06-20-16 by Los Angeles Downtown News

A Strange Fight Over Bunker Hill Land : 6 At MOCA, Cindy Sherman Is Every Woman : 12

The Homelessness Crisis You Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t See

JUNE 20, 2016 I VOL. 45 I #25

Number of Women Living on the Streets Soars. And So Does Abuse SEE PAGE 10

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Skyspace at U.S. Bank Tower Opens Saturday

he Singaporean landlord OUE has spent approximately $60 million at U.S. Bank Tower, renovating the lobby and, more significantly, turning the topmost floors into a destination for Los Angeles residents and tourists. Now the company is ready to share its work with the world, as Skyspace L.A. opens on Saturday, June 25. Skyspace comprises an observation deck and event space on the 69th and 70th floors, plus a 54th-floor “digital interactivity” room. Tickets are on sale starting at $19 per person; it costs another $8 to add a ride on the 45-foot-long glass slide that runs from the 70th to 69th floor on the outside of the tower with a view 1,000 feet straight down. To celebrate the grand opening, OUE is throwing a Saturday block party from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. outside the tower. The free event will offer live music, food trucks and a beer garden. More information and tickets are at skyspace-la.com. OUE is not quite done with the top of U.S. Bank Tower — a 71st floor restaurant, fittingly dubbed 71Above, is set to open later this year.

Interim Head Named at JANM

any Downtowners were surprised when Japanese American National Museum

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS President and CEO Greg Kimura announced on May 20 that he will step down from running the Little Tokyo institution at the end of June. The museum’s board of trustees has now appointed an interim president and CEO while it works with a search committee to find a permanent successor. Ann Burroughs became the head of the museum on June 8, and brings more than 25 years of experience leading nonprofits, JANM said in a prepared statement. Burroughs is the current board chair of Amnesty International USA, and in the past led local nonprofits such as the Taproot Foundation and L.A. Works. “She brings a wealth of relevant leadership experience as well as a lifelong commitment to human rights and working to make a more just and equitable world,” Norman Mineta, chair of the board of trustees, said in a prepared statement. “That commitment aligns in a very meaningful way with the mission of the museum.” Kimura will stay on through June 30 to help facilitate the transition, according to JANM. The museum does not have a firm timeline to choose its next leader, and it has not elaborated on reasons for Kimura’s departure.

Title Insurance Building to Become Creative Office Space

our years ago, plans were announced to turn the Title Insurance Building into condominiums. That never happened, and now the 11-story structure at 433 S. Spring St. has been sold, with the goal of transforming it into creative office space. Los Angeles-based developer Capital Foresight, which was part of a partnership that acquired the Historic Core prop-

June 20, 2016

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erty in 2012, has sold the edifice to Lionstone Investments and Downtown-based Rising Realty Partners. Its 320,000 square feet will now become space for modern office tenants; the ground floor will hold retail and restaurant space. “The Title Insurance Building is a historical gem that we are delighted to be returning to truly Class-A, trophy status for today’s most productive tenants,” Lionstone CEO Jane Page said in a prepared statement. No renovation timeline or budget was released, but overhaul costs are about $40 million, according to media reports. The 1928 building opened as the headquarters of the Title Insurance and Trust Com-

June 8, 2016

pany, which occupied the structure until the 1970s. It has changed uses since, but is notable for housing the Central Library from 1989-1993 after a fire damaged the Fifth Street institution.

Old Bank District Building Sells for $37 Million

building in the Historic Core that helped kick-start the Downtown residential revolution has traded hands. Developer Tom Gilmore has sold the 1907 San Fernando Building Continued on page 9

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EDITORIALS

June 20, 2016

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Coordination and Conversation at Two Parks

he news that a designer has been chosen and money has been dedicated for a new park at First Street and Broadway deserves celebration. It cannot be said too many times: Downtown Los Angeles needs more green space and community-gathering opportunities, especially as the residential population increases. It is quite a good thing that the city Department of Recreation and Parks, the Bureau of Engineering and City Councilman José Huizar, whose 14th District includes Downtown, paid such careful attention to selecting a designer. We look forward to seeing the drawings and plans for the $28 million attraction (including land acquisition costs) as the initial look is refined. It would be wise not to get too attached to any individual element in the plan from Mia Lehrer + Associates, as the park on the two-acre site is not scheduled to open until 2019. Experience tells us that a great deal can change in three years. As plans for what is being called FAB Park come to fruition, we hope that city leaders will make a special effort to coordinate with county officials and with the operators of the adjacent Grand Park. The county runs the 12-acre expanse that stretches from City Hall to the Music Center, and in the four years since it debuted it has become a jewel of Downtown. The new park must attract visitors but also complement what already exists. Grand Park hosts numerous events, and because FAB Park backs up against it, practically speaking it will need to play a role in the biggest activities. At the same time, city officials might have plans for events that would be better if they spill over into the attached grassy portion of Grand Park. Each has the opportunity to enhance the other. Eventually it would be ideal if one entity managed both parks, though that is a topic for another day. In the meantime, we look forward to unfettered access (e.g. no fences) between the two parks, and to both the city and the county thinking of users, meaning real live people, from the start, and operating with the knowledge that no visitor will care which level of government owns, manages or maintains which parcel of lovely open space. FAB Park could and should be another top-notch amenity for Downtown. High-level cooperation will help ensure that happens.

S I N C E 19 7 2 EDITOR & PUBLISHER: Sue Laris GENERAL MANAGER: Dawn Eastin EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Jon Regardie SENIOR WRITER: Eddie Kim STAFF WRITER: Nicholas Slayton CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer ART DIRECTOR: Brian Allison ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Yumi Kanegawa

Three Decades of Free Watercourt Shows

t’s not hard these days to get people to come to Downtown Los Angeles for evening or weekend entertainment. There are always lines at The Broad, numerous clubs and concert halls offer live music nightly, and L.A. Live has a first-run movie complex. Special events and festivals in any of the 14 or so Downtown neighborhoods routinely draw large crowds. Then there is the surfeit of bars and destination restaurants. It wasn’t always this way. The entertainment lineup was downright skeletal in the mid-1980s. Still, there were a few groundbreakers back then that not only survived, but showed that crowds from across the region would come to the Central City given the right draw. Two weeks ago we complimented the precedent-setting success of Last Remaining Seats, the Los Angeles Conservancy’s summer series of classic films in historic Broadway movie palaces that this year is marking its 30th anniversary. It is not the only entertainment series to reach this milestone: On June 10, the organization Grand Performances launched its 30th season at the California Plaza Watercourt. The achievements and endurance of the Cal Plaza series are astounding. This is partially because of price, as the concerts, theater, 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

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dance, discussions and other events that can easily draw 3,000 people or more are always free. While a bucket is regularly passed and donations requested, never once has a guest been required to pay even a penny. Pulling off Grand Performances, with its high quality and tight budget, is an extraordinary undertaking. The two leading figures at the organization, Executive Director Michael Alexander, who has been there since 1990, and Director of Programming Leigh Ann Hahn, who joined in 1992, deserve a massive round of applause from the thousands of people who visit the Watercourt each summer. This year they will present about three dozen shows. Their achievements are dual-pronged. While some money has always come from the owners of the adjacent office towers, there is a nonstop search for grants and other revenue streams. This pursuit was predictably brutal during the recession. The other side is the programming, and Alexander and Hahn have consistently delivered a stimulating lineup that balances international acts with local favorites. We’ve seen a Chinese dance company, repeated appearances by the local Latino Elvis impersonator El Vez, and for years Cal Plaza hosted a major African music festival. The 2016 lineup offers everything from a family-oriented sock puppet version of Cinderella to a Lebanese band to an August evening built around disco music from the Philippines. Eclectic doesn’t begin to describe it. Grand Performances has changed with the times. In the early years it offered lunchtime concerts pitched to nearby office workers. As Downtown evolved, it added and then became dominated by nighttime and weekend events. This year’s lineup also features Thursday afternoon happy hour DJ sessions in July. The organizers wisely never locked in to a specific definition of what the series should be. The flexibility has helped it endure over the decades. Downtown Los Angeles is lucky to have the dedicated crew at Grand Performances. Hopefully local workers and residents recognize how rare something of this caliber is. When the red bucket is passed, people should open their wallets, as their contribution is part of what will allow the series to continue for at least three more decades.

June 20, 2016

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Leonard Hill: 1947-2016 Pioneering Arts District Developer Also Funded New Arts Park By Nicholas Slayton eonard Hill, an Arts District developer whose early projects laid the groundwork for a swell of housing and other efforts, has died. He was 68. Hill passed away on June 7 from an undisclosed illness. In addition to developing housing, he had a long history in the entertainment business, and was an ardent arts supporter who provided the seed money for an upcoming Art District art park. Leonard Hill was born on Oct. 11, 1947, in Westwood. He attended Yale University and completed graduate studies at Stanford. He soon began a career in the entertainment business, writing for television before becoming an executive at NBC and then vice president of movies at ABC. Over the course of 30 years, he produced a number of television films including Mae West, Frank Nitti: The Enforcer and the 1985 remake of The Long Hot Summer. Hill left television and ventured into development. In 2001, he partnered with Yuval Bar-Zemer and Paul Solomon to form Linear City (Solomon would later leave the company). They focused on the southern end of the Arts District at time when most development activity in Downtown was taking place in the Historic Core. Linear City opened the Toy Factory Lofts on Industrial Street in 2004. The Biscuit Company Lofts, across the street, arrived in 2006. Bar-Zemer praised Hill’s business acumen and foresight, but noted that he looked be-

yond the bottom line. “Len was a very sharp, strong personality and a fast thinker,” Bar-Zemer said. “Yet it was important for him to be fair and equitable, and play by the rules in how he conducted his life. He was a grounding place for me to go to.” Linear City also opened The Elysian on Sunset Boulevard near Dodger Stadium in 2014. Yet Hill remained anchored in the Arts District. In 2012, he and Bar-Zemer opened 7+Bridge, a housing complex that included the restaurant Bestia. In 2013, he showed a different focus on the community by producing Dorfman in Love. The independent film starring Sara Rue and Elliot Gould was a romantic comedy set and shot in Downtown. In a way, it was Hill’s love letter to the neighborhood and its renaissance. “Dorfman in Love is ultimately a story of reinvention,” Hill wrote in a Los Angeles Downtown News Guest Opinion column. “We purposely picked locations that had been brought back to life to underscore the theme of transformation. We wanted to explore how lives, just like old buildings, can be reimagined and repurposed.” Hill was an avid collector, particularly of art and silver works, Bar-Zemer said. He stored many of his finds in his house, which Bar-Zemer likened to a museum. Hill also was an avid gardener and loved history and architecture, and particularly enjoyed seeing the historic homes around Hancock Park. Hill was actively engaged in preserving the city’s history. He joined preservationist orga-

Leonard Hill (center) with his wife, Dr. Patricia Gordon, and Mayor Eric Garcetti at an event for the Sixth Street Viaduct replacement project in the Arts District. Hill, a prolific developer in the Arts District, donated $1.9 million for an arts park that will rise at the base of the new bridge.

photo by Gary Leonard

nization the Los Angeles Conservancy in 1986 and became a board member in 1993, serving two three-year terms. He stayed involved for the rest of his life, and Linda Dishman, the president and CEO of the Conservancy, said that Hill was a smart and quick thinker, the kind of person you wanted on your side. Hill also had a record as an advocate for the arts. Early this year, he brought his passions for the arts and the Arts District together, as he donated $1.9 million to the Mayor’s Fund, a charitable effort started by Mayor Eric

Garcetti, to create an arts plaza as part of the Sixth Street Viaduct replacement project. Designs are still being worked on, but plans call for the 1.4-acre site, tentatively known as the “Leonard Hill Arts Plaza,” to have a stage and regular programming. The plaza is expected to open in 2020. “I hope to give back to the city that gave me so much,” Hill told Downtown News at the time of the donation. Hill is survived by his wife, Dr. Patricia Gordon. nicholas@downtownnews.com

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The New Battle for Bunker Hill Downtown Developer and Colburn School Both Want to Buy the Land Under the Educational Institution; Other Properties Also in Play in Bizarre Dispute

The Colburn School opened its Grand Avenue location in 1998, but Downtown building owner Jeffrey Fish is seeking to buy the property on which the school sits. The land had been owned by the now-shuttered Community Redevelopment Agency.

photo by Gary Leonard

By Eddie Kim eveloper Jeffrey Fish is best known as the man who revived the aged Pershing Square Building at Fifth and Hill streets, adding three floors to the 1924 building while preserving its façade and turning it into high-profile office space topped with the popular bar and restaurant Perch. That takeover was considered a challenging, and high-reward, play — but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to Fish’s plan to

buy up three key parcels of land on Bunker Hill. His company, Downtown-based JMF Development, has submitted the highest bids for the land under the Colburn School, the Omni Hotel and Angels Flight. Formerly owned by the city’s now-dissolved Community Redevelopment Agency, the properties were put on the auction block last summer and fall as part of a process to sell remaining CRA assets. Fish’s ambitious plan, however, has hit a wall. The Colburn

School is still early in a 99-year ground lease for the land. Under the lease, Colburn pays no rent to the CRA. It also gives the school a path to purchase the property, a stipulation known as the “right of first refusal.” That clause is important in a contentious and bizarre, albeit little-noticed land fight. Several observers familiar with the situation expect it will wind up in litigation. JMF is fighting for what it views as its rightful property, arguing that it only followed the rules in responding to a public auction. Colburn officials, meanwhile, are working to acquire the land and secure the institution’s future. The stage has been set for a legal battle that could have a dramatic impact on the future of Bunker Hill. Properties Up for Bid The Colburn School was founded in 1950 as the preparatory program for the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Thirty years later, it split from the university but remained in its converted warehouse across the street from the Shrine Auditorium, supported by funding from philanthropist and classical music lover Richard D. Colburn. The Grand Avenue campus was completed in 1998, and five years later the collegelevel Conservatory of Music program was added. The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency was a powerful driver of progress on Bunker Hill in the 1970s and ’80s. In 2011, however, California’s weak financial standing prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to pass a bill to dissolve the more than 400 CRAs statewide. The move forced CRAs to sell any land they owned, including properties such as the Colburn site. Most parcels were slated to sell via auction to the highest bidder. Public records reveal part of what has transpired since then. The CRA hired real estate brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield to conduct an auction for the Colburn land, other Bunker Hill sites, and more properties around the city. It started last September. On Oct. 20, JMF was notified that it had submitted the winning entry with its $1.6 million bid. That’s when Colburn’s right of first refusal came into play. It essentially gave the school 60 days to meet JMF’s offer and buy the property. When JMF learned about this, it “accepted that information at face value and believed that it no longer had a chance

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to purchase the property,” according to a memo sent from attorney Shinaan Krakowsky of Krakowsky Michel, who is representing JMF, to Richard Close, chair of the seven-person CRA Oversight Board, which is in charge of the dissolution of the agency. Then JMF discovered that talks were underway between CRA staff and Colburn to sell the land to the school for $180,000. The amount was based on a calculation similar to the price-persquare-foot that the Museum of Contemporary Art paid for the land under its Grand Avenue institution, which also had been owned by the CRA. On Dec. 7, the CRA Governing Board, a two-person panel made up of prolific Downtown real estate developer Nelson Rising and consultant Mee Semcken, approved the Colburn purchase for $180,000. Three days later, however, the Oversight Board, concerned about the shifting plans and the price, opted not to approve the Governing Board’s decision, effectively putting the sale on the backburner. While that meant the $180,000 deal was not moving forward, the situation riled JMF. In the April memo to the Oversight Board, Krakowsky wrote, “The appearance of Colburn School representatives at the November board meetings, and the placement of the Colburn School direct sale agreement on the agenda for approval at the December board meetings, all occurred without anyone informing the winning bidder, JMF, that the rules were being changed in the middle of the game.” Fish and JMF Development did not respond to repeated phone requests for comment. Krakowsky declined to elaborate beyond his April memo. Colburn officials have also been tight-lipped as they seek to hold on to the land. Mark Berry, vice president of communications for the school, said, “We’re continuing to work positively with the CRA and its board to get a resolution to this and we’re optimistic about it.” He declined to elaborate. Grand Land Plans? The fracas points to perhaps the biggest question of all: What exactly does Fish want to do with the land? The Colburn School’s lease apparently means it can not be tossed from its home for some time, and that JMF would not see

any financial benefit. Similarly, the hotel has been a presence on Bunker Hill since 1992, and Omni invested in a major renovation in 2011. It also has a long term lease. Angels Flight, meanwhile, is a notoriously tricky landmark, both in terms of its operation and its status as a Historic-Cultural Monument, which potentially limits development opportunities on the site. Hal Bastian, president of the nonprofit Angels Flight Railway Foundation, which manages and operates the currently shuttered funicular, said JMF’s bid is no cause for concern because the foundation has a lease through 2082 that has been pre-paid. “I am not sure what JMF’s business model is with this, because they’re vying for a property with no income for them,” Bastian added. “And before any deal goes through, we need to be told what the offer is because we have the right to match or beat a land bid, as stated in our lease.” According to Cushman & Wakefield, JMF remains the highest bidder for Angels Flight and the hotel, though the escrow process has not begun. In an April memo, JMF noted this and urged the CRA to move quickly on the sale. In a May 5 staff report, the CRA said the school would suffer “extraordinary financial hardship” if Colburn is required to meet the $1.6 million price. It noted that Colburn depends on endowment earnings, rather than tuition revenue, for funding. CRA CEO Steve Valenzuela, along with Chief Operating Officer Barron McCoy, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Exactly what comes next is unclear. JMF is arguing that the CRA’s plan to sell its remaining assets emphasizes the importance of obtaining the highest price. The state law that kicked off the dissolution of CRAs also includes language to that effect, stating that “disposal is to be done expeditiously and in a manner aimed at maximizing value.” At a Dec. 10 Oversight Board meeting, Close agreed that a Colburn deal for $180,000 does not maximize value. Another point raised was that Colburn could cancel its lease and sell the property for a profit. All parties are hunkering down for a possible fight. At a May 12 Oversight Board meeting, Close requested a closed-

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Fish is also trying to acquire the land under the currently closed Angels Flight Railway. The funicular is a designated city Historic-Cultural Monument, which potentially limits development opportunities on the site.

door meeting with the CRA’s legal counsel in anticipation of potential litigation. JMF’s hand may be best seen in a line in Krakowsky’s April 12 memo. He wrote, “The failure to sell [the Colburn property] to JMF as requested herein will leave JMF no choice but to fully explore all other avenues to enforce its legal rights, an alternative which it sincerely hopes will not be necessary.” eddie@downtownnews.com

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June 20, 2016

Remembering The Greatest’s Time in Downtown Local Author’s New Book on Muhammad Ali’s Fight With a Japanese Wrestler Also Revisits Champion’s Time in Los Angeles By Nicholas Slayton uhammad Ali’s death on June 3 at the age of 74 prompted a flood of tributes and remembrances. One look back was already in play before The Greatest passed away. Journalist Josh Gross, who has lived in Downtown Los Angeles since 2011, spent several years working on a book about Ali’s littleknown June 26, 1976, fight against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki. Ali vs. Inoki: The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainment comes out June 21 from BenBella Books (the date was set before Ali died). Gross, who previously covered MMA for Sports Illustrated and ESPN, also spends some time in the book on Ali’s three fights in 1962 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Exposition Park, and his presence in Downtown during that period and years later. Gross spoke recently with Los Angeles Downtown News.

Los Angeles Downtown News: Almost no one remembers that Ali fought a Japanese wrestler. How did this happen? Josh Gross: It was eight months after the Thrilla in Manila against Joe Frazier and two years after the Rumble in the Jungle with George Foreman. At this point, Ali was the most famous athlete in the world. He made $5 million for the Frazier fight. He was commanding money, and here come these Japanese fight promoters and the World Wide Wrestling Federation, saying, “We

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can put together a purse for $6 million for Ali.” He gave money to causes and friends, but he himself didn’t really care about money. He had a real fascination with taking on a grappler, a “wrassler” as he called it. Q: What led him to that? A: That’s part of what ties him to Los Angeles. When he was here early in his career, around 1962, he was around wrestlers and pro wrestlers and training alongside them, including Freddie Blassie. This guy’s big personality rubbed off on Ali. He stuck with Ali and went with Ali to the match in Tokyo.

Q: Ali stayed in Downtown during all of this, right? A: Yes, he was staying at the Alexandria Hotel. Of course, he was Cassius Clay at the time.

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Muhammad Ali at the weigh-in of his 1976 fight against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki (looking on, left of Ali). Downtown-based journalist Josh Gross has written a book about the little-known bout.

Q: What was Ali doing Downtown? A: He was training at the Main Street Gym [formerly at 318 1/2 S. Main St]. He spent a lot of time there. He was also pretty famous for taking runs from the Grand Olympic Auditorium [at 1801 S. Grand Ave.] to the Main Street Gym. Photographers would follow him and he’d talk to them. That was kind of his burgeoning moment of brashness. It was a natural thing inside of him. Howie Steindler, who ran the Main Street Gym, was a big personality who helped Ali work. He was basically Burgess Meredith in Rocky. In fact, the Main Street Gym was the place they filmed the training scenes in Rocky.

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People in Los Angeles felt like this kid could be someone; they wanted to be around him. I talked to a boxer-turned-trainer named Rudy Hernandez. He was the last person to leave the Main Street Gym before it shut down in 1982. He saw Ali there in 1981. At this point he was well past his prime, and he’d just sit around the gym, joke around with everyone and didn’t act like a big shot.

wondered, “Is it real? Not real?” They had no frame of reference. The boxing press hated this. A lot of people dismissed it. It registered as a footnote in his career. I’m hoping that I can change the frame of reference. Forty years later it led to the rise of MMA as the dominant combat sport in the world. This greatest heavyweight, risking everything, is another layer to his legacy.

Q: What was the legacy of this fight? A: A lot of people have no idea Ali did this. At the time, this was considered a joke. People

Q: You live Downtown. What was it like writing about these places and their past? A: I have two dogs, so I walk through Down-

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Author Josh Gross with his book in front of a mural of Muhammad Ali in South Park. Ali had three fights at the Sports Arena in 1962, and stayed at the Alexandria Hotel.

town constantly. I see the changing face of Downtown, but now more than ever, if these places are not preserved, it’s really unfortunate. Muhammad Ali, this great man, he spent a lot of time in Downtown. He was on the corner of Fifth and Spring, living there and watching the city. L.A. had an impact on Ali. I’ve learned a lot about the true fight history of the city through this book. I look at the Olympic Auditorium: You walk in a place like that, you can feel the history. Ali vs. Inoki is available for pre-order on Amazon.com and other online book vendors. Additional information is at benbellabooks.com. nicholas@downtownnews.com

(400 S. Main St.) for approximately $37 million, according to brokerage firm Kennedy Wilson. The buyer is Sherman Oaks-based MWest Holdings, whose portfolio is focused on multifamily housing, including properties such as the 1929 Hollywood Tower and the 1924 South Park Lofts at 818 S. Grand Ave. “The Old Bank District is undergoing the second stage of its revival, after it was originally transformed by Gilmore Associates 16 years ago,” said Fred Cordova, executive vice president of brokerage at Kennedy Wilson, in a prepared statement. “Representing the firm that pushed forward this effort, we understood it was incredibly important for our client to find a buyer with some vision and affinity for the area.” Gilmore purchased the 89,500-square-foot building, and two other nearby structures, in 1999, and announced plans to turn them into market-rate housing; he named the project the Old Bank District. The San Fernando Building opened in 2000 with 70 large loft-style apartments and about 11,500 square feet of ground floor retail and restaurant space, including Ledlow, the former Pete’s Cafe. The building is currently 92% leased, according to Kennedy Wilson. Los Angeles-based Mesa West Capital provided a $21.6 million acquisition loan for the purchase.

The Central City Crime Report This Week: Missing Money, Aggressive Activity and A Thief in Need of Plants By Nicholas Slayton n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.

Must Love Plants: Just before 3 a.m. on June 6, an intoxicated man entered the Mandel Lofts at Seventh and Olive streets. He pushed past a security guard, went to the fourth floor of the building and grabbed two plants. He tried to leave with the flora, but was arrested. Parking Problem: A man parked his Mercedes at a garage at Second and Hill streets on the morning of June 6, giving his keys to the parking attendant. When he drove home later that day, he found that items in the car including a watch and a laptop were missing. Hit and Run: At 10 p.m. on June 7, a man at the intersection of Fourth and Main streets was approached by two individuals. They confronted and attacked the pedestrian, knocking him to the ground. The aggressors then grabbed his wallet and fled south on Main Street.

Unwanted Unlocking: Around midnight on June 10, an unidentified individual used a tool for picking locks to break into a car in a parking lot at Fifth and Hill streets. When the owner returned, camera equipment, electronic devices and some liquor were missing. Stroller Roller: A woman was pushing a baby stroller along Sixth and Los Angeles streets on the afternoon of June 8. She turned around briefly, and when she did, an unidentified individual reached into the stroller and grabbed her cell phone and wallet. More Bike Thefts: According to the LAPD, at least three bicycles were stolen in Downtown between June 5-11. A bike locked outside the LAPD headquarters was taken on June 6. On June 8, a bike locked at a rack on Ninth Street had its front tire removed; the rest of the bike was taken. On June 9, a woman locked her bike, and left her dog in the basket, while she went to shop at the Ralphs supermarket at Ninth and Hope streets. When she returned, the lock had been cut and her bike and dog were gone.

E L P R U P O R T E M N O I S N E T X E E N LI WORKS IN THE Purple Line

The Metro Purple Line Subway Extension project is conducting full weekend closures of Wilshire Bl, between Detroit St and Highland Av, for deck panel installation. Lane reductions start Fridays at 10am with full closures beginning Fridays at 8pm until 6am Monday mornings. Expect major delays in the area. Businesses will be open during construction. For more information on detours and closures, visit metro.net/purplelineext.

June 20, 2016

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

10 Downtown News

June 20, 2016

As Homelessness Worsens, the Number of Women on the Streets Soars LAHSA Cites 55% Increase in Homeless Women Over Three Years. Ongoing Abuse Is Rampant By Eddie Kim ngelenos were abuzz in May when the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released the results of its 2016 homeless count. It found that, following a 12% jump from 2013 to 2015, the city saw another 11% increase in homelessness in the last year, with a 5.7% boost countywide. The number of tent encampments had doubled in three years. Lost amidst the consternation of the rising numbers is another shocking statistic: Since 2013, there has been a 55% spike in homeless women in the county, compared to an 18.8% increase in the overall homeless population, according to LAHSA. The agency estimates that there are now about 14,500 homeless women in the county, and more than 1,500 in Council District 14, which includes Skid Row and Downtown. Compounding the problem is a cycle of abuse that often impacts women who end up on the streets. Experts say homeless women are particularly vulnerable to verbal, physical and sexual attacks on the streets, and that many are survivors of abuse. “LAHSA’s finding wasn’t a surprise to us. We have seen it in our day-to-day work,” said Anne Miskey, executive director of the Downtown Women’s Center, which offers services and housing in Skid Row. “A few years ago, you’d barely ever see a woman on the street. You see them a lot now.” Molly Moen, vice president of develop-

ment for Chrysalis, which trains and helps find jobs for formerly homeless individuals, said the nonprofit has also noticed the rise, adding that it began several years after the 2008 economic crash. “When we examined the numbers, between 2012-2015, we saw a 31% increase of women coming through our doors,” Moen said. What is clear is that a huge proportion of homeless women are victims of abuse. The National Network to End Domestic Violence cites studies that suggest 92% of homeless women have experienced severe physical or sexual abuse, with 63% being victims of spousal abuse as adults. Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Homeless men tend to have seen violence, but women tend to have experienced violence directed at them,” Miskey said. “We don’t see as many women on the streets as there actually are, and it’s because they’re often hiding. We talk to all sorts of women who not only have violence in their history, but homeless women who are assaulted regularly.” Danger Zones Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph, who has patrolled Skid Row for 18 years, said he too has been confronted by an increase in homeless women in recent years. “I’m meeting women from out of state. There are also single mothers with kids, who we try

Anne Miskey, executive director of the Downtown Women’s Center, has seen firsthand the increase of homeless women in Skid Row. “A few years ago, you’d barely ever see a woman on the street. You see them a lot now,” she said.

photo by Gary Leonard

and help immediately,” Joseph said. “There has definitely been a noticeable rise in numbers.” The city’s ongoing struggle to balance homeless people’s personal property rights, versus the need to clear sidewalks of often large makeshift encampments, plays into the violence against homeless women, Joseph added. He said that the tents can be “breeding grounds” for prostitution and assaults. “A woman asleep in her tent, waking up to a strange man on top of her, is not unusual,” Jo-

seph said. “A lot of victims are mentally ill and don’t have the wherewithal to report the crime. That makes them more attractive targets.” The number of rapes in Downtown jumped from 58 in 2013 to 122 in 2015, according to the LAPD’s Central Division, and Joseph has observed a spike in Skid Row, citing a 91% increase in his patrol area alone. That is no surprise to Suzette Shaw, co-chair of the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition, a community group that advocates for women’s

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District and the Historic Core is the main attraction. the jazzy live music floating up from the restaurant on weekends provides the soundtrack. What You’re Drinking: the Parisian ambiance and menu makes the Midnight in Paris, a mix of cognac, vodka, peach liqueur, and lemon and orange juices, an easy choice. At 448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com.

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June 20, 2016

Downtown News 11

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

The 55% spike in the number of homeless women in the county contrasts with an overall 18.8% increase in the homeless population.

photo by Gary Leonard

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tering the job market, said Moen of Chysalis. Women are often less suited for manual labor, giving men an advantage at placement in low-skill jobs. Then there’s the issue of housing. Increasing homelessness is already stressing missions and shelters, but it is clear that there are fewer beds available to women, said LAPD Lt. Andrew Mathes, who oversees the Skid Row detail for Central Division. His take was echoed by Herb Smith, president and CEO of Skid Row’s Los Angeles Mission. He said that the organization receives more service requests for women than ever before. “Some have had benefits with children and are now termed out with no replacement income. Most of these women also are

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issues and rights in the community. “We know so many women are victims of trauma, but that trauma is triggered again and again by the predominantly male, misogynistic environment in Skid Row,” Shaw said. “When women walk down the street, men think they can get in your face or refer to you by your body parts. It’s like getting taken apart bit by bit all over again.” Funding Needed Many women with traumatic pasts can run into trouble with social service providers, doctors and others who may not understand how to talk and work with sexual abuse victims, Shaw said. Women also face challenges when re-en-

not chronically homeless, so they are seeing the same lack of transitional housing men see,” Smith wrote in an email. Funding for transitional housing and shelters has waned over the years, with the federal government and many philanthropists and foundations instead dedicating money to permanent supportive housing for the most chronically homeless people. The L.A. Mission is “maxed out” with women and is referring them to the Union Rescue Mission unless they sign up for a formal recovery program, Smith said. The mission is looking to add more emergency beds for women but is short on resources, Smith added, as it just started a bridge-housing program for Chrysalis men who need places to live. For the DWC’s Miskey, such challenges represent a larger problem in how strategies to fight homelessness are funded. “Special funding for women is pretty dismal. There has been very little to no awareness about women’s homelessness. No funders ever even ask about women on their applications,” Miskey stated. “The homelessness world put a lot of energy into refocusing on a housing-based approach, not a shelter approach. But we’ve seen, with focusing dollars on veterans and youth, for example, that effective solutions come with more focus on a subpopulation. Now it’s time to do that with women.” The LAPD’s Joseph said he continues to see new women each week in Skid Row, and is not sure when or how the problem can be fixed long-term. Still, he has sought to provide aid where possible, including with his occasional “Ladies Night,” where he invites women to talk about common problems on Skid Row, connect with each other, and learn self-defense tips. “These new faces, sometimes they have a lot of fear. They think we can’t help them because they’re prostitutes or drug addicts or have a rap sheet,” he said. “But we don’t care whether you’re a princess or a sex worker. You have a fundamental right to report crime. You have a right to be safe. And we all need to do more.” Joseph aims to offer guidance and support, though, like many others, he would prefer more concrete solutions. eddie@downtownnews.com

12 Downtown News

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

June 20, 2016

The Broad museum’s first special exhibit is dedicated to the work of Cindy Sherman. It includes many of the series she has undertaken, including her film still shots, her history portraits and her clown photographs.

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The Broad Digs Deep Into the Many Guises of Cindy Sherman

By Kirk Silsbee e all know artist Cindy Sherman. Her images have been widely disseminated throughout American culture for the past 40 years. She’s the guilty-looking teenager filching a book from the high shelf; the too-tanned suburban matron; the chippie caught awkwardly at the bedroom window; the dowager on a walker in the Grey Gardens backyard; the apprehensive ingénue in the prim little hat and gloves; the Chicana in the halter top with the Ringling Bros. eye makeup; the bar girl with the tear-stained mascara; the Hillary lookalike in the tailored outfit; the corpse on the squalid bed; the innocent hitchhiker on a deserted road; the queer girl in the oversized men’s shirt. She’s all that and more. Her medium is the staged photograph that mirrors the familiar. Yet, in each image, she turns the knob up on one emotional point or another. That she has been her own model in innumerable photographs in so many guises they can scarcely be catalogued has obscured Sherman herself. She seems perfectly happy living in anonymity and allowing the many alternate identities she has created since 1975 to serve as her public face. Let the other art world heavies be part of the in-crowd at the museum openings, receptions and public events, she seems to say; let them conduct gallery tours, deliver lectures and publish self-serving manifestos. Sherman isn’t having any of it. In that, she echoes the New York Abstract Expressionists of the 1950s who agreed among themselves to paint it but not talk

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about it. But her distinction is that niggling issue of identity: Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline were themselves, not Pollock or Kline paintings. With Sherman, who would know where her subjects end and she begins? She seems intent on depicting herself as every developmental stage and role of American womanhood. Though The Broad opened last September and has drawn big crowds to a survey of the 2,000 artworks that Eli and Edythe Broad have collected over the decades, Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life is its first proper single-artist exhibition. While general admission to The Broad is free, this exhibit, on the Grand Avenue institution’s first floor, requires a special ticket; entrance is $12. The Broads are said to own the largest collection of Sherman’s work in the world. Still, curator Philipp Kaiser had to borrow a number of pieces from other collections for this, her first Los Angeles museum show in 19 years. It’s a sprawling, 120-piece exhibit, with many large-scale images. Fittingly, it emphasizes the cinematic aspects in her work, and they’re substantial. Sherman’s rear-projected photos channel 1950s studio sequences, and the film still and crime scene series are, in part, movie homages. New murals stand like so many theater screens frozen in mid-frame. The chromogenic color prints bring to mind hyper-clean Douglas Sirk movies. Sherman has undertaken many series over the past four decades, and they are on display here. There is a group of clown paintings, as well as a selection of her history portraits. Imitation of Life includes a set of fairy tale photographs. The show also holds her 1997 comedy-horror film Office Killer. Chameleons change their coloring for protection, and women play many roles in life. It appears Sherman plays dress-up to define her role, rather than being defined by it. Though she has the escape hatch of moving on to the next guise, Sherman im-

plies tough societal questions: When are teenage girls truly mature enough to understand some of the things they often get involved in? When is cosmetic surgery necessary and when is it merely fashionable? Who determines a woman’s sell-by date? The art establishment has always loved Sherman, and it has given her many passes over the years. Her 1981 “Bus Rider Series” is 15 black and white photos of various public transit stereotypes. These banal depictions included a half dozen black “types” (school girl, hooker, domestic worker, street hustler). Prophylactically, The Broad’s wall text professes her 22-year old innocence concerning racial stereotypes. Ingrid Sischy, the editor of Artforum, the high art Bible, commissioned Sherman to address men’s magazine centerfolds. What began as foldout 1950s cheesecake devolved into hi-res gynecological pornography available on any news stand. Sherman responded with seven large-scale color pieces that never ran in the magazine, though they have a room of their own in the Downtown Los Angeles show. They are provocative without being explicit, and they elicit unsettling reactions. Sherman used the horizontal format not to depict a sexual buffet, but to explore the emotional intensity — and ambivalence — that more than a few young “models” must have experienced over the years. A skillful use of colored gels give added intensity to each image. Her feral gamin in the blue-bathed schoolgirl skirt, furtively looking away (for relief or direction?) is one of her betterknown images. The slightly disoriented girl in the gingham dress clutching her knee to her chest isn’t sure what just happened or what’s going to happen. Of course, neither are we. But that’s what Sherman does: She punches emotional buttons in a calculated, manipulative way, then stands back and lets the viewer wrestle with the meaning. Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life runs through Oct. 2 at The Broad, 221 S. Grand Ave., (213) 232-6200 or thebroad.org.

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June 20, 2016

Downtown News 13

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A Bigger, and Better, BET Experience Weekend of Black Music, Culture, Film and More Returns to L.A. Live By Eddie Kim ow in its fourth year, the four-day BET Experience has settled into a groove as one of L.A. Live’s most successful annual happenings. The festival of music, film, culture and personalities created by the cable channel formerly known as Black Entertainment Television drew 50,000 people last summer, packing the Los Angeles Convention Center as well as Staples Center and The Novo. The ticketed concerts are a huge draw — headliners this year include Usher and Bryce Tiller on Friday and 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne on Saturday — but more people turn out for the Fan Fest, a two-day lineup of free discussions, live music, fashion shows, and even a sneaker convention. The full BET Experience runs Thursday-Sunday, June 23-26. “It’s gotten better every year. We’re expecting a similar number of people, but this summer, we’re doubling the capacity for the celebrity basketball game and for our Sneaker Con,” said Lee Zeidman, president of L.A. Live. “We want to keep people around in the Convention Center longer so they catch more free activities at our Fan Fest, especially.” BET apparently agrees. The company initially signed a three-year contract with L.A. Live owner Anschutz Entertainment Group; the festival’s success and rapid growth made last summer’s negotiations for three more years a smooth one, Zeidman said. The next two years are ripe for further expansion, and Zeidman is eyeing a

2 Chainz, along with Lil Wayne, takes the Staples Center stage on Saturday night for one of the BET Experience’s headline concerts.

photo courtesy of Freebandz

Producer and DJ Metro Boomin brings his slick Atlanta trap sound for a concert at The Novo on Friday night.

photo courtesy of HR Booking

push into the J.W. Marriott’s ballrooms or even onto AEG’s Event Deck on the top of an adjacent parking structure. “BET has really dug up great young talent for us,” he added, “and it’s branching out to bring in even more diverse crowds from around the city.” There’s a lot to navigate in the BET Experience. Here are eight of the many highlights: Katt Williams and Mike Epps Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at Staples Center Katt Williams wound up on the front page of TMZ earlier this year for getting into a fistfight

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with a 17-year-old kid, which is kind of sad but also mostly hilarious. Apparently Williams thinks so too, as he has been cracking jokes about it on stages around the country. He and fellow profane comic Mike Epps are bringing the laughs to L.A. Live. Tickets are $60-$175. Metro Boomin Friday, 11 p.m. at The Novo Atlanta’s Metro Boomin has been making a name for himself as a purveyor of sharp, darkand-dirty beats for everyone from Future to Drake to Kanye West. Hear the 22-year-old’s trap wizardry for yourself, but remember: “If

Young Metro don’t trust you, he gon’ shoot you.” So try and be transparent and honest with him at all times. BETX Stage Saturday-Sunday, various times at LACC West Hall, Exhibit Hall B The festival features more than a dozen artists performing concerts at the free BETX Fan Fest, but our eyes are on the stretch from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday. You get a few fun one-hit wonders: There’s O.T. Genasis, last heard warbling “I’m in love with the coco” on his ode to fine powder, “CoCo,” as well as Desiigner, whose mumbly “Panda” got him to No. 1 on the charts and a feature on Kanye West’s latest album. The show wraps up with a performance from Fat Joe and Remy Ma, but the real money’s on Kevin Gates, Continued on page 14

THIS WEEKEND!

Sunday, June 26, 2016 Biltmore Hotel, Downtown L.A.

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JOSÉ-LUIS OROZCO “¡COME BIEN! EAT RIGHT!”

Voices of Latina power light up the night with songs, spoken word, and more led by Martha Gonzalez of the East LA band Quetzal.

Bilingual and interactive musical feast of rhythm, rhyme, and culture.

Saturday, June 25 @ 8pm

CLASSICAL REMIX: THE JAZZ SESSIONS Classical music is reinterpreted with a Latin, gypsy and straight-up jazz tip.

AT CALIFORNIA PLAZA

| GRANDPERFORMANCES.ORG

Sunday, June 26 @ 7pm

THE THREE LOUIES East-LA riff on the joys and absurdities of life with Louie Perez of Los Lobos, LA Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez, and journalist Luís Torres.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

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Last year’s BET Experience attracted about 50,000 people, and celebrity guests included Kobe Bryant. A similar crowd is expected for the celebration of black culture that takes place Thursday-Sunday, June 23-26, at L.A. Live and the Convention Center.

the New Orleans rapper who won raves this year with his major label debut Islah. Sneaker Con Saturday-Sunday, noon-9 p.m. at LACC West Hall, Petree Hall D So we hear you’ve been looking for a pair of those sold-out black Adidas NMDs, and maybe a lightly worn set of Air Jordan 1 Retro OGs in that sweet “Chicago” colorway. Throw on your Yeezys and head down to Sneaker Con, taking place in an expanded space at the Convention Center. It’s a mecca for anyone who wants to buy, sell, trade or just gawk at the hottest shoes in the game. Even Kevin Durant stopped by last year. Celebrity Basketball Game Saturday, 1-3 p.m. at LACC West Hall, Exhibit Hall B Do you ever stay up late, wondering whether Nick Cannon can run the pick-and-roll with Snoop Dogg, or if ESPN’s Marcellus Wiley can protect the rim? Find out at the celebrity basketball game. It’s one of the most popular events at the BET Experience, and promises to be a highlight of the festival, whether you’re curious about Mike Epps’ coaching skills or simply want to boo Floyd Mayweather. But be careful — that’s Mayweather. American Black Film Festival Saturday, 1:15-10:30 p.m. at Regal L.A. Live Stadium 14 A trio of promising directors deliver their feature-length films. How to Tell If You’re a Douchebag delves into Millennial courtship and chauvinism with a comedic touch, Destined explores two men who collide in a life-changing event, and Everything But a Man follows a woman’s story as her lifestyle is challenged by a radical man. Tickets are $10. Genius Talk With DJ Khaled Saturday, 2:45 p.m. at LACC West Hall, Petree Hall D We’re not sure how DJ Khaled went from decent hip-hop producer with a few big hits, namely the anthem “All I Do Is Win,” to being the social media sensation of 2015. He’s now a legitimate inspirational figure who preaches through his hyperactive Snapchat account, giving followers his tips on life (usually prefaced by a “MAJOR KEY!”) and motivation against hypothetical haters (“They don’t want you to exercise,” he hisses in one video at the gym). It’s a little silly, but also endearing, and visitors can hear some philosophy when DJ Khaled chats with ESPN’s Michael Smith. BETX Stage: World of Dance Competition Sunday, 5:30-8 p.m. at LACC West Hall, Exhibit Hall B A bevy of crews try their best to impress the crowd with a hypnotic mix of hip-hop, freestyle, jazz and other dance styles. The show includes a performance from France’s stellar Les Twins, aka Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, who are Internet sensations and have performed with the likes of Beyoncé and Missy Elliott. BET Experience is Thursday-Sunday, June 23-26, at various venues in L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or bet.com/bet-experience. eddie@downtownnews.com

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Inland mariners, miniature commodores and former Boy Scouts still looking for a venue to exorcise memories of defeat in the rain gutter regatta are hereby summoned to the fountain at City National Plaza, where the Psomas Paper Yacht Challenge takes place. The annual fundraiser, which this year will benefit Skid Row Housing Trust, takes place Thursday, June 23, from 5-7:30 p.m. Anyone can pay $35 to enter their paper vessel, and the fastest cruisers from a series of timed heats will earn trophies. The Pie Hole and Pink’s Hot Dogs will sell chow, there’s a costume contest and everyone will delight as some boats speed and others sink. At 515 S. Flower St. or psomas.com/yachtchallenge.

Given the recent spate of slovenly tags perpetuated by rank amateurs who don’t appear to know the difference between a spray paint can and a garden hose, the Theatre at Ace Hotel’s screening of Wall Writers: Graffiti in Its Innocence couldn’t come at a better time. At 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, director Roger Gastman’s docu-dedication to an early generation of gifted urban art pioneers illuminates a time when all the city was a canvas and skill was paramount. John Waters narrates and after the screening Cheech Marin, of all people, moderates a panel discussion between Gastman and some old-school tagging luminaries. At 929 S. Broadway or (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com. pho o to c S The h ow t Tha S ha ll N ot B eN am ed

Whether The Show That Shall Not Be Named is a delightful Voldemort reference or an end-around past J.K. Rowling’s army of lawyers is uncertain. What we do know about the Harry Potter-themed event at the Last Bookstore on Saturday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m. is that guests can look forward to an entirely improvised bit of theater built around the world of wizardry and whimsy known as Hogwarts. Sarah Snitch and Leo Zombie will host and the band Blackhaven will provide musical accompaniment to a delightful dive into a world of quidditch, sorting hats, dementors, Muggles and horcruxes. Local law enforcement will be relieved to know that for once on Fifth Street cries of “catch the snitch” will not require back-up. At 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.

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When the California Plaza Watercourt hosts an event titled “Three Louies” on Sunday, June 26, at 7 p.m., audience members will be alternately delighted and horrified to discover that none of the three have the surname “Anderson.” Instead, journo Luís Torres, L.A. Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez and Los Lobos member Louie Perez will congregate to riff on East L.A. It’s part of a packed weekend at the Watercourt, as programming bosses Grand Performances will celebrate Latino power on Friday at 8 p.m. with the program “Chicano Moratorium: Su Voz, Su Canto,” featuring Martha Gonzalez of the East L.A. band Quetzal. On Saturday at 8 p.m. the “Classical Remix” event adds Latin, gypsy and jazz strains to the oldest of sounds, while Sunday at 3 p.m. brings children’s entertainer José-Luis Orozco. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6872190 or grandperformances.org. Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com. D av

MONDAY, JUNE 20 Rosanne Cash and Joe Henry at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Johnny Cash’s gifted daughter and steel-driving man Henry intersect at a point of gushing love for poetry and song. THURSDAY, JUNE 23 BET Experience 2016 LA Live, 777 Chick Hearn Court, (866) 548-3452 or lalive.com. June 23-26: L.A. Live hosts a week of concerts and fan activities that lead up to the 2016 BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater. Some events are ticketed and a lot is free. See story, p. 12. Lara Schnitger at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel 901 E. Third St., (213) 943-1620 or hauserwirthschimmel.com. 7 p.m.: The evening series at the Arts District’s mega-gallery features music and more. Tonight, the proceedings include a free talk with the celebrated sculptor. RSVPs required. Miwon Kwon at MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary Geffen Contemporary, 152 N. Central Ave., (213) 621-2766 or moca.org. 7 p.m.: Kwon takes an afternoon off from helming the Art History department at UCLA to lead a tour of “Don’t Look Back: The 1990s at MOCA.” BTW, while walking through the galleries you can actually look back. FRIDAY, JUNE 24 Dance Downtown: Line Dancing & Two-Step Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or nhm.org. 7 p.m.: Complimentary dance instruction and a juke jointapproved DJ keep the honkytonk going. Arrive early to claim your spot lest the limited space on the dance floor tears your achey breaky heart. Did we mention yet that this is free? OK, we did. Twice never hurts. SATURDAY, JUNE 25 CatConLA The Reef, 1933 S. Broadway or catconla.com. June 25-26: Not only will you be able to celebrate the feline with fellow cat enthusiasts, so too will you be privy to a highfalutin discourse on the cultural import of our furry, if entitled, friends. There are cat adoption opportunities, too. See story p. 20. The Show That Shall Not Be Named Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. 7:30 p.m.: The Last Bookstore hosts a night of Harry Potterthemed improvised comedy and other happenings that approximate the experience of having a magical gift. LA Urban Nature Fest Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org. June 25-26: Tours, lectures, demonstrations and all-around neo-Muir attempts to fuse the city-dwelling Angeleno with his chaparral habitat center on Exposition Park’s favorite nature museum. Summer Happenings at The Broad 221 S. Grand Ave., (213) 232-6200 or thebroad.org. 8:30 p.m.: The inaugural Summer Happening features Perfume Genius on the mic, Narcissister with the dance stylings, Continued on next page

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The United State of America may be billed as a great melting pot, but it doesn’t take a genius to see that a lot of separation remains. Los Angeles will be reminded of that in playwright Ayad Akhtar’s timely Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Disgraced, which recently opened at the Mark Taper Forum. The 90-minute play focuses on a contentious dinner party in which Muslim identity, Islamophobia, post9/11 rhetoric and assimilation divide mealtime conversation in a microcosm of the country at large. Disgraced plays at 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays with 2:30 and 8 p.m. shows on Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. curtains on Sunday. The performance on Friday, June 24, will be preceded by a discussion between acclaimed writer Reza Aslan and Dr. Ani Zonneveld. The show runs through July 17 at 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

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10th Annual Dog Day Afternoon at the Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St. July 13, 6-9 p.m.: The Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) invites Downtown L.A. residents and their dogs to a free evening of music, pet-related vendor displays, giveaways, and great food and drinks from Levy Restaurants. It all happens on the plaza of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. All socialized dogs are welcome and must be on a leash. Free admission. RSVPs are required at DowntownLA.com/DogDay.

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June 20, 2016

A New Concert Series With An Artistic Twist How can you tell it’s summer? The weather is one clear indicator, but so is the thick lineup of outdoor entertainment in unexpected places. The Arts District mega-gallery Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, which opened in March, is getting into the spirit with a Thursday evening summer series, dubbed After 5, in its lovely courtyard. It runs from 5-9 p.m., and this week the featured performer is Madame Gandhi, an electronic drums and vocals outfit with Kiran Gandhi, whose resume includes playing drums with MIA and Thievery Corporation, and sound designer Alexia Riner. Also on the bill is a 7 p.m. art talk from Laura Schnitger, one of the artists featured in the current exhibition Revolution in the Making: Abstract Sculpture by Women, 1947-2016. The galleries will be open and admission is free, but RSVPs are required and can be made online. At 901 E. Third St or hauserwirthschimmel.com

the program “Su Voz, Su Canto” features an embarrassment of riches drawing from the finest in song and spoken word. June 25, 8 p.m.: Classical Remix transforms your favorite KUSC jams into new and exciting genres. This probably does not include glitch electronica. June 26, 3 p.m.: Little punks from across the city are encouraged to bring a Big Mac to see children’s entertainer Jose-Luis Orozco sing about the importance of proper nutrition in a juvenile diet. Mayan 1038 S. Hill St., (213) 746-4287 or clubmayan.com. June 24, 8 p.m.: Hector Acosta in concert is still better news than Hector Acosta occupying your office chair at work and “bor-

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ROCK, POP & JAZZ

Au Lac/Café Fedora 710 W. First St., (213) 617-2533 or aulac.com. June 25, 7:30 p.m.: Sharon Marie Cline. Belasco 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or belascous.com. June 22, 9 p.m.: The bill for tonight’s Eric Bellinger show promises “special surprise guests on stage,” which is generally where we prefer them. June 23, 8 p.m.: Plan B began life as Benjamin Paul BallanceDrew. He made his name doing hop-hop in England. Now he’s here. June 24, 9 p.m.: Passport Fest is presented by Jack Daniels as most of our trips to the passport counter at the Post Office are. June 25, 2 p.m.: The Game hosts Hennyfest, which is definitely a reference to Hennessy, not Don Henley. Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. June 20: Afro Angular Suh-Weet and Quadruple Bari Sax Attack.

June 21: Ethan Margolis World Group. June 22: Dennis Hamm and poets. June 23: Claudia Quintet. June 24: Dan Schnelle Quartet. June 25: John Patitucci Guitar Quartet. June 26: Otmaro Ruiz. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. June 20: Residents Midnight Faces will soundtrack the JC Penney’s we haunt during our midlife crises 10 years from now. June 21: If the unspoken addendum to pop rock duo You Won’t’s band name is “make a milkshake with broccoli and sassafras,” then they were shockingly prescient. June 22: With habitually inventive production and a penchant for sonic discomfort, Suuns promise a shot of amplifier worship right to the face. June 23: With a name that sounds like a Grinder drinking game, Cub Sport promises the finest in Brisbane-rooted pop. June 24: Plants & Animals are a Grizzly Bear-esque outfit with a name taken straight from a California agricultural check point. June 25: The chronically lazy will be delighted to know that tonight’s Ben Watt show is a fully seated affair. June 26: The Graveface Records Roadshow includes darkstyled rock mistresses Casket Girls, who are, in fact, still living. Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. June 24: Ferry Corsten. June 25: Shiba San. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. June 21, 7 p.m.: Sturgill Simpson is at the top of the new Americana game. He’ll join John Prine. June 23, 7:15 p.m.: I don’t want the world to see me at tonight’s Goo Goo Dolls events, ’cause I don’t think that they’d understand. Grand Performances California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org. June 24, 8 p.m.: In honor of the Chicano Moratorium of 1970,

June 20, 2016

photo courtesy Hauser Wirth & Schimmel

and Mutant Salon with the complimentary aesthetic upgrades. Further sonic pleasures will be dished out courtesy of Lotic and Cindytalk. Summer Learning Day LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, 501 N. Main St. or online at pbssocal.org/summer. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Complimentary learning activities encourage summertime mental development for youth around Los Angeles County. There’s also a free photo op with Curious George. SUNDAY, JUNE 26 The Three Louies California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org. 7 p.m.: Life in East L.A. is the melody, musician Louie Perez, poet Luis J. Rodriguez and journalist Luis Torres are the muses. Yep, three guys with the same name hit the Cal Plaza Watercourt to discuss the community and the city beyond.

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rowing” the Pepsi you put in fridge. June 26, 8 p.m.: Pierce the Veil is a San Diego hardcore band that successfully used a map to find the 5 Freeway to Los Angeles. Microsoft Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or microsofttheeatre.com. June 26, 5 p.m.: The BET Awards attempt to discover just how much Beyonce you can handle. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. June 20: Trio Kate and DJ Cholo Carwash. June 23: Wild Year, Cold Violents and Middle Child.

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June 20, 2016 June 24: Post Nothing and Without. June 25: Gabe Hart & the 4th Wall and Sioux City Pete. June 26: Ash Williams and Accident Prone. The Novo 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or thenovodtla.com. June 22, 9 p.m.: Everyone’s favorite GnR veteran, Buckethead. June 23, 8 p.m.: Colombian reggaeton from J Balvin. June 24, 11 p.m.: Metro Boomin has produced tracks for Future, which involves a much higher degree of linguistic decipherment than one would expect. June 25, 11 p.m.: The Roots take a night off from being America’s favorite late night band. The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com. June 20, 7 p.m.: Disgorge is a death metal band with a hidden message about bulimia. June 24, 9 p.m.:The Prototypes have strong drum & bass credentials. June 25, 9 p.m.: We’re thinking Bad Company UK have little if anything to do with the English band Bad Company. Resident 428 S. Hewitt St. or (323) 316-5311 or residentdtla.com. June 23: Esme Patterson, Frankie Lee and Laura Jean Anderson. June 24: The Blank Tapes, The Pesos and The Rotten Mangos. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. June 20: Hometown hero Shoshana Bush. June 21: The Makers have so much jazz in their blood, Cedd had to cough up dough to get them all tetanus boosters. June 22: Ray Brooks plays a mean six-string. June 23: Johnny Stachela sounds suspiciously like a handlebar pseudonym. Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com.

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Downtown News 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM June 23, 7:30 p.m.: If you like laughing, you may want to take a glance at the price of tickets to see Katt Williams & Mike Epps. Yes, there will be stand up comedy, but starting at $59? June 24, 7:30 p.m.: We here at the Downtown News would like to remind you that Usher brought Justin Bieber to the world. June 25, 7 p.m.: Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz highlight an evening of hip-hop that will have you pressuring your primary care physician for something to help you get over that nasty cough. The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org. June 20: Secret Drum Band, Lucky Dragons and beyond adoubt. June 22; Caterwaul, Foliage and Acid Ghost. June 23: Shark Toys, Adam Payne and Los Greys. June 24: Band Aparte, Lunch and Vulcan Death Grip. Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com. June 20: Kauf would like you to relocate to their gig tonight with Ceu. June 21: Benjamin Clementine, the latest in fruit-named creative hyphenates to impress us with their jam-packed websites. June 22-23: Vulfpeck, a rhythmically inclined local outfit with a name like an Austrian body builder. June 24: The Eagulls sound a bit like the Cure except without decades of atrophy and self-loathing. June 25: Shana Hallifan plays a concert benefit for the Children’s Music Fund. June 26: Real Estate is from New Jersey. Whether that’s upper New Jersey or Camden we are not sure. Tread carefully. Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org. June 25, 8 p.m.: The KJAZZ 88.1 Summer Benefit Concert features Ramsey Lewis, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jane Monheit.

FILM

Ace Hotel 929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com. June 22, 8 p.m.: Billy Wilder’s noir opus Double Indemnity screens as a part of the L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats. June 23, 8 p.m.: Is graffiti art or crime? It’s the age-old question. Whatever the case, old-school graffiti will be featured extensively in Wall Writers: Graffiti in its Innocence.

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18 Downtown News

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June 20, 2016

CLASSIFIEDS

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com 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.

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Downtown News 19

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Community Career Development, Inc. invites bids from qualified vendors to provide onsite WIOA Out-Of-School (OSY) youth services. The successful vendor must be able to co-locate and demonstrate ability to train 40% youth and place a minimum of 70% of enrollments.

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OFFICE/CLERICAL GENERAL CONTRACTOR office located in Little Tokyo, looking to hire an experienced receptionist. Send resume to mariac@nemoconstructors.com or call 213-327-0575.

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MORLIN ASSET MANAGEMENT, LP, a Delaware Limited Partnership as Agent for the JOINT MANAGEMENT COUNCIL, an unincorporated association, will receive qualification packages from General Contractors, Architects, and Engineers wishing to become pre-qualified for an available bidding opportunity at Los Angeles Union Station. It is the intent of this Joint Management Council to select a Firm that will provide services to construct and/or design to the ADA Site Improvements Project at Union Station at the best overall value. In order to be fully considered for prequalification and subsequent bidding opportunities please proceed to the RFQ checklist available at http://goo.gl/forms/Szwb90utiJfGhbME2 . Completed checklists are due on or before close of business on July 22nd, 2016. Requests received after 5:00pm on July 22nd, 2016 will be rejected.

June 29, 2015 Downtown After DArk

the ultimate guide to nightlife in downtown

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Faith and Flower It’s a big deal when esquire magazine deems a cocktail one of the best in the nation. faith & flower is one of Downtown’s top new dining destinations, and bar director Michael Lay’s drinks menu has rightfully gotten a lot of love. that english Milk Punch lives up to the hype — assuming you get to the restaurant before it sells out. even if that’s the case, there are a slew of inventive drinks on the menu at this ornate South Park eatery that features some unforgettable spirits. What You’re Drinking: Seriously, get the english Milk Punch. It combines a countless number of liquors, juices and spices with a touch of milk, which is filtered out to leave a translucent but silky smooth elixir. At 705 W. Ninth St., (213) 239-0642 or faithandflowerla.com. MrS. FiSh the adage “as above, so below, ” though philosophically sound, scarcely applies to Mrs. fish, a basement bar many stories below and a world removed from its rooftop sister establishment, Perch. enter through an anonymous doorway just north of Pershing Square and descend down a winding flight of steps to find yourself in a land of confusing but not unwelcome design flourishes. there’s an inexplicably large fish tank, a cowhide up-

BARREL DOW

holstered booth, industrial catwalks and funhouse mirrors. Confused? Have an amaretto sour or a tequila mule with a craft beer and things will make more sense. What You’re Drinking: A mere $12 will get you a coconut, champagne and gin cocktail called the Poolside that, in volume, can help you make more sense of the fish tank. At 448 S. Hill St., (213) 873-4444 or mrsfish.com. perch Perch is one of Downtown’s most popular places to eat and drink, both for locals and visitors, and it’s easy to see why. An elevator ride to the 15th floor of the Pershing Square Building leads to a bustling bistro. the best view, however, waits up a flight of stairs. Perch’s rooftop bar serves the usual handmade cocktails and craft beers, but the soaring sights of the financial

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District and the Historic Core is the main attraction. the jazzy live music floating up from the restaurant on weekends provides the soundtrack.

the aSSociation “Mirrors on the ceiling, pink champagne on ice.” eagles lyrics or excerpt from a Yelp review of the Association? You decide. the low-key, ’70s-esque lounge beneath the Pacific electric Lofts treads a fine line between exclusive cocktail bar and accessible watering hole. If it’s a night of beer variety you’re after, look elsecontinued on page 14

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June

What You’re Drinking: the Parisian ambiance and menu makes the Midnight in Paris, a mix of cognac, vodka, peach liqueur, and lemon and orange juices, an easy choice. At 448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com.

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Downtown News 13

Upscale/Fancy spots

Bar Jackalope @ Seven Grand Is it possible to grow weary of fine Scottish whiskey, tartan print 2015 decor and dominant taxidermy June 29,motifs? we like to think not, but variety being the spice of life, we owe it to whiskey geeks to peek behind the curtain at Seven Grand to enjoy a little taste of tokyo in the vaunted bourbon bar’s backroom. Japanese spirits are the order of the day. So whether or not you’re in the market for a casual exploratory tasting or lust after a dram of some rare Suntory, Bar Jackalope is worth a visit. What You’re Drinking: Something Japanese. Something single malt. Something at least 18 years of age. At 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0736 or sevengrandbars .com.

1264 W. 1st St., LA, CA 90026 213-481-1448 • FAX 213-250-4617

LADowntownNews.com

29,

2015

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

20 Downtown News

June 20, 2016

A Meow Mixer CatCon Festival Returns to Downtown

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore! It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

GRAND TOWER

255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

PROMENADE TOWERS

123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Beauty Salon

MUSEUM TOWER

225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

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TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

Re New no ly va ted

On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

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By Nicholas Slayton ogs are a huge part of life Downtown Los Angeles. This week, however, cats take center stage. That’s because CatCon LA, a feline-focused festival and convention, is coming to The Reef at 1933 S. Broadway. On June 25-26, there will be two days of cat-themed programming, including a cat video festival Saturday night at the Theatre at Ace Hotel.

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The second CatCon LA takes place Saturday-Sunday, June 25-26. Expect 160 vendors, celebrity cats, pet paraphernalia, grooming tips and an adoption center.

Los Angeles Downtown News spoke with CatCon LA founder Susan Michals about what to expect and what makes Downtown purr-fect (sorry) for felines. Los Angeles Downtown News: Why did you start CatCon? Susan Michals: I created the Cat Art Show in 2014, and despite a successful show with over 4,000 attendees, I couldn’t get a sponsor to do another round. I decided to expand on the idea of cats in pop culture and CatCon was born. Q: What’s different this year? A: A lot! I wanted to bring back some of the great things from 2015, as well as expand and come up with myriad exciting new activities and ideas. We have 160 vendors, Kat Von D’s Beauty Bar with free cat eye applications for all, and our Furrocious Fashion Face-Off, which is like “Project Runway” meets a beauty pageant. We also have seminars like “How I Met My Cat and Other Stories,” with Mariel Hemingway and surprise guests. The CatVideoFest will run at the Ace theater on Saturday night. Q: What’s the background with the CatVideoFest? A: CatVideoFest was started at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis five years ago. It is a compilation reel of over 70 minutes of cat videos, and each year a new one has debuted. This year, the Walker decided not to pursue this any longer, and Will Braden, who has curated and produced the reel for the past two years, branched out on his own. This will be the premiere of the 2016 reel. The event is co-hosted by Braden, comedian Andy Milonakis and famous cat Lil’ Bub. Q: Is CatCon more about feline paraphernalia and merchandise, or a focus on cat care? A: CatCon is all about changing the perception of the cat lady — that you can be stylish and chic and have a cat simultaneously. Q: Can you leave with a cat? A: We have an amazing 3,000-square-foot adoption village, built by Hill’s and Petco, and SPCALA is bringing over 100 kitties for adoption. Q: Downtown is bustling. What makes it the right kind of place for cats? A: Cats are the perfect accoutrement for the urban dweller. They are independent and low maintenance. Dogs are awesome too, though; I have one of each. CatCon LA runs Friday-Saturday, June 25-26 at The Reef, 1933 S. Broadway or catconla.com. nicholas@downtownnews.com