{"id":261249,"date":"2026-04-10T15:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T15:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/261249\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T15:52:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T15:52:13","slug":"readers-react-to-lacmas-new-david-geffen-galleries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/261249\/","title":{"rendered":"Readers react to LACMA&#8217;s new David Geffen Galleries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This week saw the publication of The Times\u2019 tremendous package on the imminent opening of Los Angeles County Museum of Art\u2019s new David Geffen Galleries. The nearly $724-million new building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, which opens to members on April 19, with general admission beginning May 3, has been a lightning rod for split opinions for nearly two decades \u2014 and it seems not much has changed. <\/p>\n<p>We ran five stories: architecture critic <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-08\/los-angeles-county-museum-of-art-new-david-geffen-galleries-rule-bending-alive-disorienting-ambitious\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sam Lubell\u2019s review of the building<\/a>; art critic <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-08\/17-unmissable-works-of-art-at-los-angeles-county-museum-of-arts-new-david-geffen-galleries\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Leah Ollman\u2019s roundup of 17 must-see artworks currently installed<\/a> in the galleries; my  report on  <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-08\/lacma-david-geffen-galleries-cost-price-how-was-money-spent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">how, exactly, the $724 million was spent<\/a>;  and an up-close look at the <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-08\/alexander-calder-fountain-back-lacma-david-geffen-galleries\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reinstallation of Alexander Calder\u2019s fountain sculpture, \u201cThree Quintains (Hello Girls),\u201d<\/a> which was among the museum\u2019s very first commissions when it opened in 1965. We also included a <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-08\/lacma-map-david-geffen-galleries-cafe-wine-bar-jeff-koons-sculpture\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">handy map to the new campus<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Each article attracted its fair share of reader comments \u2014 for and against \u2014 the new building. I\u2019m rounding up nine that best reflect  reader consensus.  (Note: Comments don\u2019t have formal names attached.)<\/p>\n<p>1. \u201cUgh. I hate that building. It does nothing to activate the street itself and Wilshire should be an active urban street with thousands of people walking. The design is a puddle of oil seeping high above and across the boulevard that conflicts with its surroundings. For all of that gross amount of money spent it should be universally positively recognized. But it\u2019s not and most of the citizens that have commented about it don\u2019t appear to be too happy with a building its creators expect to exist for hundreds of years. What a blotch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>2. \u201cOne will always wonder: what would Frank have done if he had ended up with the commission for replacing LACMA\u2019s core campus. Did he ever venture to tell anyone what approach he might have pursued?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A high priest of design has given Los Angeles a plebian concrete maze (period) which demands that visitors ascend one story above the ground plane for the sake of art. Rather than the prospect of random wandering, this respondent wonders whether Mister Gehry may have otherwise had no fear of paying homage to the classical idea of hierarchy, would have elevated our better angels and given us a singular or particular reason (aspiration) to go upwards at a far greater extent, first off, then return to the ground plane mixing formal and random paths.<\/p>\n<p>With Disney Hall he became an emotional hierarch of the city and his discountment from this project will always remain a great tragedy. He understood us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>3. \u201cI love LACMA\u2019s collection and have been going several times a year for a long time. Very excited to check out the new galleries. Contrary to a lot of other commenters, I find the architecture of the new building fresh and exciting, and I appreciate how it hangs over Wilshire in a manner that incorporates the museum directly into the city.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>4. \u201cI loved the old museum. I really hope I\u2019m wrong, but I\u2019m afraid the new one will be disappointing. Less display space, chaotic organization and galleries that on paper look like warehouse spaces make me wonder how successful the new museum will be. I look forward to visiting and finding out for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>5. \u201cI\u2019m amazed that it is almost 11:00 AM and I am posting the first comment here. Does nobody reading the L.A. Times care about this very expensive reimagining of our County Art Museum, $125 million of which was funded by our taxpayers? What I want to know now is whether any these 17 pieces are adjacently-placed in some idiosyncratic curatorial thematic scheme that will elude both common sense and intuition of most museum visitors? How is this reduced gallery capacity with ever-changing displays providing access to art to the people that helped to fund it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>6. \u201cI look forward to visiting this museum and experiencing its uniqueness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>7. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the worst decisions in art-world history. Destroy perfectly functional galleries and spend hundreds of millions on smaller galleries. And they are ugly. It\u2019s a mockery of art to place a beautiful painting on those concrete walls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>8. \u201cI knew there would be a bunch of negative Nellies in the comment section lol. I LOVE the new building and interior spaces (as pictured) I can\u2019t wait to see and experience the unique curatorial displays!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>9. \u201cHow exciting for Los Angeles! I can\u2019t wait to see it and love that we now have such a world class forward thinking art museum in L.A. Money well spent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m Arts editor Jessica Gelt, getting the conversation started. Here\u2019s your arts and culture news for the week.<\/p>\n<p>        You\u2019re reading Essential Arts     <\/p>\n<p data-element=\"module-description\" class=\"mt-0 mb-4 max-w-150 font-cms-font-service-text text-xs-2 text-cms-color-description-text leading-4.5\">Our critics and reporters guide you through events and happenings of L.A. <\/p>\n<p data-element=\"module-disclaimer\" class=\"inline-block max-w-lg mt-0 mb-3 font-cms-font-service-text text-xs text-cms-color-disclaimer-text [&amp;_a]:text-cms-rich-text-link-color-text\"> By continuing, you agree to our <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/terms-of-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/privacy-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n<p>        The week ahead: A curated calendar<\/p>\n<p>FRIDAY<br \/>Blue Kiss<br \/>An SAT tutoring session takes unexpected twists and turns when a teacher learns his student is not who she claims to be in this drama by playwright Stephen Fife. Directed by Mike Reilly.<br \/>8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 17. Ruskin Group Theatre, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ruskingrouptheatre.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ruskingrouptheatre.com<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Camerata Pacifica <br \/>Principal pianist Gilles Vonsattel performs his second solo recital of the season featuring three piano sonatas by Beethoven.<br \/>7 p.m. Friday. Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara; 8 p.m. Sunday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/cameratapacifica.org\/concerts-25-26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">cameratapacifica.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Danish String Quartet and Danish National Girls\u2019 Choir<br \/>Two of Denmark\u2019s cultural treasures team up for an evening that includes a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang.<br \/>7 p.m. Friday. Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/artsandlectures.ucsb.edu\/events-tickets\/events\/25-26\/danish-string-quartet-and-danish-girls-choir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">artsandlectures.ucsb.edu<\/a>; 8 p.m. Saturday. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philharmonicsociety.org\/concerts-events\/dsq-dgc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">philharmonicsociety.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Lise Davidsen and Freddie De Tommaso<br \/>The celebrated opera singers return backed by an all-star orchestra of classical musicians.<br \/>7:30 p.m. BroadStage, Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/broadstage.org\/tickets-shows\/calendar\/lise-davidsen-freddie-de-tommaso\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">broadstage.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>History of the Tango<br \/>Violinist Martin Chalifour, in musical dialogue with guitarist Mak Grgic, reveals the evolution of Argentina\u2019s iconic style.<br \/>8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sierramadreplayhouse.org\/event\/historyofthetango2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sierramadreplayhouse.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Installation view, &quot;Instant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody,&quot; 2026. Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836330_628_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Installation view, \u201cInstant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody,\u201d 2026. Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>(Paul Salveson\/Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects)<\/p>\n<p>Instant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody<br \/>Archival material and design elements set the scene for this exhibition exploring the experimental theatre movement founded by Rosenthal in 1955 and continued with her husband into the 1960s, an antecedent to the performance art of the 1960s and 1970s.<br \/>Through May 23. Roberts Projects, 442 S. La Brea Ave. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.robertsprojectsla.com\/exhibitions\/instant-theatre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">robertsprojectsla.com<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Spectacular Brooding<br \/>Writer, dancer and experimental filmmaker Harmony Holiday explores Black grief in this multimedia exhibition involving the preparation of a solo dance piece. On Wednesdays at noon, Holiday will take Katherine Dunham Technique classes with choreographer Bernard Brown in the gallery.<br \/>Noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; Through July 5. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown L.A. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.redcat.org\/events\/2026\/harmony-holiday\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">redcat.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Turangal\u00eela<br \/>Australian conductor Simone Young leads the L.A. Phil, featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet on piano and Cynthia Millar on the theremin-like 1920s instrument ondes martenot, in Olivier Messiaen\u2019s symphony inspired by the tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde.<br \/>8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.laphil.com\/events\/performances\/3760\/2026-04-10\/turangalila\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">laphil.com<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Tyshawn Sorey Trio<br \/>Featuring the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist, pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Harish Raghavan, this modern jazz ensemble riffs on original compositions and breathes new life into the American Songbook. <br \/>8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/cap.ucla.edu\/event\/tyshawn-sorey-trio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">cap.ucla.edu<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>SATURDAY<br \/>The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville<br \/>Mamie Gummer and Gigi Bermingham star in a new Southern Gothic comedy written by Julie Shavers and directed by Daniel O\u2019Brien.<br \/>8 p.m. Saturday; April 17-18, April 25, May 1. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/whitefire.stagey.net\/projects\/13984\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">whitefire.stagey.net<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Ifugao people of the Philippines leaving a harvest on a terraced mountain.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"633\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836331_758_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>The Ifugao people of the Philippines leaving a harvest, from the immersive exhibition, \u201cMountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(Fowler Museum)<\/p>\n<p>Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines<br \/>An immersion into the world of the Ifugao, an Indigenous Filipino group known for high-altitude farming, via this exhibition\u2019s carved guardians, ritual bowls, woven blankets, farming tools, soundscapes and video installations.<br \/>Opening, 6-9 p.m. Saturday; Walkthrough, 1 p.m. Sunday; \u201cDecolonizing Philippine History\u201d talk, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday. Fowler Museum at UCLA, 308 Charles E. Young Drive North. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/fowler.ucla.edu\/exhibitions\/mountain-spirits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">fowler.ucla.edu<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Mutate<br \/>L.A. Dance Project presents this selection of multi-medium performances curated by Masha Cherezova, whose relationship to dance changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. The evening includes performances from Skylar Campbell, former principal dancer of Canada National Ballet, and dancer Jaclyn Oakley, USC BFA student Garris Munez in a world premiere choreographed by Cherezova, and comedian and breast cancer survivor Julia Johns, plus film screenings from various artists. All profits will be donated to Blood Cancer United.<br \/>8 p.m. 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/ladanceproject.org\/events\/ladp-presents-mutate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ladanceproject.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>OperaFest LA<br \/>The diverse festival returns to celebrate the city\u2019s rich opera community. Participating companies and venues include Beth Morrison Projects, LA Opera, Long Beach Opera, Overtone Industries, Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater, Synchromy, the Industry, the Wallis, and USC Thornton School of Music. The opening week features selected performances from various groups and a panel discussion at the Wallis; Long Beach Opera commemorates the release of the first commercial recording of Anthony Davis\u2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning opera \u201cThe Central Park Five,\u201d which was commissioned and premiered by LBO in 2019 and remounted in 2022; and the Industry presents composer Veronika Krausas and Her Rogue\u2019s Gallery performing selections from her work, including \u201cHopscotch,\u201d \u201cGhost Opera,\u201d \u201cThe Mortal Thoughts of Lady Macbeth.\u201d<br \/>Kickoff Panel &amp; Performance, 4 p.m. Saturday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. 6 p.m. Saturday. \u201cCelebrating the Central Park Five Opera,\u201d 440 Elm, 440 Elm, Long Beach. Veronika Krausas, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Monk Space, 4414 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles. OperaFest LA continues through May 30. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.operafestla.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">operafestla.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Temporal Echoes<br \/>The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and music director Jaime Mart\u00edn are joined by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers for the West Coast premiere of Eric Whitacre\u2019s \u201cThe Pacific Has No Memory\u201d and Vaughan Williams\u2019 \u201cThe Lark Ascending.\u201d a timeless ode to lyricism and light. Music Director Jaime Mart\u00edn unveils Juhi Bansal\u2019s celebratory new work for Sound Investment\u2019s 25th anniversary, followed by the searing intensity of Shostakovich\u2019s Chamber Symphony and the sparkling brilliance of Prokofiev\u2019s \u201cClassical\u201d Symphony. A program of passion, poetry, power, and unforgettable resonance.<br \/>7:30 p.m. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.laco.org\/events\/martin-bansal-shostakovich\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">laco.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>A Weekend with Bong Joon Ho<br \/>The Oscar-winning filmmaker hosts screenings of the 2007 thriller \u201cZodiac,\u201d with special guest, director David Fincher, and his own 2025 sci-fi satire \u201cMickey 17.\u201d<br \/>\u201cZodiac,\u201d 7:30 p.m. Saturday; \u201cMickey 17,\u201d 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.academymuseum.org\/programs\/series\/a-weekend-with-bong-joon-ho\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">academymuseum.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>SUNDAY<br \/>Chamber On The Mountain<br \/>The duo Dyad \u2014 violinist Niv Ashkenazi and bassoonist Leah Kohn \u2014 performs their own arrangements of selections from Ernest Bloch, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Niccolo Paganini, Irving Berlin, Bruce Babcock, Johann Sebastian Bach, Camille Saint-Sa\u00ebns and George Gershwin.<br \/>3 p.m. Logan House at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Ojai. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chamberonthemountain.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">chamberonthemountain.com<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Eat Me<br \/>The world premiere of a play, written by Talene Monahon and directed by Caitlin Sullivan, about a group of foodies in search of fulfillment; part of SCR\u2019s annual Pacific Playwrights Festival.<br \/>Previews, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; Opening night, 7:30 p.m. April 17; continues through May 3. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scr.org\/plays\/productions\/25-26-season\/eat-me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">scr.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Poetry in the Garden: Scores<br \/>National Poetry Month and Earth Month find a natural juncture at this free, daylong event, co-presented with Dublab, featuring live poetry and music inspired by \u201cThe Scores Project: Experimental Notation in Music, Art, Poetry and Dance 1950-1975 .\u201d The project is shaped by midcentury experimental artists like Yvonne Rainer, John Cage and Benjamin Patterson. Performers include contemporary DJs. musicians and poets.<br \/>11:30 a.m.\u20136:30 p.m. 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getty.edu\/calendar\/poetry-in-the-garden-scores\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">getty.edu<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>MONDAY<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Ruben Ochoa, &quot;Class: C.&quot; The Ochoa family's former tortilla delivery van transformed into a mobile art gallery.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"771\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836331_63_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Ruben Ochoa, \u201cClass: C.\u201d The Ochoa family\u2019s former tortilla delivery van transformed into a mobile art gallery.<\/p>\n<p>(Ruben Ochoa)<\/p>\n<p>Breakdown\/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure<br \/>Part 1 of this two-part exhibition probing the ecological cost of L.A.\u2019s human-made landscape presents the photography of Ruben Ochoa alongside works by Carlos Almaraz and Pat Gomez. Part 2 is \u201cClass: C,\u201d a pop-up gallery created by Ochoa, who transformed his family\u2019s Chevy van into a mobile studio and exhibition space while a student at UC Irvine, and now repurposes it to present work by the school\u2019s current students and alumni. An artist talk with Ochoa is scheduled for April 18.<br \/>\u201cBreakdown\/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure,\u201d 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays\u2013Saturdays, through May 16. UC Irvine Langson Museum Interim Gallery, 18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. \u201cClass: C\u201d pop-up gallery, Monday-April 18 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre Plaza, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine; Artist Talk with Ochoa, 2 p.m. April 18. UC Irvine Langson Museum, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imca.uci.edu\/exhibition\/breakdown-breakthrough-art-and-infrastructure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">imca.uci.edu<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>TUESDAY<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"John Waters\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836331_524_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>John Waters<\/p>\n<p>(The Luckman)<\/p>\n<p>Going to Extremes: A John Waters 80th Birthday Celebration<br \/>The boundary-pushing cult filmmaker and raconteur holds court with behind-the-scenes tales and commentary on the brink of his becoming an octogenarian (April 22).<br \/>8 p.m. The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/theluckman.org\/events\/john-waters-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">theluckman.org<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>THURSDAY<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"An image from Barbara Kopple's &quot;Harlan County, U.S.A.'\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836332_676_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>An image from Barbara Kopple\u2019s \u201cHarlan County, U.S.A.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>(American Cinematheque)<\/p>\n<p>This Is Not A Fiction<br \/>The American Cinematheque\u2019s celebration of documentary filmmaking kicks off with the 50th anniversary premiere of a 4k restoration of Barbara Kopple\u2019s L.A.\u201dHarlan County, USA\u201d and a Q&amp;A with the filmmaker. The festival continues with screenings and appearances by Ross McElwee (\u201cSherman\u2019s March,\u201d \u201cPhotographic Memory\u201d) and Gianfranco Rossi (\u201cNotturno\u201d), plus anniversary screenings of \u201cPopstar: Never Stop Never Stopping\u201d and \u201cJackass Number Two\u201d and more.<br \/>7:30 p.m. Thursday. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. The festival runs through April 24 at the Aero; Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.americancinematheque.com\/series\/this-is-not-a-fiction-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">americancinematheque.com<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Arts Everywhere<\/p>\n<p>New and recent releases of arts-related media.<\/p>\n<p>Alice Neel: I Am the Century<br \/>The catalog for the American artist\u2019s first major retrospective in Italy, presented by the gallery Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin through May 4, provides an artistic and biographical profile of the Pennsylvania-born painter (1900-1984). Neel defied the abstract expressionism of her contemporaries with a distinctive style of portraiture that exposed the psychological truth of her subjects. The bilingual text (English and Italian) features contributions from curators, scholars and artists, alongside 60 of Neel\u2019s works and archival documents. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moussemagazine.it\/shop\/alice-neel-i-am-the-century\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mousse Publishing: 272 pp. $50<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Three young friends make a promise to each other.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836332_497_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Daniel Radcliffe, left, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez in the movie \u201cMerrily We Roll Along.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(Sony Pictures Classics)<\/p>\n<p>Merrily We Roll Along<br \/>Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez star in Maria Friedman\u2019s film of her acclaimed 2025 revival staging of the Stephen Sondheim musical that originally flopped in 1981. \u201cCaptured at the Hudson Theatre last year during its Tony-winning Broadway run, this \u2018Merrily\u2019 is stirring evidence of a hit production,\u201d wrote Robert Abele in his <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/movies\/story\/2025-12-05\/merrily-we-roll-along-review-movie-broadway-daniel-radcliffe-jonathan-groff-lindsay-mendez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">December review for The Times<\/a> when the film had a theatrical run. Its story, of a \u201ctight-knit trio of New York creatives whose friendship, depicted backward across decades, feels like a shattered vase being reassembled so that we appreciate the cracks and cohesion.\u201d <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/netflix.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Netflix, streaming<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Tyshawn Sorey\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836332_736_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Tyshawn Sorey<\/p>\n<p>(John Rogers \/ Fully Altered Media)<\/p>\n<p>The Susceptible Now<br \/>Can\u2019t get a ticket to the Tyshawn Sorey Trio\u2019s gig at the Nimoy tonight? No problem. Check out their latest album from 2024, which features covers of some of Sorey\u2019s favorite music. The four tracks, which range from 15 to 22 minutes in length, include \u201cPeresina,\u201d the McCoy Tyner classic from the album \u201cExpansions\u201d; Joni Mitchell and Charles Mingus\u2019 collaboration, \u201cA Chair in the Sky,\u201d from her album \u201cMingus\u201d; \u201cBealtine\u201d from the Brad Mehldau Trio; and contemporary soul group Vividry\u2019s \u201cYour Good Lies.\u201d <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/pirecordings.com\/albums\/the-susceptible-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Pi Recordings: Available on vinyl ($35), CD ($14) or digital download ($13).<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kevin Crust<\/p>\n<p>Culture news and the SoCal scene            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"An artist by a red curtain.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836333_129_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Compton artist Fulton Leroy Washington \u2014 known as Mr. Wash \u2014 at his studio.<\/p>\n<p>(Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<p>Painter <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-07\/formerly-incarcerated-artist-mr-wash-painter-exhibition-compton-community-center-jeffrey-deitch\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fulton Leroy Washington \u2014 known as Mr. Wash<\/a> \u2014 recently opened a new exhibit, \u201cThe City of Compton: Then &amp; Now,\u201d which serves as a fundraiser for a $15-million community arts center that Mr. Wash plans to build on his property. \u201cThe Art by Wash Studio &amp; Community Center \u2026 is being designed to provide housing, studio space and support for formerly incarcerated artists with artistic talent,\u201d writes contributor Jane Horowitz about  the Morphosis Architects-designed complex.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-07\/gallery-1988-is-closing-after-20-years-some-think-ai-is-to-blame\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gallery 1988, which opened in 2004 and proclaimed itself \u201cthe first pop culture-focused art gallery in the world,\u201d is closing at the end of April,<\/a> writes contributor Marah Eakin. The beloved gallery often attracted lines around the block for its openings featuring \u201cart-focused campaigns around properties such as \u2018The Avengers\u2019 and \u2018Star Wars: The Force Awakens,\u2019 while also launching solo shows from artists like Scott C, Luke Chueh and Tom Whalen.\u201d Some fans believe that AI is to blame for the closure.<\/p>\n<p>Times classical music critic Mark Swed got the scoop on the latest Los Angeles Philharmonic appointment. \u201cWith Gustavo Dudamel\u2019s final season as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic reaching its homestretch, the orchestra has announced the appointment of <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-07\/anna-handler-to-become-los-angeles-philharmonics-conductor-in-residence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">its latest not music director. Anna Handler<\/a>, a former Dudamel fellow and rapidly rising young conductor, will be given the new title of conductor-in-residence for the next three seasons,\u201d Swed writes.<\/p>\n<p>On a recent trip to New York City Swed noticed how much the Big Apple owes to L.A. for its current cultural offerings. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-03\/la-invades-new-york-philharmonic-met-park-avenue-armory\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">L.A. artists are reshaping New York\u2019s major institutions, Swed writes<\/a>, noting that Gustavo Dudamel is revitalizing the New York Philharmonic and Yuval Sharon of the Industry is directing the Met\u2019s \u201cTristan und Isolde.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Director Knud Adams\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836333_401_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Director Knud Adams is photographed at the Wallis in Beverly Hills.<\/p>\n<p>(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<p>Times theater critic Charles McNulty sat down for an<a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-08\/knud-adams-theater-director-english-primary-trust\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> interview with theater director Knud Adams<\/a>, who has staged world premieres of back-to-back Pulitzer Prize-winning plays \u2014 both of which are heading to Los Angeles. \u201cEnglish\u201d opened  Thursday at the Wallis Annenberg Center, and \u201cPrimary Trust\u201d will land at the Mark Taper Forum on May 20. \u201cHe has become one of the most prized directors of new work in the country, and now Los Angeles will get a sample of his textually nuanced, scenically surprising excellence,\u201d McNulty writes of Adams.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, Malia Mendez wrote a piece about the <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2026-04-09\/la-brea-tar-pits-museum-closing-renovations-two-years\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">upcoming two-year closure of the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.<\/a> Your last day, to visit  is July 6. \u201cPrior to closing, the Tar Pits will host a free public KCRW Summer Nights event June 12 and a members-only, disco-themed dance party June 27,\u201d Mendez writes, noting that the closure will facilitate the \u201cfirst significant overhaul in [the museum\u2019s] 50-year history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"infobox-title\">Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n<p class=\"infobox-description\">Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/subscriptions\/digital-only.html?pid_campaigns=7442_MTRDigitalWB2,7443_MTRDigitalWB2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Become a subscriber.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                  <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Inside a theater tent.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775836333_456_.jpeg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>CineVita near SoFi Stadium is staging \u201cTeen Beat Live,\u201d an immersive concert experience, through May 17.<\/p>\n<p>(Jason Armond \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<p>Remember CineVita \u2014 the 15,000-square-foot Spiegeltent at Hollywood Park next to SoFi Stadium? It\u2019s staging a glitzy tribute to the upbeat, universally loved (or at least known) music of 1980s cinema, running through May 17. Called, <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/feverup.com\/m\/565429?preview=600bde5e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u201cTeen Beat Live,\u201d <\/a>the immersive concert experience is sure to have you racing to find your old VHS copies of John Hughes films. <\/p>\n<p>Did I tell you about the <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2026\/03\/30\/trump-toilet-statue-golden-throne-national-mall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">golden toilet installation on the promenade near the Lincoln Memorial<\/a>? It was placed there by the satirical arts group Secret Handshake as a criticism of President Trump\u2019s White House renovations. \u201cThis toilet, spray-painted gold and set on a faux-marble pedestal, is the latest in a series of protest artworks and installations taking aim at President Donald Trump and his administration. A plaque on each side of the structure reads: a Throne Fit for a King,\u201d <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2026\/03\/30\/trump-toilet-statue-golden-throne-national-mall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">writes the Washington Post.<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jessica Gelt<\/p>\n<p>And last but not least<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/science\/story\/2026-04-09\/for-40-minutes-greatest-solitude-humans-have-known\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This headline about the Artemis II journey fills me with longing.<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week saw the publication of The Times\u2019 tremendous package on the imminent opening of Los Angeles County&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":261250,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[10242,10246,10247,10243,48,52,51,47,50,49,63,10244,10239,10241,1406,10245,10240,1860,3044,430,1968],"class_list":{"0":"post-261249","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-design-columnist-carolina-a-miranda","9":"tag-existential-questions","10":"tag-group-show","11":"tag-l-a-museum","12":"tag-la","13":"tag-la-headlines","14":"tag-la-news","15":"tag-los-angeles","16":"tag-los-angeles-headlines","17":"tag-los-angeles-news","18":"tag-los-angeles-times","19":"tag-matthew-lopez","20":"tag-opera","21":"tag-pauline","22":"tag-performance","23":"tag-private-jet","24":"tag-schindler-house","25":"tag-show","26":"tag-story","27":"tag-week","28":"tag-work"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}