5 Design Things To Do This Week

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Profiles of homeless residents of Skid Row, a tribute to Manga art, a concert in an Arts District gallery, and weighing the future of the Silver Lake Reservoir. All in this week’s DnA design picks.

Fifty two portraits of important figures in the Skid Row community are displayed at the Skid Row History Museum & Archive for "Walk the Talk."
Fifty two portraits of important figures in the Skid Row community are displayed at the Skid Row History Museum & Archive for “Walk the Talk.” (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

1) Walk the Talk

Nearly 47,000 homeless Angelenos live on streets and shelters throughout LA County, and the epicenter is downtown’s Skid Row. The Los Angeles Poverty Department – Skid Row’s first and longest-running arts initiative – has documented the history and culture of its neighborhood for 30 years. Their latest exhibition, “Walk the Talk,” features videos, interviews, performance scripts and portraits of 52 people who have made Skid Row their home and life’s work, building community and fighting for the interests of its residents.

When: Through Sunday, July 31. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 2 – 5 p.m.

Where: Skid Row History Museum & Archive, 440 S. Broadway Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

Tickets: Free. For more information, visit the Los Angeles Poverty Department website.

x High Density Handbags
High Density handbags at Show + Tell Projects (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

2) Showa Era: Vintage Manga Tribute Art Show/Show + Tell Projects

Between 1926 and 1989 in Japan, Manga blossomed under the Showa Era. This summer, more than 80 artists are giving this vintage Manga style their own modern twist and paying tribute to renowned Showa Era illustrators, like Osamu Tezuka and Takao Saito. Their designs are on display at Q Pop in Little Tokyo throughout the month.

While you’re in the neighborhood, stop by Show + Tell Projects, a new pop-up celebrating art, design and wellness that opened last in Little Tokyo on Thursday. Furniture designer Taidgh O’Neill and Japanese ceramicist Shoshi Kanokohata co-created an installation that “combines the hard edges of woodworking with the fragility of ceramics.”

When: Vintage Manga tribute art show through Sunday, July 17. For daily hours, see the Q Pop website.

Where: Q Pop, 319 E 2nd Street, Unit 121, Los Angeles, CA 90012; Show + Tell, 374 S 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tickets: Free.

Madame Gandhi in concert.

3) “After 5: Madame Gandhi” at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel

On Thursdays, Hauser Wirth & Schimmel – an industrial Arts District compound turned gallery space – hosts free live music performances. This week, Madame Gandhi, a local electronic drums and vocals duo that creates danceable “electro-feminist anthems.” As they make music, the gallery suggests you explore their current exhibition, “Revolution in the Making: Abstract Sculpture by Women, 1947 – 2016,” peruse the on-site bookstore, ARTBOOK, and treat yourself to craft cocktails and Russian hand-pies.

When: Thursday, June 30, 5 – 9 p.m.

Where: Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, 901 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Tickets: Free, RSVP required. Reserve a ticket here.

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4) Town Hall on the Future of the Silver Lake Reservoir

Want a say in the future of the Silver Lake Reservoir? This Thursday, Los Angeles City Council members David Ryu (of District 4) and Mitch O’Farrell (of District 13) will host a public forum with the LA Department of Water and Power to discuss plans and answer your questions on the area’s development.

When: Thursday, June 30, 7 – 9 p.m.

Where: Micheltorena Street Elementary, 1511 Micheltorena St, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Tickets: Free and open to the public. More information here.

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5) Barnsdall Park’s Friday Night Wine Tasting Fundraiser

For the eighth summer, Barnsdall Art Park is hosting weekly nights of architecture, music, crafts, wine and picnicking atop Olive Hill. Take a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Los Angeles masterpiece – Barnsdall Art Park’s Hollyhock House. KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox will provide the soundtrack for the night, and Silverlake Wine will curate tastings for attendees over the age of 21. Proceeds will fund the Park’s projects, art programs, gallery exhibitions and more.

When: Fridays through September 2, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Where: 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90027

Tickets: $30 – $130. Purchase tickets here.