Henri Matisse was inspired by poetry, apparently so much so that later in his career he would not lift a paintbrush before reading some verse.
In 1941, the artist began illustrating the work of Renaissance poet Pierre de Ronsard, and seven years later the 128-page “livre d’artiste” (artist’s book) called “Florilege des Amours de Ronsard” was [...]

NHM Celebrates “Darwin Year”
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is doing it up right for Charles Darwin’s 200th with a series of First Fridays celebrating the famous discoverer of evolution. First Fridays feature tours, lectures, DJs and bands on, you guessed it, the first Friday of every month (January through June).
On April 3, [...]

Friday, March 13, is ArtNight Pasadena, when the city gets into full party mode with 14 cultural venues offering free admission and performances. The world-class Norton Simon Museum, the lively Pasadena Symphony, Pasadena Jazz Institute, Pasadena City College and Art Center College of Design are among the many options. Local restaurants offer special treats as [...]

LA photographer Karl Larsen contacted me last weekend with a story idea: “I know this lady in Pasadena who is African-American and she is the City Attorney for Pasadena. Her name is Michelle Bagneris, and her grandmother just turned 109 years old last week!! As a gift I am going to give her a print [...]

Time is winding down on your chance to see “at the Brewery Project,” an exhibit that ends March 1 at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. The Brewery Project was a showcase for artists, by artists, first organized at the Brewery Art Colony near downtown LA by artist John O’Brien in September 1993. [...]

Science is a beautiful thing and, sometimes quite literally, a work of art. Such specimens spotlighting the universe, the natural world, and technology are on display at the Pasadena Museum of California Art through April 12.
In the main gallery, “Data + Art,” curated by Jet Propulsion Laboratory Visual Strategist Dan Goods and Mars Public Engagement [...]

At the Griffith Observatory, you can find a bust of James Dean and a sculpture of Albert Einstein. The juxtaposition of these two famous, yet very different, figures is fitting for a landmark in LA since science and cinema both reign here.
Dean starred in the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause,” which features interior and [...]

If you go to the opera this month, plan to get there a little early and have a cocktail on the Music Center Plaza. While you’re there, take in the ambiance, which is enhanced by fountains, white lights, and sculpture. In particular, check out “Dance Door,” an open door with reliefs of dancing figures by [...]