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THIS IS LOS ANGELES By Jen Hitchcock
I have noticed that certain people from certain places have a hard time giving Los Angeles credit for anything cool. In the interest of keeping things civil between folks, I won’t name those places. Okay, yes I will. They are usually people from places we call San Francisco and Seattle. If I had a nickel for every time someone walked into my shop and said “Your store is so cool! It is more like a place you would find in SEATTLEFRANCISCO,” I would be able to tile my entire floor with five-cent pieces. They typically follow this statement by asking where I am from. I begin, “Originally from Connecticut…” only to get interrupted by a “Yeah. I knew it. This place doesn’t feel L.A.” First of all, if they think my shop reflects Connecticut in anyway, I am CERTAIN they have never been to Connecticut. And what they did not stick around to hear is that I’ve been in Los Angeles for twenty-seven years--well over half my life. Los Angeles has shaped me, every aspect of who I am. I am an Angelino, not a Connecticut-tino. And thank Goddess for that, especially because Connecticut-tino is really awkward to wrap your mouth around. I am usually polite to these people, because I love San Francisco and Seattle. And truth be known, I feel bad for them because they seem to spend so much time obsessing about Los Angeles, even if it is just to go on and on about how awful it is. Meanwhile we Angelinos go about our business, not really thinking about other cities because we are too busy being our own awesome selves. We unabashedly are doing it all, from walking our “enhanced” faces/chests/butts down Rodeo Drive to sitting on a sidewalk reading poetry we scribbled on a dirty napkin to whoever will listen. Unapologetically. It almost seems as if our friends from up the coast, when they walk in and enjoy my shop, are trying to purge the shame they are feeling for actually connecting with something they discover in Los Angeles, something contrary to their preconceived notions about this city and its people. Yet it is obvious they have not really explored or dug deep enough. Understandable. We are not for the faint of heart. We are a huge, sprawling, overwhelmingly diverse city. There is a lot to take in. In the past when I have been told my shop is not “typical” Los Angeles, I let it slide because again, I know they mean it as a compliment. But it hits me in that backhanded way I imagine the “you play guitar pretty good for a girl” compliment has sat with so many of my musician friends. It festers inside. Not anymore. I love my city, and my store is not like a place you will find anywhere else. Folks will be (politely) schooled, that yes, you do find places like this in Los Angeles, because my shop, an extension of me, IS Los Angeles.
continued from page 20 Multi-Grammy Award-winning composer and arranger Gordon Goodwin brings his high-octane Big Phat Band to open Jazz at LACMA’s 2017 season. The 18-member band has an international reputation as one of the most exciting large ensembles in jazz. The BPB has released seven critically acclaimed records, its most recent being “Life in the Bubble,” which garnered four Grammy Nominations and won the Grammy for Best Large Ensemble Album. Note: L.A. County residents receive free general admission every week: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 3–5 p.m. Friday: 3-8 p.m. All guests receive free general admission on the second Tuesday of every month. Museum of Contemporary Art MOCA.org or 213-621-2766 LECTURE with Helen Molesworth Thursday, April 20, 2017, 7 p.m. MOCA Chief Curator Helen Molesworth leads a walk-through of “Kerry James Marshall: Mastry,” a retrospective of 35 years of work by artist Kerry James Marshall. MOCA Grand Avenue: 250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 LECTURE with Bennett Simpson Thursday, May 4, 2017, 7 p.m. MOCA Senior Curator Bennett Simpson leads a walk-through of “Carl Andre: Sculpture as Place, 1958–2010.” The retrospective, which premiered at Dia: Beacon in 2014, is the first to survey Andre’s entire oeuvre. It includes the artist’s defining sculptures — modular arrangements of building and industrial materials such as brick stacks, metal squares, slabs, and timber blocks — and an unprecedented display of poems and typewriter works that examine Andre’s visionary approach to concrete poetry and the pivotal role of language in his practice. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA 152 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Note: Admission is free for the MOCA Grand and the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA every Thursday from 5-8 p.m.
BOOK SHOW EVENTS Saturday April 1st 6pm-9pm Intro to Modern Calligraphy $115 Taught by Honey Honey Calligraphy Saturday April 8th 7pm-9pm FREE Stories of Chronic Illness: An Evening of Readings Focusing on the True Experience of Chronic Illness Wednesday April 12th 8pm-9:30pm Angry Nasty Women Writing Group A Feminist Writing Group Writing prompts for women! $5 Thursday April 13th 7:30pm-9:30pm Sustainable Creativity Balance & Flow Workshop $49 Friday April 14th 7:30pm Vermin On The Mount Jim Ruland’s night of irreverent readings. FREE Saturday April 15th 7:30pm Little Heart Desires FREE Variety comedy show! Hosted by Ron Lechler Featuring Lizzy Cooperman, Simon Gibson and more Thursday April 20th 7:30pm Laughter-House Five Comedy show $5 Hosted by Sumukh Torgalkar Friday April 21st 7pm-10pm My Paradox: A Tribute 2 Prince Sex positive readings and open mic. FREE ONGOING EVENTS and WORKSHOPS EAT ART OPEN MIC 8pm sign ups Monthly, every 1st Friday Poetry and Prose open mic FREE
Latino Justice Supports the DREAM Act. Photo: Tomas Abad / Alamy Stock Photo
COLLAGE & CRY Monthly, every 1st Tuesday 7pm – 9:30pm Open collage night! All materials provided. $5 or bring a snack to share.
LA ART NEWS SECTION A