After a particularly difficult summer, Downtown L.A. will show off its status as a vibrant cultural hub on October 25 with Grand Ave Arts: All Access, a joyful celebration of the city’s artistic and musical offerings.
When you tally all of the world-renowned cultural institutions that call Grand Avenue home—from the Center Theatre Group’s two Downtown theaters to world-class museums the Broad and MOCA to the historic Los Angeles Central Library, most located within a few blocks of one another—it’s truly astounding (and puts any outdated claims that L.A. doesn’t have culture to shame). In all, 14 of these organizations will take part in the annual event, which runs from 11am to 4pm this Saturday on Grand between Temple and 6th Streets.
Between all of the free workshops, performances, tours and exhibits that are on offer during Grand Ave Arts, it can be a bit overwhelming when deciding what to do. But, luckily for you, we’ve scoured the lineup and picked out five things that you shouldn’t miss this weekend.
1. A preview of Dataland
Downtown L.A. will soon be home to the world’s very first AI art museum. Scheduled to open next spring, Dataland will embrace the somewhat-controversial concept of AI-generated art and explore the potential of human-machine collaboration and creativity. The museum was founded by L.A.-based Turkish American media artist Refik Anadol and his wife, Efsun Erkılıç—you might have seen Anadol’s spellbinding projections on the Walt Disney Concert Hall’s facade back in 2018 for the LA Phil’s 100th anniversary. This Saturday, you can get a glimpse of what’s in store at the yet-to-open museum with a one-day-only pop-up exhibition inside the Grand, the Frank Gehry-designed multiuse space that houses the Conrad hotel, as well as residences and, soon, Dataland.
2. The Music Center’s new Digital Arts Space
A new outdoor venue for public art installations located on Jerry Moss Plaza, Digital Arts Space will be hosting its inaugural free exhibition on Saturday. “Black Planetarium: Uncharted Anthologies” comes from the mind of Ethiopian American artist Kidus Hailesilassie, whose work draws from 6,000 years of African traditions. The result is a “living constellation of textiles, moving image, installation and virtual reality” that we’re excited to explore. The show will run through December 14.
3. The kickoff of Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos
Day of the Dead isn’t technically until November 1, but lots of annual Día de los Muertos events are kicking off their festivities this weekend, including those at Olvera Street, LA Plaza and, outside of City Hall, Gloria Molina Grand Park, whose display of altars this year will honor not only those who’ve passed away but also L.A.’s immigrant communities, in light of the recent ICE raids. After a processional from Jerry Moss Plaza to the park, stick around for an afternoon of ballet folklorico performances, face painting, printmaking, vinyl sets by El Marchante and live mariachi music—plus a special dedication to late L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina. The ofrendas will remain on display through November 2, when a “Noche de los Muertos” event will conclude the celebration.
4. Fun workshops at the Central Library
Keep the Día de los Muertos vibes going down the street at the L.A. Central Library, where you can decorate your own sugar skull, or calavera. And that’s not the only creative outlet on offer: You can also make a paper Halloween necklace, try your hand at the keyboard, and learn about pioneering African American science fiction writer Octavia F. Butler with a button-making activity. And, of course, don’t forget to peruse the more than 2.8 million books the library holds on its shelves.
5. Free performances by the next generation of musical talent
Grand Avenue also houses the headquarters for world-class performance groups the LA Phil, Los Angeles Master Chorale and LA Opera. While tickets to these shows can sometimes run a bit pricey, on Saturday you’ll be able to hear free live performances from their younger counterparts: LA Opera’s Young Artists will sing both classics and highlights from the upcoming opera season during free recitals inside Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and separately, Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Youth Chorus LA and LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra Los Angeles will also perform.
This is just scratching the surface of what you can do during Grand Ave Arts: All Access this Saturday. Find a full list of the offerings here.