06-04-18

June 4, 2018 I VOL. 47 I #23

HISTORIC CORE 2.0 Historic Core Leader Blair Besten Plots 10-Year Plan for the District

photo by Gary Leonard

See Page 13

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. SINCE 1972

INSIDE this week los angeles homeless population decreases

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l.a. asian americans in hip-hop

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2 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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AROUND TOWN

Rooftop Concert Comes to Skid Row This Weekend

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he nonprofit Inner-City Arts’ annual summer party and fundraiser returns to Downtown this week, with live music and art installations. Co-presented with KCRW, the Summer on Seventh event will be held at Inner-City Arts’ facility in Skid Row at 720 Kohler St. on Saturday, June 9 at 6 p.m. For the 12th edition of the event, R&B singer Mayer Hawthorne will headline the rooftop show, alongside a set from DJ and producer Mark Ronson, as well as KCRW’s Travis Holcombe and members of the DJ collective dublab. There will also be food and drinks from Downtown eateries such as Pizzanista, Everson Royce Bar and Guerrilla Tacos.

Tickets for Summer on Seventh are $40 and proceeds benefit Inner-City Arts and its programming. More information is at inner-cityarts.org/2018summeronseventh.

Projected Portraits Return to Grand Park

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tarting this week, Angelenos will get a chance to see a new photography show,

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on a massive scale. The Big L.A. Portrait Gallery returns to Grand Park this week, starting on Thursday, June 7. The nighttime show features works from 12 Los Angeles-area photographers, all documenting life in the county, from activism to entertainment. The images will be projected onto the southern wall of the Los Angeles County Hall of Records every night from 8 p.m.-12 a.m. The projections measure 100 square feet. The images are projected without a soundtrack, and the full cycle takes roughly 21 minutes to complete. The evening projection show runs through July 4. This is the second year that Grand Park has hosted the show; the first Big L.A. Portrait Gallery featured 10 photographers. The show is free and open to the public. More information is available grandparkla.org.

Metro Board Approves Bike Share Fare Reductions

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rips on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s countywide-shared bicycles are going to get a little cheaper. Last month the Metro Board approved fare reductions and restructuring for its bike share program. Under the approved recommendations, the price for each 30-minute ride will be dropped from $3.50 per 30-minute ride, to $1.75 with an additional $1.75 for each 30-minute trip thereafter. The fare is now the same as a one-way trip on Metro’s

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bus or rail. The board also approved a new one-day pass that costs $5 per day. After purchasing the daylong pass, every ride under 30-minute are free and $1.75 if your ride eclipses the 30-minute threshold. In addition, the 30-day pass was dropped from $20 to $17 and flex pass was eliminated in favor of a $150 annual pass. The fare restructuring will be implemented within 60 days. The reductions come as Metro rolls out plans to expand bike share into Silver Lake, Echo Park and Koreatown. Metro is also expected to further simplify the use of TAP cards for bike share. More information is available at Metro’s online blog, source.metro.net.

Downtown Architecture Firm Relocates to Seventh and Figueroa

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he firm Steinberg Hart is moving to a new office in Downtown Los Angeles. The architecture company has signed a lease for 11,734 square feet of office space at 818 W. Seventh St. Steinberg Hart will relocate to the new offices from its current home in the PacMutual Building at 523 W. Sixth St. in late September, according to the company. The firm will also be designing its new space as well. The length and cost of the lease was not disclosed. A team from the Downtown office of CBRE represented Downtown Properties, the building’s landlord, in the deal while Cushman and Wakefield represented Steinberg Hart. Last

JUNE 4, 2018

month, the new Los Angeles Football Club soccer team announced that it had signed a deal for 25,000 square feet of space in the 12-story building for its offices.

Assembly Passes Mental Health Bill

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nder a 1967 state law still in effect, there are strict regulations for when a mentally ill person can be held by authorities for psychiatric treatment. Under the law, they can only be detained if they are “gravely disabled” or pose an immediate threat to themselves or others. On May 30, the California State Assembly unanimously approved Assembly Bill 1971, which seeks to change that. Under the bill, the definition of “gravely disabled” would be altered to fit those who refuse to get necessary medical care due to mental illness. The bill would give local officials more flexibility when dealing with mentally ill homeless individuals. “It is inhumane to be a bystander when we have the power to do something to save lives with this vulnerable population,” AB 1971 co-author Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, whose 53rd District includes Downtown Los Angeles, said in a prepared statement. “We need to ensure there is proper medical care for homeless individuals with mental illness who are suffering on the streets with serious physical ailments.” AB 1971 now goes to the California State Senate.

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EDITORIALS

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JUNE 4, 2018

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Metro Charter Departure Is a Community Failure

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n May 22, the board of directors of Metro Charter Elementary School voted to sign a lease for a campus in Lincoln Heights, ending the institution’s five-year run in Downtown Los Angeles. This may be a necessary decision forced by market economics, but it is a brutal one. It counts as a colossal failure not just for the school, but for the entire Downtown community.

The real estate sector has failed the school and the families of Downtown. The developers have failed. The business community has failed. Elected officials have failed. Everyone with power, money and relationships has failed.

Let’s not sugarcoat the situation and say that it could be reversed in a year, that everything will change when the real estate market cools.

That may be true, but it doesn’t erase the fact that Downtown has lost one of the most important components in building a neighborhood.

The factors at play are complex, but the situation is simple: When many parents without the resources to pay for private school cannot find a quality local elementary educational option, they will either drive their kids elsewhere every day, or move somewhere that meets their needs. In the current environment some parents may opt for a charter in a nearby neighborhood, or enroll in a traditional public school, but others will leave Downtown.

They might never return. Worse, many more young families or couples thinking about having kids may rule out living in Downtown, knowing what it lacks.

Part of what makes this situation so frustrating is that it has been a long time coming. Metro Charter leaders have spent years searching for a permanent home, and toured dozens of sites, only to be repeatedly stymied as they could never reach a deal with property owners who seemed more interested in catering to retail or restaurant clients. One yearns for the day when the Community Redevelopment Agency could have given density bonuses to a developer willing to include space for a school.

For the current school year, Metro Charter was literally split in two, with older students taking classes in a Financial District office building, and younger ones riding a bus to a facility in South L.A. On the bright side, the Lincoln Heights location creates a unified campus and offers play areas that had been lacking. It is also near Downtown.

Still, it is not walkable for Downtown families. Additionally, an institution that at its height boasted 250 kindergarten through fifth graders will, due to space constraints, be capped at 150 students in the coming academic year.

It is distressing that a community with so many smart and creative people has been unable to resolve this situation. This is also counterintuitive for all the apartment and condominium building owners and developers: A quality elementary school boosts property values and keeps tenants in place. Lose a school and you’ll lose occupants. That drags down revenue.

The reality is, a growing Downtown ultimately needs several high-quality elementary schools. But if Metro Charter can’t make it here, why would anyone else even try?

Memorial Day Ceremony

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twitter: DowntownNews

World War II Veteran, Jack Nagano

May 26, 2018

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COMMENTS

Regarding the column “Welcome to the Electoral Funhouse,” which touched on the difficulties of uninformed voters casting ballots for judges, by Jon Regardie Jon Regardie, in his article on the upcoming primary elections, like many voters, admits to being uninformed about the choices for judges. Voters can do what I do and look up the website of the Los Angeles County Bar Association to see their rating of all the candidates for judge. They rate each candidate as especially well qualified (there is one on this year’s ballot), well qualified, qualified, or not qualified (uh, there are five such on this ballot). I make it a practice not to vote for any candidate they rate as unqualified. Sometimes, for some reason of my own I’ll vote for a qualified candidate rather than one rated well qualified. Otherwise I vote by their ratings.

Hope this helps the voters.

—Mark Weiner Regarding the “Central City Crime Report,” by Nicholas Slayton Why in the world would you write the “Central City Crime Report”? All it does is scare the hell out of me. In fact, I don’t ever want to go into these areas of Downtown. If

EDITOR: Jon Regardie STAFF WRITER: Nicholas Slayton, Sean P. Thomas CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tom Fassbender, Jeff Favre,

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

Little Tokyo

ART DIRECTOR: Brian Allison ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Yumi Kanegawa PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Leonard ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Rick Schwartz CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MANAGER: Catherine Holloway ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb, Katherine Aguirre OFFICE MANAGER: Claudia Hernandez

you continue to write these articles, you should at least consider having articles about the police apprehending some of the criminals, as well as what steps police are doing to stop the crimes. I used to drive in the Downtown area but I don’t anymore. It disturbs my wife to see the filth in some of these areas.

—William Louie Regarding the article “Sleek Plans for a Chinatown High-Rise,” by Nicholas Slayton It’s about time that a creative, unique building comes to Downtown — well close to Downtown.

—Naomi Gordon

Hey You! Speak Up!

Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like, or dislike, a story or editorial, let us know. Or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community.

Participation is easy. Post a comment online at the bottom of any story, or go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, email regardie@downtownnews.com.

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JUNE 4, 2018

DOWNTOWN NEWS 5

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Those Stumbling MOCA Directors?

They’re Works of Art! A Guided Tour of Troubled Times at the Downtown Museum

By Jon Regardie ello! Welcome to the Museum of Contemporary Art. You can call us MOCA for short. Or you can call us SMIMGA, which sounds like the name of a cool graffiti artist, but actually stands for Second Most Important Museum on Grand Ave-

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THE REGARDIE REPORT nue. We used to be the first. Then The Broad came along.

We will not comment on that subject any further.

I see you are enjoying one of our older works, the 2008 installation “Jeremy Strick Goes Down in Flames.” The spiral staircase in the middle symbolizes how the MOCA endowment shrunk from $40 million when Mr. Strick became museum director in 1999 to just $6 million a decade later. The “EXIT” sign in the bottom right corner indicates his departure after that news became public.

Now I see you are looking at the installation’s stuffed monkeys with their paws over their eyes, ears and mouths, and the trio of blind mice, all situated on the edge of the installation. Everything in art is symbolic, and those are comments on the board of directors’

alleged lack of watchdogfulness at the time, how they should have raised a ruckus over a shriveling endowment but didn’t. We know “watchdogfulness” isn’t really a word, but in art, you can make anything be anything.

I think you should move on, but I see you continue to peruse “Jeremy Strick.” Yes, those are actual newspaper headlines published during the scandal, though we prefer to label this period a chrysalis, because the chrysalis is very prevalent in art. Yes, you are correct, there were a lot of headlines.

No, I don’t know what the artist meant when she placed an American Standard toilet at the base of the spiral staircase. Stop asking questions.

Please, let’s move past “Jeremy Strick Goes Down in Flames.”

I see you are now looking at the mammoth painting “Jeffrey Deitch Blows Everything Up.” I agree, it is strange to have a second artwork addressing a museum director’s tumultuous period, especially when that immediately followed the previous director’s tumultuous period. But art comments on society, and I can 102% confirm that MOCA is part of society. It was a bigger part of society before The Broad arrived, but we will not comment on that

Philippe Vergne, the director of MOCA, will not have his contract renewed. He recently was embroiled in controversy after firing a top curator.

photo by Gary Leonard

subject any further.

Ah, now I see you are looking at the executioner in the painting, and the man lying on the ground who has no head. I can neither confirm nor deny that the blood-red PS on the man refers to Paul Schimmel, the immensely respected, long-term chief curator

at MOCA whom Deitch fired because he darn well felt like it.

I can tell you are intrigued by the part of the painting that shows a tsunami of bad press headlines looming over Deitch.

You’re right again, there were a lot of headContinued on page 6

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lines, and many of them were harsh. But can’t we all agree that those headlines just show how much the public cares about art?

I notice that you also are interested in the part of the painting that depicts a chicken without a head dancing under a disco ball. You are correct in remembering that, during his time as director, Mr. Deitch sought to organize a show inspired by the disco era. No, that show never actually happened, and Mr. Deitch left in 2013, just three years after arriving.

I think it is time to move on. But I see you remain intrigued by the fish in the painting, who is literally not in water, and has the New York skyline painted across its belly. Again, you are correct in recalling that, before he arrived at MOCA, Deitch had never run a museum, and was instead a successful New York City gallery owner.

What was the MOCA board thinking when they decided a New York gallery owner would be the perfect choice to run a huge Los Angeles nonprofit museum? I have no idea, but I’m sure it was arty.

Let’s move on from “Jeffrey Deitch Blows Everything Up.” I see you have meandered to the 37-foot-tall sculpture “Our Lord and Savior, Eli Broad.” Yes, that is the billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad carrying MOCA on his back, Atlas style. Yes, it was Broad who helped found the museum in 1979, and who then provided a $30 million bailout after Strick got done with the place.

The hawk you see circling, the one labeled LACMA, symbolizes how the highfalutin Wilshire Boulevard museum offered MOCA a “partnership” at the same time that Mr. Broad was offering to write his check. We prefer to think of this as an era when MOCA had so many choices, rather than so much trouble.

Yes, those newspaper swirling in the wind were from actual stories. You’re right, there were a lot of them, and they were harsh.

No, we don’t know why, given his history with MOCA, Mr. Broad decided to open the $140 million museum The Broad across the street from us, and to make entrance free while we charge $15. That’s all we’ll say about the subject.

Can we move on from “Our Lord and Savior, Eli Broad”?

Golly, I see you have arrived at our newest work, the mixed-media piece “Philippe Vergne Repeats the Past.” Indeed, that is a lifelike gelatin and balsa wood sculpture of Mr. Vergne, our director who succeeded Mr. Deitch.

I see you are intrigued by the French boot touching someone’s derriere. And oui, monsieur y madame, you are correct in recalling that Mr. Vergne recently orchestrated the departure of a beloved and respected top curator, Helen Molesworth. But before you make comparisons to Deitch and Schimmel, let me direct your attention to the work’s pile of money, which symbolizes that under Mr. Vergne, the endowment has reached $125 million.

This is a comment on how raising money is the greatest art.

Yes, that smear in the corner refers to how artist Mark Grotjahn declined a major MOCA award and chose not to be feted at the museum’s annual fundraising gala, citing a lack of diversity among previous event honorees, and that the gala was soon canceled. And you’re correct, those are actual newspaper headlines about the incident. There were a lot of them.

You’re right again, the MOCA board is not renewing Mr. Vergne’s contract after it expires next year, and a search is underway for yet another director. This should not be seen as anything icky, but rather a moment of chrysalis.

And can we really be sure that this decade-long run of director-related upheaval is not, in a way, a true work of art, a modern MOCA masterpiece?

You’re right, I don’t believe it either. But I had to try.

Let’s leave behind “Philippe Vergne Repeats the Past.”

I see you have walked over to a work that will soon be installed. Yes, that is a person holding a sandwich, though the sandwich is being taken away by a bigger, more impressive person on the other side of the street. It’s called “The Broad Eats MOCA’s Lunch.” regardie@downtownnews.com

JUNE 4, 2018

DOWNTOWN NEWS 7

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JUNE 4, 2018

Homelessness Dips by 3% in County Over the Previous Year LAHSA Report Finds Nearly 5% Drop in the City, 7% Decrease in Skid Row, but First-Time Homelessness Increased

By Sean P. Thomas or the first time in four years the number of homeless individuals in Los Angeles County decreased from the previous year according to county and city officials, providing hope that efforts to curb homeless rates in the region are proving successful.

According to numbers reported by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, overall homelessness in Los Angeles County decreased by 3% from 2017. In addition, homelessness rates in the city decreased by 5% overall.

The data was released on Thursday, May 31, and is based on a count conducted over a three-day period in January. The report found that 53,195 people in the county experienced homelessness, down from the 55,048 reported during the past year’s count. In the city, the drop was even more significant. The city number decreased from 34,189, to 31,516 from last year.

The reported drop in people experiencing homelessness is a momentum builder for continued and increased efforts to house those living on the streets according to Mayor Eric Garcetti, who attended the presentation of the report at a press conference in front of the soon-to-be completed supportive housing complex, PATH Metro Villa at 340 N. Madison Ave. “We finally have some good news,” Garcetti said. “A breath that we can take, and say that collectively the work that we are doing is making the right momentum come to the streets of Los Angeles.”

The report outlined a number of encouraging successes.

The number of homeless veterans in the county dropped by 18%, from 4,792 to 3,910. In addition, the number of chronically homeless people in the county dropped 16% from 17,204 to 14,389 and the number of youth housing place-

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LAHSA’s 2018 homeless count found that the number of both homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals dropped compared to 2017.

photo by Eddie Kim

ments jumped 20%, to about half of the total number of youths living on the street, despite a short increase in the amount of homeless youth.

Officials attributed the decrease in the homeless count numbers to an increase of services, most notably, federal housing vouchers and rental subsides.

The results are encouraging for Peter Lynn, LAHSA’s executive director, but do not hide the reality that economic factors are leading to an increase in first time homeless individuals.

Lynn said that issues like increased rental costs and a shaky job market need to be addressed as well as providing shelter options to those living on the streets.

The number of homeless individuals living in vehicles, tents or makeshift shelters increased by 5% from last year, a 32% from 2016. The report found that 75% of the homeless population (39,826) remains unsheltered.

“While there are bright spots in the data, obviously we still have a large number of people experiencing homelessness and the economic pressures driving Angelenos into homelessness are persistent,” Lynn said.

That is particularly evident in the number of first-time homeless individuals. According to the count, that population jumped from about 8,000 a year ago, to 9,322 in 2018.

Continued on page 16

CLASSIC FILMS in HISTORIC THEATRES F E AT U R I N G T H E M O V I E PA L A C E S O F D O W N T O W N ’ S B R O A D WAY H I S T O R I C T H E AT R E D I S T R I C T

I N F O & T I C K E T S : L A C O N S E R VA N C Y. O R G

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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

The Birds (1963)

S TAT E T H E AT R E , D O W N T O W N L . A .

L O S A N G E L E S T H E AT R E , D O W N T O W N L . A .

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Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

M I L L I O N D O L L A R T H E AT R E | C O - P R E S E N T E D B Y L A C L A

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In the Heat of the Night (1967)

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

T H E T H E AT R E AT A C E H O T E L , D O W N T O W N L . A .

S A N G A B R I E L M I S S I O N P L AY H O U S E , S A N G A B R I E L

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) L O S A N G E L E S T H E AT R E , D O W N T O W N L . A .

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JUNE 4, 2018

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Development Watch Towers for South Park, Big Plans for an MWP Site and Other Real Estate Happenings

Developer Palisades Capital Partners plans to turn the former Metropolitan Water District site at 1111 Sunset Blvd. into a mixed-use complex with a hotel and two residential towers.

image courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

By Nicholas Slayton igueroa Hotel Project Approved: A massive project near the Los Angeles Convention Center is one step closer to breaking ground. On May 18, the City Council approved developer Lightstone’s proposed Fig+Pico. The project at 1300 S. Figueroa St. would create two towers holding a total of 1,130 hotel rooms split among three brands. A 42-story building would house a 410-room AC Hotel and a 410-room Moxy Hotel. The second structure, rising 25 stories, would have a Hilton Garden Inn Hotel with 310 rooms. Downtown-based Gensler is designing the project, which would have 16,500 square feet of digital signage wrapped around the base. Last year the City Council approved a deal that allows the developer to keep $64.7 million in transient occupancy tax over the course of 25 years. Lightstone previously indicated it intends to break ground by the end of this year and open in 2020.

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South Park High-Life, Part One: Developer City Century has revealed new information for a South Park project. Documents filed with the Department of City Planning detail plans for a development dubbed Arris, at 1201 S. Olive St., that would rise up to 40 stories and hold 312 residential units, more than the 250 originally announced. It would also have 7,100 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. It is City Century’s third proposed Downtown project, following the Vara and Olympia. The company is a subsidiary of the Chinese firm Shenglong Group. The news was first reported by the website Urbanize.la.

South Park High-Life, Part Two: Another high-rise could go up near the City Century project, at 12th and Hill streets. Last month, plans were filed with the Department of City Planning for a 52-story condominium tower at 1111 S. Hill St. The applicant is listed as developer Lapchih Fan. Details are slim, but the tower would hold 528 condominiums and an unspecified amount of ground-floor retail.

The site houses a two-story industrial building that would be demolished. No budget or timeline have been disclosed.

Sunset Vision: Early this year, Palisades

Capital Partners made headlines with plans to redevelop the former Metropolitan Water District headquarters at 1111 Sunset Blvd.

New information in an initial environmental study filed with the Department of City Planning reveals more details about plans for the complex that was originally designed by architect William Pereira. The documents details Palisades’ intent to raze currently empty MWD buildings and construct four new buildings. The project would create up to 778 residential units (with up to 76 set aside as affordable housing), mostly in 49- and 31-story towers. Residential units would also be in a series of low-rise buildings. Additionally, the project would have 48,000 square feet of office space and 95,000 square feet of commercial space. A fourth building would hold 98 hotel rooms. The 1111 Sunset development would have a total of 1,631 parking spaces in a seven-level podium. Architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is designing the project, working with Natoma Architects.

Kengo Kuma is handling designs for the hotel. Palisades acquired the property in 2015.

Another structure on the site, the Elysian apartment building, would not be affected.

The developer intends to finish construction in 2028.

Arts District Overhaul: Another initial study is out, this one for the Onni Group’s planned Arts District project. The prolific Vancouver-based developer plans to transform a site at Violet Street and Seventh Place into a mixed-use complex.

Onni wants to create 347 live/work units, 188,000 square feet of office space and 22,000 square feet of commercial space at 2143 Violet St. The new elements would be in a 15-story building. Designs by Arno Matis Architecture show a structure with staggered levels, allowing for large balconies. Two of the seven buildings on the site would be removed. The remaining five buildings would have 57,000 square feet of space for retail, office, live/work and restaurant purposes. According to the study, Onni intends to start construction in 2020 and wrap in two years. No budget has been announced. nicholas@downtownnews.com

DOWNTOWN NEWS 9

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10 DOWNTOWN NEWS

JUNE 4, 2018

Seven Things About the Last Remaining Seats

chitecture). The series also usually features a Spanish-language movie, although one is not scheduled this year (the Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles is co-presenting Kiss of the Spider Woman, however).

Summer Series Returns With Classic Films in Historic Broadway Movie Palaces

By Nicholas Slayton For more than three decades, the Los Angeles Conservancy has been bringing Angelenos to the heart of Downtown Los Angeles to enjoy classic films in early 20th century movie palaces. The events often sell out.

The 32nd season of the Last Remaining Seats began on Saturday, June 2, with the 1939 Jimmy Stewart film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, at the State Theatre. The Downtown portion of the series runs through June 20, with movies at five venues (the final film is June 23 in San Gabriel). Here are seven things to know about the Last Remaining Seats.

The L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats is back for its 32nd year. The series that runs this month utilizes Broadway’s State Theatre for the first time in decades.

It had recently been rented by a church.

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Politics, Politics, Politics: Last Remaining Seats programmers this year have chosen a series of movies that address social and political issues. Sarah Lann, the Conservan- film when it came out, but it still has issues cy’s director of education, said the series has that resonate today, for better or worse.” shown socially conscious films in the past, but went deeper given the current climate. Bring the Kids: Even with the political bent, Along with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the Conservancy aims to draw families. In there’s the 1985 Kiss of the Spider Woman years past kids and parents took in screen(June 9 at the Million Dollar Theatre), about a ings of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and 20,000 relationship that develops between two po- Leagues Under the Sea. This year’s familitical prisoners in South America. “It’s a film ly-friendly options include the live action and that at its heart is an LGBTQ story, between animation hybrid Who Framed Roger Rabbit. a trans woman and a political prisoner. We’re (June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Los Angeles Theatre) 800.900.5788 I film aerioconnect.com Broadband WiFi IWeek,” HDTV Lann Steamboat Bill, Jr. (June 20 playing thatI Voice over IPride said. and the silent “Similarly, In the Heat of the Night (June 13 at at the Orpheum Theatre). The Conservancy the Theatre at Ace Hotel) was such a seminal this year is also offering a discounted youth

photo by Mike Hume

ticket for the first time. It’s $16 for those under 18, down from the regular $22.

Diverse Program: A Conservancy volunteer committee chooses the film lineup, and tries to keep a variety of genres and formats. Every year, said Lann, the goal is to include a noir, a comedy and a silent film. Recently, the Conservancy has been showing anniversary screenings of more recent works — last year it was a 20th anniversary showing of L.A. Confidential, and this year it’s a 30th anniversary presentation of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (both films heavily utilized Downtown ar-

A Piece of History: Last Remaining Seats started in 1987, at a time when Downtown was virtually empty after dark. The Conservancy organized the initial series as a way to draw people to Downtown in the evening and reactivate empty or underutilized theaters on Broadway. The first year featured Billy Blazes Esq. and Steamboat Bill, Jr. at the Orpheum — this year’s screening of the latter film is a bit of history repeating.

More Than a Movie: Seeing movies in movie palaces is a unique experience, but the Conservancy always offers something extra, in the form of events before or after the film. In honor of the 30th anniversary of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Charles Fleischer, the titular rabbit’s voice actor, will be on hand for a post-show Q&A, alongside actress Joanna Cassidy. Steamboat Bill, Jr. will be followed by a discussion with organist Mark Harmon, who will talk about the theater’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ and demonstrate its sonic range.

There’s also a lecture ahead of The Birds (June 16 at 8 p.m. at the Los Angeles Theatre): Architectural historian Christina Madrid French will discuss the role architecture plays in Alfred Hitchcock’s thrillers.

Behind the Curtains: Last Remaining Seats also offers guided tours of the Broadway the-

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

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Firefighters, Food and Fundraising Charity Event Returns to Downtown

By Nicholas Slayton n daily life, seeing firefighters can get pulses racing: It often means being around a serious emergency.

This week, however, Downtown workers and residents are looking forward to seeing the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department, and to joining them for an afternoon of games, food and giving back.

That’s because Hope for Firefighters is returning in Downtown Los Angeles. The 21st annual fundraising event, which draws thousands of people, takes place on Thursday, June 7, at 11:30 a.m.

Hope for Firefighters takes place at Bank of America Plaza on Hope Street, and will offer food, raffles, photo ops and muster games. Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association’s Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund.

“It’s like the name says: It helps widows, orphans and disabled firefighters,” said Heather Ross, co-chair of the event.

“The contributions made to Hope for Firefighters will help with basic living expenses and health insurance, plus scholarships for their kids.”

A big draw is the food, and representatives from 22 fire stations will set up booths hawking their kitchen creations. Barbecue and burgers will be available, and some stations will offers desserts. The LAFD participants take this seriously — they’ll be competing for a best food prize, as well as one for the best decorations.

The highlight of the event is the muster games, where corporate teams of non-firefighters test their mettle. Twenty teams will face off, providing the amusing sight of lawyers, accountants and others competing in a firefighter suitup competition, a bucket brigade and additional challenges.

I

photo © Walt Disney Studios

Highlights this year include a 30th anniversary screening of Who Framed Roger Rabbit Cast members will be on hand after the film for a Q&A.

aters. The Conservancy will lead groups of no more than 14 people through each space for roughly an hour before the film. It’s a chance to see parts of theaters that are rarely open to the public. This year also marks the first time in two decades that the State Theatre is part of the series. In recent decades it was rented out to a church.

Parties Worthy of the Big Screen: For certain screenings, the night doesn’t end when the credits roll. Every Saturday evening film will be followed by an after-party at Clifton’s Republic on Broadway. The Conservancy started this last year, with post-screening pub trivia based on the movie. That’s back, but the focus is more on a party, according to Lann. There will be drink specials themed around each film, along with DJs and entertainment from the Coco Tiki dance troupe.

Last Remaining Seats runs through June 23. Tickets and more information are at (213) 623-2489 or laconservancy.org/last-remaining-seats. nicholas@downtownnews.com

Open Bank has a vision of being a steward to serve its clients with faith-based principals and give back 10% of its profits to the communities it serves.

photo by Gary Leonard

The 21st annual Hope for Firefighters event returns to Downtown this week, complete with food, raffles and corporate teams competing in muster games. Organizers hope to raise $120,000 to benefit the families of firefighters.

Last year, a team from Brookfield Office Properties captured the top prize.

Ross said that after the wave of devastating fires in Southern California in the last year, the organizers anticipate a strong showing at this year’s event. They expect around 5,000 people to attend.

Tickets are $9. Money is raised through ticket sales, food sales, raffles, auctions and sponsorships. Last year’s Hope for Firefighters brought in approximately $100,000. This year, Ross said, the goal is to hit $120,000.

Hope For Fighters is 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at 333 S. Hope St. or hopeforfirefighters.org. nicholas@downtownnews.com

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Designs on Downtown

JUNE 4, 2018 photo courtesy Mariadela Araujo

12 DOWNTOWN NEWS

Huge Creative Festival Returns

By Sean P. Thomas hen it comes to design, the world’s attention is generally focused on cities such as London, Milan and Tokyo.

Los Angeles may not be on that tier, but it is a hub for design in the United States, and its international reputation is growing. The vivacity and rebirth of Downtown is part of it, and increasingly designers from around the globe are coming to the community to test the creative waters.

Design’s foothold in Los Angeles is never more apparent than when the annual Los Angeles Design Festival sets up shop this week.

“Everyone is turning toward L.A.,” Haley Zaki, founder of the L.A. Design festival, said.

“L.A. is experiencing this sort of renaissance as a global design capital.”

The eighth annual event takes place on Thursday-Sunday, June 7-10. During those four days, more than 80 events will be spread across the region, including exhibitions, design installations, industry chats and neighborhood tours. The theme this year is “Design is for everyone.”

W

(l to r) INTRO/LA features the work of 19 established and upcoming designers; The World Design Gallery features work from across the globe including Barcelona-based textile artist Mariadela Araujo.

“We really wanted to make design something that is fun and accessible,” Zaki said.

“There is just so much design thinking in L.A.” While some design festivals focus on one realm, such as fashion or architecture, Zaki said that the L.A. Design Festival has evolved into an opportunity to show how design elements have seeped into every nook of every industry in Los Angeles. That is borne out in a schedule that includes an ikebana floral arrangement workshop, a conversation with Saehee Cho on the intersection of food and storytelling, and a Downtown Los Angeles architecture walking tour that includes Union Station.

“We’re really trying to do this in our own very special L.A. way,” Zaki said. “It’s really

about this creative energy that makes L.A. special.”

The majority of the events are taking place at the Row DTLA complex in the Industrial District. This include the Design Block Party on Friday from 6-9 p.m. The free event, which is open to the public, includes previews of the other events, along with tours and vendors, all within a party-like atmosphere.

“It’s kind of like we’re turning Row DTLA into a pop-up design district for one day,” Zaki said.

On Saturday, the INTRO/LA design show will take place at Row DTLA from 11 a.m.5 p.m. It provides an opportunity for independent designers to share space with

more established brands. A total of 19 designers will show their wares.

The festival events are free, except for an opening night party ($40), the Chromatic Dinner ($100), a five-course, multi-sensory dinner hosted by Feastown at Eastown, and industry talks ($15) with figures such as Dr. Donald McPherson, co-founder of EnChroma, a provider of corrective lenses for people who are colorblind, and Lana Sutherland, CEO and co-founder of Tealeaves, a high-end tea brand.

The L.A. Design Festival is Thursday-Sunday, June 7-10, at Row DTLA, and other locations. A full schedule of the events is at ladesignfestival.org. sean@downtownnews.com

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

Historic Core Readies for Version 2.0 Community and a Leading Business Group Look to the Future as the Neighborhood Changes

By Nicholas Slayton he Historic Core was an unlikely spark of the Downtown Los Angeles renaissance. At the turn of the 20th century the neighborhood that borders Skid Row was filled with aged, defunct structures. A set of government office buildings emptied after 5 p.m. The corner of Fifth and Main streets was an open-air drug bazaar.

The change in two decades has been stark. The area now teems with high-priced apartment buildings and restaurants from star chefs. The sidewalks remain lively well after dark as people flock to area bars and nightspots. Fifth and Main is a destination.

But it’s not a complete 180-degree turn: The neighborhood’s challenges are just as intense as the change. The area is struggling with a sizable homeless population. There are increasing concerns about safety.

The main organization trying to keep a handle on everything is the Historic Core Business Improvement District, which is in its 20th year. The organization, which like other BIDs essentially “tax” property owners to pay for cleaning, safety and other services, is seeking a five-year renewal.

Ballots have been mailed out to area property owners, and people who control more than 50% of the assessed territory must vote in favor of an extension. Results are expected this summer.

Blair Besten, the BID’s executive director since 2011, believes that despite both the immense progress and the challenges, a second, potentially even larger wave of change is on the horizon.

“The BID was constructed 20 years ago. We’re not the same

T

place we were then. For one thing, we have so many more people,” Besten said during a recent interview in her Fifth Street office. “There are many challenges that we’re facing now, but they’re not hidden challenges. And even with that, it’s a very exciting time in the Historic Core. There’s all of the new construction. The skyline is changing before our eyes.”

Besten is quick to point to statistics and achievements: The BID has collected 10 million pounds of garbage and removed more than 32,000 pieces of graffiti during the current five-year term. Employees hired through the nonprofit Chrysalis have power washed streets and walls for a total of 4,500 hours. The BID started the Historic Core Farmer’s Market in 2012, which still takes place every Sunday.

The BID, which covers about 50 blocks and is roughly bounded by Fourth Street, Olympic Boulevard, Maple Avenue and Hill Street, has a 2018 budget of $2.2 million, Besten said.

Besten and a marketing and services coordinator are the only full-time staffers.

While she is pleased with the past, Besten is looking toward the future. She said the BID is putting together a 10year plan of advances that can be completed by the opening of the 2028 Summer Olympic. Part of that is a new marketing campaign, a “Historic Core 2.0” theme aimed at drawing more business to the neighborhood, and filling in some of the vacant spaces.

Some signs of change are already apparent. Perla, a 35-story housing tower from SCG America, a subsidiary of a Chinese company, is under construction at Fourth Street and Broadway; it will be the area’s first residential high-rise. The Topaz Apartments, with 159 units, just opened at 550 S. Main St. In

photo by Gary Leonard

The Historic Core Business Improvement District formed 20 years ago, just as the neighborhood began to undergo a seismic change. As the organization seeks a five-year renewal, Executive Director Blair Besten is readying a 10-year plan for growth in the area.

November, the Yellin Company sold the iconic Grand Central Square complex to Beverly Hills-based real estate company Langdon Street Capital.

The changes are in part why the BID matters, according to Shahram Delijani, whose family owns numerous buildings in the neighborhood, including four historic theaters on Broadway. The holdings make the Delijanis one of the most highly Continued on page 14

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14 DOWNTOWN NEWS

HISTORIC CORE, 13 assessed property owners in the BID. “I think when people have had a service for many years, in this case 20 years, they tend to get used to it and forget what things were like beforehand,” Delijani said. “I think the BID has been absolutely essential for the Historic Core’s success thus far. It’s even more important now that we’re shifting gears to the next phase of our growth.”

Dealing With Homelessness The Historic Core faces an undeniable homelessness crisis. The heart of Skid Row lies only a few blocks east of Broadway. In recent years tent encampments have proliferated in the Historic Core.

A related issue is crime. Violent and property crime increased in 2017 in Downtown, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The intersection of Fifth and Broadway has long been known as a trouble spot due to the drug dealers who operate there. The LAPD’s Central Division has responded by increasing foot and bike patrols in the Historic Core.

Izek Shomof, a Downtown developer who sits on the BID’s 11-member board of directors, said the organization is doing well in addressing the needs of the community, but wants the city to respond more forcefully to drug dealing and homelessness. He said the issues are hurting the neighborhood.

Richard Shamooilian, a partner with the development company King’s Arch and a board member of the BID, said that the transformation of the Historic Core has helped the area

boom, but that the demand for services continues to rise. Trying to meet that demand can be taxing for the BID, but it has filled the gap so far, he said.

Delijani said that the problems facing the Historic Core and the BID aren’t new, but have become increasingly stark.

“People make the mistake of thinking the BID is going to solve every problem. That’s just not in their control to solve everything.

Certainly, keeping the streets clean, having a presence on the streets, that helps with safety concerns,” Delijani said.

Besten said that progress will require the BID to increasingly collaborate with property owners and city agencies. Steps as simple as getting property owners to keep their spaces clean can go a long way, she said. She added that some issues related to trash and crime have arisen precisely because of the area’s evolution.

“Our problems are not just that homelessness increased. We have more people patronizing the bars. So we have more issues with people getting out of bars, intoxicated, harassing people,” Besten said. “We have more density, so we’re going to have more trash and more need for police and BID services.”

Shamooilian said that the BID’s job is to provide supplementary services to what the city provides, and to take business owners and city agencies to task.

Besten credited the LAPD for helping prevent more crime in the community. Still, she acknowledged that some stakeholders think the neighborhood is growing increasingly volatile.

Filling in the Gaps While the neighborhood has changed dra-

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One sign of change in the neighborhood is the construction of the Perla building at Fourth Street and Broadway. The 35-story edifice with 450 condominiums will be the first residential high-rise in the neighborhood.

image courtesy CallisonRTKL

JUNE 4, 2018

matically in 20 years, the growth has been patchy. Besten pointed to a number of empty buildings and continued retail vacancies. She maintained that those are actually good for the neighborhood, providing room to grow.

One key addition is the Trust Building. Rising Realty Partners acquired the 11-story edifice at 433 S. Spring St. in 2016 and has embarked on a transformation. The 320,000-squarefoot structure is being pitched as office space, and could hold hundreds of jobs.

Chris Rising, the firm’s co-founder and president, credited the BID with creating an environment for growth.

“We’ve had a great relationship with the BID,” Rising said.

“Blair, in particular, has been extremely supportive of our work to restore the Trust Building to its former grandeur.”

The Trust Building is one of several projects that could make the Historic Core more of a destination for firms seeking creative office market. Besten thinks that the future will bring more office space and fewer housing projects.

Michael Soto, research manager with the brokerage firm Transwestern, said a number of Historic Core offices spaces are available for around $3.50 per square foot. The neighborhood is cheaper than the Arts District, which is also seeing a boom in the creative office market, and is attractive to a different type of clientele, he said.

“In the Historic Core, it’s tenants are for the most part already are in Downtown rather than moving here from Hollywood. They’re looking for more space, specifically more creative space,” Soto said. “And maybe they’re looking for that historic character.”

Another potential growth sector in the area is hospitality.

Rising and Delijani pointed to proposed hotel projects including a Cambria Hotel at 419 S. Spring St. and a project at 633 S. Spring St. from Lizard Capital and architect Adam Sokol.

The retail sector is also expanding. Although scores of spaces have been rented in the last five years — including chains such as Urban Outfitters and Ross opening on Broadway — and the area holds a mix of new businesses and long-

DOWNTOWN NEWS 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

One of the biggest projects in the area is the transformation of the Trust Building. Rising Realty Partners is turning the 320,000-square-foot structure at 433 S. Spring St. info creative office space.

It could hold hundreds of workers.

photo by Nicholas Slayton

time tenants, a number of vacancies remain.

Part of that is because of price; monthly rents on Broadway run from $4-$12 per square foot, according to Derrick Moore, a principal at the firm Avison Young and an expert on the Downtown retail market. Some property owners are holding out for tenants, such as major name brands, that can pay the higher rents, Besten said.

Affordability also comes into play in the residential sector. Besten noted that while the area holds numerous low-income and affordable housing projects, the Historic Core has a severe shortage of workforce housing and developments that serve a middle-class clientele.

“It’s the missing piece in the city, not just Downtown,”

Besten said. “It’s a challenge. It’s still expensive to build here for developers, and it’s time consuming.”

Besten is among a chorus of stakeholder who remain enthusiastic amid the challenges. Rising predicted that the opening of new hotels, residences, restaurants and entertainment spaces will continue. Shomof said that the BID is handling its mission in a growing neighborhood.

Besten added that perhaps the biggest challenge is keeping up with the fast-moving changes.

“We just need to learn to manage this district that’s growing so much,” she said. “Both the benefits and problems of the neighborhood are growing.” nicholas@downtownnews.com

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16 DOWNTOWN NEWS

HOMELESSNESS, 8 Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar, whose 14th District includes what some would argue provides one of the more visible indicators of the homeless issue, Skid Row, applauded the results, but like Lynn, noted that more work needs to be done.

“While the reduction in our homeless population in the city and county of Los Angeles is modest at best, we are — at last — headed in the right direction,” Huizar said in a prepared statement. “We need to continue pushing forward with out strategic plan and build the housing the voters mandated that we produce.”

According to the count, District 14 saw a drop of 1% in homelessness rates. The drop was more pronounced in Skid Row, which saw a 7% drop from the year prior.

Huizar went on to call on Gov. Jerry Brown and other state

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words of encouragement about the decrease, but did not go as far as to paint the remaining work battle as an easily a winnable one.

“All that it takes to make sure that someone is housed, we are doing it,” Ridley-Thomas said. “We just need to make sure that we do it more and do it better.

“This work is not for chumps. If you’re not ready to step to it, you need to step aside.”

City and county leaders have been trying to curve a homeless situation that by many accounts has spiraled into a humanitarian crisis.

In 2016, voters passed Proposition HHH, a city property tax bond that was expected to raise $1.2 billion in homeless support funds to help build 10,000 units of low-income housing.

In March of last year, voters approved Measure H, a county quarter-cent sales tax that will provide almost $350 million-per year in services for people living on the street. sean@downtownnews.com

officials to match local efforts to increase services for emergency and long-term housing.

Certain subpopulations did not experience a decline during this year’s count. People age 62 and older saw a 22% spike in homeless rates, every other age group saw a decrease in homelessness.

Some rates from last year’s count held steady as well. The oft-cited rumor that Los Angeles suffers from an influx of homeless individuals from other regions was rebuffed. According to the report 65% of respondents reported that they lived in Los Angeles for more than 20 years. Last year, 75% of people reported that they lived in L.A. County for five years or longer.

The 2018 report reflects corrections to last year’s total. Statisticians at USC discovered an error two weeks ago in the 2017 count; subsequently reducing the L.A. County homeless count that year by approximately 2,700 people (5%).

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 17

DT Opening the Doors of Hip-Hop

CALENDAR

photos by Sean P. Thomas

JUNE 4, 2018

“Silent Power,” by an artist known as Hueman, also has a pivotal role in the show.

DEFER, a well known L.A. grafitti artist is heavily featured at the exhibit.

Chinese American Museum Exhibit Highlights the Role Asian Americans Have Played in the Art Form

By Sean P. Thomas hen hip-hop leapt out of the streets of 1970s Brooklyn and began to be noticed across the country, the culture was primarily tied to African American and Puerto Rican communities.

More than four decades later, the art form has long gone mainstream. In 2018 it’s a multicultural movement that influences virtually every sector in almost every community across the globe. Whether sports, fashion, business or politics, the impact of hip-hip is undeniable.

Still, Asian American communities often note that they been overlooked and underrepresented within the culture. A new exhibit in Downtown Los Angeles seeks to change that.

The Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles recently launched Don’t Believe the Hype LA: Asian Americans in Hiphop. The exhibit on the second floor of the museum at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument seeks to bring Asian Americans in hip-hop to the main stage and place their accomplishments on equal footing with other, better-chronicled contributors.

“The show transcends racial identity,” said Justin Hoover, co-curator of the exhibit. “It’s about the community, the location and the people who embody hip-hop.”

The exhibit is tidy, filling just about 1,800 square feet of

W

space, and features the work of 15 of Los Angeles’ more influential and historic Asian American hip-hop artists. Admission is free and the show continues through Nov. 4.

Don’t Believe the Hype, with a titled plucked form a Public Enemy song, is co-curated by Ninochka “Nosh” McTaggart. It spun out of her Ph.D project, on African American and Asian American relations in hip-hop, while attending the University of California Riverside.

McTaggart spent almost eight years researching the framework of what would eventually become the exhibit. What she found through her research and interviews of subjects was that the same themes of rebellion, inclusion and identity that attracted African American and Puerto Rican originators to hip-hop was also deeply embedded in Asian American communities.

“Hip-hop provides a liberating space for Asian Americans,” McTaggart said during a phone interview with Los Angeles Downtown News. “Although we can’t escape all the stereotypes, it’s sort of a liberating space to get away from the kind of model-minority stereotypes.”

The exhibit began as a larger, nationwide look at Asian American hip-hop artists, before being condensed to Los Angeles. McTaggart and Hoover made that decision when they realized that L.A., a hub for hip-hop since the early ’80s, had

plenty of fodder on its own.

“There is so much even in just L.A.,” McTaggart said. “We are a smaller museum, and even within L.A. it’s hard to represent everyone.”

McTaggart, who grew up a fan of hip-hop in Northeast L.A., said she selected some participants in the exhibit from her own knowledge of hip-hop, and got input on others from scholars, artists and writers from around the country. The participants run the gamut, from muralists such as DEFER and Gajin Fujita to rapper Jason Chu to music series organizer Daryl Chou.

While the names may be unfamiliar to many people, they are almost sacred to hardcore Los Angeles hip-hop fans.

The creations of DEFER and Fujita have appeared on walls in galleries across the city. Chou organized the once word-ofmouth underground music series Firecracker in Chinatown.

Fujita and DEFER, who were members of a 1980s L.A. graffiti crew known as Kill to Succeed, collaborated on the site-specific mural “Extricate,” which fills an entire wall in the exhibit. It depicts a samurai in front of striking gold lettering.

The first thing visitors will notice in the exhibit is not the art, but the music. Songs from Chou, who performed at the exhibit opening, and Mandeep Sethi (aka SETI X) are pumped Continued on page 20

18 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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JUNE 4, 2018

Downtown Student Wins National Acting Award Cortines School Junior Gerardo Navarro Captures Top Prize in August Wilson Monologue Competition

By Nicholas Slayton hough playwright August Wilson died in 2005, his works still inspire passion. The author, perhaps best known for his “Pittsburgh Cycle,” which included the play Fences, has been a favorite at Center Theatre Group. CTG has repeatedly staged his works that explore racism, resentment and class struggle. That includes a 2016 revival at the Mark Taper Forum of his 1984 play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Now a student at an arts high school across the street from the Music Center has won a contest celebrating Wilson’s work.

On May 7, Gerardo Navarro, a junior at the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts on Grand Avenue, won the national finals of the annual August Wilson Monologue Competition. He receives a $3,000 cash prize and a $1,500 scholarship.

The 16-year-old junior, who lives in Downtown, was actually one of two area students to advance from the regional competition to the national finals. He came in second locally, behind Hannah Franklin, who attends the Orange County School of the Arts.

The two students joined more than a dozen others at New York City’s August Wilson

T

Theatre on Broadway to perform their monologues. Navarro said that students at his school are well aware of neighboring CTG’s program and are encouraged to participate.

“I love August Wilson’s work. I’d read Fences and King Hedley II,” Navarro said during an interview on campus, smiling behind horn-rimmed glasses and a flop of dark hair. “I thought, why not? There were kids from the school who had gone to New York previously, so why not?”

Navarro won with a monologue from Wilson’s 1999 play King Hedley II, about an ex-convict trying to restart his life after prison. In the two-minute piece, Hedley says he isn’t sorry for anything he’s done. He killed someone, but says it was in self-defense from an attack that left him physically and emotionally scarred. Hedley says that, as a black man in America, his protests were ignored by the jury.

Out of prison, Hedley expounds on how all people see is his scarred face, and not his humanity.

That monologue required stepping into a character aimed at a mature audience, said Andi Chapman, a program advisor for the competition who helped Navarro and oth-

Gerardo Navarro, a junior at the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts on Grand Avenue, won the top prize at the August Wilson Monologue Competition this month with a performance of a speech from King Hedley II. He is shown here competing in New York City.

photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

er students prepare for the finals. Wilson did not write plays aimed at kids, Chapman added, noting that all the students had to figure out how to make a monologue for an older character ring true.

The role resonated with Navarro.

“Something about King Hedley II spoke to him in a visceral way,” Chapman said. “I look for colors instead of a general wash of anger

in the performance, so he’d look at it like a painter looking for nuance. He was very sensitive and open to the process.”

Long Process The August Wilson Monologue Competition began in 2007. There are qualifying rounds in 12 cities. CTG organized the Los Angeles regional, holding workshops and Continued on page 20

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MONOLOGUE, 18 sessions where high school students, who must be 19 or younger, can prepare and then compete.

The competition and the workshops offer students a chance to discover not only Wilson’s words, but also his impact on the theater, according to CTG Director of Education and Engagement Tyrone Davis. Navarro and Franklin were already familiar with Wilson’s work, Davis said, but they diligently pored over the texts and discussed the works with other contestants to better grasp the impact of the plays.

The process began last fall, with 150 local students. That was whittled down to 12 area finalists, who competed at the Mark Taper Forum on March 5.

Navarro, who said he has wanted to be an actor since he was in kindergarten, when he visited Downtown’s 24th Street Theatre, performed the same monologue in both Los Angeles and New York. Soft-spoken and contemplative, he said he was drawn to the Hedley monologue in part because it is so different from himself.

“I loved his sort of passion. He’s not holding back what he has to say. He faces things head on,” Navarro said. “I really liked that because I find myself doing the opposite. I can see myself kind of standing back, not necessarily hiding myself, but not showing what I’m capable of doing. So exploring that character was fun.”

The New York segment began with a semifinals round, with the Los Angeles performers taking the stage at 9:30 a.m. East Coast time. Despite the early start, Navarro advanced to the finals.

In the finals, he was one of the last to go. When he got off stage, Navarro said he felt a sense of relief. Nervousness quickly flowed back in though, as he waited for the results.

When his victory was announced, he said he was elated.

Though he walked away with the prize, Navarro was gracious, and described the experience not as a cut-throat contest, but rather as a positive collaboration where every participant urged on his or her fellow competitors. Both in Los Angeles and New York, he said, the students worked together as an ensemble.

Navarro said he wants to continue acting after high school. nicholas@downtownnews.com

HIP-HOP, 17 out of speakers.

The music complements the visual components. The museum walls are covered with murals and paintings from artists including Hueman and Kenny Kong.

There are also family-friendly and interactive elements, which Hoover said was a focus from the design stage. That includes a dance game by Kong in which visitors’ steps and movements are captured by an X-Box Kinect sensor. That in turn triggers sounds, and digital paint splatters onto the gallery wall.

In another part of the exhibit, people are encouraged to sit and scribble a poem. They are then placed on a wall for others to read.

The show also features historical elements. Photographs of the local underground hip-hop scene by Farah Sosa take up space along the hallways of the exhibit, acting as a historical link between the various artworks.

McTaggart acknowledged that the exhibit will likely appeal to hip-hop heads. Still, she said it is designed to inform and educate the general public, including those who visit CAM expecting a more traditional show.

That comes in a description of the four pillars of hip-hop: MCing, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti. Those are plastered onto a wall, and though the exhibit is built around Asian-American artists, the goal is to make people aware that the exhibit is ultimately about inclusion, and not about separating the different people who make up the culture.

Don’t Believe the Hype: LA Asian Americans in Hip-hop runs through Aug. 23 at 425 N. Los Angeles St. or camla.org. sean@downtownnews.com

JUNE 4, 2018

DT

DOWNTOWN NEWS 21

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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Through June 10: Catch art installations, panel discussions and lectures from some of the leading voices in the Los Angeles and international design community.

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FRIDAY, JUNE 8 L.A. Live Downtown Dark Nights Microsoft Square, 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or lalive.com.

6 p.m.: L.A. Live turns into a block party with live music, DJs, dancing and food and drink specials at the complex’s restaurants.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 Silent PLAY Experiment Undisclosed location, silentplayexperiment.splashthat.com.

9:30 p.m.: A group of up to 30 strangers will come together for a riff on an immersive theater experience. Participants will throw a ball, build a fort and otherwise play with those they have never met. No talking is allowed, and shoes must be left at the door.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 Faces of Change in District Eleven Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St. or lacityhistory.org/events.

2 p.m.: This lecture looks at how the 11th District has changed in the 21st century, including the work done by the previous officeholder, the late Bill Rosendahl.

photo by Alexa Meade

EVENTS

2 3

photo courtesy East West Players photo courtesy Grand Performances

Ace Hotel 929 S. Broadway or acehotel.com/calendar/losangeles.

June 5: Lo-fi, baroque, psych rock from Dr. Dog. Free your mind, man.

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

June 4: Michael Mull Group.

June 5: The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Ensemble hosts a jam session.

June 6: Fabiano Do Nascimento.

June 7: Join Grace Kelly for a CD release show. No, not that Grace Kelly.

June 8: Miro Sprague Group.

June 9: Jamison Ross Group.

June 10: Giorgi Mikadze Trio.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

June 4: Kazou Imai is here to improvise.

June 5: Grand Canyons is a throwback to 1970s pop, so if you like the soundtrack to “Guardians of the Galaxy,” you’re in luck.

June 6: The Dwells’ Paige Calico goes solo.

June 7: Wooden Shjips are so psychedelic they transcend earthly things such as spelling.

June 8: Ken Vandermark and Nate Wooley team up.

June 9: What is Jonny Fritz pondering?

Café Fedora/Au Lac 710 W. First St., (213) 617-2533 or aulac.com.

June 9: Let vocalist Angie Wells croon for you.

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

June 8: Bones Muhroni, Lake Ryan.

June 10: The Sidemen are not here to ruin any relationships.

Continued on next page

photo courtesy AEG

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

4 5

The Don't Miss List

BY SEAN P. THOMAS

How often have you looked at a painting and thought, “That’s nice, but it could use a little more ‘me’?” Whether the answer is “200 times” or “never,” installation artist Alexa Meade is offering you that opportunity at “Summer Sessions ’18,” which is taking place this week at Union Station. From Thursday-Sunday, June 7-10, those who wander through the transit hub can become part of the art by allowing Meade and her team to incorporate them into an artwork. The event kicks off on Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon with live painting from Meade herself. The action takes place in Union Station’s waiting room and is free. That’s not the only cultural fun at the station: On Sunday, the second installment of the FLOOR Improv Days brings a percussion workshop, with participants such as bass player Oskar Cartaya and his Afro-Caribbean funk band. It runs from 2-5 p.m. At 800 N. Alameda St. or unionstationla.com.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale is closing its 55th season this week, and is going out with a Walt Disney Concert Hall homage to Johannes Brahms. The program has the LAMC tackling Brahms’ “Ein Duestches Requiem (A German Requiem),” believed to have been composed following the death of his mother and fellow German composer Robert Schumann. The soloists are Jeanine De Bique and Justin Hopkins. The three-piece show will open with works by Pulitzer prize-winning composers Caroline Shaw and David Lang. Grant Gershon will conduct the performances on Saturday, June 9, at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7282 or musiccenter.org.

Downtown Los Angeles’ sports and entertainment hub is turning 10 years old! To celebrate, L.A. Live is throwing an evening party with music, food and live performances, and you’re invited. On Friday, June 8, the birthday celebration will take place from 6-11 p.m. at Microsoft Square. It’s actually part of venue owner AEG’s Dark Nights series, which takes place when the arena and concert venues at L.A. Live don’t have anything scheduled. The evening will hold LED hula-hoops, DJs, live bands, arts and crafts, and plenty of vendors selling their wares. When you get hungry, a number of L.A. Live restaurants, including Katsuya, Cleo and Smashburger, will have $5 food and drink menus. Parking is $5 and L.A. Live is at 800 W. Olympic Blvd. Additional details at lalive.com.

How much should you be willing to give up to achieve your dreams? Little Tokyo theater company East West Players explores the topics of sacrifice and dedication in As We Babble On, which opens this week at the David Henry Hwang Theater. The show follows Benji (played by Will Choi) and a group of young adults, and mixes comedy with a sincere and emotional look at the lives of those trying to achieve their dreams amid an unsteady economic climate. Opening night is Wednesday, June 6, and additional performances this week are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The play, written by Nathan Ramos and directed by Alison M. De La Cruz, runs through June 24. At 120 Judge John Aiso St., 213-6257000 or eastwestplayers.org.

For more than 30 years, the Native American a cappella group Ulali has toured the United States, spreading centuries-old indigenous music. Known for powerful vocals that are paired with traditional percussion instruments, Ulali’s music details the ebbs and flows of daily life, often through a mix of poetry and storytelling. On Saturday, June 9, the trio will hit the Cal Plaza Watercourt stage, taking part in the Grand Performances series “First Peoples, New Voices.” The marks the second consecutive year that Grand Performances is highlighting artists from North American indigenous communities, showing off their music, dance and theater.

Showtime is 8 p.m. and admission is free. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org.

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

22 DOWNTOWN NEWS

LISTINGS, 21

SEE BUTTERFLIES FLUTTER

T

ypically we like to keep insects as far away from our bodies as possible, but for butterflies, we’ll make an exception. The Butterfly Pavilion has once again sprung up on the lawn of the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park allowing Los Angelenos an opportunity to get up close and person with the winged creatures.

For almost two decades, the NHM has opened the space, specially designed to allow almost two dozen species of the colorful insects to roam freely. The Butterfly Pavilion has been up and running since March 31 on the southern side of the museum. There is still plenty of time to get acquainted with these beautiful creatures and if you’re lucky one just might land on your hand.

Just remember to stay super still.

At 900 W. Exposition Blvd. or nhm.org.

photo by Mario de Lopez, ©NHM Los Angeles 2015

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

June 8: Bassjackers.

June 9: Terrible Johnny of Highly Suspect, Uffie.

Resident 428 S. Hewitt St. or (323) 316-5311 or residentdtla.com.

June 4: Steve Gunn used to jam with Kurt Vile.

June 5: The Atlas Moth plays post-metal music. This calendar section just learned that post-metal is a thing.

June 6: Bitchin Bajas is less an ode to the wonder of the area due south of California and more a collection of synths.

June 7: It’s a night of post-punk, ’80s synths and French New Wave.

June 8: Dave Parley, Mario Rubio and Josexxx promise more evenings filled with ’80s-style synth music.

June 9-10: Are you ready for Ride for Revenge? Be ready, because they have two nights of shows. Revenge takes a long time.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

June 4: Slim Pickins is here to remind you to vote in the Tuesday, June 5 primary.

June 5: The Makers had a political primary day medley all worked out, but decided to fake their deaths in Ukraine.

June 6: Rick Taub’s Blues Review follows the news.

June 7: Louis Van Taylor.

June 9: Junkyard Duo. June 10: Dan Weinstein & the Two Tones.

The Redwood 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.

June 4: Metalfier, NightSword, Decade.

June 5: The Sold! And Bones, Wild Evil and the Trashbones, The Hurricanes.

June 7: Heavy Thread, Taken by Canadians, Big Air. June 8: Year of the Dragon, Peligro.

June 9: The Records, The Automatics, Color TV, Smokescreens.

June 10: Business of Dreams, D.A. Stern, nunofyrbeeswax.

The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

June 6: If you have not experienced Danish punk rock, let Iceage give you a crash course.

June 8: Alice Smith.

June 9: A Place to Bury Strangers are a noise rock band, not a tribute to the Salton Sea. The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

June 6: Pink $ock, Caroline Schuck, Momma.

June 8: Others, Young Lovers, Raul Garcia, Celebrity Crush.

June 9: Dr. Cosdem, The Chonks, Matter Room.

Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com.

June 5-6: Technically, Johnny Marr is at the Teragram for two nights, so calling it “An Evening With…” feels wrong.

June 7: King Tuff has a song that he says is about hitting

JUNE 4, 2018

rock bottom, so there’s music we can all relate to.

June 8-9: Yo La Tengo, doing two nights in Downtown.

What more do you need?

June 10: Please do not try to eat Superfruit. Especially you, Dr. Lecter.

THEATER

Bob Baker Marionette Theater: The Circus!

Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

June 4, 7 and 8, 10:30 a.m., and June 9-10 at 2:30 p.m.: The puppet masters at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater have brought back a 1948 show with lions, elephants, clowns and puppet acrobats.

Soft Power The Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-1967 or centertheatregroup.org.

June 5-9, 8 p.m., June 7 and 9 at 2 p.m. and June 10, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: East and west collide in this modern spin on “The King & I” from Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang. Centered around the 2016 presidential election, a Chinese businessman finds himself in the United States and has a chance encounter with Hillary Clinton. Through June 10.

ICE The 24th Street Theatre, 1117 W. 24th St., (213) 745-6516 or 24thstreet.org.

June 9, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and June 10, 3 p.m.: This timely, family-friendly comedy follows two Mexican baseball players who come to the U.S. They lack documents but dream of being successful restaurateurs. But before they can do that, they must contend with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The show is recommended for ages 8 and up. Through June 24.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Brahms Requiem Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

June 9, 2 p.m. and June 10, 7 p.m.: The Los Angeles Master Chorale takes on Johann Brahms’ iconic “Ein Deutsches Requiem,” plus works from Pulitzer Prize-winning composers David Lang and Caroline Shaw.

FILM

Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

See the website for further listings.

Rooftop Cinema Club Level DTLA, 888 S. Olive St. or rooftopcinemaclub.com/los-angeles.

June 5: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is

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June 6: See Bill Murray fight the supernatural and be charming while doing it in Ghostbusters.

June 7: When watching Reservoir Dogs, remember that Mr. Pink doesn’t tip.

June 8: Romantic entanglements and betrayals unfold in Cruel Intentions.

June 9: If you missed the Oscar-winning Moonlight on the big screen, now’s your chance to see it as it was meant to be seen.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 7442019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

It’s a throwback trip to a bio-diverse land in Amazon Adventure 3D. The film follows the journey that naturalist and explorer Henry Walter Yates undertook through the Amazon rainforest in the 1850s.

Who doesn’t love pandas? The adorable bears take center stage in the appropriately titled Pandas 3D? Kristen Bell narrates the film about the efforts to reintroduced captive-born pandas into the wild.

It’s all about space in Hubble 3D, which carries audiences on a celestial journey, touching on everything from spacewalking astronauts to distant galaxies.

Dive into the history of Egypt and the impact of the Nile River as Omar Sharif hosts Mysteries of Egypt.

Last Remaining Seats The Million Dollar Theatre, 307 S. Broadway or laconservancy.org/last-remaining-seats.

June 9: A political dissident and a transgender women fall in love in a South American prison in Kiss of the Spider Woman, which was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

Through June 10: Action Point (12:40, 3:10, 5:40, 8:20 and 10:50 p.m.); Adrift (12, 2:50, 5:30, 8:10 and 10:50 p.m.); Upgrade (1:20, 4:10, 7:10 and 9:50 p.m.); Solo: A Star Wars Story (11:30 and 11:40 a.m., 12, 12:30, 2:50, 3, 4, 6:10, 6:20, 7:30, 9:20, 9:40 and 11 p.m.); Deadpool 2 (12:20, 1:10, 3:20, 4:10, 6:20, 7:20, 9:30 and 10:20 p.m.); Breaking In (12:50 and 11 p.m.); Overboard (11:40 a.m., 2:40, 5:50 and 9 p.m.); Avengers: Infinity War (11:30 a.m., 3, 3:20, 6:30 and 10 p.m.); A Quiet Place (11:50 a.m., 6:50 and 9:20 p.m.).

MUSEUMS

African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org.

Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, including a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts.

Broad Museum 221 S. Grand Ave., (213) 232-6200 or thebroad.org.

Ongoing: In the galleries at the Grand Avenue institution are about 250 works from Eli and Edythe Broad’s 2,000-piece contemporary art collection. It’s big-time blue chip, with work from Rauschenberg, Warhol, Basquiat, Koons, Kruger and

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JUNE 4, 2018

every other big name.

FIDM Museum FIDM, second floor, 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1200 or fidmmuseum.org.

Ongoing: “Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection” surveys footwear, fans, gloves, purses and hats.

California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

Through July 31: Smudged chalk becomes shockingly profound in “Gary Simmons: Fade to Black.”

Through August 26: “How Sweet the Sound: Gospel Music in Los Angeles” charts the genre’s evolution and impact in the City of Angels.

Through Sept. 9: Multimedia collages explore scarcity and abundance in “Shinique Smith: Refuge.”

Through Sept. 9: The West Coast gets reinterpreted in grid-heavy abstract works in “Charting the Terrain: Eric Mack and Pamela Smith Hudson.”

Through Sept. 9: “Nicole Miller: Athens, California” uses film to explore the lives of students in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

Ongoing: The multi-functional “Gallery of Discovery” offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the lineage of their own family, engage in artistic workshops, educational tours and other programs of historical discoveries. Hear recordings of former slaves from the Library of Congress archives and discover stories from the past.

California Science Center 700 State Drive, (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Ongoing: “Mission 26: The Big Endeavour” presents Los Angeles’ very own Space Shuttle in all its splendor.

Ongoing: “Science in Toyland” presents physics through favorite kids’ toys. This hands-on exhibit engages museum visitors with Dominos, Sails and Roller Coasters in a fun, but informational primer on friction, momentum and chain reactions.

Ongoing: The Science Center’s permanent exhibits are interactive and focus on human innovations and inventions as well as the life processes of living things. The lobby Science Court stays busy with the High Wire Bicycle, a Motion-Based Simulator, the Ecology Cliff Climb and “Forty Years of Space Photography.” The human body is another big focus: The Life Tunnel aims to show the connections between all life forms, from the single-celled amoeba to the 100-trillion-celled human being. The “Ecosystems” exhibit explores how life on our planet is shaped by geophysical and biological processes.

Chinese American Museum 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org.

Permanent: “Origins” presents the story of the Chinese-American community in Los Angeles.

Permanent: Re-creation of the Sun Wing Wo, a Chinese general store and herbal shop, and “Journeys: Stories of Chinese Immigration,” an exhibit exploring Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. Outlined into four distinct time periods, each is defined by an important immigration law and/or event, accompanied by a description and a personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument 124 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-8372 or elpueblo.lacity.org.

Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of the 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the Visitors Center; the Fire House Museum, which houses late 19th-century firefighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia. Check the website for a full slate of fiestas. Open daily, though hours at shops and halls vary.

Grammy Museum L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Through November: With 11 Latin Grammys on his shelf, it’s high time that the Colombian bard receives his due. It comes in “Deep Heart: Roots, Rock & The Music of Carlos Vives.”

Through September: More a question of legacy than memorabilia, a titan emerges in exhibition form through “Chasing Trane: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey Transcended.”

Through September 2018: Pete Seeger was more than just a musician. The folk singer was an activist, supporter of progressive causes and a documentarian of the struggles of working people. His notes, personal belongings and more are on display in “How Can I

DOWNTOWN NEWS 23

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Keep From Singing: The Work of Pete Seeger.”

Through spring 2019: Cheech and Chong’s “Up in Smoke” is a comedy icon. Pay homage to 40 years of the stoner film with “Cheech & Chong: Still Rollin’ — Celebrating 40 Year of Up In Smoke.”

Ongoing: “360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story” provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Columbia Records’ history and offers a virtual history of the music industry from its infancy, tracing the label’s pivotal technological as well as business innovations, including its invention of the LP. Ongoing: White sequined gloves and other wardrobe pieces are the focal point of the exhibit case paying tribute to the life and legacy of Michael Jackson.

Ongoing: “Roland Live” is a permanent installation courtesy of the electronic musical instrument maker, Roland Corporation.

The exhibit gives visitors a chance to participate in the music-making process by playing a wide variety of products, from V-Drums and BOSS pedals to VIMA keyboards and the MV-8800 Production Studio.

Ongoing: “Shining Like A National Guitar” references both Paul Simon and the celebrated six-string company known for their metallic resonators.

Hauser & Wirth 901 E. Third St., (213) 943-1620 or hauserwirthlosangeles.com.

On hiatus until June 23.

Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 1717 E. Seventh St., (310) 284-8100 or theicala.org.

Through July 15: Performance artist Rafa Esparza transforms the museum’s project room into an open studio for all to see in “Rafa Esparza: de la Calle.”

Italian American Museum of Los Angeles 644 N. Main St., (213) 485-8432 or iamla.org.

Ongoing: A collection of artifacts and interpretation panels document the long and proud history of Italian natives in Los Angeles.

Through Jan. 13: See how Italian-American artists expressed their heritage over the course of the 20th century in “Italianitá: Italian Diaspora Artists Explore Identity.”

Japanese American National Museum 369 E. First St., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.

Ongoing: “Sadako’s Crane” highlights the work of famed Hiroshima origami artist Sadak Sasaki.

Ongoing: “Common Ground: The Heart of Community” chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers to the present.

Through Oct. 28: Explore the lives of people of mixed heritage with Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry in “hapa.me: 15 years of the hapa project.”

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 501 N. Main St., (888) 488-8083 or lapca.org.

Through June 25: The sketches and designs of artist Gilbert “Magu” Luján are on display in “Recuedros del futuro: Roaming Magu’s Chicano Dreams.”

Current: The exhibition “LA Starts Here!,” reveals the essential role of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the founding and shaping of Los Angeles’ history and culture — a multicultural project from the very beginning.

Ongoing: “The View From Here” cobbles together photos of old LA in a nostalgic odyssey.

MORE LISTINGS

CLASSIFIEDS

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448 Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT

All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

FOR RENT

ROOMS

ROOM FOR RENT

Daily and weekly excellent location.

Furnished. Daily from $45, weekly from $250. 1214 W. 8th Street.

Call Sal at 323-875-6767 CONDOMINIUMS FOR LEASE CONDO 1BD. 715 Sq. ft.

Parking amenities, view, central air/heat, water/gas paid. $1800-$2000 Mo. MidWilshire/Korea Town. Call 213385-3474

LEGAL NAME CHANGE Superior court of California, County of Los Angeles ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME No. ES022421 Petitioner (name of each) Lauren Isabella Berger, 2675 Nottingham Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: LAUREN ISABELLA BERGER Proposed name: LAUREN HWANGFINKELMAN THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any,

why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of hearing Date: 07/20/2018 Time: 8:30 AM Dept.: B The address of the court is: Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, 300 East Olive, Burbank, CA 91502, Burbank Courthouse.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in LA DOWNTOWN NEWS, 1264 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 of general circulation, printed in this county.

Prepared by: Sherri R. Carter Executive Office/Clerk.

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 300 East Olive Burbank, CA 91502 Burbank Courthouse Date: May 25, 2018 Hon. Darrell Mavis Judge of the Superior Court Pub. 06/4, 06/11, 06/18 and 06/25 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2018082091 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Hyve Partners, 555 W5th St., 35th Floor, Los Angeles,

Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews. com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

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OM FR 75/ * ,9 $2 NTH MO

CA 90013, LA COUNTY, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Neidin Ventures, LLC, 555 W5th St., 35th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 04/2018 This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on April 4, 2018.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk.

A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

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24 DOWNTOWN NEWS

JUNE 4, 2018

Thank You

for supporting our annual signature event!

On May 17, more than 1,000 of the city’s top business, elected and civic leaders came together at JW Marriott LA LIVE to honor those who have made exceptional contributions to our city: Janet Evans, Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer; Jonathan Gold, Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times; Sam Nazarian, Founder & CEO, SBE; and the Los Angeles Fire Department, accepted by Chief Ralph Terrazas.

Jessica Lall, CCA President & CEO, with Chief Ralph Terrazas and members of the Los Angeles Fire Department. LAFD was one of four recipients of the prestigious “Treasures of Los Angeles” award.

Photo Credit: Gary Leonard

P R E S E N T I N G

S P O N S O R

Mayor Eric Garcetti addresses guests at the 24th Annual Treasures of Los Angeles.

P R E M I E R

S P O N S O R S

Honoree Janet Evans; Tom Gilmore, CCA Board Chair and Gilmore Associates Chairman; Honoree Jonathan Gold; Councilmember Curren Price; Council President Herb Wesson, Jr.; Mayor Eric Garcetti; Jessica Lall, CCA President & CEO; Honoree Sam Nazarian; Honoree Chief Ralph Terrazas on behalf of the LAFD; Councilmember José Huizar.

S A P P H I R E

View event photos at: ccala.org/treasures Through advocacy, influence and engagement, CCA enhances Downtown’s vibrancy and increases investment in the region.

S P O N S O R S