Cinema News: Art world collides with the Epstein files

February 13, 2026 | View in browser

By Jessica Gelt

Arts Editor

When the Justice Department released an additional 3 million pages of documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein at the end of January, ARTnews unearthed and published excerpts from dozens of emails between Epstein and David A. Ross, a former director of the Whitney Museum of American Art who started his career in the 1970s as deputy director and curator of video art at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

Ross, who served as the chair of the MFA art practice program at New York's School of Visual Arts since 2009, promptly resigned.

If the emails had been less damning, the revelation of Ross' connection to Epstein might have played out differently, but that was not the case. In one letter, dated Oct. 1, 2009, Epstein wrote to Ross that Roman Polanski's attorney was coming to see him and that he was considering funding an exhibit titled, "Statutory."

"Girls and boys ages 14 - 25, where they look nothing like their true ages," Epstein wrote. "Juvenile mug shots, photo shop, make up. Some people go to prison because they can't tell true age. Controversial. Fun. Maybe it should be a web page with hits, tallied."

"You are incredible," Ross wrote back. "This would be a very [sic] owerful and freaky book. Do you know that total porno commercial kiddie picture of Brooke Sheilds that Richard Prince appropriated for an exhibition in the early 1980's?"

Epstein replied in the affirmative to Ross' reference to a Prince photo titled, "Spiritual America," which appropriated a 1976 photo of a naked, 10-year-old Shields taken by commercial photographer Gary Gross.

"They closed it off in the London show," Epstein noted.

Ross also expressed sympathy for Epstein's legal travails in 2009 following a 13-month sentence he served in Florida after pleading guilty to reduced state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution.

"Glad the nightmare is over, Jeffrey," Ross wrote. "It was an undeserved punishment foisted upon you by jealous creeps."

In an email to ARTnews, Ross expressed remorse that he "fell for" Epstein's lies.

"Like many he supported with arts and education patronage, I profoundly regret that I was taken in by his story," Ross wrote. "I continue to be appalled by his crimes and remain deeply concerned for its many victims."

Ross noted that he first met Epstein when he was director of the Whitney in the mid-1990s. Ross also served as director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

"I knew him as a wealthy patron and a collector, and it was part of my job to befriend people who had the capacity and interest in supporting the museum," Ross wrote, adding that when Epstein was jailed in 2008, he told Ross that it was a political "frame-up" resulting from his support for former President Bill Clinton. Ross said he believed him.

It seems lots of men believed Epstein. Meanwhile, behind all the power lunches, private plane rides and callous late-night emails, far too many women and girls suffered.

I'm Arts editor Jessica Gelt with your arts and culture news for the week.

On our radar

Michael Feinstein: A Broadway Valentine
The singer, musician, conductor and stalwart proponent of the Great American Songbook celebrates the holiday of the heart with the Carnegie Hall Ensemble. Timeless love songs and lush orchestrations seem like a perfect way to spend the evening.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 300 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org

Fútbol Is Life: Animated Sportraits
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAL! Ahead of this summer's World Cup, with L.A. as one of 16 host cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, arrives this unique exhibition celebrating the beautiful game. Portraying transcendent moments in men's and women's soccer, award‑winning animator and visual effects artist Lyndon  J. Barrois, Sr. fashions engrossing scenes in miniature from gum wrappers, glue, paint and other materials. The handmade sculptures and stop-motion animations on display bring together the visual and emotional elements that make it the world's most popular sport. Jasmine Mendez spoke to Barrois about his process and Times photographer Allen J. Schaben provides more marvelous images.
Sunday through July 12. LACMA Resnick Pavilion, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. lacma.org

Studio Ghibli's Ponyo
A deep dive into Hayao Miyazaki's 2008 animated film about a goldfish who longs to be human honors the traditional hand-drawn animation processes used by its creators. The exhibition includes more than a hundred items handpicked by Studio Ghibli: art boards, posters, a Studio Ghibli animation desk and original hand drawings by Miyazaki and others. "Because writer-director Miyazaki very much follows his own star when it comes to story, narratives like 'Ponyo' remind you of no one else's tales," wrote Times film critic Kenneth Turan upon the film's U.S. release. "Not only do they offer up fantastical images, like Ponyo running on the crests of waves, they make deep connections to our emotions without following conventional paths, using the logic of dreams to excellent effect."
Screening 2:30 p.m. Saturday; exhibition, Saturday through Jan. 10. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY
Nitrate Festival
The American Cinematheque's annual tribute to the beautiful, if highly volatile, film format that was used from the 1890s until the 1950s, offers audiences the rare opportunity to see this work on the big screen. The festival opens with the 1947 noir "Dead Reckoning," starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by John Cromwell, and continues with William Wyler's "The Good Fairy" (1935), Gregory La Cava's "My Man Godfrey" (1936), William Wellman's "Nothing Sacred" (1937), Mikio Naruse's "Wife! Be Like A Rose!" (1935), David Lean's "Blithe Spirit" (1945) and Cecil B. DeMille's "Samson and Delilah" (1949).
7 p.m. Friday, through Feb. 22. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com

Foursome
Matthew Scott Montgomery, Adrián Javier, Jimin Moon and Calvin Seabrooks star in Montgomery's comedy about a quartet of queer friends who reunite for an emotionally fraught, desire-filled weekend at a cabin. Directed by Tom DeTrinis.
Through March 23. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. iamatheatre.com

Guards at the Taj
Two sentries at the Taj Mahal have their friendship, faith and sense of duty challenged in Rajiv Joseph's play set centuries in the past with contemporary resonance. Behzad Dabu and Kausar Mohammed star. Directed by Behzad Dabu.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 22
El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood elportaltheatre.com

Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez
Pianist Rodriguez and percussionist-vocalist Martinez perform traditional Cuban songs, original compositions and some surprises.
8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

Incitation To The Dance
A young man upends an older gay couple's relationship in the world premiere of writer-director Michael Van Duzer's dark comedy.
Through March 15. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. https://theatrewest.org/on-stage/incitation-to-the-dance

Roksana Pirouzmand
The Iranian-born, L.A.-based multidisciplinary artist's solo exhibition "everything was once something else" explores the contrasting properties forged by earth and fire through clay and metal works.
Through April 11. Oxy Arts, 4757 York Blvd. oxyarts.oxy.edu

SATURDAY
Attune 1.0
A free public light- and sound-art experience happens simultaneously across L.A. County locations presented by NXT Art Foundations with community support.
4:30-7:30 p.m. Barnsdall Park, East Hollywood; Sycamore Grove Park, Northeast Los Angeles ; Jessie Brewer Jr. Park, Exposition Park; Jane and Bert Boeckmann Park, Porter Ranch; Hansen Dam, Lake View Terrace; Leimert Park, South Los Angeles; Wende Museum, Culver City; Promenade Square Park, Long Beach; Tongva Park, Santa Monica and Loma Alta Park, Altadena. nowartpublic.com

Desert Dreams and Coastal Currents
The exhibition tracks the concurrent emergent of artistic hubs in Southern California and the Southwest, featuring work by artists in areas such as Laguna Beach, and Taos and Santa Fe, N.M.
The Autry, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. theautry.org

Wally Hedrick
"Sex Politics Religion" is a two-venue retrospective of the Pasadena-born artist, who established himself in the burgeoning post-war San Francisco art scene. Hedrick eschewed "style" in favor of pursuing a vision including welded assemblage junk sculptures, Bauhausian abstraction, black monochromes, gestural figuration, graphic signage, pictographic diagrams and near-photorealism.
Through April 4. Parker Gallery, 6700 Melrose Ave.; The Box
805 Traction Ave., downtown L.A. parkergallery.com

Honour
The Ruskin's grand opening on the Kaplan Stage features Joanna Murray-Smith's drama on the precariousness of marriage, directed by Max Mayer and starring Marcia Cross, Matt Letscher, Ariana Afradi and Jude Mayer.
8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through March 22. Ruskin Group Theatre, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica.

Takashi Murakami
The new solo exhibition "Hark Back to Ukiyo-e: Tracing Superflat to Japonisme's Genesis" features 24 paintings by the Japanese artist.
4-7 p.m. opening, free and open to the public; exhibition continues through March 14. Perrotin, 5036. W Pico Blvd. perrotin.com

Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry
Immigrant narratives and pan-Asian mythology infuse this immersive exhibition featuring contemporary artists including Dinh Q. Lê, Dominique Fung, Lily Honglei, Greg Ito, Wendy Park, Momoko Schafer, Kyungmi Shin, Sanjay Vora and Lauren YS. Conceived by L.A.-based Korean American artist and muralist Dave Young Kim.
Through Sept. 6. USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave. Pasadena. pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

PASSION + MYSTERY
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, led by conductor Jaime Martín, celebrate Valentine's Day weekend with Fauré's "Pelléas et Mélisande" and Gernot Wolfgang's "Desert Wind," and are joined by pianist Fazıl Say for Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 3."
7:30 p.m. Saturday. Colburn School, Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; 4 p.m. Sunday, The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. laco.org

Red Harlem
Four Black actors in 1932 Harlem are recruited by the Communist Party to make a film in the Soviet Union in Kimba Henderson's drama based on true events. Directed by Bernadette Speakes.
Through March 15. Company of Angels, 1350 San Pablo St. companyofangels.org

Retro Romantics: An Academy Film Archive Trailer Show in 35mm
Vintage cinematic love stories unspool in their original abridged glory, seductively beckoning you to the movies.
7:30 p.m. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

SUNDAY
Black History Month at The Ebell
Soprano Gertrude Bradley performs a tribute to Joel Graham, accompanied by pianist Greg Schreiner in an African Americans for LA Opera recital; and Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA) salutes the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in "I, Too, Sing America," a nod to the Langston Hughes poem.
AALAO Recital, 12:30 p.m. Sunday; LA Voices: ICYOLA, 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd. https://www.ebellofla.org/

Isidore String Quartet
The group performs "Brahms: the Admirer," an exploration of the composer's work alongside complementary pieces by Bach and Beethoven.
3:30 p.m. Caltech Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave. Pasadena. colemanchambermusic.org

What Happened to Flamenco
Clap your hands as dancer and choreographer Fanny Ara brings the folkloric tradition to life.
7 p.m. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. fountaintheatre.com

TUESDAY
Seth MacFarlane
The erstwhile animator, writer, producer, director, actor and comedian picks up the mic, backed by an orchestra, for a program dedicated to the music of Frank Sinatra.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com/events

WEDNESDAY
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Barry Pearl directs the long-running off-Broadway musical comedy revue on modern love, featuring book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts to open ICT's 41st season.
Through March 8. International City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach. ictlongbeach.org

Patti LuPone
The Broadway star marks the 25th anniversary of her "Matters of the Heart," which ran on Broadway and London's West End and toured the globe.
8 p.m. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 300 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org

Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Can't get to New Orleans for Mardi Gras? The Soraya brings it to the Valley via the deep roots of this legendary French Quarter ensemble.
8 p.m. The Saroya, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge. thesoraya.org

Six
The national tour of the Broadway musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, a modern pop take on the sextet of women who were the wives of Henry VIII.
Through March 9. Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd.; March 10-15. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 300 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. sixonbroadway.com

THURSDAY
Compagnie Hervé Koubi: Sol Invictus
The French-Algerian choreographer's dance troupe performs "Sol Invictus," with a score featuring music by Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson, minimalist composer Steve Reich and digital composer Maxime Bodson.
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. February 19 - 21, 2026 The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills. thewallis.org

Culture news and the SoCal scene

Features columnist Todd Martens checked out "Brassroots District: LA '74," a piece of immersive theater he describes as "part concert, part participatory theater and part experiment, attempting to intermix an evening of dancing and jubilation with high-stakes drama. How it plays out is up to each audience member. Follow the cast, and uncover war tales and visions of how the underground music scene became a refuge for the LGBTQ+ community. Watch the band, and witness a concert almost torn apart as a group on the verge of releasing its debut album weighs community versus cold commerce. Or ignore it all to play dress-up and get a groove on to the music that never stops."

Artist Ali Eyal, who grew up in Baghdad in the late 1990s and early 2000s during U.S. military operations in Iraq, is the recipient of the $100,000 Mohn Award, which honors artistic excellence, in conjunction with the Hammer Museum's Made in L.A. 2025. In addition to the award money, the Hammer will produce a publication for Eyal. The Hammer also announced that sculptor Carl Cheng has been given the $25,000 Career Achievement Award; and that painter Greg Breda won the $25,000 Public Recognition Award.

The news out of the Kennedy Center continues to be grim. This week, Trump-appointed center president Richard Grenell sent an email to staffers informing them that significant cuts would be implemented when the center closes for renovations, beginning July 4. "Over the next few months, department heads and I will be evaluating the needs and making the decisions as to what these skeletal teams left in place during the facility closure and construction phase will look like," Grenell wrote in the email obtained by The Times.

— Jessica Gelt

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