Spotlight

LA Art Show OPENING NIGHT

• By Caroline Lenher
• Photo By Paige Petrone

The premiere of the LA Art Show was February 15, and it was a night to remember, from the fashion to the food and, of course, the art! Over 120 galleries displayed art from countries including South Korea, Japan, Dubai, Switzerland, Colombia and across North America.

Actress and singer Ashley Tisdale hosted the event benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The LA Art Show donates 15% of ticket proceeds to support their research and find cures to save children.

The five-day LA Art Show is a must-see, and next year, plan to attend the opening night. Guests, celebrities, and artists walk the red carpet and mingle with guests. Celebrity sightings included Terry Crews, Yissendy Trinidad and Dania Ramirez.

The premiere night offers exclusive access to the show before the public. It was an incredible night to enjoy food and beverages provided by LAArtsOnline partners while viewing beautiful works of art. As this is an intimate setting, I talked with artists and learned about their work and how they approach their craft. It is truly a special experience.

Additionally, we watched iconic Los Angeles artist Robert Vargas create live the second piece for his The sacRED Project series. The powerful mural, Protect The Life Givers, was displayed through the weekend.

For event photos, click here. For more on the LA Art Show, click here. See you next year!

LA Theatre Week

• By Cynthia Lum

Live theater for just $20 in Los Angeles, Inland Empire, and Orange County?! Don’t miss this amazing opportunity. LA Theatre Week, a two-week-long celebration of the performing arts, will be happening from March 13-26, with tickets to more than 75 productions with many starting at just $20. 

With the pandemic raging throughout the world and theaters having been closed and performances cancelled, many of us have lived our lives by streaming performing arts online. Now it’s time to celebrate LA’s vibrant live theater experience. This new annual event makes the performing arts more accessible, and democratic for all. 

During LA Theatre Week, no one is far from a great live performance — throughout the campaign, there will be unprecedented access to shows all over Greater Los Angeles. Participating shows and performing arts organizations include musicals such as 1776 (Ahmanson Theatre), Hairspray (Dolby Theatre, Segerstrom), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (La Mirada Theatre), Chicago (Segerstrom), the new production of The Secret Garden (Ahmanson Theatre), Spring Awakening (East West Players), and the World Premiere of A Transparent Musical (Mark Taper Forum). A wide variety of plays — both classic and new — are on offer, including Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman (A Noise Within), Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Mark Taper Forum), Coleman ’72 (South Coast Rep), and Stew (Pasadena Playhouse).
 
For the full list of productions and to purchase tickets (starting February 27), click here.

EATALY

• Story / Photo By PAIGE PETRONE

I must confess I’m a bit obsessed with Eataly right now. Located inside the Century City Mall, Eataly is an Italian market on steroids! It really is special! Boasting three levels, the second floor is where the action is. You will find a bakery, fish monger, butcher, produce display, deli counter, cheese station, pizza station, fresh pasta counter, and the dessert counter … all nestled in and around imported delicacies (from Italy!) for purchase on the shelves all around you.

Eataly also offers gelato and a coffee bar (on the first level), and three restaurants. Two, Capri and La Pizza & La Pasta, are located on the second floor, and Terra (wood burning Italian Grill), a bar and lounge, is located on the rooftop. I highly recommend that you go for lunch, then shop the market and finish at the dessert counter. They have open seating nearby, so you can sit, relax, and enjoy.

Recently, I enjoyed another special lunch at La Pizza & La Pasta, and it never disappoints. All the pasta is so fresh and really to die for! They change up the menu seasonally, but we enjoyed the Agnolotti (filled with the freshest ricotta), Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese (beef and pork), Salsicciotta pizza (with mushrooms and sweet sausage), and a traditional Margherita. Try it all! I’m going to! Already planning my next visit!

For more, click here.

ALIENCON

• By KENNE HOFFMAN

The truth is out there! We can’t be the only living creatures that exist. I keep an open mind, as we all should. Only recently has disclosure become more common. I watch the skies occasionally. Who doesn’t? I remain skeptical but optimistic that if there are other life forms out there, or even already among us, we may in our lifetime learn the truth. AlienCon returns to Pasadena Convention Center this month. The ultimate fan experience for all things not of this earth is inspired by the History Channel’s popular series Ancient Aliens, The Secrets of Skinwalker Ranch, The UnXplained, and The Proof is Out There, which all look at the possibility of life beyond earth. With an emphasis on scientific research, AlienCon covers the scope of unexplained alien phenomena from ancient Egypt and the Mayans to present day.

Where better than Pasadena for a convention like this? According to the National UFO Reporting Center, LA County has had 3,222 unexplained ariel and underwater events between 1942 and 2021. Step aside Roswell! California has had over 5,000 incidents reported including Native American encounters and the 1942 Battle of Los Angeles.

As UFO and UAP sightings continue being reported, thousands of people from all walks of life will gather to discuss theories surrounding extraterrestrial beings. Many big names in the field will participate, including bestselling author Erich von Daniken, Georgio Tsoukalos, co-executive producer of Ancient Aliens, Dr. Travis Taylor, astrophysicist and former chief scientist of the UAP Task Force, and Nick Pope, who worked for the UK’s Ministry of Defense, and more!

If you want to believe, get your tickets here.