Open Your Heart and Broaden Your Horizons with Our Thoughtful Guide to the Best in Arts This Spring
Wellspring of the arts.
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CategoryArts
GOING ON NOW
Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st-Century Art and Poetics
Illuminating aesthetic connections among 60 artists working in Africa, Europe and the Americas, this exhibition is among the first to examine nearly a quarter century of production by Black artists. Featured artists include Angelenos Edgar Arceneaux, Widline Cadet, Patrisse Cullors, Awol Erizku and Paul Mpagi Sepuya. Through July 2025; lacma.org
Left: Arielle Bobb-Willis, New Jersey, 2019, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the Ralph M. Parsons Fund, © Arielle Bobb-Willis, digital image © Museum Associates/LACMA
Creative Minds
From the Jacuzzi and the telephone to the nuclear reactor and the Big Mac, Creative Minds examines the achievements and personal stories of Italian American inventors and vanguards. Featuring a range of objects, rare documents and images, the exhibit spans technology, science, cuisine, education and medicine. Through October 2025; iamla.org
Romance Reimagined
A compilation of Western masterworks by artists Howard Terpning, Tammy Garcia, Tony Abeyta, Ed Mell, Thomas Blackshear, George Carlson, Mian Situ, Logan Hagege and more. From major works to miniatures, it is an opportunity to rediscover extraordinary artwork from The Autry’s collection. Runs through March 2025; theautry.org
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FEBRUARY
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
In this Tony award-winning play (the continuation of Harry’s story), Harry’s headstrong son Albus befriends the son of his fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy, sparking a race through time, replete with spectacular spells and an epic battle, all brought to life at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. February 15–June 22; broadwayinhollywood.com
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: The Musical
Inspired by Bernard Waber’s much-loved picture books, and packed with humor, heart and showstopping tunes, this lively musical is a funfest for the whole family. The Pasadena Playhouse production is taking place at The Colony Theatre in Burbank. February 15–March 16; pasadenaplaynouse.org
Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal
An exhibition inspired by the life and legacy of jazz musician Alice Coltrane (1937–2007). It features ephemera from the Coltrane archive alongside works by 19 American artists. Works featured range from sculpture, painting and photography to installation and performance. February 4–May 9; hammer.ucla.edu
Left: Alice Coltrane playing the harp, 1970. Photo by Chuck Stewart. © Chuck Stewart Photography, LLC / Fireball Entertainment Group.
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MARCH
Construction, Occupation
Drawing on myriad visual languages and poetics, this exhibition includes the work of 24 artists and collectives. It investigates a radical urban vocabulary that blurs art and activism to address questions of infrastructure and vulnerability, circulation and segregation, and the body in public space. March 9–September 14; fowler.ucla.edu
Left: Sato, Kopke Occupation Series, 2015 (Photo by the artist)
Orquesta Akokán
Chulo Records producer and instrumentalist Jacob Plasse, along with arranger Michael Eckroth, join forces to form this ensemble that also features some of Havana’s finest musicians. At historic, restored Spanish Gothic-style United Theater on Broadway in downtown LA. March 29; theunitedtheater.com
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APRIL
What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women 1843–1999
This pop-up reading room surveys a global history of photobooks by women photographers from the Getty Library. As part of an international series showcasing the 10×10 Photobooks catalog titled What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women 1843–1999, it is complemented by notable photobooks by SoCal women artists after 2000. April 8–May 11; getty.edu
Furlough’s Paradise
In this play, two cousins return to their childhood town for the funeral of a relative; one is on a furlough from prison. The cousins try to make sense of grief, home, love and kinship while grappling with their conflicting memories of the past and shared hopes for the future. April 16–May 18; geffenplayhouse.org
An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi’s one-of-a-kind show returns to The Wallis, bringing together comedy, commentary and an array of songs from Stephen Sondheim to Blondie, from Comden & Green to Madonna. The entertainer is accompanied by his six-piece jazz band. April 17; thewallis.org
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MAY
Life of Pi
Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel opened to critical acclaim on Broadway and the West End and is now captivating audiences around the globe. Tells the story of a 16-year-old boy who survives on a lifeboat with four animals after a shipwreck in the Pacific Ocean. May 6–June 1; centertheatregroup.org
Symphonies for Youth: Painting with Music
A 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmonic concert (recommended for children ages 5–11) aimed at introducing young audiences to symphonic music. Before each concert, families are invited to participate in hands-on arts workshops. May 17 and 24; laphil.com
