A ceramic art fair, robots that sense scents, a film installation that plops you in the middle of the road, Santa Monica’s history museum and a cello performance at Schindler House. Here are five design things to do in LA this week.
1) CLAY LA
This summer, the Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) is launching its first annual ceramic art fair, CLAY LA. Come see the pottery work of both established and up-and-coming LA artists, each with their own fresh approach to the medium. The lineup includes Ben Medansky (whose DTLA studio caught fire over the weekend), Eunbi Cho, Heidi Anderson, Love Bug Kiko and Pauline Wolstencroft, among others. Visitors can participate in air-clay workshops, listen to music and sip drinks.
When: Saturday, July 30, 11 am – 6 pm
Where: Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tickets: Free (with $7 admission for non-CAFAM members). More information here.
2) sound. at the Schindler House: Charles Curtis
Avant-garde cellist Charles Curtis brought his minimalist sounds to the Schindler House last October. This Saturday, he’ll return to perform the Los Angeles premiere of composer Tashi Wada’s new work, plus some classics, like J.S. Bach’s Suite in D minor. The night of music is jointly organized by the MAK Center for Art and Architecture and the Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound (SASSAS) and is open to the public.
When: Saturday, July 30, 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Where: Schindler House, 835 N Kings Road, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tickets: $18 general admission. $12 for SASSAS and MAK Center members, students and seniors. $23 at the door. Buy tickets here.
3) Santa Monica History Museum
Back in July 1875 – 141 years ago – Santa Monica’s original lots were auctioned off to the public. To celebrate the anniversary, the Santa Monica History Museum is offering a 19th century admission price: 50 cents (normally $10 for general admission). Through the end of July, you can roam the museum and its collection of over a million items – including a century of Santa Monica Outlook archives and photographs from Bill Beebe, Bob Smith and Justine Hill – for just a couple of quarters.
When: Through Saturday, July 30. View daily hours here.
Where: Santa Monica History Museum, 1350 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Tickets: $0.50. More information here.
4) Scent Robots
Chinatown is home to The Institute of Art and Olfaction, a unique spot for experimental perfumery. This week, the institute is holding a two-part workshop in conjunction with Machine Project. On Thursday, you’ll get to design and mix your own custom aroma with IAO founder Saskia Wilson-Brown; and on Saturday, the tech-savvy Chris Weisbart will lead a class on making a robotic, motion-sensing scent dispenser, so you can fill rooms with your newly-made fragrance.
When: Part one: Thursday, July 28 at 6:30 pm. Part two: Saturday, July 30, 1 – 4 pm.
Where: The Institute for Art and Olfaction, 932 Chung King Road, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tickets: $95 general admission. $85 for IAO and Machine Project members. No experience necessary. More information here.
5) The LA Forum Presents: Median
Multimedia designer David Hartwell and filmmaker Bill Ferehawk – the artists behind the amusingly redundant Collective Artist Collective – offer a subversive take on urban LA with their new audiovisual project. The installation, part of the LA Forum’s exhibition MEDIAN, “[positions] the viewer in the most privileged and uninhabitable location in Los Angeles – the middle of the road.” Check out the duo’s moving images on two walls of Hollywood’s WUHO Gallery over a weekend this summer.
When: Open through August 25. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 12 – 5 pm.
Where: WUHO Gallery, 6518 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Tickets: Free. More information here.