Hockney's Backyard by Kevin Stadler

HOCK NEY’S BACK YARD vol. 37. WINTER 2013

HOCKNEY’S BACKYARD, vol. 37. Winter 2013

Table of Contents

FREE THINGS TO DO IN

LOs Angeles

Free Museums Days in L.A. Think of Los Angeles and yoyur mind could go to beach babes and surfer dudbes, L.A; will stil still leave you awestruck.

Find out what days you are able to get to all Los Angele’s best museums without paying a cent.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MUSIC AND FILM AT LACMA

An Interview with the Man Behind

Museum of Political Corruption the

HOCKNEY’S BACKYARD, vol. 37. Winter 2013

EXPLORING LA

FREE T H I N G S TO D O IN

LOS ANGELES By Kelly Coorigan

hink of Los Angeles and your mind could likely default to an image of surfer dudes, beach babes, or celebs donning the latest on the red carpet. All images aside, L.A. will still leave you awestruck. For starters, several American cities delight in having a Chinatown, but L.A. treasures its Koreatown, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Little Ethiopia too. The Chumash, the Tataviam, and the Tongva Indians were some of the region’s first native peoples; today’s natives collectively go by “Angelenos.” As one of the most curious destinations in California, the city is where traffic issues remain unsolved and celebrity sightings are plentiful. Look to this guide for an inexpensive way to experience the city.

HOCKNEY’S BACKYARD, vol. 37. Winter 2013

A RT Admission to the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu is always free. View pre-20th century European paintings, sculpture, drawings, and manuscripts, and walk among contemporary sculpture throughout the Getty Center. At the Getty Villa galleries are arranged by themes and portray the Trojan War and gods and goddesses, with Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artifacts dating to 6500 B.C. Parking costs $15 per car but is free after 5 p.m. L.A. wouldn’t be L.A. without its murals. The Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles works toward preserving, restoring, and documenting these murals located throughout the city. Visit the conservancy’s online database for location information on murals, and see one or two in person if you’re in the area. Meet some of the hundreds of authors who show up annually at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, held on the UCLA campus during one weekend in April. General admission to the festival is free, but tickets are required for all indoor speakers and panel sessions. Free to the public on the second Tuesday of each month, exhibits on topics such as opportunity, the cowboy, imagination, and romance make the Autry National Center a must for visitors to California. C U LT U R E Part of El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument, Olvera Street is one of the city’s most treasured spaces. Located across from L.A.’s Union Station and La Placita Church, a pueblo was founded here in 1781. Wander the stalls for handmade trinkets or leather goods, admire the work of local artists, listen to musicians perform, or taste authentic Mexican food. Don Francisco Avila, who

once served as mayor of L.A., built a house here in 1818 that’s considered the city’s oldest existing house. In the 1970s, Hee Deok Lee’s grocery store on Olympic and Harvard Boulevards was one of the first shops in the community to make up Koreatown, also known endearingly as K-Town. Meander through the area’s shops, and if you work up an appetite, stop for Korean barbeque. About ten minutes from Koreatown in

“L.A. wouldn’t be L.A. without it’s murals.” the Miracle Mile area, you’ll find the Korean Cultural Center, where many of the programs and exhibitions are free to the public. Visit the center’s 2,700-squarefoot gallery, which houses traditional and contemporary art, or attend a film screening. Screenings are free and feature contemporary and classic Korean films with English subtitles. The year 1938 marked the dedication of L.A.’s Chinatown. If you start at Central Plaza, you’ll spot a statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen and a nearby wishing well that dates to 1939. Step outside of Central Plaza to Phoenix Bakery—Chinatown’s oldest— where you’ll be tempted to try its famous strawberry whipped cream cakes. Take a moment to pause at the Taoist Temple on

EXPLORING LA

Mr. Brainwash’s Madonna Mural, La Brea Los Angeles

Yale Street, where incense fills the air. On South Fairfax Avenue between Olympic Boulevard and Whitworth Drive, Little Ethiopia has thrived since the 1990s. The enclave was officially recognized by the city in 2002. Stroll the area’s shops, restaurants, and vintage stores. If you’re looking for a boost, stop for a genial coffee ceremony in which coffee is served to you only after the beans have been carefully washed, roasted, ground, and boiled. In 2000, Little Armenia was officially recognized in East Hollywood. The area, which comprises only a portion of L.A.’s thriving Armenian community, is host to a festival to celebrate Armenia’s inde-

pendence. The festival takes place in late May or early June. The free admission, live music, traditional Armenian fare, and vendors have enticed thousands to celebrate the event in the past.

HOCKNEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BACKYARD, vol. 37. Winter 2013

FREE

MUSEUM DAYS

IN L.A. EVERY MONTH

M The

Getty First of the Month

Second

The Getty

T The Getty

W The Getty

The Natural History

Museum

Fourth

The Getty

LACMA

The Getty

MOCA The Getty

The Huntington Museum and

Gardens

The Getty

Third

The Getty

The Getty The Getty

The Getty

The Norton Simon Museum

The Getty

MOCA

The Getty

MOCA The Getty

MOCA

The Getty

MUSIC & FILM

MUSIC AND FILM

L A C M A

By Mark Lodger

dmission to the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu is always free. View pre-20th century European paintings, sculpture, drawings, and manuscripts, and walk among contemporary sculpture throughout the Getty Center. At the Getty Villa galleries are arranged by themes and portray the Trojan War and gods and goddesses, with Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artifacts dating to 6500 B.C. Parking costs $15 per car but is free after 5 p.m. Rear window - The presence of windows in Alfred Hitchcock’s films is a constant trope. Rear Window epitomizes this fascination, but Hitchcock began using glass to build psychological tension and suspense as early as 1926 in The Lodger. Hitchcock’s portrayal of windows enabled famed acts of voyeurism and illuminates the relationships between home and the outside world, self and other, and safety and peril. Complements the exhibition At the Window: The Photographer’s View. 2. The Lodger - Known as the “first true Hitchcock film,” this Jack-The-Ripper-type mystery debuts some of Hitchcock’s frequent archetypes, such as the innocent man who appears guilty and the titillation of scantily clad blondes. Presented with live accompaniment by pianist Michael Mortilla.

HOCKNEY’S BACKYARD, vol. 37. Winter 2013

Roger Kalia, music director and conductor, leads performances of Arvo Pärt’s Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten, Darius Milhaud’s La Creation du monde, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 in G Minor, K. 550. Once such a common beachside attraction, there are now only a handful of functional public camera obscuras in the US. Just a quick walk from the pier the Santa Monica Camera Obscura remains a little known treat for those interested in photography, 19th century mechanics, or spying on oblivious beach-goers. The Hollywood Bowl, where the Los Angeles Philharmonic and all guest mu-

sicians rehearse for their evening stage performances, offer visitors a chance to watch rehearsals for free many mornings during the week. During the summer the Edmund D. Edelman Hollywood Bowl Museum doesn’t charge admission. See art and historical exhibits with hundreds of videos, audio, and video samples. Every year since 1998, the Independent Shakespeare Co. has brought classic works to a contemporary audience. In the warmer months, watch a free performance in Griffith Park. The plays take place Thursday to Sunday evenings in a natural amphitheatre at Griffith Park’s Old Zoo, and parking is free too. See art and historical exhibits.

MUSIC & FILM

At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA, as it’s known, free admission on the second Tuesday of each month will admit you into all permanent galleries. Visit LACMA on a Sunday for a chamber music concert and/or to sit in on recitals by local or visiting musicians. From April through November, hear jazz performed at the museum every Friday for free from 6 to 8 p.m. In 1999, a section of East Hollywood was designated America’s first Thai Town. Some refer to the area as Thailand’s 77th province. The Thai New Year falls in early spring, and in L.A., much of the celebrating is done at the Songkran Festival. Attend the festival for free. Taste

Thai curry, sit in on the Miss Thai New Year Pageant Show, or watch a boxing competition or a traditional folk dancing session. In the early morning, a ceremony commences to gently bless respected elders with water.

Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra - Sunday, November 17, 2013 || 6 pm

HOCKNEY’S BACKYARD, vol. 37. Winter 2013

INTERVIEW WITH THE MAN BEHIND

“MUSEUM OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION” PROJECT By Chris Weigant

ouldn’t it be great to have a place where children and adults alike could learn about the sordid history of how American politics really

works? If Bruce Roter has his way, visitors to New York’s state capital will indeed have this opportunity, at the “Albany Museum of Political

Corruption” -- which he hopes to locate just down the hill from the state’s Capitol building.

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oter points out that New York is certainly fertile grounds for such a museum, with 29 officeholders convicted of a crime, censured, or accused of wrongdoing in the past seven years alone -- to say nothing of its long and storied history of political corruption reaching back to the Tammany Hall era. While the Albany museum would only cover the state of New York, if it becomes a success, Roter could easily see the idea spreading to other state capitals or even to a national museum in Washington.

So this museum will obviously serve a number of purposes. There will be the entertainment factor (it will be a tourist attraction, after all). But by exposing political corruption to public ridicule, this museum will stand as a cautionary symbol to elected officials not to engage in corruption. What sorts of exhibits will the public be able to see in the museum? What will the experience be like for visitors? I want to make sure that the exhibits in the museum are as entertaining and as informative as possible. Naturally there will be historical documents and artifacts. People like wax figures, so we can have a few of those. But I envision a trip to the museum running like this: having paid the entrance bribe to get in (and there will be a table “under” which you pay your money), you enter the “Lobbyists Lobby” where you can check you coat (you can find it on eBay the following week). I think the “Lobbyist’s Lobby” will be quite ornate, suitable for weddings between lobbyists and politicians.

“THE EXHIBITS IN THE MUSEUM ARE AS ENTERTAINING AS POSSIBLE”

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, Bruce. To begin, how did you get the idea for a museum of political corruption and why do you think people would be interested in visiting one? What is the museum’s main purpose? The idea for a museum of political corruption evolved from a conversation I had in late July with a local politician. I posed the question on how we here in Albany could lighten up a little bit; what is it we could be irreverent about? Then it struck me: Albany, as the seat of New York state government, is known for political corruption. So rather than run away from it, I thought let’s embrace it and use it as an “unnatural” resource! In fact, a portion of the profits from the museum could be used to help develop Albany’s downtown and beautify the city whose name too often unfairly gets dragged through the mud. Albany is actually a very nice place to live (but let’s keep that our secret) so rather than run away from it.

How far back will the museum’s mandate reach? Will there be Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall exhibits? When will your earliest exhibit date from? The museum should go back to the beginnings of the State of New York. And yes, I think we can reserve a spot for Boss Tweed. As for “Tammany Hall,” that will be the name of our auditorium! What is your definition of “corruption”? Or, to put it another way, who and what will qualify as an exhibit in

HOCKNEY’S BACKYARD, vol. 37. Winter 2013 the museum, and what will be considered too insignificant or too ill-defined to include? What will your standards of proof be? Is just insinuation of corruption enough, or will you require historical records, proof, or even a conviction of a crime? Excellent question. My thoughts on what constitutes corruption are definitely evolving with this project. And I think those who visit the museum will be challenged to consider their own definitions of corruption as well. I believe that those who are legally convicted of corruption can be considered “candidates” for this museum (that’s the only thing they should be considered “candidates” for). But as to what or who goes into this museum, I will leave that to the expertise of

in Washington? Yes, I’m glad you mentioned this! As much as we might like, Albany does not have a monopoly on corruption. So, there’s plenty of room to franchise and have S.C.A.M.s in other states and even a National S.C.A.M. (could today’s national politics be any more scandalous to the American people?).

political historians and ethicists.

say to the politician who just helped pay for the museum and now has been convicted of corruption? “Welcome home”? No, this must be the people’s museum and needs to be driven by private donations, through admissions fees and the overpriced food sold at the museum cafe. Again, I can’t stress enough that to get this off the drawing boards, the museum needs two kinds of resources: money and expertise. So I need individuals with start-up business experience and experience in museum administration.

What modern events will qualify for inclusion in the museum? Would, for instance, Eliot Spitzer or Anthony Weiner qualify? Any other recent New York names you would like to include? It is tempting to make this museum a “ripped from the headlines!” site. And it is important that we make this museum relevant to today’s events (let’s face it, that’s what most tourists will want to see). But we can’t deny the importance of historical perspective in determining who gets in. I’m not saying that today’s bum is going to be tomorrow’s hero. But time has a way of sorting through these things. If the museum opens and is a success, could you see the idea spreading to other state capitals? Or perhaps even a national museum of political corruption

How will the museum be funded? Do you have a budgetary target? Can the general public contribute to the effort? Specifically, my budgetary target goes like this: We need lots of money! And it needs to come from individuals and other private sources. To receive funding from government entities could pose a conflict of interest. After all, what do you

The last thing I would like to mention is this: this museum will be completely non-partisan. We’ll gladly reach across the aisle to accept corrupt politicians of any political stripe.

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