This week: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Latinx Culture; consider the history and future of the Tiny House; discuss the role of public space under Socialism; walk through the Getty's Central Garden with its chief gardener; and learn how art can help us sort through the daily onslaught of information and help us separate fact from fiction.
1 ) En Casa con LA Plaza : El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition
The celebration moves from the Plaza to the Zoom. On Tuesday, May 5, Dr. David Hayes-Bautista will provide an historical presentation on the origins of the Cinco de Mayo celebration in California and discuss his book, El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition. La Plaza de Cultura y Arts continues the conversation throughout the week with politics, ¡Loteria! cooking, and film events. You can find more details, including a complete schedule and zoom registration here. The newly-launched virtual platform will continue to present Latinx conversations, presentations, demonstrations, and performances.
When: Tuesday, May 5, 3 pm
Where: You can register for the LIVE zoom event here
Cost: Free
2 ) Small and Tiny House Movement: 1995 to Now
If the McMansions that started in the 1990s were cookie-cutter, environmentally irresponsible and lacked regional character, then the Tiny House was the custom design industry's answer: high quality, cost-effective, resource-efficient, and uniquely able to conserve the character of the local landscape. But while the miniature homes have been popular in architectural magazines and at design shows, developers and homebuyers have been slow to put their money behind the movement. In this discussion, influential Tiny House crusaders discuss the history and motivation behind the Tiny House movement and where they see the future heading - and importantly now, how does the Tiny House vision play in the era of pandemic?
Moderator Peter Chapman, Executive Editor, Taunton PressPanelists, is joined by panelists: Lloyd Alter, OAA, Design Editor, Tree Hugger; Adjunct Professor, Ryerson University School of Interior Design; Kai-Uwe Bergmann, FAIA, RIBA, Partner, BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group; Nicoló G. Bini, AIA, President/CEO, Binishells; Dale Mulfinger, FAIA, Principal Emeritus, SALA Architects; Maria Saxton, PhD, Environmental Design & Planning, Virginia Tech; Founder, NANO - Tiny Life Innovators; Julie Trelstad, Author, Publisher/Founder, 82 Stories; and Geoffrey Warner, AIA, Principal Architect and weeHouse Founder, Alchemy. Guest Speaker Kiley Jacques, Design Editor, Fine Homebuilding.
When: Tuesday, May 5, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Where: You can register for the LIVE webinar here.
Cost: $10 (students free)
3 ) Public Space Under Socialism: A Conversation with Vladimir Kulić and Joes Segal
Pubic spaces are generally places where people tend to gather - but whether their function is to serve the people or the state, probably depends on where you live. In this conversation, Joes Segal, the Wende Museum's Chief Curator and Director of Programming will discuss the design and function of public space under socialist rule with Vladimir Kulić, Associate Professor of Architecture at Iowa State University, College of Design.
When: Wednesday, May 6, 12 noon
Where: You can register for the LIVE Zoom discussion here.
Cost: Free
Central Gardens at the Getty Center, 2006. Photo by brewbooks via Flickr
4 ) Walk through the gardens with Getty Center Chief Gardner, Brian Houck
With over 500 living and ever-evolving plants, the Robert Irwin-designed Central Garden (1997) encompasses 134,000 square feet on the hilltop campus of the Getty Museum, overlooking the San Gabriel mountains, the Los Angeles skyline, and slivers of the Pacific Ocean. Keeping this complex creation - an 'ambrosial garden filled with hot-pink bougainvillea, sun-yellow Canary Island daisies, and carpets of silvery-green, dizzyingly aromatic sage, as well as hundreds of other flowers, shrubs, herbs, and trees', which by the way all hail from Roman times - maintained and thriving, is the responsibility of horticulturist Brian Houck, the Getty's grounds and garden manager. Irwin, whose background was in art installation and sculpture, recognized how nature would continually be changing his work. His mantra for the garden remains carved into one of its stepping stones: “Always changing, never twice the same.” And it’s these changes that keep Houck and his team busy. In this short video, you can enjoy an informative walk with Houck through this famous garden.
When: Available now
Where: Online from the Getty Center
Cost: Free
5 ) Fact and Fiction: Art, News, and Propaganda
Despite unprecedented access to information, it has become increasingly difficult to separate fact from interpretation. In our current moment, “fake news” and “alternative facts” have become buzzwords of our time, reflecting a world of politically split realities. How can we critically decipher information to arrive at 'truth'? What can art teach us about fact and fiction?
Leading the conversation are Robeson Taj Frazier, Associate Professor of Communication; Director of the Institute for Diversity and Empowerment at Annenberg (IDEA); Farrah Karapetian, Artist, Assistant Professor of Visual Arts, University of San Diego; and Luke Matthews, Behavioral and Social Scientist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Co-director, RAND Center for Applied Network Analysis. Presented in partnership with the Pacific Council on International Policy.
When: Sunday, May 10, 3 pm
Where: You can register for the LIVE Zoom discussion here.
Cost: Free