| Harry Blitzstein, the tireless L.A. painter who ran the Blitzstein Museum of Art on Fairfax Avenue, has died. He was 87. His death was confirmed on Instagram by his daughter, Andrea Blitzstein, who wrote, "He was an artist who truly loved what he did and continued creating until the very end." |
| Blitzstein was a true Los Angeles character and a beloved member of the neighborhood, having opened his storefront museum across from Canter's Deli three decades ago to exclusively show his own art. The space quickly gained a reputation for being a welcoming, colorful venue that held a particular fascination for young artists inspired by Blitzstein's pure joy for the act of creation, critics and sales be damned. |
| In interviews, Blitzstein often noted that the difficulties of getting gallery shows, and the disappointments that often followed, led him to open the space, which he stocked with an ever-growing hodge-podge of his surreal, imaginative, sometimes dark, often playful, paintings. |
| "Cuteness exaggerated to the point that it becomes savagely funny and horror so overwhelming it explodes with hysterical laughter are the order of the day here," reads an 1986 L.A. Times review of a 25-year retrospective of Blitzstein's work. "Blitzstein blends the unbridled dementia of Ralph L. Steadman, the evil fleshiness of Hieronymous Bosch and the anarchistic intelligence of Bunuel in his sendups of art history classics and the American way." |
| Harry Blitzstein was born in 1938 at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital and raised in Boyle Heights, where his father operated a shoe store called Fair Shoes. In the mid-1950s, Bitzstein's dad moved the shop to the same Fairfax storefront that Blitztein later used for his museum. After graduating from Los Angeles High School, Blitzstein attended UCLA for a year, before transferring to Pomona College. He later earned an MFA at Claremont Graduate School. |
| He soon began painting in earnest. |
| "I had 9 wonderful one-man shows in Los Angeles and finally opened up my own gallery on Fairfax Avenue 32 years ago," Blitzstein said in a 2023 interview in Voyage L.A. magazine. "I have been painting for approximately 70 years and would like to go for another year or two." |
| Blitzstein did just that. |
| "There's LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and this is my little museum," Blitzstein said in a short film made in August by Josh Polon and Philip Hodges, for the "Life in a Day" documentary. "I've been painting for over 50 years, still trying to receive a recognition that I have not achieved … all I have to do is put on Bob Dylan and get the rhythm going, and the paint going, and the tears are rolling. You're feeling and you just start painting." |
| Andrea Blitzstein announced that she will be at the Blitzstein Museum of Art (428 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A., at 4 p.m. Saturday to share memories, laughter and tears with friends and fans. |
| I'm arts editor Jessica Gelt reminding myself that creating art is a lifelong pursuit and should never be inhibited by a lack of traditional success. The true measure of success is the work itself — and your love for it. Blitzstein's life and work prove that. |
On our radar |
|
| Debbie Allen will participate in "Dancing in the Light: Healing With the Arts" on Sunday. (Debbie Allen Dance Academy) |
| "Dancing in the Light: Healing With the Arts" In support of those affected by last year's fires and other members of the community, Debbie Allen, DADA Master teachers and world-class choreographers offer this free, daylong dance class in a variety of genres. Register online in advance; all abilities and levels of experience, ages 9 and up, are welcome. 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Debbie Allen Dance Academy, 1850 S. Manhattan Place, Los Angeles. debbieallendanceacademy.wufoo.com |
|
| "North Wall" by Norman Zammitt, 1976. Acrylic on canvas. 96 1/4 by 168 1/8 inches. (Heather Rasmussen / © Estate of Norman Zammitt and Karma) |
| Norman Zammitt The underappreciated Southland artist, who died in 2007, was known for his mural-size paintings and exacting use of color. The exhibition "A Degree of Light" focuses on two of his most important bodies of work, a series of laminated-acrylic pole sculptures and the abstract Band Paintings, which reflect his use of mathematical, formal and spiritual inquiries, then-groundbreaking industrial and computer technologies, and embrace of the poetics of experience. Opening reception, 6-8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, through Feb. 14. Karma, 7351 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. karmakarma.org |
|
| Eddie Izzard in "The Tragedy of Hamlet." (Carol Rosegg) |
| Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet As one might expect from such a singular performer, this is not your usual take on Shakespeare's notorious Danish prince. Adapted by Mark Izzard and directed by Selina Cadell, this solo performance entails the comic Eddie Izzard playing 23 characters, ranging from gravedigger to royalty, putting her years of marathon training to a true test. 7 p.m. Thursday and Jan. 29; 8 p.m. Jan. 23-24, Jan. 30-31; 3 p.m. Jan. 25. The Montalban Theatre 1615 Vine St. eddieizzardhamlet.com |
| |
The week ahead: A curated calendar |
| SATURDAY Lunar New Year at the Wallis It's the Year of the Horse — energetic, free-spirited and intelligent. Celebrate it with two events: the free Family Fest, featuring immersive arts and crafts, traditional foods and performances and presentations by Qing Wei Lion and Dragon Dance Cultural Troupe, Cold Tofu Improv Comedy Troupe, East Wind Foundation, Gamin Music, Beverly Hills Public Library, City of Beverly Hills Community Services Department, and DJ Moni Vargas; and Honolulu Theatre for Youth's production of "The Great Race," the story of the Chinese Zodiac, written and directed by Reiko Ho (two ticketed performances at the Lovelace Studio Theatre, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org |
| A Grand Baroque Salon The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is joined by harpsichordist Pierre Hantaï, violinists Margaret Batjer and Josefina Vergara and flutist Sandy Hughes for a program featuring J.S. Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto, No. 5," plus works by Rameau, LeClair and C.P.O. Bach (Johann Sebastain's son). 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Huntington, Rothenberg Hall, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino; 4 p.m. Sunday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. laco.org |
|
| Scott Dunn conducts the Scott Dunn Orchestra in rehearsal. The group performs Saturday night at the Wallis. (Kevin Parry) |
| Monsters, Murders, Spies and Space The Scott Dunn Orchestra fêtes "Those Fabulous Films of the Seventies," performing memorable scores by Lalo Schifrin, Miklós Rósza, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, David Shire, Richard Rodney Bennett, Johnny Mandel, Nino Rota and John Williams. 7:30 p.m. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org |
| Busoni Piano Concerto Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and pianist Igor Levit team up with the L.A. Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale for this mammoth piece in five movements requiring more than 100 musicians. 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com |
|
| The Peking Acrobats will perform at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach on Saturday. (Tom Meinhold Photography) |
| The Peking Acrobats The internationally renowned troupe performs daring feats of balance, strength, grace and contortion. Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. Carpenter Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. carpenterarts.org |
| Goodfellas Producer Irwin Winkler and co-screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi join the American Cinematheque for a 35th anniversary screening of Martin Scorsese's gangster epic starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, the latter of whom won an Oscar for supporting actor for his role as gangster Tommy DeVito. 7 p.m. Saturday. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com |
| MONDAY |
|
| Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage in David Lynch's "Wild at Heart," screening Jan. 26 at the Academy Museum. (Samuel Goldwyn Co.) |
| Wild at Heart and Weird on Top: A Tribute to David Lynch The Academy Museum marks the one-year anniversary of the visionary filmmaker's death with a five-film series highlighted by appearances from actors Kyle MacLachlan ("Blue Velvet") and Laura Dern ("Inland Empire" and "Wild at Heart"). "Blue Velvet," 7:30 p.m. Monday; "Lost Highway," 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23; "Mulholland Drive," 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24; "Inland Empire," 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25; "Wild at Heart," 7:30 p.m. Jan.26. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org |
| THURSDAY Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Windy City ensemble's director emeritus Riccardo Solti conducts the group in a repertoire that includes Brahms, Ravel, Stravinsky, Hindemith and Johann Strauss Jr. on a two-week western states tour that includes Southern California stops: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Soraya, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23. at the Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara; and 8 p.m. Jan. 24 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 300 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. cso.org |
| More Miracles The Actors' Gang presents original one-act plays: "Nun Fight" by Willa Fossum; "16 Summers" by Ayindé Howell; and "In Recovery" by Mary Eileen O'Donnell. 8 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, through Feb. 21; 8 p.m. Jan. 23; 2 p.m. Jan. 25, Feb. 8 and 15. The Actors' Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. theactorsgang.com |
| |
Culture news and the SoCal scene |
|
| Theater seats. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times) |
| Report cards for L.A. theaters' artistic directors Times theater critic Charles McNulty took the start of a new year as an opportunity to assess the accomplishments of the artistic leaders of three of the city's most influential theater companies: Center Theatre Group's Snehal Desai; Geffen Playhouse's Tarell Alvin McCraney; and Pasadena Playhouse's Danny Feldman. Spoiler alert: Nobody scored lower that a B, which speaks to the strength of theater in L.A., but McNulty did issue some advice and gentle criticism that could help inform the group's decision-making moving forward. "Theaters across America are holding on for dear life, so it might not seem fair to evaluate the artistic records of these leaders when the primary goal right now is survival. But there are better and worse ways of staying alive. And a reckoning with trade-offs can help clarify the values driving decision-making," McNulty writes. |
|
| People enjoy the newly reopened Noah's Ark exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/For The Times) |
| Two-by-two I had the pleasure of taking my daughter to the Skirball Cultural Center to try out its newly renovated Noah's Ark exhibit, as well as its new Bloom Garden. The 18-year-old exhibit just reopened after closing down for three months for updates that included theatrical lighting, new interactive components such as a giant olive tree and an ancillary garden filled with edible fruit trees and herbs. "The goal is not to change the story, but to bring forward a chapter that's always been there — that moment after the storm, when the work begins," said Rachel Stark, vice president of education and family programs at the Skirball. |
|
| Tina Packer (Shakespeare & Company) |
| For in that sleep of death what dreams may come … Tina Packer, the founding artistic director of Shakespeare & Company, has died. She was 87. Packer was born in 1938 in Wolverhampton, England, and raised in Nottingham. She trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and later worked as an associate artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as appearing in a variety of TV shows including "David Copperfield" and "Doctor Who." Packer moved to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, where in 1978 she co-founded Shakespeare & Company with fellow actor, director and writer Dennis Krausnick — whom she would later marry. The celebrated acting teacher Kristin Linklater, and a number of other theater artists also helped establish the company, which claimed Edith Wharton's home in Lenox, Mass., as its first venue. |
| Call it an art tariff The Louvre, which has had a string of bad luck lately, including news of severely deteriorating infrastructure and a notorious broad-daylight heist, has announced that it is raising ticket prices for non-EU visitors by 45% — charging 32 euros instead of 22 euros with the goal of boosting much-needed revenue. (Hopefully, it's still free the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m., except in July and August.) |
| — Jessica Gelt |
| Keep up with California | Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. | | | | | |
And last but not least |
| The Times just released this fun, informative and engrossing list of the 101 best Los Angeles movies. Did we miss something? Please let us know! |