The Agenda: Dwell on Design, Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, + ProjectArt Benefit
Author:Lindsey ShookFair
Now in its 13th year, the popular Dwell on Design fair returns to L.A. for an exciting few days of talks, home tours, book signings, and more. This year’s keynote speaker, design icon Jonathan Adler, will kick off festivities with a talk about how he grew his fledgling pottery production studio into a major design empire with more than 25 stores worldwide. Other honored speakers include photographer Seph Lawless and industrial designer Karim Rashid. DOD’s self-guided Home Tours and Meet the Architects Night are back by popular demand. Design professionals and enthusiasts can even take advantage of The Consultations, one-on-one design meetings with architects and interior designers.
When: Thurs. 4/5–Sat. 4/7
Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles
Opening
Originally built in 1885 by California pioneer Theron Ink, the Italianate residence, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was recently re-imagined by famed architect Howard Backen and lovingly restored by current owners the Castellucci family. Accents and décor throughout the property speak to Ink’s achievements as an agriculturist and early settler of California. But despite these historical details, the property is decidedly modern. The concept plays out in a neutral palette, organic textures, and subdued colors inspired by the Napa Valley landscape, while bold, inky black features pay homage to the original owner in a subtle way. A room at the six-star inn comes at a hefty price tag but is elegance at its best.
When: Now accepting reservations
Where: 1575 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena
Exhibit
“Found in Translation: Design in CA and Mexico”
Part of the ongoing Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, Latin American and Latino Art in L.A., this exhibit and accompanying book takes a close look at design dialogues between California and Mexico. Focusing on four main architectural and design themes—Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art and Craft Traditions, and Modernism—the show explores how these movements defined both locations throughout the 20th century. Drawings, photographs, and film visually illustrate building styles in both places, while a collection of furniture, ceramics, metalwork, and murals illuminate such crafts firsthand. There’s a special focus on architecture and design icons like Richard Neutra, Luis Barragán, Charles and Ray Eames, and Clara Porset as well as lesser known figures who also influenced the global perspective on design and material culture in these places.
When: Through Sun. 4/1
Where: LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Benefit
ProjectArt’s “My Kid Could Do That”
ProjectArt’s inaugural L.A. benefit and exhibition has grown to epic proportions. At last count, 61 California artists, including some of the biggest names in the business, have announced their participation in an exhibition of their childhood works called “My Kid Could Do That.” Proceeds from the event support free art classes in public libraries for underserved children in the community, and participating artists include Doug Aitken, Lita Albuquerque, Charles Arnoldi, Catherine Opie, Ed Ruscha, Jim Shaw, Jonas Wood, Barry McGee, and more. Special items will be auctioned off to benefit the chapter, but the exhibition and artist-led workshops are free and open to the public all weekend.
When: Fri. 4/6–Sun. 4/8
Where: The Underground Museum, 3508 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles
Exhibit
Marvel over the artist’s camera-less cyanotypes in her first solo exhibition with Equinom Projects. Exploring the human relationship with the natural world and built environment, the show includes pieces made outdoors from interrelated bodies of work. The artist uses imprints as metaphors for the impacts of this relationship—her papers literally bearing the marks of the landscape. Using historical photographic techniques, Riepenhoff creates dynamic works that shift and change over time as they respond to their environment, just like the landscapes upon which they are based.
When: Through Sat. 4/14
Where: Equinom Projects, 1599 Tennessee St., San Francisco
