Whitney Lives On: Grammy Museum Style

Whitney Houston, the pop icon, I knew, but Whitney at church choir practice and on the cover of Seventeen Magazine?  This was part of the lifelong star's life I knew nothing about.  And I have the Whitney! Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Whitney Houston exhibit to thank for that.     Presented by the GRAMMY Museum at LA Live, the opening was timed strategically a week before the late Houston's last movie release, Sparkle. "The idea of the exhibit came from the fans," said Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum, Bob Santelli.  
Partnered with son (and newest member to the GRAMMY Museum team), Jake Santelli and the Houston family put together not just an exhibit of Whitney's music career accomplishments, but rather, the story of a spectacular life lived... as seen through the eyes of those who knew her best.  

One Hundred Years: GRAMMY Museum oversees Woody Guthrie Centennial

Photo and logo courtesy of the Woody Guthrie Archives
Photo credit: Robin Carson, circa 1942

Last week, one of the country's biggest music and multi-media festivals went down in Austin, TX. This year's SXSW paid tribute to one of America's icons, Woody Guthrie. Bruce Springsteen delivered the keynote speech in which he discussed Guthrie's influence on his own work and career. The festival schedule included special performances of Guthrie's songs by folk singers Jimmy LaFave and  Eliza Gilkyson and Colombian rock sensation Juanes, who sang live in English for the first time. Also part of the schedule of events was a panel presentation moderated by Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum and a leading Woody Guthrie historian, with participating members (including Nora and Arlo Guthrie) sharing personal stories and historical perspectives as part of the conversation. And Tom Morello, who had a showcase on Friday night, led a group of Occupy Austin demonstrators in a sing-along of "This Land Is Your Land," a song considered by some as America's alternative national anthem.

A retrospective of Los Angeles arts and artists (Pacific Standard Time: Art In L.A. 1945-1980)

One of the largest collaborative art projects in Southern California officially kicked off last weekend. Pacific Standard Time: Art In Los Angeles 1945-1980 is a long overdue project that celebrates Los Angeles' contribution to and impact on the arts and popular culture. Over 60 museums and cultural venues are joining forces across Southern California (from Berkeley to San Diego) to share with the world the significant works, artforms and artists that this era in L.A. has produced.

Calling all film lovers: L.A. Film Festival

It's that time of year again when film enthusiasts of all types get to experience new, and up and coming films and talent from around the world, including the US. We're talking about the L.A. Film Festival. Now in its 16th year, the line-up offers something for everyone. (Pictured: Focus Features' "The Kids Are Alright")

Experience Variety: Museums

What we love about Los Angeles is not only the sheer volume of events, but the variety of any given type of experience.  Museums in particular allow you to explore the gamut of history, music, and culture.  Have you been to a museum lately?  Check out the following selection of events all over LA that caught our eye...

• U.S. History & Society: Breach of Peace: Photographs of Freedom Riders by Eric Etheridge
  The Skirball Cultural Center hosts contemporary photos by Eric Etheridge showing former Freedom Riders (who converged on Jackson, Mississippi to challenge state segregation laws) next to their origianl mugshots.  The exhibition examines each subject's involvement with the Civil Rights movement, takes a look at who they are today, and provides their unique perspectives. 
  Now until April 11, 2010
• L.A. History: Justin Gershuny: A Retrospective
  Heritage Square Museum honors the life of Beverly Hills resident Justin Gershuny.  Gershuny recently passed on late 2009 and the exhibition features watercolors created by Gershuny who was an architect who had utilized his knowledge and talents for countless restoration proejcts including Heritage Square.
  Now until March 28, 2010
• World History: Secrets of the Silk Road
  The Bowers Museum in Orange County opens this exhibition on March 27th.  Featuring well-perserved mummies and artifacts of the people who lived along the ancient Silk Road.  This is the first time these mummies will be featured in the United States. 
  Opens March 27th and runs until July 25th 2010
• Music: The GRAMMY Museum
  The GRAMMY Museum hosts a number of programs in addition to their music history collection and interactive exhibitions.  Upcoming programs include A Celebration of Hawaiian Music, a family friendly program featuring GRAMMY Award-winning artist/producer Daniel Ho where families should come ready to sing, dance, and learn the basics of hula (March 20th 2010) and Fender Presents John 5: Professor of Shredology (March 31st 2010).
• Film and Literature: Hammer Museum Lectures, Readings, and Screenings
  In addition to their ongoing exhibitions, the Hammer Museum features film screenings, reading series, and lectures.  Upcoming events include family flicks like Watership Down (March 21st 2010), readings by Sheila Heti (March 24th 2010), and Bike Night (April 8th 2010)

-ExperienceLA Staff

Travel abroad in the Getty Villa

The Getty Villa in Malibu off the Pacific Coast Highway is exactly what it sounds like. It has the history of the Getty with the richness and luxurious feel of a Villa. From the moment you enter the museum you are greeted by a long water feature, a beautiful high ceiling, intricate floor work, and pillars all true to its ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria pieces. The entire museum carries on this ancient motif allowing the patron to feel as if they have stepped into the past.

The Getty’s newest rotating exhibits include The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani which is available until October 5, 2009 and The Chimera of Arezzo which will be featured until February 8, 2010. Both of these exhibits open the door to history.

The Golden Graves exhibit features jewelry, ritual figurines and other materials found in the graves of various people. By seeing what these individuals are buried with it gives a sense for what was considered important and what one could not live without. What is further intriguing about this exhibit is that the museum was able to collect features from all different types individuals. There are relics of a woman's grave, that of a young woman, a child and even a warrior giving insight to each specific individual. The woman was buried with three other women, presumably servants, and only she was buried in elaborate clothing with varies imported pieces from Athens. Then there is the young woman who was buried alone and had was found with local materials. Each person was different and had a different history.

In The Chimera of Arezzo exhibit the largest feature is the statue of the lion, goat, serpent monster whose fire breathing stories still live on. What I loved most about this exhibit, and maybe the entire museum, was the delicately painted books that told the story of this creature. The pictures were colorful and flecked with gold and the writing elegant. I wanted to break through the glass and flip the delicate pages, study the drawings and search for someone to translate. I felt so sad leaving the museum without being able to hold them in my hands.

While these two exhibits are main reason I went to the Getty, I was taken by surprise on what a wonderful place it was. There are great interactive opportunities for children of all ages (that includes the adults) and a play room where you can draw on vases, or color your own. There is also a shadow theater part where kids can put on a play for their parents. Kids will love it, the only problem is they may never want to leave.

Another clever addition to the museum is a trading street they created in the sculpture garden where people can go table to table trading and creating items. The first step is to get wood to trade for olive oil which you get to crush yourself, next you head over to the herb section and make your perfume and after that it’s time to play dress up and create necklaces.

The Getty Villa is located right near the beach so it's a great opportunity to get in some culture and summer fun. It really is not that far from the Third Street Santa Monica Promenade, so you can go shop and grab some food after your time travel adventure. But if you are hungry and don't want to deal with driving back to Santa Monica and parking, there is great cafe in the Villa.

So go explore the Getty Villa and the surrounding area while the suns out on our long summer days. For more events at Getty Villa, check out ExperienceLA.com.

Enjoy!

A One Day Visit to Hollywood and Downtown LA

My neighbors who are from Australia had friends of theirs arrive from Australia and knowing that I came up with the idea and oversaw the production of the ExperienceLA/Lonely Planet Downtown LA in Your Pocket Guide, they asked me how I would spend a Sunday between Hollywood and DowntownLA. So here is my one day guide to hopefully not doing too many things, but getting a glimpse of some of what is unique to LA.

If one was leaving bright and early and needed a coffee fix on the way to Hollywood, I recommended stopping off in Silver Lake for coffee at either Intelligentsia or LAMill. Two of the best coffee houses in LA. With the Hollywood Farmers Market beginning at 9 am, then it would be leaving to drive and park one's car for the day at the ArcLight Cinema and Cinerama Dome Movie Complex to formally begin the day at the Hollywood Farmers Market. This is perhaps the best Sunday market in Los Angeles and right after the Santa Monica Farmers Markets ranks among the best. ExperienceLA maintains a complete list of all of the Farmers Markets in LA. Hollywood does a great job with their prepared foods or one could make a reservation at the Hungry Cat when it opens for brunch. After the Farmers Market, there is the largest independent music store in the world at Amoeba. Since one can buy reserve tickets at the ArcLight, one can consider seeing Watchmen right now in the Dome or one of the other movies in their black box theaters. As we know in LA, the Arc Light is among the best movie houses in America. Right now you can see the Watchmen costumes in the lobby as shown above.

So with a full stomach, it is a several block walk to the Red Line Station at Hollywood and Vine. We would catch the Red Line to the 7th and Metro Station at Figueroa which is around 20 minutes away. One way tickets on Metro are $1.25 or a day pass is still $5. Making sure we leave the station at the Figueroa exit, the plan is to walk down several blocks to LA Live at Fig and Olympic. The purpose is to see the Grammy Museum which opened in December. This is now a must see when visiting Downtown LA. At the Grammy, you could easily spend anywhere from 2 to 4 hours due to the number of interactive exhibits. However, the goal is to make it over to FIDM by 3 pm with one hour to spare to see the current Motion Picture Costumes exhibit that runs until March 29, 2009. Looking through the archives, you can see my previous post on the exhibit.

So now that it is 4 pm, what would be next on this journey? We could walk do a mini Historic Core tour, or head over to Cole's or the Nickel Diner at 6th and Main for an early dinner and then back to Hollywood. The Nickel Dinner is a new restaurant that looks like it has been in existence for 50 years, but opened in 2008 and named among the top new restaurants in LA for 2008 by Los Angeles Magazine. Then there is Cole's known for its French Dip sandwiches which dates back probably 80 years or so, also recently re-opened after being renovated by Cedd Moses. Both are worthy dinner dates and neither are in the pocket guide. After dinner, you would walk up 5th Street to the Pershing Square Station to take the Red Line back to Hollywood to go to the Chinese Theater at Hollywood and Highland or to see a movie at the ArcLight and not fall asleep from all of the walking.

But if one had the time and energy to explore the Historic Core after leaving FIDM, you would go north on Hope Street to see the LA Central Library, walking through the Library noticing the historic Goodhue building and the spectacular public art in the new wing, out the door on the 5th Street side then wandering through the historic lobby of the Biltmore out onto Olive Street, then continuing the walk north on Hill to see the Angels Flight cars waiting for PUC approval to begin service again, then into the Grand Central Market, across the street to see the Bradbury Building as featured in Blade Runner at 3rd and Broadway. From here it would be time for dinner. Note that the LA Conservancy has tours of the Historic Core, and now also tours of Main Street. Also, if one really had to see the Frank Gehry Disney Hall, then it is a relatively short up hill walk along 2nd Street to Grand Avenue.