Each month we share five unmissable things to see and do in the Golden State. You heard it here first.
Words by DAVID NASH, ELIZABETH VARNELL, and S. IRENE VIRBILA
BEVERLY HILLS
Fonda and Gagosian Team Up to Fight Big Oil With Art
Academy Award–winning actor and activist Jane Fonda has teamed up with Larry Gagosian and his Beverly Hills gallery for a second benefit exhibition in support of the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California. Following an April debut that raised more than $14 million for the campaign from the sales of works by participating artists including Ed Ruscha, Charles Gaines, and Marilyn Minter, ART FOR A SAFE AND HEALTHY CALIFORNIA is back to further protect the state from Big Oil initiatives. New works by artists like Nan Goldin, Alex Israel, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, and Jonas Wood are for sale. “I am thrilled to be able to use my love of art to propel the fight against climate injustice while simultaneously uplifting the work of these talented and generous artists,” said Fonda. From Israel’s Hitchcock-style Self-Portrait (Fins and Pier) (2023) to Goldin’s Cupid and Psyche (2010), a photograph taken in the Musée du Louvre as part of a special commission, the available works include a wide selection of mediums and approaches. Through August 30. 456 N. Camden Dr., Beverly Hills; gagosian.com. D.N.
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MIRACLE MILE
These Pillowy Pizzas at Leopardo Hit the Spot
L.A. is a pizza lover’s fever dream of outstanding spots turning out pies both classic and, well, eccentric. Enter one more: LEOPARDO. The space is the latest from chef Joshua Skenes, founder of the radical Saison in San Francisco (which earned three Michelin stars under his helm) and the seafood experiment Angler. Skenes spent months researching flours and perfecting the wild yeasted dough he ferments for several days. His pies are billowy visions with splotches of char at the edges (hence the leopard reference) and topped with the kitchen’s DIY canned early girl tomatoes, housemade mozzarella, and much more. But the menu, which changes regularly, isn’t all pizza. Consider the raw bar, where oysters are garnished with seaweed granita, and a deer tartare is presented with a giant pizza dough cracker and silky roasted bone marrow. The caprese salad subs in tomatoes slow-roasted in the wood burning oven and stracciatella for the usual mozzarella. Wood-grilled ocean whitefish comes from Skenes’ favorite fisherman. Don’t leave without trying the dreamy frozen “soft cream” with honeycomb. 460 S. La Brea Ave., L.A., 323-272-3535; leopardola.com. S.I.V.
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LOS ANGELES
An Exhibition of Music’s Greatest Captured by Photography’s Finest
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but we really need to invent a new idiom that adequately expresses the feeling of a moment — or a history-defining era — through the photography of iconic musicians and their live performances. Inspiration for this new phrase will likely strike when visiting the Fahey/Klein Gallery’s utterly rhythmic exhibition FACE THE MUSIC: THE LEGACY OF MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY. Celebrating some of the most acclaimed musical artists of their respective generations, from the 1940s to today, the show includes shots of legendary performers like The Beatles, Diana Ross, Tupac Shakur, Johnny Cash, Cher, and Harry Styles, and features works by David Bailey, Harry Benson, Patrick Demarchelier, Jim Marshall, Randee St. Nicholas, and Mark Seliger, among many others. Relive your youth — or the generation you most identify with — by diving deep into the genius of the photographers whose images reflect the culture of music as lyrically as those who have written and performed it. July 25 through Sept 7. 148 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; faheykleingallery.com. D.N.
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LOS ANGELES
Take a Tour of The Grove’s New Design Emporium
Beloved for its artisan-crafted furniture and contemporary décor, Ohio-based ARHAUS further solidifies its West Coast presence with a new 17,900-sq.-ft. showroom as it becomes the premier home retailer at The Grove in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old furnishings brand’s sizable outpost will carry its full catalog of collections, including the popular Kipton and Ashby indoor seating options; outdoor favorites like the teak wood and resin strand-woven wicker Roos sofa and lounge chair; and an abundance of options for living, dining, bedroom, and office spaces. “This expansive showroom will offer the area an unmatched experience and product offering,” said cofounder and CEO John Reed. It includes complimentary design services from in-house designers and consultants who can help you update a single room or outfit an entire house. 189 The Grove Dr., L.A., 323-920-0012; arhaus.com. D.N.
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YOSEMITE
Luxury Among the Giant Oak and Ponderosa Pine Trees
After spending your days exploring one of the country’s most majestic national parks, relax at FIREFALL RANCH in one of its cozy well-appointed private cottages or villas. Located just outside Yosemite’s northwest entrance, the 300-acre resort property includes 55 stand-alone accommodations, including one- and two-bedroom cottages and three-bedroom villas surrounded by forested hills and meadows. Each dwelling includes a spacious living room, a double-sided fireplace, private deck, heated bathroom floors, and all the creature comforts of home. An on-site restaurant offers a fine dining dinner experience, and the adjoining tavern offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as craft cocktails, beer, and wine. There’s also a general store stocked with sundry items, snacks, and plenty of merch, as well as a coffee bar to kick-start your day. If you’re unsure how to spend your time away, the resort has an array of guided experiences, including hiking, river rafting, snowshoeing, and fly fishing, depending on the season. Rates for a one-bedroom cottages start around $450. 24025 Hwy. 120, Groveland; firefallranch.com. D.N.
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IN PARTNERSHIP
AMIRI Opens its Second California Boutique
Mike Amiri’s eponymous Los Angeles label, AMIRI, is opening its second set of California retail doors in Costa Mesa. The new boutique joins 13 stand-alone locations and an ever-expanding array of pop-ups and shops inside such retailers as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Galeries Lafayette, Joyce, and cult favorite Maxfield, which first discovered the line less than 10 years ago. AMIRI’s newest boutique, spanning 3,000 square feet at South Coast Plaza, mixes a site-specific Instrument Frame Drags work by Detroit-based artist Jason Revok with Oksana Schön’s abstract wood wall piece alongside curated objects culled by Amiri beside his men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections. The looks, taking inspiration from Hollywood’s young idols and heritage movie theater interiors, include printed silk scarves, deconstructed tuxedos, high-waisted trousers, slim belts, and embossed velvet suits. Also on hand are laid-back pre-fall designs such as bandana-printed silk sets, perforated leather baseball jerseys, and a varsity jacket with a hand-painted image of Malibu beach. The new boutique offers exclusive limited-edition glitter Skel Top sneakers and Micro MA bags along with AMIRI for kids. The texture-rich decor includes white oak furniture and ocean-hued rugs echoing the shop’s iceberg-blue marble facade. 3333 Bristol St., South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, 657-384-1104; amiri.com. E.V.
August 2024
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