Your JULY Radar Screen
At the start of each month, I feature highlights from the LA cultural landscape as filtered through my lens: museums, books and movies, adventures, and more. These posts are free for all subscribers.
I love the lazy days of July, so whether you’re traveling or enjoying LA, here’s hoping you are taking some time to be still. I am on vacation and overheard someone say “every hour you spend in a hammock increases your life 100 fold,” which doesn’t sound scientific but sure sounds wise. If you are in town, my #1 recommendation is to get to a Farmers’ Market - the stone fruit, tomatoes and melons are in peak season, and will make you look great at your next dinner party. Cooking for friends at home is my summer solution - I recently made this and this. Another reliable way to slow down is to watch tennis: Wimbledon has just begun and there are already dramatic upsets; the finals will be on the weekend of July 12 and 13. If you want to be up to speed on the new rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, be sure to watch the fifth set and tie break from Roland Garros.
I know we are all suffering from an underlying anxiety about our city being populated by the military. These are not normal times. I continue to write here because gathering with friends and learning about art and culture can provide solace and inspiration. Take care of yourself and those you love.
LACMA’s new Gallery
I was fortunate to see the new David Geffen Galleries in the Peter Zumthor building at LACMA last Thursday night, along with hundreds of culture-loving Angelenos. In a clever marketing move, the public has been invited for a first look at the newly completed building in its raw state, before the art is installed. The evening was not unlike a “Sip and See” for a newborn, infused with the thrill of meeting something (or someone!) brand new. We entered en masse by walking up the lengthy external staircase into the new galleries, where jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington and ten other musical groups put on immersive performances in various nooks of the cavernous space. With no exterior walls, the building is open to the city and provides wonderful views in all directions; listening to the music was a sublime experience that will probably always be part of our memory of this building. Critics are mixed on the design itself and tales of budget overruns, but there’s no doubt that a splashy new element of LA’s landscape has arrived.
The bare galleries are open from Thursday to Saturday this week, and then will closed again until the formal opening in April 2026, after the art is installed. Make a moment to go by and see them; you must be a member to do so, but it’s worth at least an entry level membership to see these spaces without anything in them. The well-received Digital Witness show (about tech innovations in photography, design and film) is closing July 13, if you need another reason to visit.
ART and ADVENTURE
Hercules and Omphale, a long-lost Artemisia Gentileschi painting, is hanging with several other paintings by the 17th Century painter at The Getty Center through September 14. It’s a great little exhibit that demonstrates the work of the Getty’s Conservation Institute; the painting was damaged badly in the 2020 bombing of Beruit, so don’t miss a video in the gallery that shows the meticulous work of restoration. Check out a new outdoor cafe called Trellis, on the main plaza, where you can enjoy for a drink and a small bite.
What is summer without The Hollywood Bowl? I hope you have at least one concert lined up. Just this week are Earth, Wind & Fire, JAWS with the LA Phil, and John Fogarty. Later this month, there are plenty of classical music choices (including Tchaikovsky with Fireworks) and Diana Ross. Sure, tickets are pricey and getting there is a pain, but I’m never sorry I spent an evening under the stars.
Hauser + Wirth has a few new shows in its Arts District location through early October: Luchita Hurtado. Yo Soy and James Jarvaise & Henry Taylor. Sometimes a straight line has to be crooked'
I always enjoy being at The Broad Stage, which has especially wonderful jazz programming. Looking over the fall line-up, I am interested in Delerium Musicum who performs on October 18 and The Master Chorale’s An English Christmas on December 13.
Sebastiao Salgado, who passed away in May, was not only a magnificent photographer but made work with a powerful ecological message. Here is a TED talk that he did in 2013. The Peter Fetterman Gallery is hosting a Memorial Exhibition until September 1.
MOCA is showing a solo show of Japanese painter Takado Yamaguchi through January.
Mary Corse paintings will be on view at Pace Gallery until August 16.
The Getty Villa is open again with extended hours - open until 6:30pm on Tuesday and Sunday, and open until 9:30 on Saturday. Parking reservations required to enter the grounds.
Noah Davis at The Hammer is excellent (I wrote about it last week).
Be sure to look back in the Archive for adventure inspiration.
BOOKS, SCREENS AND PODS
Here is what I packed in my book bag for vacation: Flashlight by Susan Choi (she wrote Trust Exercise), Tilt by Emma Pattee, and Parallel Lines by Edward St.Aubyn (of the Patrick Melrose novels). Also, I’m visiting bookstores on my holiday break and both The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri and The Director by Daniel Kallman have caught my eye.
A subscriber saw Georgia O’Keefe The Brightness of Light at the Laemmle last week - here’s how you can see it.
This summer might be a good time to brush up on your classic film knowledge - here is a good source for ideas and you might even consider a subscription to the Criterion Collection, with its richly curated list of great titles.
It’s the 50th Anniversary of Jaws so consider re-watching “the movie that changed everything” on the Fourth of July. Here’s a podcast about the phenomenon from the perspective of the book’s author, Peter Benchley.
Here is a livestream of the Annenberg Highway 101 Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills, which should be completed in 2026.
EXTRA READING
Who we are and where we are going as a society is of great concern right now, as big changes threaten our way of life and belief systems. Here are some of the things I’m thinking about:
Environment: Here’s a great story about the history of water in Los Angeles with a surprising takeaway - LA is consuming less water. As writer Michael Kimmelman says, “the population has grown, yet the city consumes less water”. And, here is an encouraging look at environmental changes that are working in 50 states around our country.
Technology: One of my goals for the summer is to learn to use AI more effectively, and this article is providing a good road map. I also really liked this investigation into how the writing of history could be affected by AI.
Immigrant Rights: Here is a brochure that you can share with those who are frightened right now - KNOW YOUR RIGHTS BROCHURE: in Spanish and in English.
BITS AND BOBS
Rene Redzepi is bringing his restaurant Noma to LA for a “residency”- perhaps as early as November. Read more here.
Wondering about the elephant sculptures in Beverly Hills? The Great Elephant Migration is a global fundraising tour to raise awareness of indigenous knowledge and to promote human-wildlife coexistence. They will be in town through August 1, and it turns out, you can buy one for your yard.
El Roblar is a new hotel in Ojai that looks pretty great.
All photos are by me.