This week, we're excited to highlight a fascinating sampling of art openings from WeHo to San Pedro! Also, catch films at the Beverly Hills Film Fest, learn to cook your favorite exotic dish, take a historical literary walking tour of DTLA and much more...

Gallery & Museum Exhibitions

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M+B Gallery | West Hollywood
2 Shows:
Arghavan Khosravi: At Her Fingertips
Samuel Steffan: Step Out Of My Heart And Be Under The Great Sky
April 27—June 15, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 27 | 6–8pm
In Khosravi’s mixed-media compositions, cultural narratives and political commentary converge, integrating trompe l’oeil effects and elements from Persian miniatures. New paintings by Steffan capture the spiritual longing to transcend the self, particularly through the lens of nature, focusing on the sublime with a meaning beyond the Romantic notion of awe and terror.

Marian Goodman Gallery | Hollywood
Tony Cragg
April 26—June 29, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, April 26 | 5–8pm
Recent sculptures in bronze, wood, stone and steel, and selected works on paper, by British sculptor Tony Cragg, widely recognized for his lifelong fascination and virtuosity with materials.

Luis de Jesus | DTLA
John Valadez: Chaos Anime
April 27—June 8, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 27 | 5–8pm
Recent paintings and works portraying an iconography of the Chicano experience in the city by catalyzing changing dynamics and reconstructing a mythical allegory. Opening concurrently at the gallery, Karla Diaz: Mujer Valiente y Los Diablitos (Brave Woman and The Little Devils)

Sidecar | DTLA
Veronica Fernandez and Tidawhitney Lek: What Will You Give?
April 27—June 22, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 27 | 5–7pm
Organized in collaboration with Melanie Ouyang Lum, large-scale paintings by Fernandez and Lek explore the depths of the two artists’ experiences to render the ecstasy and agony of the human condition in painterly bids for connection and acts of witness. Sidecar is a project of Night Gallery.

Angels Gate Cultural Center | San Pedro
soundplay < = > southbay
April 27—June 1, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 27 | 2–4pm
A group exhibition marking 20 years of sound art in the context of Long Beach SoundWalk and soundpedro, produced by the artist group FLOOD. Installations, videos and performance trace early SoundWalk events from 2004 to the current soundpedro2024 CHARIVARI.

Film, Music, Theatre, Festivals & Dance

FILM: White Room
Billy Wilder Theater / UCLA | Westwood
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 7pm
Patricia Rozema’s 1990 feature, described as a harrowing fairy tale, follows an aspiring writer who gets involved with two mysterious women while investigating the murder of a famous singer.  

FILM: Beverly Hills Film Festival
TCL Chinese Theatres | Hollywood
Wednesday, May 1—Sunday, May 5, 2024
Established in 2001, this local film fest merges today’s filmmaking pioneers with the wealth of cinematic heritage of Beverly Hills. Tickets range from $23 for a select bundle of film screenings to $195 for all film screenings or $350 for screenings plus panels and other events.

FILM: Pandora’s Box
Egyptian Theatre | Hollywood
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 2pm
This 4K restoration of G.W. Pabst’s lurid silent melodrama centers on the downward spiral of showgirl Lulu, played by Louise Brooks. Tickets: $10-15

MUSIC: Sounds of LA: Rising Stars Fife and Drum & Dom Flemons
Getty Center | Harold M. Williams Auditorium | Brentwood
Saturday, April 27 | 6pm
Sunday, April 28 | 3pm
Two weekend concerts featuring Sharde Thomas, who reimagines her family’s fife and drum music, and Grammy-winner Dom Flemons, who makes forgotten folk songs shine again. Presented in collaboration with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Advance free tickets required.

MUSIC: Kamaiyah
The Moroccan Lounge | Little Tokyo
Friday, April 26, 2024 | 9:30–11:30 pm
Rapper and singer Kamaiyah brings her sharp bars and bouncy flows to the Moroccan Lounge. Tickets: $20

THEATRE: Town Street Theatre Reading Series
Stella Adler Academy of Acting | Hollywood
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Town Street Theatre presents three plays by company members, followed by a talk back. Tickets: $5-15

FESTIVAL: Hear Now Music Festival
Various Locations | Westwood and more
April 24—28, 2024
The 13th Annual HEAR NOW Festival of New Music by Contemporary Los Angeles Composers featuring the International Contemporary Ensemble from New York, the UCLA Philharmonia led by Neal Stulberg, Hear Now resident ensembles Brightwork Ensemble, the Lyris Quartet and HEX vocal ensemble. Tickets: $35 general admission; $25 Seniors; and $15 students; Festival pass (five concerts) $150  https://www.ticketor.com/hearnow.

FESTIVAL: Pizza City Fest
L.A. Live’s Event Deck | DTLA
April 27—28, 2024
Southern California’s best pizza makers will treat fans to tastings and live demos as well as panel discussions. Tickets: $125+

Fine Foods, Quick Bites + Bars

Have fun and get inspired at a hands-on cooking class! Learn to prepare dishes from a variety of cuisines at locations here and there about town in part 2 of our round-up of local culinary classes!

Classic Mexican Street Food | West LA
Saturday, April 27, 2024 | 6pm
Sunday, April 28 | 6pm
(Future dates available)
Join Chef Rebecca for a two-hour hands-on Mexican street food class including tacos, a zesty avocado cream, cilantro lime rice and frijoles borrachos – aka drunken beans. For dessert, sopapillas – crispy, puffed tortillas with cinnamon and honey. Attendees may bring beer and wine. Registration: $99

Regional Italian Favorites | West LA
Saturday, April 27 | 6pm
Sunday, April 28 | 6pm
(Future dates available)
Use fresh ingredients and time-honored techniques to create delicious regional Italian dishes like Tuscan bruschetta, fresh basil pesto, traditional Roman flatbread, creamy white sauce and arugula salad with a preserved lemon vinaigrette. End with warm mini olive oil cakes scented with lemon. BYOB. Cost: $129

For Couples: Italian Vegetarian Favorites | Inglewood
Monday, April 29 | 3pm
(Future dates available)
A couples cooking class at which native Italian Chef Francesca will show you and your date how to make gourmet Italian-inspired vegetarian dishes. Three-hour class / four-course meal. Cost: $149 per person

Romance in Casablanca | Culver City
Saturday, April 27 at 11:30am
(Future dates available)
Create a three-course Moroccan meal with someone you love (or like a lot) at this one-on-two cooking class. Chef Yasmina will guide you in prepping a salad, chicken tagine with potatoes and a dessert of Moroccan crêpes topped with honey butter. Finish with Moroccan mint tea. Attendees may bring wine and beer. Cost: $125 per person.

Argentinian Empanada Cooking Class | Mid-Wilshire / Los Angeles
Request dates upon booking class
Create your own empanadas from scratch, including crafting the dough, pocket assembly and authentic Argentine-style fillings. Afterward, relish your creation and leave ready to recreate the experience at home. Cost for this two-hour class: $58

Pizza With Pizzazz | Mid-Wilshire / Los Angeles
Monday, April 29 | 6:30pm
(Future dates available)
A 2.5-hour hands-on pizza making class with Chef Luana. Learn to master each step of the pizza-making process, including dough prep, the secrets to a hand-thrown blistery crust using a wood-burning oven, and a variety of classic and gourmet toppings. BYOB. Cost: $125 per prerson.

Literary, Readings & Book Launches

Walking Tour: Downtown Los Angeles is for Book Lovers
Starts at Grand Central Market | DTLA
Saturday, April 27 | 10:30am–1:30pm
Check in 10am
Join Esotouric on a walking tour uncovering the literary / cultural history in the heart of the city, packed with tales of colorful Los Angeles writers, readers and booksellers. Tickets: $50

X-TRA Final Issue Launch
Now Instant Image Hall | Chinatown
Friday, April 26, 2024 | 7–10pm
Celebrate the launch of X-TRA’s final issue. Editors and contributors will reflect on the journal's historic run of 26+ years of independent publishing in Los Angeles. Free with RSVP.

Independent Bookstore Day
Various Locations
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Support your local indie bookstore on this day which is celebrated on the last Saturday in April. Special events and merch at pages: a bookstore, Flintridge Bookstore, Skylight Books and more. 

Things To Do & Workshops

Angels Gate Cultural Center | Open Studios Day
Angels Gate Cultural Center | San Pedro
Saturday, April 27 | 12–4pm
Get a personal glimpse into the practices of 45+ artists who have studios at Angels Gate Cultural Center (AGCC). Purchase original works directly from the artists and support the local art community. Free / all ages.

Drag Queen World Series
Fairfax High School | Farifax District
Saturday, April 27, 2024 | 1–4pm
The LA Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence go up against the West Hollywood Cheerleaders in this wacky, fun, rule-bending softball game. Funds raised for this event will go to three local nonprofits. Tickets: $15-20

The History of Labor in the Animation Industry
Whammy! Analog | Echo Park
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 2-4pm
Animator, researcher and LA native Stephanie Delazeri will present a talk about the exciting history of unions, strikes and wage disputes between animation studios and their workers since the inception of the industry. Free with RSVP

Projecting L.A.
713 N. Hill Street | Chinatown
Saturday, April 27, 2024 | 6pm
The work of 32 photographers will be projected on a three-story building in Chinatown. A case of the munchies? There will be food trucks. Screenings free with RSVP.

Thank you for reading!

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