Olvera Street is in the oldest part of Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, and is part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. Many of the Plaza District's Historic Buildings are on Olvera Street, including the Avila Adobe (1818), the Pelanconi House (1857), and the Sepulveda House (1887). The tree-shaded, pedestrian mall marketplace with craft shops, restaurants and roving troubadours is a popular tourist destination.HistoryEarly daysLos Angeles was founded in 1781 by Spanish pobladores (settlers), on a site southeast of today's Olvera Street near the Los Angeles River. They consisted of 11 families — 44 men, women, and children — and were accompanied by a few Spanish soldiers. They had come from nearby Mission San Gabriel Arcángel to establish a secular pueblo on the banks of the Porciúncula River at the Indian village of Yang-na. The new town was named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles. Priests from San Gabriel established an asistencia (a sub-mission), the Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles Asistencia, to tend to their religious needs. The pueblo eventually built its own parish church, known today as the "Old Plaza Church." Unpredictable flooding forced the settlers to abandon the original site and move to higher ground in the early 1800s.
The Avila Adobe was built in 1818 by Francisco Avila and has the distinction of being the oldest standing residence in Los Angeles, California. It is located in the paseo of historical Olvera Street, a part of Los Angeles Plaza Historic District, a California State Historic Park. The building itself is registered as California Historical Landmark #145, while the entire historic district is both listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.The Plaza is the third location of the original Spanish settlement El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles sobre el Río Porciúncula, the first two having been washed out by flooding from the swollen Río Porciúncula (Los Angeles River). The Avila Adobe was one of the settlement's first houses to share street frontage in the Pueblo de Los Angeles of Spanish colonial Alta California.The walls of the Avila Adobe are 2.5- thick and are built from sun-baked adobe bricks. The original ceilings were 15ft high and supported by beams of cottonwood, which was available along the banks of the Los Angeles River. Though the roof appears slanted today, the original roof was flat. Tar (Spanish: brea) was brought up from the La Brea Tar Pits, located near the north boundary line of Avila's Rancho Las Cienegas. The tar was mixed with rocks and horsehair, a common binder in exterior building material, and applied to beams of the roof as a sealant from inclement weather.
Located at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, is the premier venue for the expression of traditional and contemporary art and culture from the Mexican, and Mexican American perspective.
Jai & Jai is a Gallery and Studio based in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
Founded in 1970, VC has been a pioneer in the development of Asian Pacific American film, video, and media. VC was founded by Duane Kubo, Robert Nakamura, Alan Ohashi, and Eddie Wong. Along with a core group of artists, filmmakers, photographers, and educators, VC’s founders began searching for visual resources to build a greater consciousness of Asian Pacific history in America. Fueled by the burgeoning Civil Rights and Anti-War movements, they set out creating learning kits, photographing community events, audiotaping stories, and collecting historical images of Asian American lives. In the 1970s and 80s, VC took on several ambitious projects in the independent film production arena. That first period of production saw the creation of over fifty films and videos, as well as the production of several educational filmstrips and major photographic exhibits – visual statements on the history and contemporary issues of Asians in the US. VC premiered the first ever full length Asian American film in 1980: Hito Hata: Raise the Banner. This landmark film was a building of a community-in-progress, involving artists, professional media personnel, scholars, community organizations, and countless number of individuals and community businesses in the making of the film. In the 1990s and 2000s, VC transitioned from a film production collective to a full-service media arts center. While VC still produced films in this period, the organization also provided support services for Asian American artists and filmmakers, workshops and trainings for the community, and more presentation opportunities for independent media in Los Angeles. Throughout our history, VC programs have evolved to meet the changing needs of a diverse Asian Pacific Community of over 25 different languages, cultures, and nationalities. The organization has created award winning productions, nurtured and given voice to our youth, promoted new artistic talent, presented new cinema, and preserved our visual history. Today, VC continues to be a conduit for the Asian Pacific global communities to the American public through its numerous arts programs. Our programming includes: the annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and year‐round screenings and exhibitions; the Armed With a Camera Fellowship for Emerging Media Artists; the Digital Histories video production and digital storytelling program for senior citizens; a Media Development Fund for independent filmmakers; and C3: The Conference for Creative Content. Visual Communications is also home to the VC Archives, one of the largest photographic and moving image archives on the Asian Pacific experience in America. We see media as a powerful tool to create and share meaningful perspectives, and our programs ensure that the AAPI community has access to the resources tell their unique stories.
The Union Center for the Arts anchors the northwestern end of the Little Tokyo Historic District. It was formerly Union Church, the combined home of three Japanese American congregations, was completed in 1923. With the onset of World War II, it was in front of this building that residents of the district joined the residents of Terminal Island, whose community had been razed 48 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Residents lined up with a single suitcase allowance awaiting transportation to join 10,000 people sent to the War Relocation Center in Manzanar in 1942. Most of those transported to the internment camps lost all of their property, and were unable to return to living in their old community after the war, scattering the population throughout the city. During the war the building was used as a community center for African Americans arriving from the deep south in search of work in wartime industry as part of the 'Great Migration'. The neighborhood had some of the only housing in the city that did not have restrictive housing covenants based on color, and quickly became highly populated. Three years into the war, the neighborhood was renamed Bronzeville, and was home to crowded conditions and 'breakfast clubs' - jazz clubs that were known to stay open until dawn. In 1943, a part of the 'Zoot Suit Riots' spread into the area. At the close of 1945 the Japanese Americans gradually began re-establishing a community center, where LIttle Tokyo remains a very diverse part of central Los Angeles. The building located on Judge John Aiso Street was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, leaving it unusable. The Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the building in 1998 to house three arts organizations - the East West Players, Visual Communications and LA Artcore, and is a successful example of adaptive reuse.
THE AGE OF PORNOGRAPHY Written by Rob Waller Directed by Anthony Laques Starring Tucker Bryan and Matt Sobel The first play written by Rob Waller, lead singer of the critically acclaimed folk/country band I SEE HAWKS IN LA, The Age of Pornography takes place at the end of Labor Day Weekend, 1996 in an apartment in San Francisco’s Western Addition District. It’s the early dawn of the digital era. Before cell phones. Before Yahoo. Before Monica Lewinski. Tom and Albert are roommates and best friends since middle school. But their relationship has reached a critical point. Tomorrow Albert is leaving for graduate school on the East Coast. Meanwhile, Tom is plotting his rise to rock and roll stardom. In the midst of all these transformations, the two friends accomplish a dizzying sexual feat. Now, bound together by a 1960′s 3M Wollensak reel to reel tape recorder, they need to make sense of the night, pack the apartment, and make their peace with each other and themselves. The four performances will take place in the Vignes Arts Spaces, a collection of work/live lofts in the arts district near Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. We've been working hard to recreate San Francisco in the mid-90s and we'd like to invite you upstairs into Tom and Albert's apartment for an intimate and unique theater experience. Shows will be on the following days at 9pm: Friday and Saturday February 25th and 26th Friday and Saturday March 4th and 5th Tickets are $10. Doors open at 8:30 for guests on the RSVP list and 8:45 for the general public. To be placed on the RSVP list please e-mail the names of everyone in your party to [email protected]. Produced by Daniel Superman Lawlor and BAL Theatre Works
KCRW is proud to present Prohibition NYE 2015. Celebrate New Year's Eve and the Roaring Twenties at Los Angeles' historic Union Station featuring a very special performance by Le Youth. This elegant occasion will transport you to the glamour and forbidden excitement of the Golden Twenties. Guests will be treated to a free-flowing premium open-bar, our illustrious oyster bar, and live jazz from Lyndsay & the All-Nighters, plus many more surprises including a 40 foot custom ball-drop and NYE countdown! Come witness an unforgettable performance from our flapper dance troupe as they pay homage to the speakeasy era of Downtown Los Angeles. Guests will be treated to the summer-suited sound of the Los Angeles-based electronic duo, Bee's Knees. Prohibition NYE is a 21+ event. Formal attire required. A portion of all proceeds to benefit the Akola Project.
THE AGE OF PORNOGRAPHY Written by Rob Waller Directed by Anthony Laques Starring Tucker Bryan and Matt Sobel The first play written by Rob Waller, lead singer of the critically acclaimed folk/country band I SEE HAWKS IN LA, The Age of Pornography takes place at the end of Labor Day Weekend, 1996 in an apartment in San Francisco’s Western Addition District. It’s the early dawn of the digital era. Before cell phones. Before Yahoo. Before Monica Lewinski. Tom and Albert are roommates and best friends since middle school. But their relationship has reached a critical point. Tomorrow Albert is leaving for graduate school on the East Coast. Meanwhile, Tom is plotting his rise to rock and roll stardom. In the midst of all these transformations, the two friends accomplish a dizzying sexual feat. Now, bound together by a 1960′s 3M Wollensak reel to reel tape recorder, they need to make sense of the night, pack the apartment, and make their peace with each other and themselves. The four performances will take place in the Vignes Arts Spaces, a collection of work/live lofts in the arts district near Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. We've been working hard to recreate San Francisco in the mid-90s and we'd like to invite you upstairs into Tom and Albert's apartment for an intimate and unique theater experience. Shows will be on the following days at 9pm: Friday and Saturday February 25th and 26th Friday and Saturday March 4th and 5th Tickets are $10. Doors open at 8:30 for guests on the RSVP list and 8:45 for the general public. To be placed on the RSVP list please e-mail the names of everyone in your party to [email protected]. Produced by Daniel Superman Lawlor and BAL Theatre Works
Since opening in 2007, The Box’s mission has been to create a diverse art program surveying historical artists and their contemporaries. By exhibiting artists of multiple generations, the gallery has established a discursive critical voice in addressing and viewing varying perspectives of art within the larger context of contemporary artistic practices. Covering a time span of nearly five decades, our artists have dealt with the historical elements that have been integral to the development of art today. Whereas younger artists supply a fresh mode of thinking, artists belonging to past generations provide a historical basis in which to contextualize the expansive development of art today. We are interested in working with artists who think in an unconventional way about the expansion of art’s definition through artists’ questioning of space and spatial boundaries, artist responsibility, and the movement of art out of the traditional gallery space. The Box showcases, as well as commissions emerging contemporary work with artists who work using variety of mediums including but not limited to painting, sculpture, dance, video, film, performance and musical performances. Working with and alongside living artists creates unique opportunities for both the gallery and the artists to explore new modes of curating. We believe that by broadening the scope of art shown, viewers are encouraged to think about art more liberally, to explore their own boundaries. Many of our represented artists have had limited formal recognition by mainstream art institutions. We believe that not only to these artists deserve to be shown, the viewers of Los Angeles deserve to see this work. Influential exhibitions include Wally Hedrick’s socio-political “War Room” (2008), the Los Angeles Poverty Department’s “Skid Row History Museum,” John Altoon’s “Drawings 1962-68” (2008) and Barbara T Smith’s “Field Piece” (2008). We are fortunate to have seen our artists such as Judith Bernstein, Simone Forti, John Altoon, and Barbara T Smith achieve greater visibility and critical success, both in the US and internationally, since exhibiting their work at the Box. The Box’s programming creates a unique environment that encourages viewers to discuss the work they see. Events range from video and film screenings, panel discussions, open forum discussions, lectures and performances that are specific to the coinciding exhibition. In many cases these events create a casual social space where the viewer is welcomed in the artists’ investigative properties of process, matter, and procedure. The importance of such diverse programming lies in the assertion that what is important are not the answers given, but the questions asked. Most importantly, the Box remain committed to the idea that the responsibility of the gallery is that of curator, editor, collaborator, cultural critic, and at times artwork co-producer, in creating a dynamic system to present and reinterpret artwork through its exhibitionary platform.
Jai & Jai is a Gallery and Studio based in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
District Gallery is a project of Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Space (LADADSpace), a 501(c)(3) arts non-profit founded in 2004 dedicated to preserving and nurturing the culture of creativity in Los Angeles' downtown Arts District and to the creation of an Arts District Center for the Arts. Among the artists whose work has been shown at the gallery are William Acedo, Richard Ankrom, A.S. Ashley, Matt Aston, Bill Barminski, Iva Hladis, Jamie Itagaki, Jose De Juan, David Hollen, Catherine Kaleel, Richard Kessler, Emmeric Konrad, Tod Lychkoff, Suzi Moon, J.W. Pippen, Rick Robinson, Sheila Rollins, Alex Schaefer, Rafael Serrano, Alex Tavoularis and Zenka
We are on the cusp of a new soundscape. Over Easy LA is a monthly music club that promotes progressive music and culture.
Sad People Talking is an experimental weekly live comedy show, featuring new material from the best Los Angeles and national stand-up comedic performers. ______________________________________________________
Tokyo Status in a traveling airship featuring talented artists and bands found by Rayko of Japanese-American band Lolita Dark. Featuring artists from the U.S., Asia, and all parts of the world, Tokyo Status offers a unique line-up of epic alt-rock and metal with a global twist! Other attractions at the event include DJ after party, Karaoke, fashion vendors and the airline-themed "Tokyo Status" flight crew! All Ages Welcome! We're looking for local bands! Booking: [email protected] About Lolita Dark Lolita Dark is a 6 piece Female Fronted Bilingual Rock Band with roots in Southern California and Japan who formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents. The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/songwriter/Multi-Instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist/Engineer Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band “Dig Jelly.” After months of writing, recording, and self producing, Lolita Dark enlisted lead guitarist Patrick Cabrera, co vocalist and keyboardist Kaoru (K-Lu), and the newest member/second lead guitar Christopher Fuentes. Lolita Dark gained a massive popularity especially in the Anime Convention Circuit throughout the States, over 2000 copies of their debut release “Tokyo Status” and their second album "Queen's Decade" were sold out in just a few months after it's release, independently. Lolita Dark became a fan favorite as Guest Of Honors at quite large numbers of Anime Conventions and Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market. Lolita Dark got signed to a Japanese record label called Spark in 2015, and their International debut album "Citizen's Revenge" was released on July 6th 2016 through Universal Records Japan. Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits. 2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。 The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and co vocalist and keyboardist Kaoru Enjoji (K-Lu), lead guitarist Patrick Cabrera, and the newest member/second lead guitar Christopher Fuentes. LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加え、新たに新メンバーとして east coast 出身のChristopher Fuentes (Gtr) を加えた国際的なバンド構成。 2015年には日本のレコード会社、Sparkと5年間の契約を結び、翌年7月6日に国際デビュ＝アルバム "Citizen's Revenge" を Universal Records Japan から発売！ これからもバンドの大活躍が期待されている。