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cd14 candidates take on little tokyo

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FEBRUARY 10, 2020 I VOL. 49 I #06

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2 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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AROUND TOWN

NHM Unveils 2020 First Fridays Programming

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he Natural History Museum of Los Angeles’ after hours party and discussion series is coming back in March. Last week the museum announced the theme and dates for the four First Fridays events for the spring.

The events, as the name implies, are held the first Friday of every month, with the first being on March 6. Each event features behind-the-scenes tours at the museum, DJ sets from KCRW, live music and panel discussions moderated by the Los Angeles Times’ Patt Morrison. This year’s theme is “The Future Is Now,” with each evening focusing on a different topic related to our high-tech present. The first event is about medicine, and includes a performance by Wajatta. More information is at nhm.org/firstfridays.

$2.5 Million Donation Goes Toward Herald Examiner Rehab

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he San Manuel Band of Mission Indians announced last week that it donated $5 million to Arizona State University and the rehabilitation of Downtown’s Herald Examiner

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Building. About half of the donation will go toward setting up an endowment for an Indian law program at the university, while the other half will go toward the rehab of the ornate Broadway building, the site of the University’s Los Angeles expansion of its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. The renovation of the building is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed later this year.

The five-story Herald Examiner Building, designed in a Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission Revival styles, served as the headquarters of the Herald Examiner newspaper from 1914 until the paper folded in 1989. It’s since served as a film shoot location.

Portion of Berlin Wall Now at El Pueblo

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12-foot segment of one of the most infamous walls ever constructed is now in Downtown Los Angeles. A 2.7-ton piece of the Berlin Wall is on display at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Mexican-American history and culture-focused museum at 501 N. Main St. The segment, called the “Wall Against Walls,” was originally sent by a Berlin-based nonprofit to President Donald Trump in November, for the 30th anniversary of the tearing down of the barrier, but the administration refused. A letter specifically addressed to Trump was written on the side talking about the United States’ support for tearing down the wall. The piece was installed at the museum last Friday, Feb. 7 and will be on display for an indefinite period of

time. More information is at lapca.org.

Rent Control Measure to Appear on November Ballot

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alifornia voters will once again decide on rent control laws during the fall election. On Monday, Feb. 3, California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that a proposal from Housing Is A Human Right, the housing advocacy subsidiary of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, had enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The “Renter Affordability Act” would allow local governments to create rent control laws for buildings 15 years old or older; rent increases of up to 15% from a previous tenant’s rent would be allowed over three years. The ballot initiative comes from organizers who previously created Proposition 10, a similar law that would have allowed municipalities to decide on rent control; that failed in the 2018 election. The election is scheduled for Nov. 3.

Award Offered for Remaining Well of Scribes Piece

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he Los Angeles Public LIbrary seriously wants its Well of Scribes back. After recovering a piece of the sculpture from Arizona last year, the Library is partnering with Alta Magazine to find the remaining piece and is fronting up to a $10,000 award for informa-

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

tion that leads to their recovery. The missing fountain, created by Lee Lawrie, previously sat in front of the Central Library from 1926 until 1969 when it went missing as the west lawn was raised to make room for a parking lot. The recovered piece displays six scribes from the Americas and Europe, with the remaining missing pieces depicting a Pegasus and scribes from the East. Alta Magazine told the Los Angeles Times that they have already hired a private investigator who has already tracked down multiple leads. Anyone with information about the long lost pieces are encouraged to contact Alta Magazine at tips@ altaonline.com.

Date set for Kobe Bryant, Crash Victims, Memorial

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he City of Los Angeles has set a date for a public memorial for Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant, and the seven victims killed last month in a hillside helicopter crash in Calabasas. The date is tentatively set for Feb. 24 at Staples Center, but details are slim. The Los Angeles Times first reported the news. Mayor Eric Garcetti previously noted that while a memorial was in the works, the city was waiting to have further discussions with Bryant’s widow Vanessa. A memorial constructed by fans of Kobe Bryant was carefully deconstructed last week, with more than 1,300 basketballs removed from L.A. Live. Flowers left at the space will be composted and used to feed plants around Staples Center.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 3

CD14 Hopefuls Discuss Little Tokyo at Last Week’s Candidates Forum The Five Candidates Discussed Sustainability, Homelessness, Housing and More at the Latest Candidate Forum

By Sean P. Thomas he five candidates hoping to step in as the new representative for Council District 14 weighed in on Little Tokyo’s future, amongst other topics important to Downtown, during a candidates forum at the Japanese American National Museum National Center for the Preservation of Democracy last week.

With less than a month to go before Downtown residents hit the polls to select their next councilmember, the candidates engaged in a last moment discussion on Thursday, Feb. 6 on topics ranging from the preservation of historic Little Tokyo businesses, to affordable housing and the homeless population in front of a crowd of about 50 people.

The primary election will be held on March 3 and the forum was attended by everyone who qualified for the ballot including former State Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, nonprofit organizer and former Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Vice President

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Cyndi Otteson, social worker and educator Raquel Zamora, Los Angeles Unified School District board member Mónica Garcia and nonprofit executive John Jimenez.

The event was organized by the Little Tokyo Community Council in partnership with the newspaper Rafu Shimpo. The newspaper’s Senior Editor Gwen Muranaka moderated the discussion, which was comprised of questions constructed by both the newspaper and the audience members.

After a introduction by LTCC Board Chair Chris Komai, which included a rundown of some of the injustices committed against Little Tokyo by the local, state and federal governments, each candidate agreed to support the Sustainable Little Tokyo plan, a community plan designed in partnership in 2013 by the Little Tokyo Service Center, Little Tokyo Community Council and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center to promote economic and cultural sustainability in Little Tokyo.

On the subject of the Mangrove Lot, a

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Voters will go to the polls on March 3 to select their next Council District 14 representative. The five candidates (from left), Monica Garcia, Cyndi Otteson, Kevin de Leon, Raquel Zamora and John Jimenez discussed topics pertaining to Little Tokyo and the greater Downtown area.

parking lot next to the Nishi Hongwanji Los Angeles Betsuin Buddhist Temple on First Street currently leased by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Otteson said that to ensure that the property benefits Little Tokyo, any type of negotiation has to be made transparently. De Leon said that the Sustainable Little Tokyo plan would have to be the guiding document for the property, and that the Mangrove Lot represents an opportunity to add more affordable housing to the neighborhood.

“Because of the housing crisis that we are facing today, we have the incredible oppor-

tunity to make sure that housing we develop on Mangrove is workforce housing,” de Leon said. “We have such an oversupply of luxury market housing right now and a lot of it is incredibly vacant.”

Zamora, who touted her grassroots campaign and avoidance of developer contributions, said that she would ensure that roadblocks are removed to make sure that the intended vision is completed. Jimenez noted that he was running nonpartisan and his history working in the nonprofit and volunteer sector.

Continued on page 5

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EDITORIALS

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FEBRUARY 3, 2020

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

The Worsening Crisis for Homeless Women

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os Angeles’ homelessness crisis has been well documented, with increases in the numbers reported across both the city and the county. Chronic and first-time homelessness is on the rise, and as a new report from the Downtown Women’s Center shows, the “crisis within the crisis” that homeless women face in the city is only growing worse.

The sixth edition of the DWC’s Los Angeles City Women’s Needs Assessment paints a stark and maddening picture of the conditions those women deal with, from violence on the streets, poor healthcare access and run-ins with law enforcement. The 2019 report was the first one to look at the entire city, and not just the Skid Row area, since it started in 2001, and it contrasts the epicenter of homelessness in Los Angeles with the wider city.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week wrote about the report, which found that 10,845 women are homeless in the city. The report points to an aging population, with the service area covering Skid Row seeing women who are 51 or older accounting for more than half of those surveyed. A plurality are women of color. Of those surveyed, 62% said they have experienced violence in the last year. Per the report, chronic homelessness for women in Los Angeles is up, and homelessness is rising specifically due to the rise in rents and the lack of affordable housing in the city.

This page does not need to tell you that homelessness is a growing problem in Downtown and Los Angeles, that is evident. But it’s important to know how people are being affected by homelessness and for each demographic the experience is different.

The DWC’s report is a useful tool, not just because it provides data on the crisis, but explicitly links how issues such as rising costs of living, trauma and limited resources can perpetuate homelessness. It also shows just how much gender can come into play when it comes to the impacts of homelessness.

Urgent and informed help is needed, not just to house those women on the street, but to make sure they stay housed and get the care they need. Much has been said about the need for service providers that understand exactly the experiences that their clients have likely experienced while living unhoused. As Los Angeles works to alleviate the crisis, it should keep this holistic, all-encompassing approach in mind.

Currently the city, in partnership with the county, is building supportive housing meant to shelter and help those on the streets. Last year the city opened a 25-bed women’s-only Bridge Home Shelter at the Downtown Women’s Center. The report explicitly highlights the need for trauma-informed care, with services that take into account both the direct and indirect violence and abuse so many homeless women face. A roof over one’s head can help, but this is long-term care that is needed.

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COMMENTS

In response to the article “New Timeline, Old Design for Pershing Square Revamp” by Nicholas Slayton Just like on a college campus, there will be angled cowpaths across those segments of lawn. So much lawn, for lolling and laying about, just like what existed in the square circa 1950s to 1990s. Perfect, for groups to establish territory, territory for gangs to fight over, which I witnessed in the 1980s. This suburbanesque solution is going to result in problems as soon as the newness is off the bloom.

— John Crandell Not understanding why they aren’t recreating the beautiful fountain that was built there over 100 years ago.

Such a shame.

— John Esc $110 million for mostly grass and concrete, a few trees and little else! And it will take ten years? What’s wrong with this picture?!

— Larry Aldrich Well, it’ll be a badly needed improvement to DTLA. — Mark Jaress Most of the money goes to lowering the park and reconfiguring parking entrances.

— Tony Hoover

In response to the article “Downtown’s District Attorney Debate Gets Chippy” by Sean P. Thomas Out with the prosecutors - in with defenders of citizen rights.

— Olivia Marquez In response to the editorial “Don’t Let Perception Become Reality” But it’s still gone up. That’s the take away. LA is in shambles. With this and the grotesque abundance of homeless that litter every neighborhood. Rush hour traffic 24 hours a day. Unaffordable homes. Insane rent prices.

Construction that never ends. Should I continue?...

— Mathias Dougherty

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

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 5

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CD14 CANDIDATES, 3 “I don’t look for flashy things or expensive things, I always want to serve the people “ Jimenez said.

Garcia was the last candidate to answer the question. She said that the way that she would ensure that Little Tokyo residents and stakeholders had a say in the property would be to bring them to the negotiating table.

“I absolutely believe that community driven projects are the best projects,” Garcia said.

“You have already done the work.”

On the subject of the preservation of small businesses in Little Tokyo, like the 117-year-old confectionary Fugetsu-Do, and other long-standing community businesses, Jimenez promoted rent stabilization and sliding scale rents depending on income.

Otteson said that the only way to prevent displacement is to provide “some type of economic incentive” to building owners, which often means bringing in new business. She mentioned creating a preservation zone in Little Tokyo to protect some of those businesses. Zamora and de Leon mentioned a similar course of action as a way to insulate some of the older businesses and added that there are a lack of protections for small businesses. De Leon added that a strong and experienced leader would be able to push back against developers.

“These legacy businesses are without a doubt a cultural foundation for Little Tokyo,” de Leon said.

Garcia said that she would like to build a

strong relationship between the community and her office, if elected, to identify “what would be most significant for those owners.”

“There is value that we need to understand is beyond a financial value,” Garcia said.

Proposition HHH and Homelessness The forum touched on homelessness, Proposition HHH, and the slow rollout of units funded by the billion-dollar bond measure.

De Leon, who served as a state legislator for 13 years, noted his No Place Like Home initiative, a $2 billion initiative that rerouted certain funds into a new pot to combat homelessness. Close to $800 million of the initiative was earmarked for Los Angeles.

De Leon said that he would use all available funds to build affordable housing, direct city staff to identify vacant properties that could be used for housing and the use of prefabricated modular units to aid in speedy construction.

“We’re not going to do what we did with HHH which was to use $600,000 per average unit,” de Leon said. “We’re going to do $100,000-$150,000 max.”

He added that he would like to work with the federal government to increase the value of Section 8 vouchers to match up with the rising cost of rent.

Zamora said that she would like to identify the root cause of why each individual is facing homelessness while the city and county attempts to build more housing. Jimenez mentioned the gangs that operate in areas like Skid Row and the impact that it has on combating homelessness.

Otteson said that we can’t simply wait un-

The fate of a longgestating plan to redevelop the Mangrove Lot was a point of discussion at last week’s candidates forum.

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til housing is built and that the city must explore new ideas, stop criminalizing homelessnes and decentralize services out of Downtown.

“For far too long, Downtown has been the place where the majority of people experiencing homelessness has congregated. We need to decentralize services and we need to bring mobile toilets, showers and mental health services,” she said. “We need services, not sweeps and only until then can we start to think that people can get back to stability.”

Garcia said that she would like to make it clear that combating homelessness is a “shared responsibility” and that she would like to increase rental assistance programs.

Lastly, she said she would like to create a bond for more workforce housing and would work toward decentralizing Skid Row.

“This is a government-created rotation that must be stopped,” Garcia said of Skid Row. Another takeaway from the forum was the question of whether the candidates would commit to a full term in office. Almost every candidate agreed to at least one full term if elected, except for de Leon, who promised to serve to the best of his ability while in office.

The response was met with silence before an audience member questioned: “Was that a yes? It’s a yes or no question.” De Leon did not clarify.

The primary election is March 3, but early voting has already begun. If a candidate does not receive a majority of the votes, a runoff vote will be held during November’s general election. sthomas@timespublications.com.

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If you are involved with an educational facility that would like to participate in this special issue please call 213-308-2261.

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6 DOWNTOWN NEWS

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

Second Bin Storage Facility Opens in Skid Row

Mayor Eric Garcetti (far right) spoke as the city opened its second Bin storage location last week, bringing the total number of bins available for homeless individuals to store their belongings to 2,500 bins.

The New Facility Adds 1,100 Bins to the City’s Collection of Storage Containers, Bringing the Total Up to 2,500

By Sean P. Thomas s the homeless crisis continues to mold into new shapes, one of the constant points of consternation for not just people experiencing homelessness, but for city officials and residents, is the question of what to do with the possessions of homeless individuals.

It’s a controversial issue that the city has long sought to rein in. Confiscation of items found near homeless encampments was the norm for decades, but in recent years federal courts have stepped in, ruling against such actions.

In 2015, the City of Los Angeles opened The Bin at 507 Towne Ave. Located in a nondescript part of Skid Row, the facility provides nearly 1,500 storage bins, free of charge, for homeless individuals to drop off anything from personal documents, to work items and clothing.

It was a success and has been painted at least as a partial solution to the question of what to do with the possessions of homeless individuals during encampment cleanups and sweeps.

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Last week, the City of Los Angeles opened its second such storage facility at 540 S. San Pedro St. in Skid Row, adding an additional 1,100 storage bins to Skid Row and the surrounding areas.

M ayo r E r i c G a rc e t t i , flanked by staff from Chrysalis, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit that operates the facility, along with Art Share LA and Council District 14, said that facilities like the new Bin location help reduce some of the barriers individuals experience as they are trying to climb out of homelessness, provide a stepping stone toward getting individuals off the street and into permanent housing.

“This is a human need,” Garcetti said. “For all of us, we might have a public storage unit.

We might have our garages, we might have an attic that we can use. Living on the streets, or the cars or a shelter, you don’t have that luxury.”

This new storage facility is set up in a similar way to the Towne Avenue location.

photo by Sean P. Thomas

People who want to use the location’s storage facilities must first register, before being assigned a bin and a bin card.Those items that homeless people bring into the facility are then stored in one of the many donated 60-gallon bins. The bins are no different from the City of Los Angeles’ recycling bins. The bins can be used to store anything — excluding illegal material, drugs and firearms.

Once assigned, individuals can pick up and drop off items whenever they need Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and every Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Despite being open just under a week as

of press time, representatives for Chrysalis said that more than 300 bins have already been earmarked for use.

The new bin storage facility came via a motion filed by 14th District Councilman Jose Huizar and approved by Los Angeles City Council in December The motion directed $1.6 million toward the creation of the new Bin location.

“This expanded storage option means that a person that is homeless can place their personal belongings, their very valuable items, have them secured, which allows them to go out into the workforce Continued on page 8

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FEBRUARY 10, 2020

DOWNTOWN NEWS 7

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New Timeline, Old Design for Pershing Square Revamp The “Radical Flatness,” Green-Focused Overhaul of the Park Will Be Implemented Over 10 Years, But Full Funding Is Not Yet Secure

By Nicholas Slayton he long-planned redevelopment of Downtown’s Pershing Square is moving forward, but in incremental stages over a longer period than anticipated.

Last week 14th District City Councilman Jose Huizar, alongside representatives from the City’s Bureau of Engineering and the Department of Recreation and Parks announced that the $110 million project will be built over 10 years in at least four phases.

The Monday, Feb. 3 presentation marked the first update since the summer, when the Bureau of Engineering said that the plan for implementing Agence Ter and Gruen Associates’ redesign was only funded for initial work on a phase that would affect only one side of the park. That itself followed no updates since 2017, when new renderings were

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revealed. This week the development team confirmed that funding has been secured for the first two phases, and laid out an updated timeline for the rest of the redevelopment.

“As we thought about this and worked through the numbers, we thought that the more realistic approach would be this phasing approach that would get us to an ultimate goal, which is to implement the award-winning Agence Ter design,” Huizar said at the start of the presentation.

The project will get under way by the end of 2020, starting with a transformation of the park along Olive Street. An existing structure will be removed and the often-broken escalators in the roughly five-acre park will be replaced by new elevators and stairs, plus at least 20 trees. In 2022 the second phase will see similar work along Hill Street, adding at

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least 25 trees to the eastern portion of the parking and additional escalator replacements. The area around the park’s fountain will also be replaced with green space. With both of those transformations, existing hardscaped surfaces will be replaced by grassy strips, and the plan is to increase visibility to either end of the park. The second phase is set to wrap in mid-2024.

Part of the reason for the phased approach is to not disrupt the operating parking garage underneath Pershing Square, and make sure the construction is safe, according to City Engineer Michael Shull.

The work will also not heavily disrupt the programming that happens at the park, according to Pershing Square director Louise Capone. Capone told Los Angeles Downtown News that Pershing Square is planning

to continue with its summer programming of concerts and films until construction makes it untenable. Capone said that exactly when that will be is not yet fully clear. When work makes the programming untenable, the staff will continue to do activities at the pocket parks and other spaces in the Downtown area it oversees.

“Our programs at San Julian and Gladys Park will also continue. With Pershing Square taking a pause staff will likely explore more programs at Spring Street and the Arts District Park,” Capone said.

The 10-year plan is longer than anyone intended, according to Esther Margulies, interim director of USC’s Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism program and an expert on recreational space and landscape Continued on page 8

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8 DOWNTOWN NEWS

BINS, 6 to get a job, to seek services and not have to wonder where their id is at or any of their personal belongings,” Joella Hopkins, CD14’s Downtown director said during the event. “With the stressful nature of the situation they are already in, this is one less stress.”

Huizar, who did not attend the morning event, offered a similar statement hours after the event.

“Safe storage means that what needs to be done can be done -- looking for a job, attending training and education, receiving services, or seeking shelter -- all of these things are far easier when indviduals don’t have to carry their possessions with them everywhere they go,” Huizar’s statement read.

According to officials, 25 Chrysalis clients are currently employed at The Bin. That’s important, Jill Smith, senior operations manager at Chrysalis said. Having individuals who have experience with homelessness, helps spark a trust between workers and customers. Some of

the workers are currently Bin customers.

“We pride ourselves on providing great customer service,” Smith said. “ Most of our staff have lived experiences being unhoused and understand the impact of having a safe place to store and access their belongings.”

The facility is no frills. The front entrance, where individuals can register and request access to their bins, leads into the larger storage space where the grey bins are lined up in rows of two. The interior keeps the warehouse look, with little in the way of art or ornaments in the interior of the building.

During the conference however, it was announced that a mural will be erected on one of the exterior walls of the building that houses the social services organization LAMP next door. Local artist Showz Art, a current resident of Skid Row, is responsible for the mural, which depicts a man in motion, running from his past, into a new vibrant future.

According to Cheyanne Sauter, executive director at Art Share LA, the mural will start going up in four-six weeks. sthomas@timespublications.com.

PERSHING SQUARE, 7 architecture. She said the funding uncertainty has been the main reason for the delay, and why the redevelopment will be done in stages.

“The length of time it takes to realize this is an indication of where we put our investments,” she said. “I am curious though, when you compare other significant civic projects, like new library or police headquarters, what is the acceptable time frame and timeline?”

The third phase will bring about the “radical flatness” of the chosen design, leveling out the park to street level with Hill and Olive streets. Renderings show the center of the park mostly covered with grass surfaces, with a shade canopy along the Olive Street side.

Per the development team, the final development phase could be split into two parts of its own. The final development phase will likely finish in 2030.

Currently the first two phases are funded, with $25 million coming from Quimby fees (fees paid by developers to fund public parks and green spaces) and transfer of floor area fees. Huizar said that the money for the remaining phases has been identified via $10

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

million in annual Quimby and TFAR fees (fees paid for density adjustments).

Margulies said that there is a danger that the remaining funds could not materialize and only the first two phases are completed, but said that’s only a possibility, not a likelihood. However, she questioned why the Pershing Square redevelopment has taken so long to move ahead.

“We have so many other enormous projects in the city with 2028 deadlines for the Olympics, so why not this one?” she asked.

The five acres that make up Pershing Square has served as a public space since 1866, but in 1910, the park was redesigned into a more traditional public space. In 1918, one week after the end of World War I, the park dropped the Los Angeles Park name in favor of Pershing Square, named after American General John J. Pershing.

The redevelopment plan is the first major update to the park since a $14.5 million project wrapped in 1994, with an emphasis on hard surfaces. Agence Ter’s design for the new park was selected in 2016 after a competition was put forth. The most recent renderings, which the latest presentation still used, were put forth in 2017. nslayton@timespublications.com.

The facility is filled with 60-gallon bins that homeless individuals can use to reserve and store their personal items.

photo by Sean P. Thomas

photo by Sean P. Thomas

The question of personal possessions on city streets has been a point of contention for Downtown stakeholders.

Image courtesy Council District 14

The first two phases of the Pershing Square redesign will replace concrete superstructures along Olive and Hill streets with trees and grass surfaces. Those phases are expected to wrap by 2024.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

DOWNTOWN NEWS 9

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

A Los Angeles Convention Center-Adjacent Project Prepares for Construction, and New Glimpses at Some High Rise

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Rail Way: A proposed Civic Center high-rise project is almost one step closer to breaking ground. The Los Angeles City Planning Commission will be reviewing the proposal from Tribune Real Estate Holdings on Feb. 13, and ahead of that, it released new renderings for the massive project set to rise over the in-construction Regional Connector rail station at Second Street and Broadway. The 56-story building at 200 S. Broadway would contain 680 apartments, 45 of which would be priced for workforce housing. The render-

The project at 407 E. Fifth St. would provide 150 lowincome residential units, in a building made from modular pieces.

ings from Solomon Cordwell Buenz show a glass and steel high rise with a series of indents in it, for a number of open and green space decks and terraces up the length of the tower. Just north of it, the Onni Group is in the planning stages for a redevelopment of the Times Mirror Square complex.

A Finished High Rise: The Vancouver-based Onni Group, which has multiple high rises either recently opened or in the works across Downtown, has wrapped work on its latest arrival. Move-ins started on Jan. 15 at Hope + Flower, at 1201 S. Flower St. Comprising two towers, one 41 stories tall, the other 33 stories, it holds a collective 730 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. Chris Dikeakos Architects, which designed several other Onni projects, is behind this one, with a glass and steel aesthetic that is becoming commonplace in new high rises.

Along with 830 parking spaces, it has 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

Lightstone received a major financial incentive package from the city, including being able to keep part of the Transient Occupancy Tax paid by hotel guests. The development is one of several hotel-focused projects in the works around the Convention Center, including an expansion of the nearby J.W. Marriott.

The news was first reported by the website Urbanize LA. Go Green: Work is starting to wrap up at a Hill Street project meant to cater to the city’s legal cannabis market. Earlier this month the scaffolding came down on Bow West Capital’s seven-story Green Street project. The

Image by Gensler

The planned high-rise at Second Street and Broadway would rise 56 stories above the Civic Center, and directly over the inconstruction Regional Connector station.

When finished, Lightstone’s complex at Figueroa Street and Pico Boulevard would comprise a pair of a 42-story and a 25-story buildings.

building at 718 S. Hill St. was redeveloped and designed by M-Rad Architecture, with the new purpose of being office space for business working in the cannabis industry.

The project holds a total of 67,000-squarefeet of office and commercial space. The ground-floor commercial space is soon to start conversion; permits were issued for Gusto Green, a restaurant from the same company behind Venice’s popular Felix eatery, to start its build out. Green Street is expected to open in winter 2020.

Got a development tip? Send it to Development Watch at nslayton@timespublications.com.

Santa Fe Art Colony Granted Landmark Status

Prep Time: Site prep has begun at the location of the future Fig+Pico complex across the street from the Los Angeles Convention Center. New York-based developer Lightstone is planning to replace commercial spaces and a parking lot with two buildings, the first of which would rise 42 stories and hold two Marriott hotels, from its Moxy and AC brands, respectively. Each hotel will have 410 rooms. The other building would be 25 stories in height and house another hotel.

Downtown-based architecture firm Gensler is designing the total complex. In fall of 2017, Photo courtesy Los Angeles City Planning Commission

By Nicholas Slayton ode and Function: A modular supportive housing project at Fifth and San Pedro streets is closer to moving ahead. In late January, the City Planning Commission gave its support to the planned eight-story building at 407 E. Fifth St. from the Relevant Group. The project would replace a single-story commercial building and parking lot currently on the site, and is meant to make up for supportive housing that is being lost at the Historic Core’s Hotel Barclay, which the Relevant Group is also redeveloping. The building would contain 150 residential units for low-income residents, offices for supportive services, and a basement level with a multipurpose space. The building would be assembled out of modular prefabricated units. Architecture firm Steinberg Hart is designing the new building, with renderings showing a mostly cube-like space.

The most recent public budget was $35 million; an exact timeline has not yet been announced.

Photo courtesy Los Angeles City Planning Commission

Development Watch

The Santa Fe Art Colony, established in 1986, currently houses 72 artists.

photo by Gary Leonard

By Nicholas Slayton Downtown artist colony is now a Los Angeles landmark. On Feb. 4, the Los Angeles City Council voted to grant historic-cultural monument status to the Santa Fe Art Colony at 2345 S. Santa Fe Ave., a move that tenants welcomed as part of their efforts to preserve affordable housing.

The colony, a set of brick buildings constructed in 1916, started life as a furniture manufacturing site. It became the Santa Fe Art Colony in 1986 and has remained a stalwart of Downtown’s arts scene. In 1986, it was provided a 30-year affordable housing covenant. It houses 72 artists who regularly hold showcases and events at the space. In 2018, real estate firm the Fifteen Group purchased the Santa Fe Art Colony.

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Santa Fe Art Colony tenants have been in an ongoing conflict with the Fifteen Group regarding rising rents since the covenant expired in 2016.

With historic-cultural monument status, the buildings are protected from demolition or alteration without heavy review and permits. Fifteen Group has not announced any major redevelopment plans; however it had been bringing units to market rate rents after the covenant expired.

The City of Los Angeles intervened in November to help artist residents cover their rents with its Emergency Renters Relief Program. According to the Santa Fe Art Colony Tenants Association, the landlord filed eviction notices for 27 artist residents in January, refusing to accept lower rents. nslayton@timespublications.com.

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10 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

A Fresh Season of Museum Offerings

Scores of New Exhibits Are Opening in Downtown This Month

By Sean P. Thomas t this point, it’s almost a cliche to say that Downtown has plenty of arts and culture offerings to fill all of your arts and culture cravings, but, to borrow another cliche: if the shoe fits…

The sun is starting to creep back out, bringing shades of spring to February, but it’s also bringing with it scores of excellent, informative and engaging gallery and museum exhibits.

Below, Los Angeles Downtown News provides a rundown on some of the exhibits that have opened or are soon-to-open in the Central City this month.

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California African American Museum

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he bulk of the California African American Museum’s spring programming begins on March 18, but there is one major exhibit opening that squeaks in before the ending of February.

On Feb. 28, CAAM opens Neither Fish, Flesh, Nor Fowl, the first solo museum exhibition for Los Angeles-based artist Sula Bermudez-Silverman. It runs through Aug. 23.

Utilizing work created in 2014, including sculptures created specifically for CAAM, the exhibit takes a look at social structures, and the economic, racial, religious and gendered systems of power that inform them. The pieces debuting at CAAM address global trade and commodification via molds of her childhood dollhouse and casts made of sugar, referencing the staple’s impact on the lives of her ancestors.

Some of the other exhibit highlights include a colorful pie chart, designed through the use of genetic data, and vintage doilies, embroidered with her own hair to depict the human body. She also created a quilt with clear plastic grids, which are then filled with trash fragments from neighborhoods she has lived in.

The exhibit was curated by Visual Arts Curator and Program Manager Mar Hollingsworth in conjunction with afroLAtinidad: mi casa, my city, curated

by Mariah Bberlanga-Shevchuk and Walter Thompson-Hernandez at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

Neither Fish, Flesh, Nor Fowl will be on display Feb. 28-Aug.23 at the California African American Museum, 600 State Dr. or caamuseum.org.

(l to r) Weaving of George Takei by Taiji Terasaki, Secretary at West German Radio in Cologne by August Sander, Weaving of Traci Kato-Kiriyama by Taiji Terasaki.

The Broad

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li and Edythe Broad’s highly popular Bunker Hill art museum is turning five, and in celebration the museum has organized a stream of free special exhibits through early 2021.

The first of those exhibits takes a look at the work of Christopher Wool. Located on the museum’s first and third floor galleries, the exhibit opened on Saturday, Feb. 8 and features 17 works from Wool created from 1985 to 2015, 13 of which are on view for the first time at The Broad. The exhibit will wrap up on Dec. 31.

Wool is known in art circles for his large black and white text paintings that he started to create during the late 1980s. Often, the words lack vowels and would need to be spoken aloud to gather the intended effect.

If you’d like to hear from the artist himself, Wool will be a part of the museum’s The Un-Private Collection, alongside artist Kim Gordon. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. and John Corbett will moderate.

The Broad’s Fifth Anniversary: Christopher Wool runs through Dec. 31 at The Broad, 221 S. Grand Ave., (213) 232-6250 or thebroad.org.

Chinese American Museum

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he Chinese American Museum is taking a look at an important tradition amongst many Asian and Asian American communities — the passing of red envelopes.

Often handed out during Lunar New Year for good luck, the red envelopes, sometimes filled with cash or other gifts, typically bear some type of design, meant for special occasions.

The Red Envelope Show opened on Feb. 5 and runs through March 29 and includes the work of over 250 contemporary artists from across the country who submitted their own envelopes adorned with their art.

With the Lunar New Year having just passed on Jan. 25, it’s a great time to learn about an important part of Asian and Asian American cultures.

The Red Envelope Show runs through March 29 at the Chinese American Museum, 425 N. Los Angeles or camla.org.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

Japanese American National Museum

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onolulu-based artist Taiji Terasaki is shedding a light on some of the unsung heroes that advocate on behalf of those who face descrimination and prejudice in Transcendients: Heroes at Borders, a recently opened exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum.

Organized in collaboration with the museum, the exhibit is structured in remembrance of the 78th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced removal of Japanese American’s into internment camps during World War II, and the people who continue to fight for justice across a variety of communities.

The exhibit features immersive elements, as well as images projected on mists, floor-to-ceiling photographers and numerous images and weavings that tell the stories of some of the “heroes at borders.”

Some of the subjects featured in the exhibit include actor and activist George Takei, Homeboy Industries founder Father Gregory Boyle and Ron Finley, a “guerilla urban gardener,” who came to fame by planting a string of community gardens in parkways in South Los Angeles.

Transcendients: Heroes at Borders runs through March 29 at the Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Avenue, (213) 6250414 or janm.org.

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Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

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he former Santa Monica Museum of Art has a double-dose of new exhibits opening this week.

On Feb. 16, the museum is opening two new exhibits, The Plant That Heals May Also Poison and a solo show for Los Angeles-based artist Ann Greene Kelly. Each exhibit wraps up on June 14.

The Plant That Heals May Also Poison is the first major U.S. exhibit for Ree Morton in nearly four decades and will feature a selection of installations, drawings, paintings and other materials created over the course of a decade before she passed away in 1977.

In the galleries’ project room, visitors will find the work of Ann Greene Kelly, who has taken a particular interest in mixing ready made objects (couches, mattresses, etc.) with sculptural material like plaster or stone. A selection of the artists’ drawings will also be on display.

The Plant That Heals May Also Poison and Ann Greene Kelly’s solo-show run through June 14 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 1717 E. Seventh St. or theicala.org.

Hauser & Wirth

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ot to be outdone, this Arts District gallery is partnering with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to bring together a selection of portraits from famed German photographer August Sander, the first solo exhibition into Sander’s work in Los Angeles in over a decade.

Dubbed New Women, New Men and New Identities, the exhibit looks at the feminist and queer movements during the height of the German’s Weimar Republic (the end of the World War I to the rise of Nazi Germany). Two dozen of Sandler’s images will be on display, including portraits of various artists, bohemians and intellectuals from the period, highlighting the changing social structure of the period. The photographs are shown next to original copies of some of the first gay and lesbian magazines every published.

The exhibit opens to the public on Saturday, Feb. 15. And is located in Hauser & Wirth Book and Printed Matter Lab. New Women, New Men and New Identities opens on Feb. 15 and runs through April 12 at Hauser & Wirth, 901 E. Third St. or hauserwirth.com. sthomas@timespublications.com

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FEBRUARY 10, 2020 photo by Javier Guillen/Grand Park

12 DOWNTOWN NEWS

Grand Park is bringing back its Lovers Rock event for a fourth year. The free gathering illuminates the park in pink lighting, and features an evening of reggae-inspired romantic DJ sets for couples to dance and picnic to.

Reggae and Burlesque and Charities, Oh My

Downtown Has a Slate of Spectacular and Unconventional Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

By Nicholas Slayton his Friday is Valentine’s Day and restaurants and bars are throwing special events and offering themed menus for the day. With the number of bustling nightlife spots, Downtown is always pretty busy on Feb. 14. But instead of sitting down for a romantic meal, there are plenty of unconventional but exciting ways to celebrate the holiday, from picnics in a park to watching muscular, masked mysterious wrestlers brawl.

Yes, really.

Los Angeles Downtown News found some of the the best and unique Valentine’s Day happenings in Downtown.

Head to the Park There are a number of ticketed events but one of the bigger romantic events is actually a free one across the street from Los Angeles City Hall.

Grand Park is bringing back its free Lovers Rock event. From 7-11 p.m. on Feb. 14 the park is setting up music and picnicking opportunities for couples and families.

While reggae music plays, the area around

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the park’s large fountain will be set up for romantic dinners and walks through the green space. It’s the fourth year that Grand Park has staged its Valentine’s Day celebration, and past years have drawn in 300-400 people.

Even though this Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday, staff expect a similar turnout.

“It’s a very intimate event, we do it that way on purpose,” said Marty Preciado, program manager with Grand Park.

The event is also open for people to bring their pets, Preciado added.

Preciado said that there are a number of expensive and ticketed events across Downtown and Los Angeles, but that Lovers Rock is one of the few free celebrations, and is all-ages friendly.

There will be food trucks set up at the park, but Grand Park staff are also encouraging Angelenos to bring their own food for picnics on the lawn.

The event’s name and musical theme comes from the type of reggae popularized in 1970s London. The romantic music had its roots in rocksteady, a Jamaican music genre

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

photo courtesy Grand Park

DJ Linafornia will be providing the music for the evening.

that is considered a precursor to reggae. Preciado said that it also has a strong social justice background, and was tied to movements around black love and self love. She added that it was driven by women-led bands, so the park has a woman, DJ Linafornia, spinning the music all night.

“It was important for us to put a woman as the forefront of the event,” she said. “It is a very romantic style of reggae, but also want to honor its history.”

The DJ stage will be set up near the Grand Avenue entrance to the park, and facing City Hall. Expect to hear a mix of bands, including Gregory Isaacs and other reggae acts, plus newer bands such as The Internet. Although most of the area around Grand Park’s fountain is for people picnicking, there will also be space for couples to dance as well.

Lovers Rock is Friday, Feb. 14 from 7-11 p.m. at Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave. or grandparkla.org.

More Fun in the Downtown World Grand Park isn’t the only space holding a celebration. Here are four other off-the-beaten-path options for Valentine’s Day. Lucha VaVoom Feb. 12-13, 8:15 p.m. at the Mayan Theatre The boisterous luchadors of Lucha VaVoom return to Downtown for two evenings of romance-themed fights. The special “Pin Ups & Pin Downs” show is a kind of slightly debaucherous variety act. Alongside live music from the band Starcrawler, see burlesque from Miss Tosh, pole dancer Brynn Route, and local star Miss Miranda, plus a card of fights with everyone from the Crazy Chickens to the mustachioed menace Joey Ryan.

Other wrestlers on the card include Katerina Waters, Willie Mack and more. Nothing says true love like Irish whips and bodyslams.

At 1038 S. Hill St. or luchavavoom.com.

Tease, If You Please Feb. 14, 8 p.m. At Exchange L.A. For a less violent but just as spectacular eve-

ning of colorful costumes and elaborate physicality, there’s Tease, If You Please. Donna Hood’s long-running burlesque show features acts ranging from aerialists to belly dancers, with “boylesque” as well. The set up inside Spring Street’s Exchange L.A. club gives people an up-close view of the show, be it from the tables or at the upstairs balcony. Given the holiday, expect some special routines. Tickets start at $30.

At 618 S. Spring St. or teaseifyouplease.com.

A Valentine’s Day Australian Wildlife Fundraiser Feb. 14, 8:30 p.m. at the Bootleg Theater Valentine’s Day isn’t usually seen as a charitable holiday, but this Friday go help a good cause. The Bootleg Theater is hosting a fundraiser to help wildlife affected the ongoing and massively destructive wildfires in Australia. Proceeds benefit WIRES. The line up is pretty stacked, with Ben Lee, Scout Willis, Charlie Hickey and more. There will also be clothes, arts and craft for sale from local artisans. A $10 donation gets you in the door, so go help animals in need.

At 2220 Beverly Blvd. or bootlegtheater.com.

Village of Love Planned Parenthood of L.A. Benefit Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at Teragram Ballroom Another fundraising concert is happening to the south in City West, with a more local focus. Panache’s annual Valentine’s Day benefit concert donates proceeds to the local Planned Parenthood chapter, and this year’s line up is something of a who’s who of local music stars. Indie rocker Mac DeMarco headlines, with garage rockers Cherry Glazerr also in the line up, plus Soko, Molly Lewis and many more. For fans of surf rock, Reverberation Radio DJs will spin between sets. There’s also a raffle with unspecified “fabulous” prizes available. Tickets start at $35.

At 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com. nslayton@timespublications.com.

photo by Timothy Norris

Lucha Va Voom is staging two nights of its Valentine’s Day-themed “Pin Ups and Pin Downs” show. The events feature masked luchadors, burlesque dancers, and live music from Starcrawler.

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THEATER

What The Constitution Means to Me Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave. or centertheatregroup.org.

Feb. 13-14, 8 p.m., Feb. 15, 2:30 and 8 p.m., Feb. 16, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Heidi Schreck’s show explores what the founding document’s legacy is, through stories about her teenage life learning about the document. Through Feb. 23.

The Last Ship The Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave. or centertheatregroup.org.

Feb. 11-12 and Feb. 14, 8 p.m., Feb. 13 and 15, 2 and 8 p.m., Feb. 16, 1 p.m.: Sting’s musical about a dying industrial town rallying for one last hurrah finishes up in Downtown.

Through Feb. 16.

Eurydice Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave. or laopera.org.

Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m.: The L.A. Opera presents Sarah Ruhl and Matthew Aucoin’s perspective-flipped take on the classic myth.

Through Feb. 26.

Found Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St. or thelatc.org.

Feb. 14, 8 p.m. And Feb. 16, 4 p.m.: A misplaced note kickstarts a wild adventure in this musical comedy. Through March 23.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

1720 1720 S. Los Angeles St. or 1720.la.

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'Don't Miss' List Friday, Feb. 14 is Valentine’s Day. Friday is also the 20th anniversary of the release of Nelly’s debut album Country Grammar. Hopefully your significant other doesn’t get too upset if the latter takes precedent this week. Or better yet, partner up with your beau and head to The Novo to listen to St. Louis’-own performs the album in its entirety.

While “Country Grammar” and “Ride wit Me” isn’t exactly their era’s “I Will Always Love You.” they still bring enough energy to make for an exciting Valentine’s Day. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and Sir the Baptist will also be on stage in support. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or thenovodtla.com.

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Photo courtesy the artist

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BY SEAN P. THOMAS

The Gap Band might have stashed away their microphones in 2010, but its lead singer Charlie Wilson is still going strong. Affectionately called Uncle Charlie by his friends and fans, Wilson has forged an equally impressive solo career, earning numerous Billboard No. 1’s and multiple Grammy Award nominations not just as a solo performer, but also as a collaborator. If you’re looking for another way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, may we suggest the Microsoft Theater, which is hosting the legendary songman, alongside Stephanie Mills and Con Funk Shun on Friday, Feb. 14. The concert begins at 8 p.m. At 777 Chick Hearn Ct.

Okay, so for 99% of Angeleno’s Silence of the Lambs isn’t exactly your first choice when it comes to that perfect Valentine’s Day movie. For that remaining 1%, Street Food Cinema has you in mind this lover’s day weekend. Located at the Million Dollar Theater, try not to think about your significant other as you watch rookie FBI investigator Clarice Starling interview noted serial killer and cannibal Hannibal Lecter. Thankfully, (spoilers) romance does not ensue. Part of Street Food Cinema’s Bloody Valentine’s series, the screening will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15 and doors will open at 7 p.m. Pro-tip: Food purchased at Grand Central Market will be allowed in the theater. At 307 S. Broadway or streetfoodcinema.com.

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photo by Michael Wise

TUESDAY, FEB. 11 Zev Yaroslavsky at Zocalo Public Square Cross Campus DTLA, 800 Wilshire Blvd. Or zocalopublicsquare.org.

7:30 p.m.: The former County Supervisor and City Councilman discusses Los Angeles’ history and how it informs the city’s future.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12 Voices of Parkland Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway or acehotel.com/losangeles.

7 p.m.: It’s the premiere screening of the documentary about the 2018 Parkland school shooting, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and some of the survivors.

Huey Lewis in Conversation Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or grammymuseum.org.

7:30 p.m.: One of Patrick Bateman’s favorite musicians comes by the Downtown music museum to discuss his career, his recent health issues, and why it’s hip to be square.

THURSDAY, FEB. 13 Ceremonials with Katherine Coldiron Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St. or lastbookstorela.com.

7:30 p.m.: Coldiron and guests launch her new novella, based on a Florence and the Machine album, with readings and a discussion.

FRIDAY, FEB. 14 Lovers Rock Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave. or grandparkla.org.

7 p.m.: The park hosts a free romantic night of reggae, picnics and more.

SATURDAY, FEB. 15 Rights Night: Our Rights, Our Issues Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St. or lfla.org.

6:30 p.m.: A panel of four immigration and human rights experts discuss the current crisis at the border, both humanitarian and in the Trump administration’s response, and how immigration policy is changing in the United States.

image courtesy Orion Pictures

EVENTS

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

The

Photo by Joshua Sobel

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CALENDAR LISTINGS

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Photo by Andrew Eccles

14 DOWNTOWN NEWS

Four Five Former Los Angeles Philharmonic musical director Esa-Pekka Salonen is partnering with brothers Simon and Gerard McBurney for a deep dive into the heyday of German Expressionism.

Part of the Phil’s Weimar Republic series, the concert is centered around Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, a sung ballet that at its center, is a biting criticism of industrial capitalism. The show runs at the Walt Disney Concert Hall ThursdaySaturday, Feb. 13-15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. At 111 S. Grand Ave. or laphil.org.

What better way to get prepared for Valentine’s Day than with a heaping amount of bodyslams and clotheslines?

The grapplers and dancers of sultry Lucha VaVoom are returning to their home at The Mayan Theater for another V-Day spectacular, this one, dubbed Pin Ups and Pin Downs.

Kicking off at 8 p.m., on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 12 and 13, the show will include all of your favorite luchadores such as Mariachi Loco, Willie Mack, the Crazy Chicken, Taya Valkyrie, and of course, the sleazy Joey Ryan. In between the matches, talented burlesque dancers will wow the crowd with their craft. At 1038 S. Hill St. or luchavavoom.com.

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

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

Feb. 11: Lola Marsh is not a person, but a musical duo. It’s backed by The Morning Yells.

Feb. 12: Holmes, INTRN, and SRNDR are your taste of local sounds this week.

Feb. 13: Madeleine Mayi has a single release show.

Feb. 15: It’s a day late, but it’s a Valentine’s Day day party.

The Novo 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or thenovodtla.com.

Feb. 13: Naughty By Nature is doing a $10 show because not everything in 2020 is bad.

Feb. 14: Nelly, the one and only, is performing his breakthrough album “Country Grammar.” The album is 20 years old.

Do you feel old yet?

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

Feb. 10: Chase the Comet, The Jerru Jheto Project, Christina LaRocca.

Feb. 12: Shark Muffin (band name of the week), Ipso Facto, Gustaf, Gesserit, Mean Heat.

Feb. 13: Grave Dancers Union, The Hellflowers, The Carvels, Glitter Trash.

Feb. 14: Screech of Death, Guillotines, Spent Idols, and The Pretty Uglys are the Valentine’s Day lineup we need.

Feb. 15: Ravens Moreland, Jesucrisis.

Feb. 16: Exploding Pintos, C.C. Potato, Saltykova, Bad Advice.

The Regent 448 S. Main St., (323) 284-5727 or spacelandpresents.com.

Feb. 13: Dance the night away with Antibalas.

Feb. 14: Happy Valentine’s Day, here’s Murder by Death.

Feb. 15: Part Time, with Gary Wilson, and Winter.

The Smell 247 S. Main St., in the alley between Spring and Main streets or thesmell.org.

Feb. 15: Rick n Dick, Chase Petra, It’s Butter, Graves-13.

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

Feb. 13: Southern rockers the North Mississippi Allstars are in Southern California. Geography is wild.

Feb. 14: Mac DeMarco, Cherry Glazerr and so many more play at this fundraiser for Planned Parenthood.

Feb. 15: Post-rock act This Will Destroy You. We accept their challenge.

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Alamo Drafthouse 700 W. Seventh St. or drafthouse.com/los-angeles.

Through Feb. 16: 1917 (12:30, 3:30, 6:3o and 9:30 p.m.); Bad Boys for Life (12, 3:05, 6:10 and 9:15 p.m.); Birds of Prey (12:10, 2, 3, 4:50, 5:50, 7:40 and 10:30 p.m.); Cats (9 p.m.); Color Out of Space (5:55 p.m.); Come to Daddy (1, 5:50 and 10:55 p.m.); Gretel & Hansel (2, 4:30, 7 and 9:35 p.m.); Miss Americana (12:35 and 4:55 p.m.); Parasite (3:45 and 8:40 p.m.); The Gentlemen (12:50, 3:45, 6:40 and 9:35 p.m.); The Lodge (1:20, 3, 4:10, 7 and 9:50 p.m.); The

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Feb. 11: Bodysnatcher.

Feb. 12: Bubble Up. Feb. 13: Lil Tracy.

Feb. 14: Bane’s World headlines a Valentine’s Day concert.

Of course!

Feb. 15: Bag Raiders.

Ace Hotel 929 S. Broadway or acehotel.com/los-angeles.

Feb. 14: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Bat for Lashes.

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka St. or bluewhalemusic.com.

Feb. 10: AmyAna. Feb. 11: Paul Cornish Group.

Feb. 12: Peter Smith Trio.

Feb. 13: Jacob Mann Trio.

Feb. 14: Danny Janklow Elevation Band.

Feb. 16: David Tranchina Trio.

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

Feb. 10: Need more pop music in your life? Let Temme Scott get you covered.

Feb. 11: Hachiku does dream pop, made in bedrooms apparently.

Feb. 14: Help raise money for Australia’s firefighting efforts by seeing this show with Scout Willis, Charlie Hickey and more.

Feb. 15: Miniature Tigers are full-sized.

Feb. 16: Sammy Miller & the Congregation are a jazzy ensemble.

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

Feb. 14: Sub Focus, Dimension, Culture Shock, 1991.

Feb. 15: Peekaboo.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd. Or grammymuseum.org.

Feb. 11: Jose Feliciano stops by the L.A. Live-based museum for an interview and a performance.

Feb. 13: Jazz bassist Christian McBride will show you just how good he is with that bass.

Microsoft Theater 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or microsofttheater.com.

Feb. 14: Charlie Wilson’s Forever Valentine Concert.

Moroccan Lounge 901 E. First St., (213) 395-0610 or themoroccan.com.

Feb. 10: Jordy, with Emily Vaughn.

Feb. 11: Hey, look out. It’s That 1 Guy. Feb. 12: Guitarist Hether.

Feb. 13: Israeli singer-songwriter Ninet Tayeb.

Feb. 14: Cailin Russo has an EP called “The Drama” so expect drama. Brandon Coleman has the late show.

Feb. 15: Chris Farren is back in Downtown for an early show, followed by the dance party TRAPicana. Yes, it’s what it sounds like.

Feb. 16: The Grateful Dead tribute show Cubensis is here.

Enjoy a long strange trip.

Resident 428 S. Hewitt St. or residentdtla.com.

CAREGIVER

DOWNTOWN NEWS 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Rhythm Section (2:10 and 5 p.m.); Uncut Gems (1:20 and 7:20 p.m.).

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Dogs can do more than just slobber over your shoes. Check out all of their unique abilities in Superpower Dogs 3D. Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing with the documentary Apollo 11.

What goes on in the suburbs? The new documentary Backyard Wilderness explores the animals hanging around the house.

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

Through Feb. 16: Birds of Prey (11 a.m., 12, 12:30, 1, 1:50, 3, 3:40, 4, 4:40, 5:30, 6:20, 7, 7:40, 8:20, 9, 9:40, 10:20 and 10:40 p.m.); Gretel & Hansel (11:10 a.m., 1:30, 3:50, 6:30 and 9 p.m.); The Rhythm Section (12:10, 3:30, 6:40 and 9:50 p.m.); The Gentlemen (1:20, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.); The Turning (11:50 a.m., 2:20, 5, 7:50 and 10:30 p.m.); Bad Boys for Life (12, 3:20, 6:40 and 10 p.m.); 1917 (1:10, 4:10, 7:10 and 10:10 p.m.); Uncut Gems (11:10 a.m., 2:40, 6:10 and 9:30 p.m.) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (11:30 a.m., 2:50, 6:10 and 9:50 p.m.).

CLASSICAL

Virtuosi with Ray Chen Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave. or colburnschool.edu.

Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.: The violinist joins Colburn students for a set of string suites.

Weimar Nightfall: The Seven Deadly Sins Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave. or laphil.org.

Feb. 13-15, 8 p.m., Feb. 16, 2 p.m. : Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts for musical theater the Los Angeles Philharmonic in collaboration with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and a group of actors and singers.

MUSEUMS

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

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

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

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

Through Feb. 16: Explore 26 years of Shirin Neshat’s work documenting alienation and exile in “Shirin Neshat: I Will Greet the Sun Again.”

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

Through Feb. 16: Metal is the vehicle for a look at appropriation and power in “LA Blacksmith.”

Through Feb. 16: “Dust in My Broom: Southern Vernacular from the Permanent Collection” uses drawings, sculpture, painting and more to trace the artistic legacy of the American South.

Through March 1: Catch the colorful and eclectic sculptures and installations of Timothy Washington in “Timothy Washington: Citizen/Ship.”

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

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

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

Ongoing: “Science in Toyland” presents physics through fa-

vorite kids’ toys. This hands-on exhibit engages museum visitors with Dominos, Sails and Roller Coasters in a fun, but informational primer on friction, momentum and chain reactions.

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

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

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

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

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

Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of the 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the Visitors Center; the Fire House Museum, which houses late 19th-century firefighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia.

Check the website for a full slate of fiestas. Open daily, though hours at shops and halls vary.

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

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

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

Through Fall: “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” explores the intersection of popular music and the National Pastime.

Through Sept. 2: A boy band beloved by some and reviled by others gets another moment in the spotlight in “Backstreet Boys: The Experience.”

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

Ongoing: “Roland Live” is a permanent installation courtesy of the electronic musical instrument maker, Roland Corporation. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to participate in the music-making process by playing a wide variety of products, from V-Drums and BOSS pedals to VIMA keyboards and the MV-8800 Production Studio.

MORE LISTINGS

Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews.com/calendar

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16 DOWNTOWN NEWS

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

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