5 design things to do this week

See art and design by Angeleno talents at the Schindler House and Barnsdall Art Park; go to a SCI-Arc gala (honoring Frances Anderton, supporting students); see rare 19th century drawings of planets at the Huntington Library; dream up architecture in the virtual world at UCLA; and shop for vintage pieces at Modernica’s Downtown Modernism sale.

1) Art in LA Landmarks

Furth Yashar Pop Up Gallery at Schindler House

It’s always great to take a respite from sensory overload in the calming Schindler House and its gardens in West Hollywood. Opening Thursday you can see a collection of artworks curated by interior designer Oliver Furth and branding consultant Sean Yashar. Their pop up gallery of works by artist-makers Elyse Graham, Alex Hagentorn, Alex J. Reed (see his glazed ceramic “rug,”entitled “Rudolph’s Big Trip”), and Jonathan Zawada is conceived, says Yashar, “in the spirit of breaking down barriers between fine and decorative, functional and non functional, and the object / sculpture divide.”

When: Opening Thursday, April 26. Show runs through May 27; Wed – Sun, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Where: Schindler House, 833 N Kings Rd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Tickets: Free. RSVP for the opening Thursday to info@furthyashar.com

COLA 2018 Opening Reception

It is also great to take a respite from sensory overload in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Barnsdall Park. On show starting Sunday is the 2018 City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowships Exhibition, sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). Featured are new works in the design/visual arts, literary arts and performing arts by Dave Bailey, Guillermo Bert, Terry Braunstein, Cassils, Sandra de la Loza, Michelle Dizon, Tim Durfee, June Edmonds, d. Sabela Grimes, Peter J. Harris, Michele O’Marah, Julie Shafer, Doris Sung, and Kristina Wong.

When: Opening Sunday, April 29, 2 – 5 pm. Exhibition runs through June 24.

Where: Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Tickets: Free; click here for more information.

2) Radiant Beauty

No, it’s not a fantastical scheme by an architecture student (see below.) It’s the cosmos, in pastel. Before the Hubble Telescope and other feats of scientific photography, observations of the microscopic to the astronomical were recorded by putting pen (or pencil) to paper, scientist as artist. “Radiant Beauty: E. L. Trouvelot’s Astronomical Drawings” is an exhibition of 15 rare chromolithographs depicting the pastel drawings of planets, comets, eclipses, and other celestial wonders by artist/astronomer Étienne Léopold Trouvelot (1827-1895). The drawings by the esteemed scientist were used by astronomy libraries and observatories as reference tools until more advanced photography technologies took over in the 20th century. While there, check out a contemporary meditation space, the Orbit Pavilion.

When: Opening Saturday, April 28. Show runs through July 30.

Where: Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108

Tickets: Free; click here for more information.

3) SCI-Arc Annual Gala Honoring Frances Anderton and Opening of Spring Show

An architecture education is a wonderful thing but like many courses of study, it can be pricey. So every year the Southern California Institute of Architecture, or SCI-Arc, holds a “Main Event” to raise money for scholarships. This year, DnA host Frances Anderton is guest of honor. SCI-Arc director Hernan Diaz Alonso says her “ongoing support for architecture is crucial in times in which cynicism and over-simplification has taken over architectural journalism.” What’s great about the event is that in addition to music and food, you get to see this year’s student work. Curated by faculty members Jackilin Hah Bloom and M. Casey Rehm, the Spring Show will demonstrate SCI-Arc’s continued commitment to, in Diaz’ words, “pushing architecture to the limit.”

When: Saturday, April 28, 7 -11 pm

Where: SCI-Arc, 960 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tickets: GA $150, Students and Recent Grads $25, Pre-Gala VIP Available as well. You can get tickets here.

4) VISIONWORLDS: Immersion and Experience in Extended Virtual Reality

Architecture isn’t just for buildings anymore. “Through the proliferation of social media, virtual avatars, sensory simulations, VR and holograms, we now have the ability to simulate experiences with precision and without relying on the physical presence of a subject.” That’s the premise of UCLA’s Guvenc Ozel’s VISIONWORLDS: Architecture of Immersion and Experience in Extended Reality, an afternoon event bringing together faculty members and curators from the Whitney Museum, UCLA and UCSB architecture schools, SCI-Arc as well as digital media artists, to examine environmental applications of media, VR/AR, sensor interaction and robotic transformation of architectural spaces.

When: Saturday, April 28, 2:00 – 6:30 pm

Where: UCLA Architecture and Urban Design – IDEAS Campus, 3691 Lenawee Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90016. NOTE: This event is NOT on the UCLA campus in Westwood.

Tickets: Free; click here for more information.

5) Let’s go shopping: Downtown Modernism

Modernica’s biannual Modernism bingefest is worth checking out simply for its location in a cluster of un-hipsterfied factory and warehouse buildings on the border of Vernon; and for the chance to witness Modernica’s historic fiberglass Shell Chair factory in action. You can also shop for vintage pieces and retro furniture and housewares from local dealers, shops and collectors that will be spread through the five acre site. There will be specialty food and drink vendors on site, and ample free parking.

When: Sunday, April 29; 8 am -2 pm

Where: 2901 Saco Street, Los Angeles, CA 90058

Tickets: $8 cash; click here for more information.