5 Design Things to do This Week

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An artist’s use of shared space to cultivate kinship, a tour of Los Angeles’ new clean tech incubator, end-of-year art school shows, an interactive sound installation, and drawings of the female nude. Lots to do this week in design, courtesy of DnA.

before-i-die
Started as a personal project after the loss of a loved one, there are now over 2,000 “Before I Die…” walls in 70 countries. (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

1.) Artist talk with Candy Chang: Art and Community Wellbeing

The creator of “Before I die…” community walls, Candy Chang will talk about how shared places can cultivate introspection, intimacy, and kinship, with an emphasis on personal reflection and nurturing the personal and public health of our communities. Started as a personal project after the loss of a loved one, there are now over 2,000 “Before I Die…” walls in 70 countries, and Chang’s “Before I Die I Want To” TED talk has over 4.4 million views. The ultimate community bucket list!

When: Tuesday, May 10, 6 pm (Docent on-site at 5pm to discuss the site. Talk starts at 6:30pm)
Where: Annenberg Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Tickets: FREE. Information and registration here.

Workspace in the new La Kretz Innovation Campus, a clean technology business incubator.
Workspace in the new La Kretz Innovation Campus, a clean technology business incubator. (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

2.) La Kretz Innovation Campus: Project Tour & Happy Hour

La Kretz Innovation Campus, Los Angeles’ new clean tech incubator, is centered in L.A.’s established downtown Clean Tech Corridor, namely at 5th and Hewitt Streets. The campus is designed to hold up to 40 clean-tech companies and is expected to create around 600 new jobs in this fast growing field. The campus will include a 30,000 square foot facility, as well as demonstration centers, R&D labs and conference facilities. The collaboration aims to attract the brightest young professionals in the field to Los Angeles.

John Rozeluk, Associate Principal at BuroHappold Engineering, and Alice Kimm, Principal at John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, will lead the tour and discuss the design team’s role in the evolution of this project. And stay for happy hour afterwards!

When: Thursday, May 12, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Where: 525 South Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tickets: FREE. Information and registration here.

Artwork by UCLA Design Media Arts graduating student Theo Triantafyllidis.
Artwork by UCLA Design Media Arts graduating student Theo Triantafyllidis. (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

3.) Two Design School End-of-Year Shows: UCLA and Otis

Who’s up and coming in the Los Angeles art scene? Come see for yourself at these end-of-year art school shows:

UCLA Design Media Arts M.F.A. Final Exhibition, Opening Reception

When: Thursday, May 12, 5 pm (exhibit open through May 26)
Where: New Wight Gallery, Broad Art Center Ste. 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Tickets: FREE. Information here.

Otis School of Art and Design Annual Exhibition

When: Friday, May 13, 6 – 9 pm
Where: Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Campus, 9045 Lincoln Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045
Tickets: FREE. Information here.

4.) MAUD: The Interactive Synthesizer Wall, Live Event

Music comes alive with the MAUD (macro-modular synthesizer) interactive sound installation! There are no boundaries where technology meets music, and with this latest innovation, MAUD lets you experience music in a uniquely tactile and immersive way, using technologies like conductive paints, reactive LEDs, and ultrasonic and IR sensors. LA-based artist and musician Computer Jay will be performing with MAUD at 9:00PM.

When: Friday, May 13, 7 – 11 pm
Where: Infinity Room, 5413 West Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Tickets: FREE. Information here.

Sam Francis, "Untitled, 1961." Ink on paper Norton Simon Museum, Gift of the Sam Francis Foundation
Sam Francis, “Untitled, 1961.” Ink on paper
Norton Simon Museum, Gift of the Sam Francis Foundation(The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

5.) Drawing, Dreaming and Desire: Works on Paper by Sam Francis

This exhibition of works on paper by artist Sam Francis (1923–1994) explores the subjects of erotica and the female nude. It also shows another, more personal side of Francis’ creative energy. He’s mainly known for richly colorful and abstract paintings that are large and commanding. These drawings are intimate and subtle, using pen and ink, acrylic and watercolor. The Norton Simon gathered a range of work, including line drawings of the 1950s and vigorously expressive acrylic drawings of the 1980s.

When: On-going through July 25, 2016
Where: Norton Simon Museum, 411 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105
Tickets: Adults $12, Seniors $9, 18 and under FREE. Information here.