5 design things to do this week

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This week, through Aug. 4: explore a potpourri of senses in Long Beach; fix traffic on the 405; hear about the floating class in a conversation with Norman Klein; see a work by art collective Postcommodity at 18th Street Art Center; and build a castle at the beach.

1) The Art of Bloom

Walk onto a cascade of falling vellum petals under a ceiling of blooms; inhale from plant arrangements designed to be delicious in sight and smell; take an AR ride through an exhibit that blends digital and physical manifestations of nature. These are all elements of the Art of Bloom, an "experiential installation" aimed at heightening sensory awareness, on display in downtown Long Beach through September. The Art of Bloom was produced by Intertrend (the creative agency that also brought Pow! Wow! murals to the streets of Long Beach) and tapped the talents of scent expert Yosh Han, floral artist Lizbeth Molina and Daikoku Design Institute. 

When: Now through September 29

Where: Edison Theater, 213 E. Broadway, Long Beach 90802

Tickets: General admission $24.  You can get tickets here.

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2)  Sepulveda Transit Corridor Westside Community Meeting

Tired of never ending congestion through the Sepulveda Pass? Here's your chance to be part of the solution. Metro is looking at several transportation alternatives, some of which project travel times under 20 minutes between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside. But will this ever really happen? Well, the Measure M sales tax raised $5.7 billion and newer estimates suggest a solution would cost between $9.4 and $13.8 billion. The project could take 15 years to connect the Westside and another 20+ years to reach LAX -- unless preparation for the 2028 Olympics can speed things up. 

Join the discussion to learn about the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Feasibility Study. Read more about it here.

When: Tuesday, July 30, 6 - 8 pm

Where:  St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community, 10750 Ohio Ave, Los Angeles 90024

Tickets: Free

3) Talk and Book Launch at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture: " Tales of the Floating Class"

The Floating Class, an expression from the late nineteenth century, refers to the outliers who would mill around city parks, listening to rabble-rousing public speakers. Norman Klein (author of The History of Forgetting) has written a new book about today's Floating Class that now exists on vigilante social networks. Using Los Angeles and the West as a focal point, Tales of the Floating Class "studies the amnesiac effects of globalization upon the narrative structure of television, video, animation, photography and installation art." Like his previous writings, Klein blurs the line between the real and the imaginary. He will discuss the book and its layered themes with writer and curator Michael Ned Holte. Read more about the book, Klein and Holte here.

When: Wednesday, July 31, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Where: Schindler House, 835 N Kings Road, West Hollywood 90069

Tickets:  Free

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4) Postcommodity and Guillermo Galindo | Culminating Performance

California artists Postcommodity (Kade L. Twist and Cristóbal Martínez, participants in Desert X 2019) and Guillermo Galindo will perform a new composition performed live and with participants. The material for this new body of work was gathered from a month of intensive workshops with community members and groups in the Pico Neighborhood to create sound art that includes local histories. The performance will be preceded by a Tongva Land Blessing with Elder Julia Bogany.

This work is commissioned by 18th Street Arts Center and kicks off the organization’s Commons Lab public art initiative in its new gallery space at the Santa Monica Airport. 

Hear an interview with Cristóbal Martínez and Desert X curator Matthew Schum here.

When: Wednesday, July 31, 7 - 10 pm

Where: 18th Street Arts Center Airport Gallery, 3026 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica 90405

Tickets: Free

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5)  Sand Castle Design Contest

Sand is an essential component of modern life (it's in concrete, asphalt, glass and silicon chips) and yet despite its abundance, we're running out of it. Fifty billion tons of sand is used each year for construction, straining worldwide supplies for this non-renewable resource (in human timescales).

Well here on a summer day in Southern California, we simply call it the beach! But when did you last build a sand castle at the beach? Grab your shovels and buckets and exercise your design and construction muscles this Sunday where Manhattan Beach will host a sand castle design contest.  Whether you are a creator or a spectator, come out and join the fun. There will be prizes for multiple age groups, individuals and teams. 

You can see contest rules and categories here

When: Sunday, August 4, 7 - 10:30 am

Where: Manhattan Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach 90266

Tickets: Free