Greater LA

A new exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center details the story of one Jewish family’s fight to reclaim art that was stolen by Nazis. Walter Mosley is known for writing crime novels. But his latest book, Touched, is science fiction. It involves the Big Bang and threats to the planet. One of the laws that Gov. Newsom recently signed will give fast food workers higher wages, more on-site safety, and their own council. Meanwhile, he said cannabis cafes violate smoke-free workplace protections.

LA has large populations from both the Israeli and Palestinian diaspora, and many are reeling from Hamas’ attacks near the Gaza strip and the Israeli government’s retaliation. As burglaries and robberies rise at LA’s cannabis shops, owners double down on security measures. The Made in LA biennial features 39 local artists from various neighborhoods and backgrounds. Some of the work centers on quotidian scenes of domestic life.

The South Central Run Club is using the sport to build up community and wellness in the neighborhood. A year ago, three LA City Council members had an insiders’ talk about how to control Los Angeles’ redistricting. The racist audio was leaked, decimating trust in local government. Sacred Places Institute is a community-based organization working to protect land and water that once belonged to Indigenous tribes in California.

Vernon, an industrial city with a population of just 222, is poised to add up to 874 new units of housing. This weekend at The Ford theater, The Milk Carton Kids will host the LA Folk Festival, where “misfits” and folk musicians can connect. At Burbank’s IKEA, an art residency inspires people to get creative with furniture, monkey wrenches, and maybe even meatballs.

This past weekend, tenant advocates, labor unions, workers, and renters marched in Downtown LA to demand good wages, better employee benefits, and housing security. Curators Diana Nawi and Pablo José Ramiréz traveled across LA to put together the Hammer Museum’s biennial show, Made in LA. It features works by 39 local artists.

In the latest season of her podcast “The Dream,” skeptical journalist Jane Marie investigates the legitimacy of the life coaching industry. For the last 50 years, Robert Sanchez (a.k.a. Pnutman) has been a vendor at Dodger Stadium. He shares how he got the job, and climbed the ranks from selling soda to peanuts — and even pizza.  The Tom of Finland Foundation will be holding an Art & Culture Festival this weekend at SoHo Warehouse. All art shown will nod to founder Tom of Finland’s erotic work.

Two El Sereno residents opened a market to give their neighbors access to affordable and healthy food, plus a sense of community. For just 12 days, Hadestown is returning to Los Angeles – the city where two producers began to develop the original album into a hit musical. Jordan Brandman was a former Anaheim City Council member who resigned amid scandal and eventually became a whistleblower. He died over the weekend.

A new, three-year collective history project from the nonprofit Clockshop is gathering stories and memories from rapidly changing communities along the LA River. The iconic Roxy Theatre turned 50 this month. Neil Young kicked off the anniversary celebrations, and Rickie Lee Jones will keep them going with a performance in October. Artist Jane Tsong’s Underflow LA is a project is showcasing underground river sounds from across the city.

Last weekend, about 1,000 people gathered at the LA International Ukulele Festival in Torrance to celebrate the little instrument with a big following. Yunte Huang’s final book in his Rendezvous with American History trilogy focuses on the remarkable life of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong. The LA Public Library has acquired thousands of unpublished celebrity pictures by John Verzi. They were auctioned off to the library after the postal worker’s death in 2018. 

The Pizza Strike Fund is a grassroots effort to feed Hollywood writers and actors. Volunteers have delivered over 2,500 cheesy and meaty pies to picket lines since May. Nick Offerman is best known as an actor (Parks and Recreation), but he’s also an author. His latest book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play, is coming out in paperback. For 15 years, the Hola México Film Festival has been bringing the best of Mexican cinema to Los Angeles. Now they’re celebrating with a big quinceañera party.