Cinema News: What to do with murals of Cesar Chavez?

March 20, 2026 | View in browser

By Jessica Gelt

Arts Editor

Public murals are among the best ways to honor our heroes, which is why dozens of murals of civil rights icon Cesar Chavez dot California's landscape. Those images are now deeply upsetting after shocking revelations published in a recent New York Times investigation that allege Chavez sexually abused girls as young as 12 and raped his fellow labor organizer Dolores Huerta.

According to the nonprofit Travel Santa Ana, the Chavez mural, created in 2008 to commemorate the launch day of the city's KaBoom playground and Jerome Community Learning Garden, is "one of 30 murals around California that was commissioned by a project commemorating Cesar Chavez, initiated by Maria Shriver and former LA Mayor [Antonio] Villaraigosa."

That's 30 from a single project — the total number would be impossible to count. It's hard to overstate the prominence of Chavez's legacy in California, where his name and likeness are ubiquitous on the sides of bodegas, in parks, on street signs, on schools and memorialized in statues. He was considered a man of the people, which is why murals, created in unassuming local spaces, seemed especially fitting.

It's now up to the public that revered him and is now grappling with the pain of his misdeeds to decide what should become of his painted image. California lawmakers announced their intention to rename the upcoming Cesar Chavez holiday "Farmworkers Day," and that idea could be extended to murals of Chavez. These artworks could be remade to instead celebrate the achievements of the many people — especially the women and girls — who marched and fought for the labor movement.

I expect changes to these murals will come swiftly. A statue of Chavez at Fresno State has already been covered and will soon be removed. Maybe it can be melted down to create something new and uplifting. We can paint over the past, but we should never forget.

I'm Arts editor Jessica Gelt, looking forward to gazing at a mural of Huerta in the very near future.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY
Brokentalkers
Through music and dance, the Dublin-based theater company presents "Bellow," the story of Irish accordionist Danny O'Mahony as he revisits key moments when mentorship, mastery of the craft and preservation of the art form influenced his path.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

Piano recital with Gilles Vonsattel, solo
Camerata Pacifica presents the third program of "Beethoven 32," a three-year Beethoven cycle in which principal pianist Vonsattel performs all 32 of the composer's piano sonatas.
7 p.m. Friday. Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Rd., Santa Barbara. 8 p.m. Sunday. The Colburn School, Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. cameratapacifica.org

Sex, Lies and Harold Pinter
Two of the playwright's darkly comic one-acts, "Party Time" and "The Lover," are paired.
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays, through April 26. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. odysseytheatre.com

SATURDAY
And the Beat Goes On
The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles performs American classics from R&B, Motown, gospel and musical theater with Emmy Award-winning host and GMCLA alum Melvin Robert and soprano Nicole Heaston.
8 p.m. Saturday; 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills. GMCLA.org

Cirque Kalabanté's Afrique en Cirque
A celebration of African culture featuring acrobatics accompanied live Afro Jazz, percussion and kora.
8 p.m. Saturday. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, CSULB, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. carpenterarts.org; 3 p.m. Sunday. The Soraya, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge. thesoraya.org

Todd Gray
A solo exhibition of the artist's photosculptures, "Portals," continues his interest in the effects of colonization, the built environment and the natural world. Gray will be in conversation with LACMA chief executive Michael Govan on Tuesday.
Opening reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday; conversation, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; exhibition continues through May 30. Perrotin Los Angeles, 5036 W Pico Blvd. perrotin.com

Convergence: Contemporary Artists of Armenian Descent
More than 20 artists, in work ranging from abstraction to conceptual installations, interrogate the complexities of their cultural identities.
Through Aug. 9. Forest Lawn Museum, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale. museum.forestlawn.com

Kim's Convenience
Playwright Ins Choi stars in this production of his award-winning comedy drama, about a Korean family-run corner store in Toronto, that inspired the TV series. Directed by Weyni Mengesha.
Through April 19. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Avenue, downtown L.A. centertheatregroup.org

'KPop Demon Hunters' singalong
Bop to the beat of this year's two-time Oscar-winner — animated feature and original song — at this special Academy screening.
11 a.m. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

Miss Velma in the City of Angels
In the "Religion and Ritual" section of the ongoing Art of the West exhibition, this new installation features a custom-made dress worn by the charismatic co-founder of the Universal World Church in Los Angeles.
Opens Friday. The Autry, 4700 Western Heritage Way. Griffith Park. theautry.org

Ok, Olympia, Let's Go!
Apollo Dukakis wrote and performs the one-act play "You and Me" alongside Kandis Chappell in a multimedia celebration of his sister, the late Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. Playwright and filmmaker Graham Barnard hosts with special invited guests.
8 p.m. Saturday. 3 p.m. Sunday. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. odysseytheatre.com

Song Of The North
Hamid Rahmanian created this multimedia production using shadow puppetry and projected animation to reimagine the Persian epic "Shahnameh" about a fierce heroine and her quest to save her beloved.
2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and March 28 to 29; 7 p.m. Saturday and March 29. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave. pasadenaplayhouse.org

Turner & Constable
Laemmle's "Culture Vulture" series presents this documentary on two of Britain's finest artists — J.M.W. Turner and John Constable — their rivalry as very different landscape painters and the current exhibition at the Tate in London. Directed by David Bickerstaff.
10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7 p.m. Monday. Laemmle Glendale, 207 N. Maryland Ave.; Laemmle Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino; Laemmle Monica Film Center, 1332 2nd St. laemmle.com

Vertigo in Concert
Sarah Hicks conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing the Bernard Herrmann score for Alfred Hitchcock's classical psychological thriller live to screen.
8 p.m. Saturday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

SUNDAY
Network
The American Cinematheque presents screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's prescient 1976 media satire for its 50th anniversary and in tribute to actor Robert Duvall.
7 p.m. Sunday. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com

Yefim Bronfman
The pianist performs selections from Schumann, Brahms, Debussy and Beethoven. Rescheduled from Feb. 11.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

Death of a Salesman
A Noise Within co-artistic director Geoff Elliott steps into the shoes of Arthur Miller's beleaguered working man.
Through April 19. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. anoisewithin.org

Ebell + LA Festival: Powered by Women
A free celebration of art, activism and community spirit featuring performances, classes and crafts.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Ebell of Los Angeles, 741 S. Lucerne Blvd. ebellofla.org

Akinsanya Kambon: The Hero Avenges
A conversation between the sculptor known for his work inspired by the Black diaspora, African histories and mythologies, and Hammer curator Pablo José Ramírez, plus the premiere of a new eponymous documentary directed by Gabriel Noguez and Sean Rowry and a book signing of the monograph "Akinsanya Kambon: The Hero Avenges."
2 p.m. Sunday. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. hammer.ucla.edu

MONDAY
Lang Lang Plays Beethoven
The piano virtuoso joins the Pacific Symphony for performances of Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 3" and Egmont Overture, plus Dvořák's Ninth Symphony, "From the New World."
8 p.m. Monday. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. pacificsymphony.org

TUESDAY
Gerald Barry's 'Salome'
Thomas Adès conducts the L.A. Phil in the U.S. premiere of Barry's new opera, based on the Oscar Wilde play.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

WEDNESDAY
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The illustrious troupe performs two alternating programs as part of its exclusive multiyear Southern California residency under the leadership of new Artist Director Alicia Graf Mack.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday to March 28; 2 p.m. March 28 to 29. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. musiccenter.org

THURSDAY
Level Up!
A trans tween feels like she can only be herself in her virtual world in the Latino Theater Company's world premiere of a resonant, family-friendly play by Gabriel Rivas Gómez. Directed by Fidel Gómez.
Previews through April 3. Opens April 4 and runs through May 3. Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., downtown L.A. latinotheaterco.org

Arts Anywhere

BroadwayHD
Don't get out to the theater as much as you'd like? This decade-old streaming service could be a viable supplement to your live theater habit. It offers a nice variety of shows from Broadway and the West End, off-Broadway, plays, musicals and virtually anything in between. BroadwayHD: $20 per month or $200 per year.

Future Relic: Failures, Disasters, Detours, and How I Made a Career as an Artist
Part memoir, part how-to, contemporary artist Daniel Arsham's new book shares pragmatic advice on things like how to get a gallery, why you need a great lawyer, how to run a creative business and the importance of building a network of successful people. Bursting onto the scene more than 20 years ago with a bold vision across multiple mediums and accruing an eclectic list of big-name collaborators, including Merce Cunningham, Pharrell Williams, Pokémon, Tiffany & Co. and Cleveland Cavaliers, he quickly found both critical and commercial success. In a 2014 review of the artist's work, Times contributor Sharon Mizota wrote, "Daniel Arsham's casts of everyday or recently obsolete objects in sand, volcanic ash or various kinds of rock are like premature fossils, or perhaps eerie premonitions of ruin to come." At a time when everything in the world is starting to feel obsolete, including us, "Future Relic" could find a place on the bookshelves of many would-be creatives. (Think of it as a companion to Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act: A Way of Being."). Authors Equity: 320 pp. $30.

Out of Vienna
The acclaimed Berlin-based chamber ensemble Leonkoro Quartet, formed in 2019, has released its stellar debut recording after winning a string of prestigious awards across Europe. An exploration of early 20th-century modernism in the Austrian capital, the album features compositions by Alban Berg, Anton Webern and Erwin Schulhoff. Alpha Classics: Available on CD ($19) or download ($9.25).

— Kevin Crust

Culture news and the SoCal scene

Team Arts is publishing its Spring Arts preview this Sunday and we have been rolling out the stories online this week, beginning with a roundup of 26 of the most exciting L.A. concerts, theater, art and dance events this season. Theater critic Charles McNulty sat down with three of the city's most prominent regional theater leaders to talk about how they are working to reimagine live theater in order to boost attendance and morale for the art form during this perilous time of dwindling attention spans and political instability. We also compiled a roundup of this year's biggest museum openings to illustrate just how huge a year it is for art in L.A.

McNulty has been extra busy lately and has delivered a series of reviews. Harry Potter fans will enjoy his take on Daniel Radcliffe in Broadway's "Every Brilliant Thing," which McNulty calls "an ingenious and touching solo performance piece written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe on the subject of suicide — or more precisely, on the ordinary joys that militate against such a drastic step."

McNulty also dropped in on the Geffen Playhouse to catch "Dragon Mama," the second installment in a trilogy written and performed by Sara Porkalob about her Filipina American family. "To be frank, I wasn't sure I was up for a trilogy on Porkalob's family history. But after 'Dragon Mama,' I can hardly wait for 'Dragon Baby,' the third and final segment," McNulty writes.

Finally, McNulty checks in with the Actors' Gang, which is running a production of Elmer Rice's 1923 expressionist satire, "The Adding Machine." The story, about "an accountant drone aptly named Mr. Zero who, after losing his job to an adding machine, kills his boss and is sentenced to death," shares uncomfortable modern-day parallels with the threat to workers currently posed by AI, McNulty writes.

Classical music critic Mark Swed got the scoop on the Los Angeles Philharmonic's new season — its first without revered music director Gustavo Dudamel. "For the first time in 64 years, the L.A. Phil will be without a music director, and with no one in waiting in the wings. But you may barely notice. In little more than three months, Dudamel, although newly installed as music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic, will be saying hello once again to his old band at Walt Disney Concert Hall for two weeks of Beethoven," Swed writes.

I got to watch workers hang a $142.5-million Francis Bacon triptych on the walls of LACMA's new David Geffen Galleries. The paintings were gifted to the museum by its late trustee, Elaine Wynn. LACMA's director, Michael Govan, said that part of her interest in supporting the new building was because she wanted the paintings to eventually belong to the public.

Dance writer Steven Vargas penned an interesting profile of choreographer Jacob Jonas and how his battle with Stage 4 lymphoma deepened his connection to his craft.

The news from the Kennedy Center does not stop coming. Late last week, we learned that President Trump had replaced Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who presided over the unfolding chaos at the center for a little over a year, with Matt Floca, the vice president of facilities operations at the center. This week, the Trump-appointed board voted to officially close the venue for two years. Trump had already announced his intentions, so the vote amounted to little more than a rubber stamp.

The Soraya announced its 2026-27 season, which includes six major debuts: singer and actress Audra McDonald, the Grammy Award-winning Snarky Puppy ensemble, Emmet Cohen's jazz trio, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the National Symphony Orchestra (which will be roving in the wake of the Kennedy Center closure) and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Also arriving at the Soraya, according to a note from its publicist, "Domingo Hindoyan leads the LA Phil and soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the world premiere of a new, LA Phil-commissioned song cycle from Miguel Farias. Farias' incandescent new work is paired with Barber's 'Medea's Dance of Vengeance' and Dvořák's Ninth Symphony."

The first-ever museum survey of the legendary Chicana artist Ofelia Esparza ("Ofelia Esparza: A Retropective ") at Vincent Price Art Museum has been extended through May — now you have no excuse to not get yourself out to see it.

— Jessica Gelt

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In an incredibly detailed and truly impressive investigation, Reuters unmasked the legendary British street artist known as Banksy. I have mixed feelings on that one, which I may explore in a future newsletter.