I recently found myself sitting on a couch in a dark room inside the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts at USC watching a play-test of a brand-new interactive video game.  I use the term ‘interactive,’... (more...)

Ever wonder what happened to Ed Templeton?  That professional skateboarder turned internationally renowned artist, photographer, D.I.Y. innovator, entrepreneur, ‘Beautiful Loser,’ and book publisher? ... (more...)

The Academy Awards are upon us.  Like St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland or Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Oscar weekend takes over the city of Los Angeles in a joyous display of self-congratulations.  Don’t... (more...)

When most people think of portraiture, images of aristocracy adorned in their finest medieval robes atop a crackling grand fireplace in some remote European castle probably come to mind.  When I mention... (more...)

There is something about our daily commute these days that is visibly different.  Actually, now that we think of it, the streets of Los Angeles have changed, and we are thinking this change is for the... (more...)

Kimberly Brooks had a great idea recently.  The local, Venice-based painter decided to look into the art that plays a role in our everyday lives and the people holding the cards behind it.  She looked... (more...)

From George Washington on the Delaware, to Huck Finn on the Mississippi, to Katrina on the Gulf, rivers make up an integral part of the geographical, historical, cultural, political, and artistic landscape... (more...)

There are times when we wish we were still in school.  No, we aren’t talking about the recess and naptime days of elementary school, but rather those hazy college days when we could schedule classes... (more...)

Anyone who’s spent even a small amount of time on the African continent has a good idea of what people mean when they use the phrase “African nostalgia.”  Even if you haven’t traveled there, it’s... (more...)

Women’s Rights have come a long way since 1920, the year that the 19th Amendment granting women suffrage was finally passed. Since then, women have thrust their way through the second and third waves... (more...)

What do you get when you showcase the brightest and boldest of Angeleno performance artists?  GUTTED.  Gutted is the only word to describe Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions’ encompassing performance... (more...)

Finding the lobby of the brand new Pacific Stages theatre in El Segundo to see the debut production of their debut season, Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, is difficult.  The freshly-painted, modern alcove... (more...)

Rachel Whiteread, Study for Village - 1st, 2004 It is fascinating to see a sculptor’s preliminary study of his or her work. Especially if the artwork has been created, it is a glimpse into the ever... (more...)

One of Los Angeles’ most talented groups of classical musicians is also one of it’s most playful.  For people with very serious job descriptions that celebrate the world’s most revered classical... (more...)

Imagine it; it is year 4708.  It turns out that hovercrafts are passé and robots serve you breakfast in bed.  See, the future isn’t too bad. If you follow the lunar calendar, you know that year... (more...)

When you stop to think about women in countries like Argentina or in the countryside of Spain, what do you picture? If you’re anything like me, it’s a romantic vision of a flamenco dancer in a black... (more...)

If you’re like me and already dreading the mere idea of Valentine’s Day (and this dread may or may not have anything to do with your relationship status on Facebook), then it’s best to stop ignoring... (more...)

We need to talk. That phrase is probably the worst promise of punishment anyone could say. It likely means you messed up big time at the company holiday party as you sang karaoke until the wee morning... (more...)

It’s pretty safe to say at this point in Beethoven’s posthumous career, that the man was not a one hit wonder.  Sure, we’re more familiar with some of his works than others, but generally speaking... (more...)

There’s that old rule of thumb that you shouldn’t worry too much about little things – will you even remember what you were worried about 6 months from now? What about a year from now?... (more...)

No matter how many times I drag myself to the movie theater to see shows like Avatar in 3D or the latest Batman in I-Max, I always feel like I’m doing just that: dragging.  Throughout the last century,... (more...)

It seems only natural to combine our two first loves – art and food.  Yet that combination is rarely accomplished in a tasteful manner — that is, until recently. The artist group Fallen Fruit... (more...)

Angelenos love a good art walk. We hit the pavement for art walks all around town, including downtown, Silverlake, and the Miracle Mile.  And, we walk the art walk down La Cienega and in circles at... (more...)

American composer Robert Kurka’s only opera, Good Soldier Schweik, began life in 1956 as a six movement suite based on characters from the popular Czech antiwar novel of the same name, by Jaroslav Hask.... (more...)

It was only a little earlier today that the Los Angeles City Council voted down the proposition to eliminate the Transient Occupancy Tax (the TOT), the sole source of governmental funding behind of the... (more...)

I may be living in the “age of technology” here in 2010, with the smart phones and the talking GPS devices and the iTunes auto-DJ always at my disposal.  We’ve all become pretty accustomed to—and... (more...)

Glorya Kaufman’s contribution to dance in Los Angeles, and specifically at the Music Center, has already begun to impress.  They recently presented the Joffrey Ballet’s Cinderella and up next, on... (more...)

Like many students upon graduating from college, I had big aspirations and dreams. In my particular case, my goal was to become an actress, and I was so certain that my name in bright lights was just around... (more...)

The relationship between people and animals, domesticated and wild, is endlessly fascinating. Some we admire from afar with awe, like the cuddly-looking but ferocious polar bear, while others play ball... (more...)

I headed downtown, sniffling and sneezing the whole way, determined to revel in the magic of the Joffrey Ballet’s production of Cinderella at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  With a pounding sinus headache... (more...)