5 design things to do this week

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This week, through Sept 22: learn how to write about art; celebrate Bauhaus 100 x 2; and more centennials, at The Huntington and Catalina Island ; tour iconic 1960s architecture in Bakersfield; and go to a book signing about spectacular California winery architecture.

Image result for Harry Gamboa Jr.Harry Gamboa Jr., artist, author, and educator, will moderate this discussion on writing for artists.

1) Art writers talk about their craft

Points of Access: Contemporary Art Writing

Admire the essays by LA Times culture writer Carolina Miranda, author Lynell George or Lindsay Preston Zappas, Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles (Carla)? They will share hints and tips about their craft at Points of Access: Contemporary Art Writing, a session organized by CAAM and Art + Practice (A+P). The Points of Access series, typically focused on artists, turns the spotlight on writing for and about artists. Moderated by Harry Gamboa Jr., artist, author, and educator.

When: Thursday, Sept 19, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Where:  Public Programs Space,  4334 Degnan Blvd.,  Los Angeles 90008

Tickets: Free; click here for more information.

Discussions in Contemporary Art

Art writer Jori Finkel (New York Times) will talk about writing her new book It Speaks to Me  featuring 50 artists on artworks that inspire them -  and her interviews with the L.A. based artists that started her down this path.  

When: American Jewish University, Wednesday, Sept 18, 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Where: 15600 Mulholland Dr, Los Angeles 90077

Tickets: Free; click here for more information.

Image result for bauhaus

2) Bauhaus x 2

The Bauhaus, an avant-garde German art school founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, taught revolutionary ideas and techniques that found their way into nearly every aspect of arts, crafts, typography, architecture, and design. Its centennial has been marked with numerous events throughout the year. Here at two taking place in LA this week.

Poster Installation at Helms Bakery District Honors the 100th Anniversary of Bauhaus

Bauhaus 100 is a commemorative collection of more than 400 posters made by designers from all over the globe who have one thing in common – a desire and willingness to experiment with their art, connecting them directly to the groundbreaking principles and practices of Bauhaus.

See 70 of the posters on display at Helms Bakery Thursday and join Art Center’s Gloria Kondrup for a discussion with Lesley Roberts, Executive Director of Textile Arts LA., about the legacy and practices of the school. 

When: Friday, Sept 19, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Where: Helms Bakery District, The Corridor Gallery, 8723 Washington Boulevard, Culver City 90232

Tickets: Free; read more about the event here.

BAUHAUS->L.A.->NOW

Jessica Fleischmann, Andrea Lenardin Madden, Yunhee Min, Heather Scott Peterson and Pae White join moderator Tim Durfee for a discussion at the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design at WUHO about the influence of Bauhaus on Los Angeles graphic designers, artists and architects. Each panelist will juxtapose their own work with one produced by a Bauhaus member, highlighting how the ideas, techniques, or principles embedded in the Bauhaus legacy might be informing their own practice. And while you're there, make sure to see the exhibition Bauhaus Photo, closing Sept 21. 

When: Saturday, Sept 21, 5:00 pm

Where: WUHO Gallery, 6518 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, 90028

Tickets: Free; read more about the event here.

Mr. & Mrs. William Wrigley Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. William Wrigley, Jr. at their home in Avalon, 1923

3) Two Centennials: Huntington and Wrigley

1919 was a busy year in LA. Henry Huntington and his wife Arabella founded what became the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. Musso and Franks also appeared that year as did UCLA, the LA Phil, United Artists studio, and William Wrigley purchased the Santa Catalina Island Company. The Huntington has a year of events underway and its exhibition 1919 opens Saturday. Hear and read more about that on this week's DnA.

Meanwhile, it's partytime on Catalina Island. A ticketed centennial celebration and fundraiser -- featuring 1920's-inspired cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live and silent auctions and Vaudeville entertainment -- marks the purchase 100 years ago of the Santa Catalina Island Company by William Wrigley Jr.'s. The chewing gum magnate vowed to preserve "substantially all of Santa Catalina Island in its natural state," and implemented animal controls, protection of watersheds and reseeding of overgrazed areas, conservation practices maintained today. 

When: Saturday, Sept 21, 4 - 7 pm

Where: Catalina Island Museum, 217 Metropole Ave, Avalon 90704 

Tickets: $225. You can purchase tickets here. You can get free museum admission 10 am - 1 pm here.

Million Dollar Mermaid

While on the island, check out Esther Williams, The Swimming Queen of the Silver Screen.

Esther Williams dazzled movie audiences around the world in her aqua-musical films. This exhibition chronicles Williams’ life from humble beginnings to her success as a champion athlete, a major Hollywood celebrity and an entrepreneur. See imagery from Jupiter’s Darling,  filmed on the island, as well as movie memorabilia, fabulous costumes, photographs and never-before-seen personal home movies.

Click here for more information and tickets (free this Saturday, September 21!)

4) Bakersfield Built: Architecture of the 1960s (symposium and guided tour)

In Bakersfield in the late 1950s and early 1960s, post war optimism and population growth opened the doors for new ideas in building and design. "A lot was being rebuilt during the 1960s (in Bakersfield) and there was a period where we were expanding east, and we had the opportunity to build really modern structures," said Rachel Magnus, curator of the Bakersfield Museum of Art. This symposium and guided tour will open doors into Bakersfield's rich architectural history. Homes on the tour include: Ablin Residence (1961, Frank Lloyd Wright); Selby-Dabbs Residence (1962, Jack Hayslett); Mr. and Mrs. Earl Elliott Residence (1961, Dave Cross); Sudarsky Residence (1961, Whitney Biggar); and Robert Eddy Residence (Eddy & Paynter). Academics, preservationists and historians will offer insights in the event co-created by Kern County Museum, Society of Architectural Historians Socal, and the School of Arts & Humanities at CSU Bakersfield. 

Don't miss the museum's accompanying exhibition of the same name, featuring photos, design plans, furniture and other artifacts of the era in an accompanying on display through January. 

When: Saturday, Sept 21, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (check-in starts at 8:30, Symposium 9:00 - noon, Home Tour, 1:00 - 5:00) 

Where: Bakersfield Museum of Art, 1930 R St. Bakersfield 93301

Tickets: $65 ($10 Symposium Only). You can purchase tickets here.

5) Book Discussion and Signing: The New Architecture of Wine

As wine tourism has increased, California vintners have embraced the call to create compelling spaces where visitors can taste their unique varieties and enjoy conversation about wine.  In her book, The New Architecture of Wine, author Heather Hebert features 25 wineries, all built within the last 10 years, that celebrate California’s topography, agricultural heritage, historic architectural vernacular, and forward-thinking passion for sustainability and design. 

When: Saturday, Sept 21, 4 - 6 pm

Where: Hennessey + Ingalls, 300 S. Santa Fe Ave, Suite M, Los Angeles 90013

Tickets: Free; read more and pre-purchase the book here.