Cinema News: LAPD gets called to an Art Week party

February 27, 2026 | View in browser

By Jessica Gelt

Arts Editor

What sounded like a very cool L.A. Art Week party ended up getting a bit too rowdy. On Sunday night the Los Angeles Police Department was called to a former 99 Cents Only store on Wilshire Boulevard where an opening night party was underway for a week-long pop-up called "99CENT," organized by former tagger and blue-chip artist Barry McGee and presented with the Hole gallery.

An LAPD public information officer confirmed that officers responded to a disturbance call at the location, which is just down the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy Museum, at 10:30 p.m. Sunday Police arrived to find "a large group of about 20 or 30 people, drinking and playing loud music." The crowd dispersed on its own after law enforcement arrived.

Neighbor Rebekka Mueller, who lives across the parking lot from the store, said that a concert at the event had attracted hundreds of people, a number of whom took to tagging four or five neighboring businesses, including the now-closed historic Googie-style Johnie's Coffee Shop.

The event drew plenty of respectful art fans, Mueller said, "but attracted lots of other people, and they started tagging the whole building — but not in an art way. And then it spilled over to the businesses nearby, to an insurance company, and then two apartment buildings were completely tagged … and they had no security on site when this happened. So this was very alarming for the neighborhood."

Cole Schiffer, whose family owns the 99 Cents building, said he was sorry that neighbors' structures were tagged and that he has been working all week to paint over the tagging.

"We didn't know that this would happen. I was pretty naive about the graphic art world," he said. "We're business owners, we spend a lot of time removing graffiti. My mom grew up in this neighborhood. My grandparents lived and died here, so honestly, it's a little sad and crazy to see this graffiti all over the neighborhood."

Schiffer said things had calmed down after Sunday night and that the Hole gallery was working to avoid problems for the rest of the week's festivities.

In a brief story about the event, Times freelancer Mariella Rudi noted that the 99 Cents store had been transformed into, "a dense, joyous artist flea market" featuring, "more than 200 contributors and well over 4,000 works." When Rudi was there on Sunday night she said she didn't see any destructive behavior.

"Paintings are stacked against old shelving. Shopping carts hang from the ceiling. You can even check out your purchases at the register, complete with a sticker and a receipt," Rudi wrote, adding, "Graffiti-heavy aisles will thrill fans of Beyond the Streets, but a handwritten sign near the entrance offers a final note: 'Please, no tagging inside. Owners are cool.' "

The pop-up will feature puppets from Bob Baker Marionette Theatre this Sunday, as well as an Anti-Fascist Zine Fair. This whole scene is right up my alley, and I say, "Yes, please," to more edgy arts programming featuring outsider artists and youthful rebellion.

But it seems a minority of guests decided to dishonor the spirit of the event by disrespecting the boundaries put into place by organizers.

Even neighbors who complained, like Mueller, said they were big supporters of the arts and that a lot of great art was on display inside the store — they wished the situation had played out differently, and they hope Sunday night's grand finale proves more in control.

Mueller said that although organizers had painted over many of the tags, the situation at Johnie's had not yet been remedied.

I'm Times Arts editor Jessica Gelt, and I'm here for all the colorful underground fun — and the angry dissent that often comes with it — but none of the destruction of property.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY
All My Sons
Oánh Nguyễn directs Antaeus Theatre Company's production of Arthur Miller's 1946 Tony-winning play about a Midwestern family facing a moral reckoning after World War II.
Through March 30. Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Broadway, Glendale. antaeus.org

All the Empty Rooms
Photos memorializing the bedrooms of children lost to school shootings captured by photographer Lou Bopp and reporter Steve Hartman and featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary short film directed by Joshua Seftel, are on display at an outdoor installation.
Through Monday, Sunset Triangle Plaza, 3700 Sunset Blvd.

And What of the Children?
Writer-director Ryan Lisman's play blends drama, dark comedy and horror in a psychological thriller about a trio of siblings in the Witness Protection Program.
Through March 15. The Broadwater Black Box, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. events.humanitix.com

Front and Center: Emerging Artists with the Colburn Orchestra
Salonen Fellows Mert Yalniz and Aleksandra Melaniuk will lead a varied program of concerto works spotlighting up-and-coming soloists. The performance will be live streamed.
7 p.m. Friday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand. Ave., downtown L.A. colburnschool.edu

Sleep
John Giorno, the subject of the exhibition "John Giorno: No Nostalgia," stars in Andy Warhol's 1964 five hours and 21-minute silent film. Free with a reservation.
5-10:30 p.m. Friday. Marciano Art Foundation, 4357 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. marcianoartfoundation.org

SATURDAY

Akhnatan
John Holiday stars in L.A. Opera's production of Philip Glass' portrait of the Egyptian pharaoh, sung in in English, Ancient Egyptian, Biblical Hebrew and Akkadian. Directed by Phelim McDermott and conducted by Dalia Stasevska making her company debut.
Through March 21, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laopera.org

Attacca Quartet and Theo Bleckmann
The versatile Grammy-winning ensemble teams with vocalist Bleckmann on David Lang's "note to a friend," a chamber opera based on three reimagined texts by Japanese writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa.
8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

From Strand to Sculpture
A self-guided tour of the Japanese bamboo basketry exhibition will be followed by a lecture from bamboo art expert Robert Coffland, founder of TAI Gallery (now TAI Modern) in Santa Fe, N.M., and now president of the Santa Fe gallery Textile Arts Inc. The lecture is also available via Zoom.
4-7 p.m. Saturday. The Gamble House is located at 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena. gamblehouse.org

The Price
Richard Fancy, Dana Dewes, Jason Huber and Scott G. Jackson star in Arthur Miller's late-period drama about two brother's cleaning out their late father's New York brownstone.
Through April 5. Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd. pacificresidenttheatre.org

Pepe Romero Returns
The classical guitarist joins the Long Beach Symphony for a concert featuring "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquín Rodrigo, Gabriela Lena Frank's "Elegia Andina" and movements from Handel's "Water Music Suites."
7:30 p.m. Saturday. Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. longbeachsymphony.org

Starring Bud Cort
The American Cinematheque salutes the singular character actor, who recently died at 77, with screenings of Robert Altman's "Brewster McCloud" (1970), Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" (2004) and Hal Ashby's"Harold and Maude" (1971).
"Brewster McCloud", 2 p.m. Saturday in 35mm. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; "The Life Aquatic", 3 p.m. March 14; "Harold and Maude," 1 p.m. March 15 in 35 mm. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. americancinematheque.com

SUNDAY
Unassisted Residency
Every edition of erstwhile weatherman Fritz Coleman's monthly comedy show features a special guest.
3 p.m. Sunday. El Portal Theatre, Monroe Forum, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. elportaltheatre.com

TUESDAY
Camerata Pacifica
The ensemble performs a program that includes Madeleine Dring's "Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano," the world premiere of David Brice's "Natural Light," Cécile Chaminade's "Thème varié for Piano, Op. 89" and Antonín Dvořák's "Quintet in A major for Piano and Strings, Op. 81," arranged by David Jolley.
3 p.m. Sunday. Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino; 8 p.m., Thursday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; 7 p.m. Friday. Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara. cameratapacifica.org

WEDNESDAY

Dragon Mama
Writer-performer Sara Porkalob returns in Part II of her Filipina American "gangster" family's intergenerational saga, "The Dragon Cycle," this time centering her mother's journey. Directed by Andrew Russell
Through April 12. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Westwood. geffenplayhouse.org

THURSDAY
The Adding Machine
The Actors' Gang performs Elmer Rice's 1923 satire that provides a prophetic warning from the past for our present.
Through April 18. The Actors; Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. theactorsgang.com

Dante and Beethoven's Sixth
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the L.A. Phil in Beethoven's "Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 – Pastoral" and Thomas Adès' "Inferno – Part 1."
8 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
A remounting of the historic dance theater work "Still/Here," created by Jones 30 years in the midst of the AIDS epidemic from interviews with terminally patients which he called "survival workshops."
8 p.m. UCLA Royce Hall, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood. cap.ucla.edu

Arts anywhere

New releases of arts-related media.

Art in the Twenty-First Century
Museums are fantastic, but do you ever want to know what's going on right now in the art world? Since it debuted in 2001, this video series has focused on contemporary art and artists and has been a mainstay of public broadcasting. The second episode of the 12th season (they're released biannually) debuted Feb. 11 and profiles four international artists, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Ragnar Kjartansson, Candice Lin and Tomás Saraceno, who use ordinary materials to make extraordinary art. Of local note, Crosby and Lin both live and work in L.A., and the Huntington in San Marino makes an appearance as well. Watch at art21.org, YouTube and pbs.org.

Michelangelo & Titian
It may not have been a heated rivalry, but author William E. Wallace makes the case that the two great Renaissance artists drove each other to excel in a new dual biography subtitled "A Tale of Rivalry and Genius." Princeton University Press: 248 pp., $35. press.princeton.edu

Turandot: Christopher Tin Finale
The two-time Grammy-winning composer completed Giacomo Puccini's famously unfinished final opera for this EP recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios with an all-star cast. You may even have heard it during Japanese figure skater Yuma Kagiyama's free skate program at the recent Winter Olympic Games in Milan (Kagiyama won silver for the second time). Not only was Milan Puccini's hometown, but the Games coincided with the 100th-anniversary of the premiere of the opera at Teatro La Scala. Tin Works: $12-30. Available on vinyl, CD, digital download and streaming platforms. christophertin.com

— Kevin Crust

Culture news and the SoCal scene

Art Week is here, and L.A. is overflowing with guests, artists and dealers from around the world as the city stages a wide variety of fairs, exhibitions, dinners and other arts events. The Times put together a handy guide to all the fairs you need to see, including Frieze, Butter LA and the Other Art Fair.

Freelancer Jane Horowitz wrote an in-depth piece about Frieze's "Body & Soul," a public art program of eight installations designed to reach beyond traditional art fair audiences. The story gives information about site-specific installations and the artists behind them, including Patrick Martinez. Amanda Ross Ho and Kelly Wall.

Earlier this week, MOCA announced it had acquired 158 works by 106 artists in 2025 and that it had acquired the centerpiece of its current blockbuster "Monuments" exhibit: "Unmanned Drone," by artist Kara Walker. "Walker created the 13-foot-tall bronze sculpture out of a statue of the prominent Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson that was originally in Charlottesville, Va. The statue had been removed after serving as a significant gathering place for the infamous 2017 Unite the Right rally of white supremacists," I wrote in a story about the acquisition.

Our major investigation into L.A. arts icon Judy Baca also published this week, featuring allegations by 10 former employees, including two managers, that Baca used her nonprofit arts center, SPARC, to benefit her private, for-profit art practice, Judy Baca Inc. They also alleged Baca personally benefited from a $5-million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to expand her most famous work, a community-driven effort known as "The Great Wall of Los Angeles."

Times theater critic Charles McNulty headed to San Diego's Old Globe to catch Katie Holmes in a new take on Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" written by Erin Cressida Wilson "that compresses the action and sharpens the language to a razor's edge."

McNulty also caught Guillermo Cienfuegos' "enlivening, if at times unsteady," production of Shakespeare's "Richard III" at A Noise Within. "Cienfuegos is a font of directing ideas, but his work here could use more editing. He plays up the comedy, which is as much a part of the play as its violence. But sometimes the actors overdo it," McNulty writes.

"Beethoven's 'Missa Solemnis' is a grand mass for large orchestra, chorus and four vocal soloists that lasts around 80 minutes," writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed in his review of Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Phil's performance of the challenging piece. "It was written near the end of Beethoven's life and is his most ambitious work musically and spiritually." The concert at Disney Hall was part of Dudamel's "month-long L.A. Phil focus on Beethoven."

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that its partnership with Hyundai Motor Co. will continue until 2037. The union was first cemented in 2015, and the museum said in a news release that it "represents the largest programmatic commitment from a corporate partner in LACMA's history." The announcement included two initiatives "that will define the next chapter" of collaboration. "The first initiative is a new exhibition series under the title 'Hyundai Project.' Beginning in 2028, the museum will present a biennial survey of an artist with significant ties to Los Angeles and the Pan Pacific region. The featured artist will also develop a large-scale banner for the exhibition that will be installed on the exterior of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM). Secondly, with Hyundai Motor's renewed support, LACMA will expand the scope, visibility, and impact of the Art + Technology Lab," the release noted.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is celebrating its 40th anniversary season and has announced its 2026–27 Broadway season featuring 11 shows, six of which are Orange County premieres. The season kicks off with "Beauty and the Beast," followed by "The Outsiders," "Water for Elephants," "Book of Mormon," "Jersey Boys," "The Who's Tommy," "Buena Vista Social Club," "Waitress," "The Great Gatsby," "Maybe Happy Ending" and "Death Becomes Her."

— Jessica Gelt

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