Latest news with #Gehry
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
MOCA gala honors Frank Gehry, others, raises $3.1 million: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles threw a glitzy bash at the institution's Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo Saturday, raising $3.1 million and honoring architect Frank Gehry, artist Theaster Gates and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi — a surprise guest — showed up to pay tribute to Gehry, while Ava DuVernay celebrated Gates and Jane Fonda honored Schmidt. The special program honoring 'visionaries' who helped shaped the museum's trajectory is part of a new gala tradition called MOCA Legends, which will continue with new honorees next year. The night began with cocktails in the plaza and private access to the Olafur Eliasson exhibition, 'OPEN.' The Japanese American drumming group TAIKOPROJECT played while guests found their seats for dinner. MOCA director Johanna Burton welcomed attendees with a speech about the power of art and its ability to bring communities together. 'As we celebrate our annual gala, we are not just honoring individual achievements, but reaffirming our collective belief in the power of art to connect and challenge; uplift and endure,' Burton said, according to a news release about the event. After Pelosi's introduction of Gehry, which included mention of his 1983 renovation of the Geffen Contemporary, the 96-year-old legend noted how much the museum has meant to him over the years. 'Artists brought me into their club — it's where I wanted to be, and they opened my eyes to another world,' Gehry said. I'm arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, and I'm here for all the celebrations of art and artists — the more the better. Here's your weekend rundown of arts news. Noah DavisA collection of more than 50 figurative paintings made by the late Los Angeles artist, who died at 32 in 2015, just as Davis' career was beginning to attract wide attention, arrives after stops in Potsdam, Germany, and London. Davis' paintings, often built around found photographs, regularly balance on a knife-edge between daily life and dream. The exhibition represents the first institutional survey of Davis' 31. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. Seoul FestivalThe L.A. Phil turns to the South Korean capital this week for a follow-up to its revelatory Reykjavik and Mexico City festivals. Unsuk Chin, today's best-known Korean composer, is the curator. Despite a seeming wealth of renowned performers, Korea remains a musically mysterious land. The mostly youngish composers and performers in the first festival event, an exceptional concert of new music on Tuesday night, were all discoveries. The festival continues with weekend orchestra concerts featuring different mixes of four more new Korean scores commissioned by the L.A. Phil, Chin's 2014 Clarinet Concerto and a pair of Brahms concertos. A chamber music concert with works by Schumann and Brahms played by Korean musicians is the closing event Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 'Lear Redux'While Center Theatre Group reworks Shakepeare's 'Hamlet' at the Mark Taper Forum (see item below), across town, Odyssey Theatre renews its collaboration with theater artist John Farmanesh-Bocca for a madcap adaptation of the Bard's 'King Lear,' another entry in the director-playwright's Redux series. Veteran stage actor Jack Stehlin stars as the titular monarch in the production, which Stage Raw's Deborah Klugman described as 'wildly idiosyncratic.' In 2016, Times' contributor Philip Brandes made Farmanesh-Bocca's 'Tempest Redux' at the Odyssey (also starring Stehlin) a Critic's Choice, writing that the work 'boldly transposes Shakespeare's play to a darker, more unsettling key, but the inventive staging and solid command of source text make for a memorable re-imagining.'Wednesday-Sunday, through July 13. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. When CNN broadcasts a live performance of 'Good Night, and Good Luck' from the Winter Garden in New York City on Saturday (4 p.m. PDT), it's apparently the first time a Broadway play will be shown live on television, and the timing could not be better. An adaptation of George Clooney and Grant Heslov's 2005 film, which chronicled CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow's heroic crusade against Sen. Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunts, the broodingly elegant production, sharply directed by David Cromer and starring a quietly committed Clooney in the role of Murrow (played in the film by David Strathairn), was not only one of the most stirring offerings of the Broadway season but also one of the most necessary. As media companies face a campaign of intimidation from the Trump administration, the figure of Murrow, standing tall in the face of demagogic adversity, is the courageous example we need right now. I don't know how different the experience will be watching at home, but 'Good Night, and Good Luck' made me reflect on what theatergoing might have been like in ancient Greece. Athenian citizens would gather at an open-air theater as a democratic privilege and responsibility. Playwrights addressed the polis not by dramatizing current events but by recasting tales from the mythological and historic past to sharpen critical thinking on contemporary concerns. Clooney and Heslov aren't writing dramatic poetry. Their more straightforward approach is closer to documentary drama, but the effect is not so disparate. We are affirmed in the knowledge that we are the body politic. — Charles McNulty Director and playwright Robert O'Hara's world premiere adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' opened Wednesday at the Mark Taper Forum starring Patrick Ball from 'The Pitt' and Gina Torres from 'Suits.' The Times sat down with the trio of creatives for an interview about how the show came together — as well as the many novel ways it diverges from the traditional script. O'Hara presents a modern-day vision that questions whether Hamlet is a tragic hero or a murderous psychopath. The mystery is solved 'CSI'-style and the tone is very L.A. noir. For his part, Ball can't believe any of this is really happening, having been a relative unknown before 'The Pitt' premiered in January. L.A. Opera announced Domingo Hindoyan as its new music director. Hindoyan — chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic — will replace outgoing music director James Conlon when he steps down at the end of the 2026 season. When Hindoyan, a native of Venezuela, made his L.A. Opera debut last November with 'Roméo et Juliette,' Times classical music critic Mark Swed speculated he might be in the running for the coveted position. Turns out he was right. Times contributor Nick Owchar talks with architectural historian Nathan Marsak about the Angel City Press reissue of photographer Arnold Hylen's book of mid-20th century photos, 'Los Angeles Before the Freeways: Images of an Era 1850-1950.' Marsak curated and expanded the new edition, which details a fascinating world of lost streets, civic buildings, shops and restaurants. Orange County Museum of Art executive director Heidi Zuckerman — who announced she will step down in December — has launched a new online platform called 'About Art.' It's home to her 'Why Art Matters' newsletter and 'About Art' podcast, as well as a number of lifestyle offerings including an entry on Zuckerman's love of matcha and how to prepare the perfect cup. In a news release about the venture, Zuckerman notes that her work has gathered a community of 40,000 art enthusiasts. The summer Hollywood Bowl season is upon us, and with it comes the complimentary Market Tasting Series with wine picks by chef Caroline Styne. The fun begins with the Roots Picnic this Sunday in the Plaza Marketplace near the box office. Tastings start an hour before doors open, and you can meet with vintners and reps from Habit Wines, Skurnik Wines, Grapevine Wine Company, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Elevage Wines and more. The final tasting will take place before the John Legend concert on Sunday, Sept. 28. Speaking of wine, Barnsdall Art Park Foundation is back — beginning tonight at 5:30 p.m. — with its 16th annual Barnsdall Fridays wine tasting fundraiser (the first two Fridays are already sold out). Proceeds from the events, scheduled to run through Sept. 26, support cultural programming at the park. The popular summer series comes as proposed city budget cuts imperil the park's finances. Guests are invited to relax on Olive Hill, as well as the west lawn of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House — the only existing UNESCO World Heritage site in the city of Los Angeles. Wines come courtesy of Silverlake Wine, and there are always a variety of local food trucks onsite, as well as a DJ. While there, visitors can check out exhibitions and artist-led presentations at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and Barnsdall Junior Arts Center Gallery. — Jessica Gelt I'm happy to report that I've been to 14 of the 17 eateries on The Times Food section's list of L.A.'s oldest restaurants. Some, like Musso & Frank Grill, I've ambled into many times (that martini!), and others, like Mijares Mexican Restaurant, I've stumbled upon while walking around town. I'll spend this weekend visiting the remaining three.
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Louis Vuitton bets big on Rodeo Drive with new Frank Gehry-designed store
Louis Vuitton is gearing up to go over the top again in Beverly Hills. With plans for an ultra-opulent hotel on Rodeo Drive stymied by voters two years ago, the Paris fashion house's owners are back with a proposal for a theatrical flagship store designed by architect Frank Gehry that would anchor the north end of the famous retail corridor. Luxury goods stores on Rodeo Drive are growing larger as top-shelf retailers increasingly up the ante to dazzle shoppers, and the vision from Louis Vuitton owner LVMH is one of the biggest stores yet with restaurants, rooftop gardens and exhibition space. Set to open in 2029 pending city approval, the store will stretch through the block from Rodeo Drive to Beverly Drive along South Santa Monica Boulevard. It will be one continuous structure connected across an alley by two pedestrian bridges and a tunnel. Louis Vuitton said its new store will contain 45,000 square feet on the retail side fronting on Rodeo Drive and an additional 55,000 square feet on the hospitality-focused side of the building off Beverly Drive. 'The new location will take visitors into a full Louis Vuitton lifestyle experience showcasing its diverse universes of products and one-of-a-kind client experiences,' the company said in a statement. The retail entrance will be on Rodeo Drive, with three floors dedicated to product categories such as women's and men's collections, travel, watches and Jewelry, beauty and fragrance. A rooftop level will have private spaces for clients and a garden. Visitors entering from Beverly Boulevard will find a cafe and exhibition lobby on the ground floor, two more floors of exhibition space and a rooftop with a restaurant and open-air terrace. Louis Vuitton representatives declined to offer more details about the exhibitions or the building, but the brand perhaps best known for its signature monogrammed handbags and luggage also has made a reputation promoting art and culture. In 2014 it opened the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris in a building designed by Gehry. The Fondation has art exhibits, concerts, dance performances and organized family activities such as art classes for children. Gehry has also also collaborated with Louis Vuitton on a collection of handbags reflecting his architectural style, which is known for flowing, curvilinear sculptural forms. In downtown Los Angeles, Gehry designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Grand L.A. mixed-use complex across the street and the nearby Colburn School performing arts center under construction. The interior of Luis Vuitton's Beverly Hills flagship is being designed by another well-known architect, Peter Marino, who designed the existing Louis Vuitton store on Rodeo Drive and the ill-fated Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills hotel intended for the Rodeo Drive site now selected for Louis Vuitton's new flagship. New York-based Marino was described by Architectural Digest as 'a leading architect for the carriage trade, and the architect for fashion brands.' Marino once said the Chevel Blanc hotel, which was approved by the city before being vetoed by voters, would improve the pedestrian experience on the northern edge of Rodeo Drive's famed shopping district, where 'people get to the end, shrug their shoulders and walk back.' The parcels intended for the hotel and now Louis Vuitton are owned by LVMH and were formerly occupied by Brooks Bros. and the Paley Center for Media. The existing unoccupied structures will be razed to make way for the new store. Merchants on the famous three-block stretch of Rodeo Drive constantly strive to find new ways to call attention to themselves and polish their brand's image, said real estate broker Jay Luchs of Newmark Pacific, who works on sales and leases of high-end retail properties. 'It's competitive among brands to always be the best they can be, and they're not sitting on spaces keeping them stale,' he said. 'They're all always reinventing themselves.' The expensive changes to their stores are 'very obvious,' Luchs said. 'It's almost like an art. The street has different top designers who have made these stores spectacular one after the other.' Even though retail rents on Rodeo Drive are some of the highest in the country, stores are also getting bigger, the property broker said. Fifteen years ago, stores on the street were typically 25 feet wide, he said, then gradually many became 50 feet wide, he said. 'Now you're seeing stores 100 feet wide' that may have two different landlords. A 50-foot lot is 'very big,' Luchs said, and can hold a store with 5,000 square feet on each level and may go three stories tall for a total of 15,000 square feet in the store. The fashion house is also growing in New York, where its flagship store is being replaced with a building that will nearly double its footprint on 57th Street at 5th Avenue, the Architects Newspaper said. Construction has been concealed with a facade that looks like a giant stack of distinctive Louis Vuitton trunks.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A Masterpiece in Metal and Light: Groundbreaking Ceremony for the CMU Museum of Fine Arts Marks a Milestone in Taiwan's Architectural History
Frank Gehry's Sole Major Project in East Asia Begins to Rise in Taichung TAICHUNG, May 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 3, 2025, beneath the ever-shifting skies of Taichung's Shui-Nan campus, China Medical University (CMU) broke ground on what promises to be a transformative landmark for Taiwan—the CMU Museum of Fine Arts, designed by none other than Frank Gehry, laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and one of the most revered architects of our time. This will be Gehry's only monumental creation in East Asia, and a defining moment in Taiwan's architectural and cultural evolution. Showcasing Taiwan to the World: Groundbreaking Ceremony for the CMU Museum of Fine Arts CMU and Healthcare System Chairman Dr. Chang-Hai Tsai expressed his ambition to extend the university's contributions beyond its achievements in education, medicine, and biotechnology: "Through architecture and art, and through the hand of a master architect, we hope to offer the world a glimpse of Taiwan's spirit." As early as 2014, Dr. Tsai entrusted New York–based SOM, one of the world's largest architecture firms, with planning the Shui-Nan campus. At the heart of the blueprint was a museum—a space not just for art, but for ideas, identity, and innovation. Among more than 30 living Pritzker laureates, Dr. Tsai sought only one: Frank Gehry, the father of deconstructivist architecture. Despite no longer participating in design competitions and working exclusively by invitation, Gehry was moved by Dr. Tsai's invitation and agreed to craft a museum tailor-made for Taiwan. Pritzker Laureate Frank Gehry's Tailored Tribute to Taiwan: A New Chapter in Global Architecture CMU and Healthcare System Chairman Dr. Chang-Hai Tsai envisioned extending the university's legacy beyond education, medicine, and biotechnology, aspiring to make contributions in architecture and the arts. To realize this dream, in 2014, CMU invited New York–based SOM to plan the Shui-Nan campus, including a dedicated museum space. Among more than 30 living Pritzker laureates, Dr. Tsai chose only one—Frank Gehry, the father of deconstructivist architecture. Moved by Dr. Tsai's sincerity, Gehry agreed to create a museum uniquely designed for Taiwan, without participating in public competitions—an honor reserved for only the world's most distinguished clients. Forging a New Urban Aesthetic with Cascading Steel and Sculpted Metal The CMU Museum of Fine Arts will be sculpted from folded metal sheets and undulating stainless steel, capturing the endless play of light across the sky. Gehry's design transforms the building's surface into a living canvas, radiating delicate hues like a watercolor painting that changes with the sun and weather. In an interview with the New York Times (April 14, 2021), Gehry explained: "The design is inspired by reflections of buildings, trees, and the sky on pools of water and mirrored steel. Using softer stainless steel, we crafted a fluid form through precise folds and curves. The building will shimmer gently, breathing with light, like a watercolor in motion." This innovative approach not only showcases Gehry's profound mastery of material but also creates a poetic dialogue between architecture, nature, and the cityscape—a vibrant new link between art and urban life. Fusing Education and Art to Forge Global Connections Chairman Tsai remarked: "World-class cities are home to world-class universities—institutions that not only excel in academic research, but also house world-renowned museums. Universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge exemplify the seamless integration of scholarship and the arts." The CMU Museum of Fine Arts is thus envisioned as a new hub where Taiwan's university education and aesthetic education converge, connecting Taiwan to the global cultural circuit. In the future, it will join forces with the Asia Museum of Modern Art, as well as institutional allies such as Harvard's Fogg Museum, Stanford's Cantor Arts Center, Oxford's Ashmolean, and Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum. Together, they will elevate Taiwan's cultural voice on the world stage—and with it, CMU's global reputation. CONTACT: Carolyn Chen, 100709@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE China Medical University Hospital Sign in to access your portfolio
