Thursday, Friday May 15, 16, 2025

Well it is mid May 2025 the LA Arts just keep on coming. Printed Matter throws it LAABF 2025 opening party tonight (Thursday), and runs through the weekend, plus we have some nice theatre picks. Friday’s events features more from Printed Matter, with a virtual event from LAMAG. Additional art openings take place at Arcane Space, Deitch, and also David Kordansky Gallery.

Thursday, May 15, 2025

courtesy of Printed Matter Inc.

Printed Matter Inc. kicks off its book fair – LAABF 2025 with an opening art party, This year the event will be held at a new location. LAABF 2025 is taking place at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. Read more about the event on the Printed Matter LAABF 2025 Feature. Opening Night event: 6-9pm; Tickets include multiple re-entry throughout the Fair weekend; Admission $30; Printed Matter’s LAABF 2025, ArtCenter College of Design, 950 S. Raymond Ave., 870 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, 91105; https://printedmatterartbookfairs.org

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Westwood

The Fowler recently debuted a new exhibition titled Construction, Occupation on May 4, 2025. Moreover, the group show includes the work of 24 artists and collectives that engage art’s potential to shape the city through the power of community. Drawing on myriad visual languages and also poetics grounded in collective action, the exhibition 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. Read the Fowler Construction, Occupation Feature for more info. Exhibition on view: 12-5pm; The Fowler Museum at UCLA, 308 E Young Dr N, LA, CA 90024; https://fowler.ucla.edu

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Downtown…The Ahmanson Theatre presents Life of Pi a winner of three Tony Awards® as well as the Olivier Award for Best Play. It is a stirring fantasy style tale of wonder and adventure. Lolita Chakrabarti has an adapted dazzling stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel (over 15 million copies sold). The show opened to critical acclaim on Broadway and the West End. It is attracting audiences from around the world.

Life of Pi – Anna Leigh Gortner, Shiloh Goodin, Toussaint Jeanlouis and Taha Mandviwala in the national tour cast

The plot features a shipwrecked sixteen-year-old boy named Pi. He survives on a lifeboat with four other companions—a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. The magical story is unpredictable and the performance includes extraordinary puppetry and also stunning visuals. Read more on the Life of Pi Preview Feature. Performance: 8pm; Admission starts at $40.25; The Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., LA 90012; https://www.centertheatregroup.org

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Friday May 16, 2025

LAMAG (Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery) presents Virtual Fridays: Exploring Artworks and Themes from Step & Repeat. Today’s virtual event is titled Psychedelic Aesthetics and Op Art. The series of virtual programs featuring artworks from Step & Repeat curated by Nancy Meyer and John Weston. Each week a new theme highlighting three artworks will be shown. Furthermore, participants will view artworks from the exhibition and have the opportunity to share their observations. Time: 12-1pm; Please register one week in advance of each program. RSVP Here for LAMAG Virtual Step & Repeat Exhibition; Contact lamag@lacity.org or call (323) 644-6269 with any questions.

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In Pasadena…Time for the 2nd day of Printed Matter Inc’s book fair. Last night the opening party began the weekend event. Today’s is the first full day of LAABF 2025 which is taking place at a new location – see above, or find out more about the event on the Printed Matter LAABF 2025 Feature. Event: 1-7pm; Admission $5; Printed Matter’s LAABF 2025, ArtCenter College of Design, 950 S. Raymond Ave., 870 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, 91105; https://printedmatterartbookfairs.org

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Hollywood

Deitch presents The Abstract Future, a group show curated by Alia Dahl. The exhibition documents a new generation of artists who are redefining abstraction by merging sculpture, painting, photography, as well as performance. Spanning across both Los Angeles galleries, the exhibition highlights over thirty artists. These artists are simultaneously exploring process and materiality while addressing themes of identity, culture, and political beliefs to reflect their unique personal narratives. See the website for a full list of artists, as well as additional info. Art Party: 6-8pm; 925 N. Orange Drive & 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90038; https://deitch.com

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Mid City

David Kordansky Gallery presents Why Are You Sitting In The Dark, an exhibition of paintings, drawings, and a sculpture by Jason Fox. The artist makes paintings that are, first and foremost, about painting but inevitably end up being about everything else. The style he has developed over four decades is responsive to many levels of cultural production, indulging in disparate interests such as modernism, minimalism, comic books, and popular music.

Jason Fox, Untitled, 2024 oil, acrylic, and pencil on linen, 55 x 55 x 1 inches, (139.7 x 139.7 x 2.5 cm), framed: 56 1/4 x 56 1/4 x 1 7/8 inches, (142.9 x 142.9 x 4.8 cm)

In addition Mary Weatherford: The Surrealist will also debut. Weatherford (b. 1963, Ojai, California) has become increasingly recognized as one of the leading painters of her generation, as well as one of the most astute and daring practitioners taking on the legacies of American abstraction. Art Party: 6-8pm; David Kordansky Gallery, 5130 W. Edgewood Pl., LA, 90019; https://www.davidkordanskygallery.com

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Chinatown

North Loop West hosts an opening art party to celebrate Obsessed With Forgetting What It Is. This two-person show features the art of LA-based painter Rebecca Shippee and Seattle-based artist Carly Sheehan. Art Party: 6-8pm; North Loop West, 508 Chung King Road. LA, 90012; https://www.northloop.art

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Also in Chinatown…Pearl Snap a solo exhibition of new paintings by Michael Lombardo opens at NOON Projects. Moreover, this marks the Los Angeles-based artist’s first exhibition in his home town.⁠ Art Party: 6-9pm; NOON-Projects, 951 Chung King Rd, LA,  90012; https://noon-projects.com

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Downtown The Ahmanson Theatre brings us yet another performance of Life of Pi. See Thursday’s listing for more info. Read more on the Life of Pi Preview Feature. Performance: 8pm; Admission starts at $40.25; The Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., LA 90012; https://www.centertheatregroup.org

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In Venice…ARCANE Space and the emerging art collective, Stone/Age coalesce their strengths and artistic vision to co-present and curate Boulders. The exhibition features 34 artists, and is built from a growing network of diverse artists whose close relationships, despite geographical distances, have built an authentic connection through camaraderie, mentorship and also collective growth. Art Party: 6-9pm; ARCANE Space 324 Sunset Ave. Venice, 90291; https://www.arcanespacela.com/

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For additional art exhibitions, and performances as well as culinary events, see LAArtParty’s Upcoming Events Page.

Read more about Arts and Entertainment throughout the world on our sister site EatTravelGo.com, an art inspired travel site.

Or enjoy artist / gallerist interviews on our Art Talk Page also on ETG.