So apparently Blick’s and Michelle’s are taking over the art supply store scene, kinda brushing the mom & pop stores to the side. Thankfully there are still a few around, the Carter Sexton Gallery and Store in North Hollywood. Not only do they offer a ton of art supplies, but they also exhibit local artists work through out the year. Starting this Friday, local artist Anna Ziouzina will display her fine art portfolio of figure drawings and some miscellaneous items. Looking at this example of her work, it seems quite appropriate, considering Alice and Wonderland just came out! Anna says her art “doesn’t take itself too seriously, just portraits of people doing their own thing, caught in the moment”. All of her work will be on sale and of course the opening is free. If you can’t make it to the opening night party (with free wine and artist in attendance as usual), her art will be on display until April 9th.
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WHAT: Opening Reception for Anna Ziouzina
WHEN: Friday, March 12th @ 7-9pm
WHERE: Carter Sexton Gallery
$$$: Free

A couple miles north of Sunset Blvd in the Palisades lies Paseo Miramar, a five-mile hike that gives you some of the most gobsmacking views of the Pacific Ocean you’ll ever witness.

But first, you must pay a price.

I’m not going to lie to you: the first two miles of this thing — a steep, winding, seemingly endless incline up the canyon, with each corner promising relief that never comes — are going to kick you in the face.  They are going to kick the faces of your friends, your pets, your distant family members, and your unborn children.  Add a ponytail to them and they’d be Steven Segal in Out For Justice. Your suffering is going to be legendary.

But then, after about 45 minutes, something magical happens: your body accepts its fate. And before you know it, the incline levels out, and you’re slaloming down through green tree-tunnels and past wetlands and up through fields of high, honey-colored grass. Finally, you hit the top and there’s a wooden bench waiting for you. You flop down and drink in the views of the rolling Palisades, the muted sprawl of the city, the toy-sized Santa Monica Ferris Wheel in the distance, and that sheet of blue rippling from the crescent edges of the continent.  It’s all yours.

Masochism: it has its upsides.

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WHAT: Hike in the Palisades
WHEN: Good all year round
WHERE: Trail starts at the top of Paseo Miramar Rd
$$$: Free

Check out this unique idea to reinvent city streets through out LA on Sunday mornings: CicLAvia, a group that has previously done this same project in Colombia, successfully if I may add, wants to close down at least three major streets from East LA to West LA on various Sundays this summer and turn them into urban parks. To even attempt to accomplish this plan, they need your vote here. The idea is that they will block off the streets from car traffic from 10am-1pm, only allowing pedestrians, cyclists, families, skateboarders, and anyone else who you would find at a park to enjoy beautiful Sundays mornings outside and in a safe enclosure. They aim to provide this service in areas where parks are extremely lacking, the population is extremely dense, and is near public transportation to allow all to attend. Whether it works or not, it’s a nice idea and feel free to decide for yourself if it deserves your vote! They are currently ranked 53rd and need to be in the top 10 ideas to win the grant.
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WHAT: CicLAvia’s 7-mile Streets to Parks Project
WHEN: Voting ends March 31st
WHERE: Click here to vote!
$$$: Free

“Don’t do it. You’ll get eaten by coyotes.”  This is usually the response I get when I tell people I want to go night-hiking in Griffith Park.  “Nonsense,” I tell them, “I am a large, imposing adult male, not Jessica Simpson’s dog.  Besides, the coyote presence up there is seriously over-reported.”

The first thing I saw when I got there was a coyote.  Cold chillin’ in the parking lot by the merry-go-round. Humans — we only pretend we run this town.

Three times a week for the past few years, the Sierra Club has been leading after-dark hikes up into the mountains between Hollywood and Glendale.  A crowd of 60 or so adventurers gathers in the upper carousel parking lot, where individual groups form based on speed/trail difficulty (I chose a “3+” i.e. “medium” hike.) Then, lead by a central-casting Greek grandfather named Yanni, we were off, twenty silhouettes loping into the darkened hills.

Your eyes adjust to the gloom as you ascend a thin, winding trail, up through what Bob Dylan described as “haunted, frightened trees”, branches stripped by last year’s fires and looking like something from a Tim Burton movie in the moonlight.  You climb under giant fallen logs and bushwhack through overgrowth.  The sound of the freeway gives way to a chorus of chirping crickets and croaking frogs, and then silence — the soundtrack best suited to the spooky majesty of the landscape.  You crest a hill and the entire Los Angeles valley, from downtown to the ocean, opens up below like a massive, glowing cauldron.  “I feel like Batman right now,” you think to myself.  (Seriously, you think that.) Two hours and six miles later, you’re back in the city — sweaty, dusty-streaked and happy.

Don’t be fooled, dear humans; the coyotes know where it’s at.

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WHAT: Night Hike
WHEN: Tues, Wed, Thurs, starting at 6:45 PM
WHERE: Griffith Park — meet at the upper carousel parking lot
$$$: Free

The new Lomography Gallery isn’t slacking off when it comes to partying, and what better excuse to have a party than the Oscars? Swing by the gallery before Sunday and fill out your own Oscar ballot in hopes to be on of the 10 people who get the most winners correct. You’ll walk away with your own Oktomat camera that takes 8 pictures in a row to create your own little 8 frame movie. Then on the 7th, head to the gallery at 1pm and take part in a mini-movie making workshop using the Oktomat, Supersampler, and Actionsampler and make a purchase at the store and get a free Lomography Camera Keychain. This will all lead into the Oscars telecast where hopefully you’ll win the contest! The gallery will be serving drinks and don’t worry, they’ve got a lounge for you to sit in and watch in comfort. There will naturally be an after party, with more drinks, a lomography movie screening “Lomo Matrix”, and awards for the Oscar ballot winners! This gallery is quickly turning into my new favorite place!
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WHAT: Oscar Night + workshop and party
WHEN: Sunday, March 7th @ 1PM-post Oscars
WHERE: Lomography Gallery
$$$: Free

Your weekend has officially begun.

Celebrate the end of a shark-infested workweek and pet a few live ones at the resurrected Shark Lagoon Nights.  Find an excuse to sneak out of work or revel in your freelance-society bliss because this one gets started early (6-9pm) and is located at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

A little bit of a journey for you Angelenos, but definitely worth the trek!  For FREE you can get up close and personal with bamboo sharks and sand tiger sharks, among other sea giants.  Liquid courage is available in the form of various wines and beer (for those feeling a little faint of heart) as well as coffee treats and sugar snacks for a different type of happy hour.  Rotating bands and dj’s perform, according to the night, but be sure to check their calendar before heading to this outdoor escape, just in case the rain STILL hasn’t migrated its way back to Seattle.

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WHAT: Shark Lagoon Nights
WHEN: Most Fridays, 6pm-9pm, starting March 5th
WHERE: Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach
$$$: FREE!

The weekend don’t end Saturday night y’all; keep it going with a day party at Best Fish Tacos of Ensenada tomorrow. From 2pm-dark, come grub on indeed the best fish tacos around (with plenty o’ radish relish of course), listen to some beats courtesy of Moredillon, Osaka, St. Andrew, and possibly a special guest or two. This happens every last Sunday of the month, so if you don’t make it out tomorrow, there’s always March.

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WHAT: Most Awesome Sunday Day Party
WHEN: Sunday 2pm-dark
WHERE: Best Fish Tacos, 1650 Hillhurst Ave, Los Feliz, 90027
$$$: bring yo’ taco money ($1.50-$2) and BYOB

This weekend check out the opening reception of SNAP- Benjamin Hoste’s exhibition of rock photography at Oragami Vinyl in Echo Park. Ben, photographer and director, has taken some pretty sweet concert photos and has interviewed and photographed some of the coolest musicians around these parts. In fact, he has a new project aptly titled This Ain’t a Scene which features interviews with Silverlake musicians; volume one of the online mag features the likes of Sarah Negahdari of The Happy Hollows (whom he partially credits for his burgeoning photography career), Evan Way of the Parson Redheads, Aaron Kyle of Le Switch, and more. SNAP will run at Oragami through March 28th and features photos of many more local bands, including No Age, Crystal Antlers, Henry Clay People, Dan Deacon, etc. Kicking it off this Sunday there will be a Dj spinning vinyl and free drinks from 6pm-8pm. He will also be raffling off two free prints (!), one of Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups and one of Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Awesomeee. Double your chances by joining his email list and entering the raffle early. See y’all there.

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WHAT: SNAP rock photography show
WHEN: opening reception Sun. Feb. 28th 6pm; show Feb. 28-March 28
WHERE: Oragami Vinyl, 1416 W Sunset Blvd, Echo Park
$$$: free

We don’t usually write up sporting events on BoredLA, but this one’s free, so why not?  USC women’s basketball is playing Washington on Saturday and you can watch the game for free.  Instead of wearing your cardinal and gold, put on a pink shirt and you’ll get in for free.  Sounds like a fun date night for sports fans.  Maybe stop at Bacaro LA or The Lab for dinner first?

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WHAT: Free basketball game
WHEN: Saturday, February 20th @ 8 PM
WHERE: The Galen Center
$$$: Free if you wear a pink shirt

Photo nerds rejoice – Lomography is officially coming to LA.  Yeah, all the hipsters have been shooting lomo for a long time, but as of Thursday our beloved town will now be home to a Lomography store/gallery/embassy.  I’ve been using a fisheye #2 and a Holga for a while now and I can tell you how fun lomo cameras are.  They’re decidedly low-tech and you never know quite what you’ll get when you shoot a picture; light leaks and and warped shots are par for the course and part of the thrill of shooting is discovering what happened once you develop your film.

Lomography Gallery is holding a few days’ worth of events, which sound like they’re going to be a blast.  Check out the schedule below:

February 18th – 7 PM: Opening party with drinks (!), Mexican food, a mariachi band, dancers, etc.  Sounds like a good time.  The guestlist is limited, so rsvp to shopla@lomography.com and make sure you get on the list.

February 19th – 6-8 PM: Intro to Lomography. If you don’t know what I’ve been talking about in this post, check out the seminar to find out more about the history of Lomography and what people are doing with it now.  By the way, this is totally free!

February 20th – 1-3 PM: Meet the Lomo LC-A+. This one is $10 and includes a free loaner camera and a roll of film.  If you have your own LC-A+ and film, it’s totally free. Learn tips and tricks for shooting with this Soviet gem and go for a photo expedition throughout West Hollywood.

February 23rd – 1-4 PM: Analogue Love 101. Same as the LC-A workshop, bring your Lomo and get in free, or pay $10 for a loaner and a roll of film.  This workshop teaches you all the tricks out there to make the most of Lomography.  Again with a shooting expedition, I imagine.

February 25th -1-3 PM: Diana Dialogues.  Another $10 workshop, this time with the Diana camera.  More tips and tricks and then a shooting expedition.

If you check out any of these workshops, let us know.  We’d love to see your pictures!

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WHAT: Lomography in LA
WHEN: Events from February 18th-25th
WHERE: 7998 Santa Monica Blvd.
$$$: Free or $10

Every Friday and Saturday CC Beans, a cute little coffee shop downtown, hosts free music in the “BackRoom Gallery”. This Friday and Saturday is SOUNDING OFF, presented by dramastage-qumran…Friday features Ron Allen and Saturday features Sarah Cruse. There will also be an open mic section so if you’re feeling talented, you can join in! It’s a laid back place, and I’m sure it will feel more like a jam session than a serious show, which makes it even better! The best part is that while you enjoy the free shows, you can sip on some really great coffee and it’s so good you’ll want to start buying your beans from their personal collection. This is the sort of place that needs community support! It may not be in the most ideal place, but the owners are trying to add a little something to the downtown area that, although has cleaned up a lot, is still lacking in certain areas. So come out this weekend and support CC Beans!

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WHAT: CC Beans Live Music
WHEN: Weekend Nights, starting Friday, February 19th
WHERE: CC Beans
$$$: Free

Finally, the perfect opportunity to add “in bed” to everything you say, as well as a chance to receive some mystical wisdom when you check out the opening reception for USC alum Chris Reynold’s art installation, provocatively titled “The Fortune Cookie Project.” Hosted by Phantom Galleries LA in Long Beach, the show runs for a month from February 13^th until March 13^th. The opening reception is on Saturday, from 7:00 until 10:00 p.m. As with any art opening and reception, a good time is promised.

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WHAT: Opening reception for Chris Reynold’s “The Fortune Cookie Project”
WHEN: Saturday, February 13th, 2009
WHERE: Phantom Galleries LA
$$$: Free

Echo Park’s Machine Project gallery and community space is playing host to lots of events all across Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

At their Echo Park location, the space itself is the art from now until the first week of March when artist Nate Page takes over. Page is working to transform Machine Projects physical space into “narrative sculptural vignettes” and he intends on shrink-wrapping all of the office supplies he doesn’t use – so make sure you don’t forget your keys, cell phone or wallet, unless you want them to become part of the exhibit.

Not to ignore the lovers out there, Machine Project is giving you the perfect soundtrack for whispering your sweet-nothings to that special someone (or body pillow) on Valentine’s Day. You can explore Nate Page’s installation while listening to live music at the second weekend of Machine Project’s music residency by Nowcloud featuring Max Markowitz and Corey Fogel. If that’s not tempting enough, Machine promises snacks, too. Who doesn’t love snacks?

If you’re not on the east side this weekend, but still want to get your fill of Machine Project, you can check out musical performances by Julia Holter and Casey Anderson at the Hammer Museum on Saturday the 13^th inside the Hammer’s Little William Theater.

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WHAT: Nate Page Installation// Nowcloud w/Max Markowitz and Corey Fogel// Julia Holter and Casey Anderson
WHEN: Weekends in February @ 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.// February 14th @ 12:00p.m.// February 13th @ 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Machine Project & Hammer Museum
$$$: Free

There are a TON of things to do in our wonderful city to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Frankly, the happenings going on around town are kinda cooler than regular new year’s festivities, if you ask me. Starting downtown at the Music Center, the Chinese song and dance stage show, Shen Yun Chinese New Year Spectacular, will be showing through the 14th. Tickets are at the cheapest $39 but take the Metro and you can save $9 on parking! Garden Grove is having their annual Tet Festival along Westminster Blvd. with dragon dancers, live music, dance performances, rides, and most importantly: food. Lots and lots of delicious, authentic Vietnamese food! From Friday to Sunday, this fest is only $5 a day and you can get more info on their website.

Back to the downtown area, more specifically, Chinatown, there will be an awesome scavenger hunt set up by Out of the Box Events. Teams of 6 will run around Chinatown answering trivia and finding hidden Chinatown secrets! It’s $25 to partake in the event and trust me, it is totally worth the money. These hunts are ridiculously elaborate and incredibly fun! A great way to kick off the new year! (Especially if you win!) Over in Monterey Park, the Chinese New Year Floral Street Fair and Lantern Festival will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20. Another festival with food and flowers, more food, and more flowers. This festival has free entry! More info here.

Oh, there’s more. Chinatown will be quite busy, because on February 20th and 21st, the Golden Dragon Parade will be taking place. Definitely try to take the Metro since parking will be extremely limited with all the streets closed offf! It’s a parade, so it’s free, but you can pay $25 for a grandstand ticket. Finally, even Olvera Street is joining in on the celebration, with the Chinese American Museum Lantern Festival taking place there on Saturday, March 6th. (Seriously, a whole freaking month of celebrations so you won’t miss out!) Lion dancers, acrobatics, music, dance, craft workshops, and more, all free. So yeah— uhh…. the lunar new year is way cool. Plus if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get a little red envelope filled with hundreds of dollars! I definitely won’t be that lucky.

If you don’t have any friends throwing Superbowl parties or if you wouldn’t even watch the Superbowl but feel left out of the mass partying, why not go to the Downtown Independent to watch it on the big screen? It will give you something to do Sunday afternoon, and you’ll get to experience the awesome new theater which I hear has swank, comfy and romantic seats. Seating begins at 2:30pm, accompanied by pretty cheap beer, chicken wings, and nachos. Also, you can stick around after the game and watch their current movie selection- Bronson- for only $5. Best of all, admission for the game screening is FREE.

WHAT: the Superbowl on the big screen
WHEN: Sunday 2:30pm-7:30pm
WHERE: the Downtown Independent, 231 South Main St., Downtown LA
$$$: free admission

If you like Avi Buffalo and the Soft Pack (which you should), you can see them this Saturday at a free house party in Venice. Now, instilling yourself in what will surely be a boozy afternoon amongst good friends may be awkward, but you’re invited, so why the hell not? Oh yeah, there is a reason for the house party- it is being presented by FMLY (who also have a fundraiser this Wednesday) and FYF.

WHAT: House Party featuring Avi Buffalo and the Soft Pack
WHEN: Sat. Jan. 30th 1pm
WHERE: 1210 Appleton Way, Venice, Ca 90291
$$$: free

Well, the rain is back. Spend a night watching a couple movies indoors in a place that’s not your living room! Tonight the Hammer Museum is screening two movies centering around comic artist Robert Crumb, best known for his satirical and subversive style of drawings based around the American mainstream. Showing first is American Splendor, starring Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar, an ordinary man who gains inspiration by Crumb’s underground comic book’s success. Second is The Confessions Of Robert Crumb, a 1987 commissioned documentary from the BBC featuring interviews of Crumb as he discusses some of his life’s various misadventures.

Admission is free with tickets available one hour before showtime, so get there early and carpool since parking at the museum is available for only $3 after 6pm.

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WHAT: Showing of American Splendor and The Confessions Of Robert Crumb
WHEN: Tuesday, January 26th at 7pm
WHERE: The Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd, 90024
$$$: Free!

It’s the “end of an era”, as the Carmichael staff puts it. They will be moving to a new location in Culver City, leaving behind their beloved space on La Brea. Tonight is the opening for their final exhibition featuring two artists, Mark Jenkins and Aakash Nihalani, which you’ll be able to view until February 18th. Jenkins’ exhibit, Meaning is Overrated, will feature some new work by the popular street artist. He has placed giant plastic giraffe in parks, fake bodies floating in fountains, and has turned stop signs into flowers. Now exactly sure what his indoor exhibit will entail, but check out his website for past projects. On & Off (Often On), Aakash Nihalani’s new show, brings you new work from another street artist. While Jenkins’ work is more three dimensional, Nihalani uses something as simple as colorful tape to create his pieces, and they come out pretty cool. If you haven’t had to opportunity to check out their gallery on La Brea, it’s really a great intimate set up that is still good for group shows. Stay tuned for info on the opening of their new location in March!
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WHAT: Opening Reception for Mark Jenkins and Aakash Nihalani
WHEN: Thursday, January 21st @ 7-10pm
WHERE: Carmichael Gallery
$$$: Free

Remember that fantistic, old-school southern barbecue joint on Hoover and that great local band that also has a knitting shop? Well, if you don’t, you’ll learn when all such craziness converges at Forgather, a small art collection at Territory Records. Isn’t LA great sometimes? Portraits of the Pity Party illustrated by themegoman, whose illustrations are whimsical yet slightly askew, will be unveiled, in addition to portraits of other bands like Vivian Girls, Cold Cave, and Our Lady J. The party of sorts will include a DJ, free food (reason enough to go right there) and free Colt 45 (of course).

WHAT: Forgather Art Show
WHEN: Saturday Jan 23 7-10pm
WHERE: Forgather Territory, 534 N. Hoover St.
$$$: freeee

Come one, come all, donned in your finest whites and perambulate though the streets of downtown tonight in your very own mini (I’m assuming sidewalk) parade! Being the second Thursday of the month, tonight is the downtown artwalk, and it seems that some of the organizers are sending out an open invitation for anyone who would be interested to join them in a living art piece of people. Encouraged props include: musical instruments, stilts, and beauty. Meet them down at Vibiana’s Cathedral, meander down Main to 6th, ending at The Temple of Visions on Spring. Have fun and don’t forget your Tide pens! (Ketchup stains from those hot dog stands are impossible to get out in the morning.)

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WHAT: Downtown Artwalk: Dress In White
WHEN: January 14th, 7pm
WHERE: Vibiana’s Cathedral, 210 South Main St.
$$$: Free!