress on a round disc of carpet in the motor court, and then finally collapsing.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 28, 2012 | performance
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On January 25th, 2012, ELF CAFE IN ECHO PARK…

Eden at Elf in Echo Park

…(tiny intimate crunchy veggie local organic sort of deal) is my favorite place to eat in the area, when I actually manage to go out, and tonight I was lucky to have a friend in the kitchen…Eden Batki, who is cooking up some LA food plans herself. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 25, 2012 | food
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On January 24th, 2012, ANOTHER SUPER SUNRISE…

colorful first light from the east

…graces the east windows of the dome – where I am sleeping these days – a sunrise that is new to the house – previously blocked by the tree that fell in the wind storm – though revealing another tree – a super spindly tall pine that had shot straight up to find light above the fallen carob tree – now seeming like a strange unnecessary exaggeration of growth, but a reminder of what used to be there.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 24, 2012 | Los Angeles
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On January 23rd, 2012, THE EAMES LIVING ROOM…

Eames living room at LACMA

…(so familiar to me from regular pilgrimages during my early years in LA, when I trotted every out-of-town-guest for a visitation to the Pacific Palisades home of Charles and Ray, still one of my favorite places in town) was a strange thing to suddenly come upon when rounding the corner at the Pacific Standard Time show “California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way” at LACMA – transplanted to the museum, with everything just as they left it, while The Eames Foundation has the floors replaced, but feeling strangely soul-less – with plastic plants, and instead of the meadow out the window, it was just us and white walls.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 23, 2012 | architecture
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On January 21st, 2012, PIETER…

Nick Duran and Jmy James Kidd performing at Pieter

…is the cozy Los Angeles (but feels like a downtown NYC 1970′s loft, in a good way) dance community space less than two years old, that I wish had been around when I first moved to town..and tonight there was the pleasure of gathering in a seated semi-circle on the wood floor to watch Jmy James Kidd and Nick Duran dancing – really dancing. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 21, 2012 | dance
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On January 20th, 2012, NEUTRA VDL RESEARCH HOUSE…

Neutra VDL Research House entry and courtyard

…the great mid-century modernist residential landmark on the Silver Lake Reservoir now managed by Cal Poly Pomona, hosted small reception tonight (by architect Francois Perrin for French artist Xavier Veilhan – a prelude to his upcoming Paris-L.A. series of events and projects this year) which was a great chance to marvel at the house I hadn’t visited for years (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 20, 2012 | architecture
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On January 13th, 2012, NATIVE STRATEGIES…

Native Strategies #1

…is the new biannual L.A. journal of performance initiated by Brian Getnick, Zemula Barr and Molly Sullivan – and I’ve got my mitts on the new/first issue. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 13, 2012 | magazine, performance
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On January 12th, 2012, THE THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION…

Theodore Payne Foundation plant nursery

…provides a literal and figurative breath of fresh air at the edge of the city as it pushes against the mountains to the north, in the wild foothills of Sunland/Shadow Hills just a 20 minute drive northwest from me – surprising proximity from the city to be teleported into a landscape that parts of the original city must have originally looked like – and today I come here hoping to return parts my yard to that landscape, with some native plants, trees, and wildflower seeds. (website)

Founded in 1960, the Theodore Payne Foundation operates a year-round California native plant nursery and education center with classes and field trips for all ages. Our mission is to preserve, propagate and promote California native plants and wild flowers because they provide beauty, habitat for wildlife and water savings. Our grounds are a great place to visit. Located in Sun Valley, we have a bookstore, art gallery, picnic area and hiking trail, plus a friendly staff to answer your questions about native plants. We also sell California native plant seeds and books online

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By Fritz Haeg on January 12, 2012 | gardens
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On December 10th, 2011, COOKBOOK IN ECHO PARK…

the beckoning storefront colors of Cookbook in Echo Park

…is the recently opened neighborhood boutiquey charming but expensive green grocer that I am hearing about – as I’m asking around trying to figure out what progress has been made with access to simple good food on the east side of LA while I’ve been away the past 16 months – so I stop by this afternoon, impressed by the way it feels like someone has opened up a room in their home as a store – reminding me of the candy-jar-filled wood-paneled glass-cabinet-lined Minneapolis candy store in the first floor parlor of the Melby family house a few blocks away where we got out sugar fix as kids.

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By Fritz Haeg on December 10, 2011 | food
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On December 7th, 2011, THE LIGHTED GRID OF LA…

over the lighted grids of LA

…beginning to emerge as the pilot announces our descent into the city somewhere over 29 Palms, then Palms Springs, then the endless Inland Empire – welcomes me back home to the wild urbanized west for a few weeks.

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By Fritz Haeg on December 7, 2011 | Los Angeles
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On December 3rd, 2011, A MISSING TREE…

the missing tree

…is a hard thing to point out.

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By Fritz Haeg on December 3, 2011 | home, landscape
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On December 2nd, 2011, JEDEDIAH CAESAR’S …

Jedediah Caesar's COMMA 23

…inverted cast pits of London rubble from a project at Bloomberg Space have arrived for display in LA – opening at Human Resources tonight – before being ceremonially destroyed…which I heard happened later in the evening as the opening evolved into a dance party partially on top of the sculptures.

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By Fritz Haeg on December 2, 2011 | art
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On December 1st, 2011, CAROB TREE ON THE HOUSE…

one part of the carob tree hanging over the 'cave'

…was one of the dramatic results of a truly terrifying night of hurricane strength winds that loudly pounded the hilltop last night – so loud that I didn’t hear the beloved massive carob tree crash down in two directions (towards the neighbors where a few other trees and my redwood fence fortunately braced it from crashing into their bedroom  - and on to the lower level of my house, fortunately braced from crashing through the roof by a perimeter concrete wall), but when I finally awoke at 6am from two hours of fitful sleep in the slightly muffled retreat of the downstairs bathroom, I discovered a totally new world in the garden, where the largest presence on the land was gone – replaced by the view to Glendale, Burbank, and beyond.

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By Fritz Haeg on December 1, 2011 | home
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On November 25th, 2011, JEAN DUJARDIN…

Jean Dujardin and Uggy in The Artist

…’where have you been all of my life?’ is what I was asking myself – surprised I had never heard of him and being such a French film fan and now planning to see all of his lowbrow slapstick comic roles – after making a rare cinematic pilgrimage to LA’s Cinerama Dome to get a privileged LA preview of the new French movie that I have been hearing about all over the place called ‘The Artist‘.

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By Fritz Haeg on November 25, 2011 | film
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On November 21st, 2011, A CLEAR MOUNTAIN SUNRISE PANORAMA…

LA sunrise panorama

…this morning is one of the reasons I’m back here in LA, yes.

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By Fritz Haeg on November 21, 2011 | Los Angeles
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On November 19th, COOKING WITH MOTHER FROM MIAMI…

Bert Rodriguez's mother cooking in the gallery

…is what I stopped by a West Side LA gallery to see Bert Rodriguez doing tonight. (more in the Style of the Times)

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By Fritz Haeg on November 19, 2011 | art, food
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On November 18th, 2011, DYNASTY HANDBAG…

Dynasty Handbag at Human Resources

…brought her intense frenetic eccentric hilarious N.Y.C. monolog performing styles to L.A. at Human Resources tonight – nobody like her – crazy times. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on November 18, 2011 | performance
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On November 17th, 2011, ‘A RAY ARRAY ALL DAY’…

'A Ray Array All Day' at Human Resources

…is the title of the video by Sara Rara of Lucky Dragons, screening all day at your friendly neighborhood performance art space, Human Resources…things to do there everyday this week.

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By Fritz Haeg on November 17, 2011 | art
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On November 16th, 2011, MUSIC OF GREGORY ROGOVE WITH LUKE FISCHBECK & DEVENDRA BANHART…

Devendra Banhart (blur at left) & Gregory Rogove at Human Resources

…(unrecognizably clean-shaven) making cameo appearances, came to Human Resources tonight.

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By Fritz Haeg on November 16, 2011 | music
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November 15th, 2011, REASON TO BE BACK IN L.A. #4: NIGHT GALLERY…

Samara Golden at Night Gallery

…which is painted black only open from 10pm to 2am, Tuesdays through Thursdays – was worth staying up past my typical bed time tonight to head just down the other side of my hill for the opening of their latest show and finally check out the local late night art hangout. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on November 15, 2011 | art
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On November 13th, 2011, REASON TO BE BACK IN LA #2: MACHINE PROJECT…

in and out of the big red extruded space where Machine used to be

…opened Nate Page’s Storefront Plaza this afternoon , which involved the simple act of moving the storefront glass back 20 feet into the space, creating a mysterious deep red extruded orifice facing Alvarado Boulevard that had cars slowing down this afternoon during the ribbon cutting…and stay tuned for the upcoming Storefront Plaza events.

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By Fritz Haeg on November 13, 2011 | art
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On November 12th, 2011, EVE FOWLER POSTERS…

Eve Fowler day-glo posters

…have been going up around town in day-glo colors, and if you are in LA, perhaps you have noticed them at occasional intersections and freeway exits?

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By Fritz Haeg on November 12, 2011 | art
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On November 6th, 2011, DOSA…

the Chez Panisse worthy spread at Dosa

…housed in cozy vast top floor downtown LA loft hosted Alice Waters for an Edible Schoolyard benefit event and sale this afternoon….yum.

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By Fritz Haeg on November 6, 2011 | food
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On November 5th, 2011, REASON TO BE BACK IN L.A. #1: HUMAN RESOURCES…

Zac Monday's crocheted monsters guiding visitors in a performance

…(the local artist-run performancey venue initiated and run by a loose collective of five, including friends Giles Miller, Dawn Kasper, and Eric Chen moved into a grand new space on Cottage Home in Chinatown while I was away) hosted the release event for Darin Klein’s Box of Books tonight, featuring colorful crocheted monsters by Zac Monday who took you by the hand to guide you through a performance. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on November 5, 2011 | performance
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On November 4th, 2011, IN LA BACK HOME IN THE DOME…

rainy LA sunset and mini-rainbow from the dome

…yesterday evening where the city welcomed me back with some sunset sprinkles and I can’t remember ever being so happy to arrive anywhere, eager to nest back into this crazy city, the winter weather, the east side art scene, plus the familiar home, dogs & garden.

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By Fritz Haeg on November 4, 2011 | Los Angeles
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On May 4th, 2011, A CLICHÉ VIEW OF LOS ANGELES FROM ABOVE…

view through the early spring LA haze to downtown

…through the layers of spring LA basin haze – viewed from my window airplane seat on my way out, after just two days of dipping back into my old life in this town seems peculiar – and I’m wondering if my re-entry into a rambling space this vast can really feel like coming home?

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By Fritz Haeg on May 4, 2011 | travel
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On May 3rd, 2011, BACK AT SUNDOWN…

pomegranate blossoms framing the Sundown dome

…my home in LA for the first time in ten months, is bringing on welcome homey feelings – but the big shock is all of the growth I am seeing in the trees, plants, weeds, vines, and gardens after the endless winter rains that I missed here – and now a very green spring for Southern California before the inevitable dry brown sets in….and then fire season!

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By Fritz Haeg on May 3, 2011 | home, Los Angeles
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On April 26th, 2011, MÁS TRANSIT…

diagrams explaining the grand plan of Mas Transit

…was a surprise highlight for me (since it was a hometown project from 2009) tonight at the American Academy in Rome shoptalk by architect fellow – and fellow Angeleno – Joshua Stein of Radical Craft, which proposes a visionary 20-30 year plan for mass transit in L.A. by turning the urban area into a mega-hub for the California high-speed train system already in the works – and next up for Joshua is the fabrication of a massive 1.5 scale model of the interior of one segment of Trajan’s Column.

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By Fritz Haeg on April 26, 2011 | transportation
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On February 22nd, 2011, SCORES FOR THE CITY…

'Scores for the City' by The Llano Del Rio of Los Angeles

…the latest freely distributed print project by The Llano Del Rio (masterminded by Robby Herbst) describes, charts and maps (see the print side here) a certain special Los Angeles flavor of recently initiated radical cultural activity on the streets of the city (which makes me miss the place so much this year) and I think the use of the term ‘scores’ is important, describing a pattern, recipe, instructions, model, or way of operating that anyone might be able to pick up and make their own, for their street, their neighborhood, their city – reminding me of Lawrence and Anna Halprin’s 1969 book ‘The RSVP Cycles: Creative Processes in the Urban Environment’ – an inspiration for me which Robby originally turned me on to years ago. (webpage)

The Llano Del Rio working group’s “Scores For the City” is  available now, free! This two sided guide maps locations that have supported oddball behavior in LA, including freeway puppet shows, civic dance pageants, riots, and the gatherings of witches. The front of the map is an archive of documents relating to four  events. The backside is an exploration of the way non-conformist behavior in LA has helped shape collective consciousness. The guide contains contributions by Llano Del Rio, Joel Kyack, Sandra de la Loza, Adam Overton, Nancy Popp, Jonah Schwartz, and Julia Wallace. There are two ways to get the guide for free if you live in LA County: 1) For county residents simply email us your postal address and we’ll drop one in the mail for you free (till postage $ runs out) 
Contact llanodelrio(at)gmail.com. 2) Maps will be dropped of at various distribution nodes. If you do not live in LA County the map will soon be available through Half Letter Press.

The Llano Del Rio Collective aims to expand cultural, social, and political imagination of Los Angeles through the production of thematic guides, related events and the hosting of a speakers bureau. We aim to frame practices, rather then be a practice. The project draws its name from the socialist colony founded in California’s Antelope Valley by Job Harriman in the early Twentieth Century. Though not strictly a collective we negotiate collectivist ideals with an advisory group currently constituted by Katie Bachler, Sandra de la Loza, John Burtle, Adam Overton, Hector Gallegos, Ashley Hunt, Tom McKenzie, Ken Ehrlich, Kelly Marie Martin, Steve Anderson, Janet Sarbanes, Fritz Haeg, Kimberly Varella, Ava Bromberg, Nicole Antebi, Lara Bank, Jen Hofer, and Colin Dickey. The Llano Del Rio Collective is organized by Robby Herbst.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 22, 2011 | art
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On September 24th, 2010, ‘WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY L.A.’ IN FRIEZE…

Frieze, October 2010

…is an essay I wrote for the new issue of the British contemporary art magazine – about what it means to live and work as an artist in Los Angeles today – which was a bit strange to write just after leaving L.A. for more than a year, but perhaps that distance provided some new perspective? (see full text here, and Frieze webpage here)

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By Fritz Haeg on September 24, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On July 12, 2010, THE GRAPES…

grapes on the vine at the Sundown Residence

…on the arbor in the garden behind the dome are ripe and ready to eat just as I am leaving town for a while….shucks.

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By Fritz Haeg on July 12, 2010 | food, gardens
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On July 7th, 2010, CARNITAS MICHOACAN…

a detailed view of the Carnitas Michoacan color scheme involving the adjacent trees

…the Mexican restaurant apparently involving lots of meats (which, being vegan, I have never had the occasion to visit) at the corner of South Avenue 19 and North Broadway, which I always pass on my way to downtown Los Angeles – but for the first time today I really appreciated – has an exuberantly painted caution yellow and bright maroon facade that encompasses all of the objects and trees that happen to surround it.

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By Fritz Haeg on July 7, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On July 6th, 2010, EL MATADOR STATE BEACH IN MALIBU…

big rock at El Matador State Beach

…was cool and cloudy this afternoon which was especially welcome knowing that the East Coast was sweltering in steamy temperatures over 100 degrees. (webpage)

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By Fritz Haeg on July 6, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On July 5th, 2010, LAGUNA…

rock formations on Laguna Beach

…is a beach community south of LA that I had never visited until yesterday – beautiful – though any evidence of it’s scrappy hippie bohemian past is buried by a thick layer of O.C.-ness.

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By Fritz Haeg on July 5, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On July 3rd, 2010, MACHINE PROJECT…

Machine Project

…had a board meeting today, and we discussed an upcoming Fall benefit event on the heals of last year’s fantastic gathering at “Mister Jalopy’s secret lair, accessible only through a hidden entrance behind Coco’s Variety Store“ – get on the Machine mailing list (and become a member while you are at it) to stay informed about all of their activities.

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By Fritz Haeg on July 3, 2010 | art, Los Angeles
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On June 21st, 2010, THE SUNDOWN RESIDENCE…

Sundown Residence and Gardens

…is not for rent! Some nice friends will be moving in this summer, and staying for the year, while I am on a Rome Prize Fellowship….

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By Fritz Haeg on June 21, 2010 | home
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On June 16th, 2010, HOW MANY BILLBOARDS…

Billboard by Yvonne Rainer

…the public art project consisting of 21 commisioned billboards positioned throughout the city of LA by artists (including Kenneth Anger, Michael Asher, Jennifer Bornstein, Eileen Cowin,  Christina Fernandez, Ken Gonzales-Day, Renée Green, Kira Lynn Harris, John Knight, David Lamelas, Brandon Lattu, Daniel Joseph Martinez,  Kori Newkirk, Yvonne Rainer, Martha Rosler with Josh Neufeld, Allan Sekula, Susan Silton, Kerry Tribe, James Welling, and lauren woods) produced by the MAK Center for Art & Architecture, will be hosting a release event for the project catalog tomorrow evening from 7-9pm at their glorious home-base, and cultural soul of the city since it was built in the 1920′s, The Schindler House on Kings Road. (project website)

The release event will feature fresh-off-the-press catalogues at a special one-night-only price, and a discussion reflecting upon the exhibition and on the interpretation of art in the public sphere. Panelists include How Many Billboards? artists Ken Gonzales-Day and Christina Fernandez, attorney and intellectual property expert Christine Steiner, writer and Metabolic Studio team member Janet Owen Driggs, and West of Rome founder Emi Fontana. MAK Center director Kimberli Meyer will moderate the informal discussion. The event is free and open to the public.

About the publication: The 168 page, full-color publication documents and reflects upon the exhibition and its context, and includes contributions by project initiator, curator and MAK Center director Kimberli Meyer; co-curators Lisa Henry, Nizan Shaked, and Gloria Sutton; public art consultant Sara Daleiden; attorney and intellectual property expert Christine Steiner; curator, critic, and director of the Master of Public Art Studies Program: Art/Curatorial Practices in the Public Sphere at USC Joshua Decter; writer, artist and curator Janet Owen-Driggs; and artist and director of Freewaves Anne Bray. Photographs of the artworks in situ by architect Gerard Smulevich and photographer patricia parinejad are featured. The book was edited by artistic director and C.E.O of the MAK Vienna, Peter Noever, and Kimberli Meyer; published by Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg; and distributed by D.A.P.

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By Fritz Haeg on June 16, 2010 | art, Los Angeles
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On June 8th, 2010, ROOFTOP VEGGIE SURPRISE…

the beginnings of the wild rooftop kitchen garden with a squash plant of mysterious origins (butternut?) in the foreground

…is what I am calling this season’s kitchen garden which began with mixing up in a container all of the seeds for edibles that I have been collecting for the last few years but not able to plant, and spreading them around generously on the extremely fertile soil, newly covered with a thick layer of fresh compost, on my rooftop planting area – which is enclosed by thick trellised passionflower vines – and I have no idea where most of the seeds came from, what might pop up, and it’s been fun to try to figure out what is going on in this wild garden, and then eat whatever happens.

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By Fritz Haeg on June 8, 2010 | gardens
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On June 4th, 2010, “SUPERCLOGGER” FREEWAY PUPPET SHOWS…

the freeway puppet show by Superclogger

…by LA artist Joel Kyack launched a few days ago with daily performances from the back of his pick-up truck to entertain surprised commuters stuck in traffic, but those seeking it out can follow him on twitter to find out which sig-alert freeways he will be performing on (listen to the radio story and watch the video).

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By Fritz Haeg on June 4, 2010 | art, Los Angeles, performance
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On May 28th, 2010, LATE NIGHT BICYCLISTS ON EAGLE ROCK BOULEVARD…

I couldn't get out my camera fast enough, but here are the late night bicyclists on Eagle Rock Boulevard, can you see them?

…took my breath away as they raced by tonight in a blur while I was driving home, pack after pack of them in brilliantly colored skintight lycra bodysuits, like schools of wild exotic fish that had reclaimed the late night streets of the city with a much more fluid and fun occupation of the space usual dominated by cars during the day – was it the most beautiful thing I saw all day?

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By Fritz Haeg on May 28, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On May 27th, 2010, OVER LOS ANGELES…

landing at LAX

…landing at LAX (I’m always in a window seat, taking pictures, and getting the view of our cities from above, even deciding which side of the plane I will sit on based on where the sun and view are  – which reminds me of this recent New York Times article about the view from the window seat) and happy to be back home for a little bit.

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By Fritz Haeg on May 27, 2010 | travel
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On May 24, 2010, THE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS…

cover of the new Mountain School of the Arts book

…the L.A.-based artist-run program founded by Piero Golia and Eric Wesley, has just released a book (in softcover & hardcover) published with Lulu on the occasion of their 5th anniversary, comprised of contributions and materials from the MSA^ archive, and I just ordered my copy – can’t wait. (MSA^ website)

http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/the-mountain-school-of-arts/10910546
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By Fritz Haeg on May 24, 2010 | books
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On May 11th, 2010, ALL-VALLEY LOS ANGELES RIVER TOUR…

6th Street Bridge by Mark Indig, winner of FoLAR's Photo Contest 2009

…scheduled for this Sunday with Friends of the LA River was just announced by an email from Jenny Price, copied below….

The first-ever ALL-VALLEY LA River tour! — w/Friends of the Los Angeles River
Sun. May 16  9:00am – 4:00pm (option to leave midday)
Carpool tour – Headwaters to Griffith Park, with Thai noodle-shop and Cuban bakery stops

Everyone in Los Angeles has seen the LA River, and has heard that it’s being revitalized. But who knows where it is, exactly–and what exactly is happening on its banks?

On this Friends of the LA River tour, we’ll walk and drive along the river, as we talk about its central role in the city’s history and the necessity of the ambitious ongoing revitalization to LA’s future.

The tour convenes at Bette Davis Picnic Area (across the 134 from the Griffith Park zoo–map below), where we form carpools, and stops at the mighty headwaters in Canoga Park, the verdant beautiful stretch in the Sepulveda Basin, the 1/2-mile-long Great Wall of LA mural and new Tujunga Wash Greenway, and the new park projects through the neighborhoods and film studios in Sherman Oaks and Studio City and beyond.

We’ll eat lunch at an excellent Thai noodle shop en route (other options too–or feel free to bring your lunch), and we’ll end with an optional stop at the legendary Cuban bakery Porto’s.

Led by Jenny Price. Car-caravan tours –$20 members/$25 non.  Nonprofits and students–contact FoLAR for member rate.  Group rate available.

Bring snacks and water and sun protection.  Dogs welcome.

Spaces limited, and advance sign-up required–Contact Shelly at mail@folar.org or 323-223-0585. Webpage with more info.

Meeting spot: Bette Davis Picnic Area, which is a little piece of Griffith Park ACROSS from the main park on the NORTH side of the 134 and the river.  Meet and park on Rancho Ave. (~ across from ~ 1540-50 Rancho). Please arrive  NO LATER than 8:30am. Carpools will leave promptly at 9am. (MAP)

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By Fritz Haeg on May 11, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On May 7th, 2010, JOSHUA G. STEIN OF RADICAL CRAFT…

Reef at Storefront for Art & Architecture in New York City by Joshua G. Stein of Radical Craft and Rob Ley of Urbana

…came over for lunch today, we met ages ago when he first moved to L.A. in 2003, and I’ll be seeing lots more of him while we are in residence at the American Academy in Rome for a year starting this fall (Radical Craft website).

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By Fritz Haeg on May 7, 2010 | architecture
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On May 1st, 2010, HUMAN RESOURCES MAY DAY OPENING…

the crowd at Human Resources, Los Angeles, May Day opening festivities

…was tonight with lots of inaugural performances, a cedar smudging ceremony by My Barbarian, and lots of excitement & love for the new L.A. collective performance social space in Chinatown.

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By Fritz Haeg on May 1, 2010 | performance
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On April 28th, 2010, AN EXCITING NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE IN LA’S CHINATOWN CALLED “HUMAN RESOURCES”…

…will be having a May Day grand opening event this Saturday inaugurating it’s space at 510 Bernard Street with projects and performances including Mad Gregs and Wounded Lion; performance collective My Barbarian; performance artists, Lucy Indiana Dodd, Corey Fogel and Dawn Kasper; and video presentations from Sharon Hayes; and W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy – whom I will be representing with some readings) plus DJ’ing by Anh Do and Ian Marshall – the activities start at 7pm, with performances beginning at 9pm. (website and Facebook announcement)

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By Fritz Haeg on April 28, 2010 | performance
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On April 24th, 2010, FELIX BURRICHTER OF PIN-UP MAGAZINE…

Pin-Up Magazine Issue 7, Fall Winter 09/10

…is over at the dome tonight for a dinner party with some friends to mark his arrival to L.A. for a MAK Center Residency - he’ll be at work on a special Los Angeles issue of his  “magazine for architectural entertainment” (one of the best new magazine to come out in the past few years – see the Pin-Up website) – Issue 7, Fall Winter 09/10 – on newsstands now - Features: Sophie Hicks, Ricardo Bofill, Fredrikson Stallard, Shigeru Ban, Cyprien Gaillard, Tony Hornecker, The Belvedere, Bureau V, Dubai, Alvar Aalto, a Young New York Architecture Showcase, and a selection of 75 of PIN-UP’s favorite things. With Artwork by: David Armstrong, KT Auleta, Andreas Larsson, Devin Blair, Nacho Alegre, Robi Rodriguez, Bureau V, Alex Antitch, Marcelo Krasilcic, Joel Jägeroos, Zoë Ghertner, Carlotta Manaigo, Robin Kranz, Carla Verea, Adrian Gaut, and Benjamin Alexander Huseby (I first met Felix when he invited me to do an interview with Julius Schulman for the magazine in 2007)

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By Fritz Haeg on April 24, 2010 | architecture
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On April 22nd, 2010, ART AUCTION BENEFITING CENTER FOR THE ARTS EAGLE ROCK…

the glorious main hall of the Center for the Arts Eagle Rock which was previously a library

…is coming up this Sunday at my favorite L.A. neighborhood arts center, which is just down the hill from me – and where I presented Sundown Schoolhouse: Practicing Moving last Fall – here are all of the details:

8th Annual Art Auction – A Fundraiser Benefiting Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
Sunday April 25, 2010, 2:00-5:00pm; Preview week April 19-23, 2010

Artwork by: 1 Off, Edith Abeyta, Lisa Adams, Linda Johnstone Allen, Michael Arata, Eva Armisen, Jane Asari, Tyn Atol, Kari Atol, Sherry Rayn Barnett, Jennifer Barnett-Hensel, Holly Boruck, Brian Bosworth, Daniel Brodo, BUGHOUSE, Matty Byloos, Pete Carillo, Jamison Carter, Robbie Conal, Emily Counts, Dorit Cypis, Diana Dawson, David De Boer, Danny De La Matyr, Raoul De La Sota, John Dominque, April Durham, Rick Elden, Spencer Elden, Shari Enge, Paul Evans, Bart Exposito, McLean Fahnestock, Shepard Fairey, Chuck Feesago, Roni Feldman, Jose Fors, Jeff Foye, Jacqueline Freedman, Dwora Fried, Nate Garcia, Vera Garvez-Powel, Libby Gerber, Cole Gerst, Sayre Gomez, Yolanda Gonzalez, Barbara Green, Mark Steven Greenfield, Margaret Griffith, Kio Griffith, Michael Gullberg, Mary Addison Hackett, Fritz Haeg, Cidne Hart, Kevin Hass, Brandy Maya Healy, Louise Henry, Naotaka Hiro, Heather Hoggan, Bettina Hubby, Salomon Huerta, Eva Hyam, Charles Irvin, Joan Kahn, Donna Kolb, Lori Koop, Olga Koumoundouros, Donald Krieger, Cyril Kuhn, Gina Lawson Egan, Johnny Lieberman, Haven Lin Kirk, Ronald Llanos, Karen Lofgren, Marcos Lutyens, Yi Ping Hou Lutyens, Linda Lyke, Meg Madison, Eva Malhotra, Brian + MaryJean Mallman, Audrey Mandelbaum, Wendy Mason, Rose Masterpol, Siobhan McClure, Candace Metzger, Miss Mindy, Alessandra Mctezuma, Nancy Monk, Kate Moriarty, Alan Nakagawa, John O’Brien, Chris Olveria, Angela Maria Ortiz, Claudia Parducci, Cielo Pessione, Shirley Pettibone, Laura Plansker, Max Presneill, Jason Ramos, Mary Rappazzo, Cindy Rehm, Ed Ruscha, Julio Revelas, Elizabeth Saveri, Mick Schelly, Margie Schnibbe, David Serano, Brian Smith, Carl Smith, Judith Layne Szarama, Pete Tovar, Kacy Treadway, Jane Tsong, Dani Tull, Elizabeth Valdez, Louisa Van Leer, Jocelyn Webb Pederson, Terry M. Wong, Penny Young and more

Join us for an afternoon of art and complimentary appetizers and a no host bar in Eagle Rock ‘s historic former Carnegie Library to celebrate and support Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock – one of the last remaining non-profit community cultural centers serving Northeast Los Angeles!
♦  Silent auction of artwork from over 100 established and emerging artists
♦  A sampling of local nibbles from Four Cafe
♦  No-host bar provided by Colombo’s
♦  Also serving Colorado Wine Co’s special Sparkling White Sangria
Admission: $30 per person at the door

If you are unable to attend the auction, but would still like to support the Center, bid by proxy forms will be available.  Artwork will be on view at the Center during the preview week from 11:00a.m.-5:00p.m. or by special arrangement. Select artwork can be viewed online beginning April 12, 2010.

Host Committee Includes: Harreld Adams, Andrew Berardini, Douglas & Joan Cumming, Doug Dawson, Julie Deamer, Damon Dennis, Kristi Engle, Sayre Gomez, Bob Gotham, Fritz Haeg, Yi Ping Hou, Steve Irvin, Donald Krieger, Karen Lofgren, Marcos Lutyens, Linda Lyke, Eva Malhotra, Mike Manuel, Brian McPherson, John O’Brien, Max Presneill, Michael Schlueter, Tony Scudellari, Amy Shomer, Espie Valverde, Tim Yalda, and Tom Yang.

To buy tickets, contact Renee Dominique, Director of Development:
323.226.1617 x 5621 or renee@cfaer.org

Website: http://www.centerartseaglerock.org

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By Fritz Haeg on April 22, 2010 | art
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On April 5th, 2010, THE RAYMOND AVENUE COMMUNITY GARDEN…

Raymond Avenue Community Garden, photo by Julie Burleigh

…in Los Angeles announces that it will be having a plant sale this Sunday April 11th to benefit the garden now in it’s second year – see all of the details here.

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By Fritz Haeg on April 5, 2010 | gardens
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On April 4th, 2010, HOT KNIVES…

Evan & Alex of Hot Knives

…the sophisticated-but-street cooking & blogging (vegetarian) foodies Evan George and Alex Brown – whom I met when they presented a provocative pickling workshop in one of the geodesic tents pitched at the MAK Center’s Schindler House for the L.A. launch of The Sundown Salon Unfolding Archive – just sent out this message:

Friends and food-fiends,
In our endless pursuit of world wide web domination, the Hot Knives tech team we employ to make our monkey asses seem like sophisticated bloggers has crafted a beta version of a new Hot Knives Forum. To this we say “thank you, delicious, and fuck yes!!”
http://urbanhonking.com/hotknives/forum/
The goal: To get friends and readers to discuss cooking, recipes, beer, and food in a way that simply leaving simple on the Hot Knives blog can’t accommodate. Think our can-free hummus blows? Think we used too much oil? You can still playa-hate on the blog of course, but NOW you can expound on what would make it better or poll others for tips! After all many of you are cocktail legends, raw food wizards and eloquent o-piners in your own right.
Before we finish designing it, or launch this to the masses, we’d love you to test out its boundaries and start some discussion threads. We’ve begun with one crucial question: what is your favorite grilled cheese and why?

…and they describe themselves thusly:

We live in Los Angeles. We don’t cook with meat. And we like sharpening our knives about as much as we like: bicycling, performing harsh noise music, gardening, slugging whiskey, and muckraking. We believe in cheap groceries, cooking with high alcohol content beer and free leisure. We hate weak sauces.

…though their homespun beer and cheese activities are lost on me, since I don’t partake in either, I still really really appreciate it…check out their blog.

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By Fritz Haeg on April 4, 2010 | food
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On April 3rd, 2010, IKO IKO ON SUNSET…

IKO IKO on Sunset below Angeleno Heights between Echo Park and Downtown Los Angeles

…is a brilliantly curated homespun retail endeavor that my sister has turned me on to (she lives in Minneapolis & has a better idea of what is going on in L.A. than I do), which I finally had the chance to visit for the first time this evening – since it was next door to Amy Adler’s studio where Darin Klein was having an event presenting the work of Suzanne Wright with performances by Math Bass, Dawn Kasper, and Catherine Lord – anyway, Kristin Dickson opened IKO IKO a year ago, and when I visited one could find jars of pickled goods by Jen Smith, handmade shoes by Beatrice Valenzuela, ceramic wall planters by Eden Batki, plus handmade Red Balau wood triangle flower boxes, and even a felted necklace….our cities should be full of retail situations like this! IKO IKO 1298 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026 Tues-Sat 1-7, Sun 1-5 (IKO IKO blog)

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By Fritz Haeg on April 3, 2010 | retail links
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On April 1st, 2010, KATIE GRINNAN…

Cheerleaders, 2005-06 Friendly plastic, linoleum, gaffers tape, latex paint, enamel paint, ink jet print on aluminum Sculpture: 100 x 102 x 100 inches, Print: 89 x 70 1/2 inches

…amazing artist and old college friend is coming over for lunch – a few years back she installed her vegetable growing sculpture in the garden for “Sundown Salon #13: Radical Gardening” – check out her exploding cheerleaders! (ACME webpage on her work)

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By Fritz Haeg on April 1, 2010 | art
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On March 27th, 2010, MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF ARTS (MSA^)…

The Mountain School of the Arts class of 2010 at the dome for dinner

…(the alternative Los Angeles educational endeavor with visiting faculty from a range of disciplines – from law to science – established by Piero Golia and Eric Wesley in 2005) came over for potluck dinner and conversation this evening – they included Janine Armin, Carl Burmeister, Olivian Cha, Daniel Ingroff, Michael Kontopoulos, Anne Mathern, Lesley Moon, Dana Munro, James Ochmanek, Haley O’Connor, Tristan Rogers, Carson Salter, Snowden Snowden, Alice Tomaselli, and of course Piero.(webpage)

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By Fritz Haeg on March 27, 2010 | education
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On March 22nd, 2010, BODYCITY DANCE COLLECTIVE…

…is so awesome, a group of my favorite L.A. ladies, dancing and moving together, less about being “professional” and more about loving and exploring dance and movement in all of it’s possible forms, mostly interested in what happens when they take it to the streets with friends – I’ve worked with them a lot, on river parades, dome events, and most recently on Sundown Schoolhouse: Practicing Moving in Eagle Rock, this video is from day #16. (website and full size video)

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By Fritz Haeg on March 22, 2010 | dance
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On March 15th, 2010, LOS ANGELES NOMADIC DIVISION (LAND)…

Los Angeles Nomadic Division, etsablished 2009

…has just emerged over the past year – founded by Shamim M. Momin and Christine Y. Kim – with energetic nimble activity most welcome in L.A.: variously squatting in local homes and institutions, taking to the streets and ‘public spaces’ (or whatever passes for that  here in L.A.), and supporting performance and time-based work – but from March 17-21 they will be in Austin at South X Southwest with a big show called “The Secret Knows” featuring Pierre Bismuth, Slater Bradley, Brian Bress, Olaf Breuning, Ian Campbell, Jedediah Caesar, José León Cerrillo, Matt Chambers, Brody Condon, Kate Costello, Alex Da Corte, Meredith Danluck, Sue de Beer, Christoph Draeger, Tyler Drosdeck, Gardar Eide Einarsson, Matias Faldbakken, Rob Fischer, Eve Fowler, Jonah Freeman, Luis Gispert, Piero Golia, Matt Greene, Katie Grinnan, Skylar Haskard, Drew Heitzler, Patrick Hill, Evan Holloway, Anna Sew Hoy, Patrick Jackson, Barry Johnston, Jesper Just, Alice Koenitz, Terence Koh, Jeff Kopp, Hanna Liden, Justin Lowe, Nate Lowman, Robert Melee, Matt Murphy, New Humans, Not Cooperative, Michele O’Marah, Eamon Ore-Giron, Adam Putnam, David Ratcliff, Matthew Ronay, Sterling Ruby, Christopher Russell, Melanie Schiff, Agathe Snow, Mateo Tannatt, Mungo Thomson, Mark Verabioff, Landon Wiggs, and Ezra Woods. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on March 15, 2010 | art
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On March 12th, 2010, FORYOURART…

ForYourArt map of the cultural landscape of Los Angeles

…is making some sense of this crazy vast nearly incomprehensible cultural landscape we call Los Angeles with a great website, a directory of all of the local venues, online and printed maps, regular announcements, plus it’s own newspaper – and with ten MFA art programs in the area (Art Center College of Art and Design, California Institute for the Arts, Claremont Graduate School, Otis School of Art and Design, University of Southern California, University of California – Irvine, University of California – Los Angeles, University of California – San Diego, and University of California – Santa Barbara) regularly depositing a rich layer of eager young artists who no longer feel compelled to be in New York – this comprehensive L.A. overview is especially welcome. (FYA website)

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By Fritz Haeg on March 12, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On March 7th, 2010, MERYL STREEP BY CHRIS MARCH AT THE OSCARS…

Meryl Streep arriving at the 2010 Oscars dressed by Project Runway's Chris March

…looks just great – like a superhero’s mom from the future.

This is from an interview with QueerSighted:

She was a fan of mine during season four of Project Runway. She actually was a guest of mine at my finale show. Then recently, for the Golden Globes, she called and asked if I would make her a dress, and it went really well and she was on a bunch of best-dressed lists, so I guess she decided to go with me again. So that’s kinda how it started.

She’s so sweet, and helpful and unassuming. You’re there with the biggest star in the world that there is, and she’s just funny and nice and down-to-earth, easy to get along with. She’s very patient. As you can imagine, she’s been in thousands of costume fittings, so she’s very good at being fit. She’s really sweet.

This is really the first time I’ve ever made anything for the red carpet, and it just happened to be for Meryl Streep. Awards season is kind of new to me, so we’ll see. Maybe Meryl Streep needs more things throughout the year, and I’ll certainly be happy to work with her.

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By Fritz Haeg on March 7, 2010 | fashion, film
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On February 28th, 2010, SILVER LAKE YOGA…

Silver Lake Yoga studio in Los Angeles

…is where I’m at, and where I am everyday when home in Los Angeles, because it is my favorite neighborhoody yoga studio – and I especially like the classes with Dana, Juliette, Le Tania, and Susan. (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on February 28, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On February 26th, 2010, “DAMELO TODO” (GIVE ME EVERYTHING)…

still from the shoot of Wu Tsang's "Damelo Todo" (Give Me Everything)

…is the title of an upcoming documentary directed by friend Wu Tsang, which is described as “…a hybrid documentary/narrative depicting Latina transgender women who build community with queer performance artists at downtown Los Angeles bar the Silver Platter.” We can’t wait to see it! (website)

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By Fritz Haeg on February 26, 2010 | film
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On February 21st, 2010, THE HOLLYWOOD FARMERS MARKET…

famers market carrots

carrots selections at the Hollywood farmers market

…is really overwhelming this morning – which of the ten available varieties of carrots do I want? do I really need five beautiful heads of cauliflower this week? who has the best kale?

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By Fritz Haeg on February 21, 2010 | food
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On February 20th, 2010, A MAP FOR AN OTHER LA…

copies of "A Map for An Other LA" can be ordered by emailing llanodelrio@gmail.com

…presented by The Llano Del Rio Working Group, beautifully illustrated by Katie Bachler (former intern and Sundown Schoolhouse student), and designed by Department of Graphic Sciences (original designers the Edible Estates book), identifies and locates all of the exciting alternative activity in the city which is really what makes this place worth living in – and here is the text from their original solicitation for information:

Do you operate a backyard beehive?  Are you working in public, not getting paid and not considered a social worker or public artist? Are you painting bicycle lanes on Glendale Boulevard?  Are you a guerrilla historian? Participating in an alternative news source? Do you operate a no-profit space? Are you planting gardens in traffic medians? Are you inventing, selling, or operating solar powered gizmos? Stirring shit up? Tilling an urban farm? Planting urban nightmares? Do you participate in schizo-cultural activities furthering esoteric beliefs and practices? Are you encouraging individual and group detours away from economics as we know it? Member of a coop?  Part of a cycling mob? Are you developing stuff that will make sense when the shit hits the fan, the love bomb drops, or somewhere in between? Are you pursuing alternative models of development? Do you chew gum in public with friends and call it something other? Do you run a print kitchen, beer kitchen, bicycle kitchen, bio-fuels kitchen, a stitching kitchen or just heat an oven? Are you a part of a neighborhood vigil against war? Are you aware of a business resistant to time like a typewriter shop or a mythic location where shamans roam the valley? Is there a neighborhood your aware of with so much front yard agriculture that you just got to share it? Are you supporting the pursuit of an esoteric art and craft? Player in a radical cheer group, marching band, or cycling ensemble?  Popularizer of unpopular or unknown wisdoms? Do you have difficulty with the pronoun “I”, but find comfort talking about “we”? Are you aware of another LA beneath the traffic lanes?.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 20, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On February 14th, 2010, STREET FURNITURE IN ECHO PARK…

Temporary site specific street furniture in front of the Echo Park United Methodist Church in Los Angeles

…of simple stained wood, designed for the particular nooks, sidewalk angles and situations in front of the United Methodist Church at Alvarado and Reservoir – form platforms for sitting and eating when their lunch tent is set up.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 14, 2010 | Los Angeles
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On February 13th, 2010, MACHINE PROJECT: SUBJECT/OBJECT/PROJECT BY NATE PAGE…

Shrink-wrapped everything in the Machine Project office by Nate Page

…looms large while we are laboring over our sewing machines this afternoon for the first day of sewing workshops with Annie O’Malley, as we sit beneath a giant version of the white folding plastic chairs we are sitting on, and to the back everything in the entire Machine Project office/work area has been shrink wrapped and piled high – all of this resulting from the artist’s process of  “…following Mark and other members of the Machine staff as they went about their day-to-day business…The intervention became an act of sheer awkwardness, with no specified end. No one really knew what Nate was up to, and it was unclear whether he was participating or observing.” (project webpage)

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By Fritz Haeg on February 13, 2010 | art
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On February 8th, 2010, THE GERMINATRIX (IVETTE SOLER)…

Ivette Soler, aka The Germinatrix, defending her Los Angeles front yard garden.

…came over for tea and conversation about growing food, starting yoga, and an exciting new gardening book she’s working on which will be out next year, in the mean time you can follow her Germinatrix blog.

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By Fritz Haeg on February 8, 2010 | gardens
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On January 29th, 2010, LOS ANGELES CHINATOWN…

Fake market in Los Angeles Chinatown encountered on the way to Via Cafe in the Central Plaza.

Fake market in Los Angeles Chinatown encountered on the way to Via Cafe in the Central Plaza.

…has what appears to be a crowded open market in the Central Plaza – which we are passing through on our way to Via Cafe for lunch today – but it soon becomes apparent that all the shoppers are just extras, and all of the “market” displays of apples, plants, and crafts are fake – an elaborate set for a film shoot.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 29, 2010 | cities
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On January 27th, 2010, MACHINE PROJECT SEWING WORKSHOPS…

The Brother sewing machine that I will soon be bringing to Machine Project to start making magic with my old ill-fitting clothes

…lead by Annie O’Malley are coming up soon (Saturdays in February on the 13th, 20th, and 27th, from noon to 4pm) prompting me to order my first sewing machine today (pictured below) at her suggestion, with the ultimate fantasy of acquiring the skills to alter ALL of my clothes – which I hope to provide some evidence of here later… (Machine Project workshops)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 27, 2010 | education
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On January 24th, 2010, ARTIST CURATED PROJECTS (ACP)…

Installation view of videos and t-shirts from the ACP show "This is a Performance."

…had an opening reception this afternoon for it’s latest project/exhibition, “This is a Performance,” installed in it’s cozy home-base – the La Vista Court Hollywood home of artist Eve Fowler – attended by lots of artist friends, and their dogs and babies. (ACP website)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 24, 2010 | art
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On January 23rd, 2010, THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS…

Snow covering the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles.

…out my window look like the Alps, or the Rockies, or something, all covered with white stuff this morning after 10 days of precipitation, and snow at low elevations last night.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 23, 2010 | climate
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On January 19th, 2010, RAINBOW WEATHER…

Rainbow over the San Gabriel Mountains during a break in the storm as veiwed from the dome.

…is what we have here in Los Angeles, with daily storms delivering a years worth of rain in one week, occasional sunny rainbow-making breaks in the sky, and for those with leaks – the urgent need for buckets.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 19, 2010 | climate
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On January 14th, 2010, EMILY LACY…

Emily Lacy wearing a magical cape for her "Temples of the Mind" Project at LACMA.

…is still performing in her magical, fantastical project “Temples of the Mind” every Thursday-Sunday until January 31 in the Japanese Pavilion that she has taken over at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which involves “…playing out of information and music cycles across a whole series of delay pedals and small amplifiers, creating a complex network of sounds, voices, and instruments across a large space…” (project webpage)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 14, 2010 | music
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On January 6th, 2010, LOS ANGELES WEATHER…

Sunrise over the San Gabriel Mountains, and refelected in facet of the geodesic dome, on a warm winter Southern California day.

…is fulfilling the California dreams of this Minnesota-born transplant with 77°F while most of the country is in a deep freeze (climate change?) and this mornings sunrise seemed a little ridiculous and cliched too.

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By Fritz Haeg on January 6, 2010 | climate
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On January 1st, 2010, MY BARBARIAN…

Malik Gaines, Jade Gordon, and Alex Segade of My Barbarian perform at an all day New Years Brunch at Anna and Giles' residence in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

…performed (in Anna and Giles’ living room during their New Years Day potluck brunch) a collection of songs from baroque meditations on arts patronage to theatrical re-enactments of interviews with the staff of a troubled museum; and after watching them (Alex, Malik, and Jade) this afternoon, I was reminded that they are Los Angeles people everyone should know about! (link)

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By Fritz Haeg on January 1, 2010 | performance
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