UCLA Broad Art Center opens! "LA is one of the great art capitals of the world"

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Last space shuttle tank reaches Panama Canal for crossing to Pacific

Plans call for the tank to arrive in Marina del Rey, California around May 19 for a ceremonial welcome and a museum fundraising event on May 20. A parade through the Los Angeles city streets to reach the California Science Center is scheduled for May 21.

NASA donated the tank, the last flight unit left in existence, to the California Science Center to use with the retired orbiter Endeavour and a pair of solid rocket boosters to display an authentic space shuttle stack vertically as if it were on the launch pad.

The Smithsonian has Discovery displayed on her wheels as if just back from a mission and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has Atlantis with the payload bay doors open and replica robot arm extended as if still flying in orbit.

The Endeavour attraction will be part of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opening in 2019 at the California Science Center adjacent to the LA Memorial Coliseum. The museum will have sections dedicated to air, space and shuttle artifacts.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/2...ng-to-pacific/

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Upon this stretch of undeveloped dirt, one-time landfill for the city, Berggruen is hoping to build the headquarters for a think tank that bears his name. He purchased these 450 acres, just west of the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass, last year and hopes to break ground before the decade is over.

The Berggruen Institute could be the last large project built in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains, a cloistered campus that would occupy half the remaining, private open space between Topanga State Park and the San Diego Freeway.

Five years ago, Berggruen, 54 and one of the richest men in the world, stepped away from the businesses that created his fortune. He had grown bored with his wealth and set a new challenge for himself: to create a destination where global politics and culture can meet.

http://www.latimes.com/local/califor...nap-story.html

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MUSIC: Is Desert Trip the biggest rock concert ever?
The concert will feature Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roger Waters, Bob Dylan and Neil Young at the Empire Polo Club in Indio Oct. 7-9.

More than 170 original studio albums.

Upwards of three centuries onstage.

More than 435 million in record sales -- in the U.S. alone.

Meet the lineup of Desert Trip, coming Oct. 7-9 to the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

It’s not a desert mirage. Each will perform a full set at the three-day event, brought to you by Goldenvoice, the producer behind the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Festival.

http://www.pe.com/articles/coachella...ip-desert.html
http://www.deserttrip.com/

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UCLA's art school plans to build a $31-million expansion in Culver City with major donation

The university is in the late planning stages to build a $31-million studio complex for graduate art students, according to people familiar with the project. The 75,000-square-foot building would replace a tumble-down facility currently in use. The impressive plan, set to be shown Thursday to a group of university supporters, was conceived in 2011 but languished for lack of funds.

Major funding for the project will come from Margo Leavin, the art dealer whose eponymous gallery held forth in West Hollywood for 42 years until her retirement in 2012.

The timing is ripe. Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked UCLA's master of fine arts program No. 2 in the nation, just behind Yale — a private university with the second-largest endowment in the United States. UCLA's art school tied Virginia Commonwealth University, notable for its design program.

http://www.latimes.com/local/educati...nap-story.html

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Oracle founder Larry Ellison gives USC $200 million for cancer research

LOS ANGELES — Oracle Corp. founder and Chairman Larry Ellison has donated $200 million toward the creation of a cancer research institute at USC — a gift that the university’s president call “as inspirational as it is momentous.”

http://www.sgvtribune.com/health/201...ancer-research

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Mega-music weekends bring lasting change to area
Goldenvoice’s massive musical events at Empire Polo Grounds are making a permanent mark on the Coachella Valley.

The events – last month’s Coachella and Stagecoach festivals – bring in 273,000 attendees from throughout the world and pump more than $403 million into the Valley economy, according to research commissioned by producer Goldenvoice.

Those tourists need places to sleep and eat, which translates to construction and renovation.

The need became apparent Tuesday when Goldenvoice announced a new mega-concert, Desert Trip, featuring rock stars of the stature of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.

Within 24 hours, most hotels were booked for the concert weekend, Oct. 7-9.

According to Indio mayor Glenn Miller, rooms that remain are going for $500-$600 a night.

After no hotel construction in Indio since the 1980s, a Holiday Inn Express opened in 2014, and the city has two more hotels in the works. Plans have been approved for Fairfield Inn & Suites, and Hilton Garden Inn is in escrow, Miller said in a phone interview.

But, he said, “two or three hotels, when you’re talking about the amount of people they’re adding up, are still not going to be enough.”

http://www.pe.com/articles/goldenvoi...coachella.html

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One of Zaha Hadid's Last Projects Could Be a Billboard on the Sunset Strip
Hadid's firm is one of four finalists in West Hollywood's competition for a cutting-edge sign

http://la.curbed.com/2016/5/17/11691...ard-zaha-hadid

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Space shuttle fuel tank delights crowd as it begins its slow roll to Exposition Park
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...nap-story.html

https://californianativegirl.com/201...cience-center/

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First Look at AltaSea, the Port of LA's Huge Marine Research Center
Take a tour of the Gensler-designed, 35-acre campus

The Port of Los Angeles's gearing up for a major overhaul over at the Ports O' Call that will have it looking a lot like San Francisco's famed wharf, but that's not the only enormous change coming to LA's waterfront. It's been a while since we heard from the massive marine research campus headed for City Dock No. 1, an out-of-use, 100-year-old pier. Today, we have a wealth of new renderings for the Gensler-designed research and education center, and information on just how soon we can expected to see the beginnings of this transformational project at the Port.

AltaSea's executive director, Jenny Krusoe, says in a statement that the first step in a multi-phase build-out would break ground sometime this year, and include the construction of the areas known as the Wharf Plaza and the Education Pavilion, plus the renovation of 180,000 square feet of space in historic warehouses on the site that will be the future of the center's Research and Business Hub. The latter would be devoted to "commercializ[ing] scientific breakthroughs and emerging technologies" as well as exploring "ocean-centered solutions" to global issues like food security and sustainability. This first phase is expected to be complete in 2017.

A subsequent phase would create out of a former warehouse the Science Hub, 60,000 square feet of lab space and classrooms for the Southern California Marine Institute, an alliance of 22 major regional universities, colleges, and foundations working on marine research and education, and also the hub's main tenant. The Science Hub should be ready by 2020.

Another phase, expected to be open by 2023, would include the construction of the site's interpretive center, which would host educational programs and exhibits aimed at getting kids fired up about science, math, and tech.

http://la.curbed.com/2016/5/26/11790...of-los-angeles

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Azusa changes vote for ‘flagship’ property downtown, approves Laemmle theater project

http://www.sgvtribune.com/government...heater-project

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New Main Museum in downtown Los Angeles reveals 'Beta' plans — and focus on art in L.A.

It may not seem as if downtown Los Angeles is in need of yet another arts space. But it is coming nonetheless — and it’s aiming to fill a more locally minded role than some of the institutions around it.

The Main Museum will be a non-collecting institution housed in a series of historic early 20th century structures in the Old Bank District. Helmed by Allison Agsten, who previously served as the curator of public engagement at the Hammer Museum, the curatorial focus will be resolutely local.

The museum, which is still being designed by the L.A.-based Tom Wiscombe Architecture, will have 40,000 square feet of exhibition space on the ground floors of the 1903 Hellman Building and the 1905 Farmers and Merchants Building. It will also have a rooftop sculpture garden and amphitheater.

Seed money for the project is being provided by real estate mogul Tom Gilmore and his partner, Jerri Perrone. Construction, estimated to cost $50 million, is expected to take roughly four years.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...nap-story.html

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Anime Expo, the largest North American anime convention, which runs July 1-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, provides one of the best people-watching experiences you can have in the city — and that's without even having to pay to go inside.

Last year’s turnstile attendance was 260,700, which was a 40,700 increase from 2014. Attendees can expect more this year after the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, the organization that puts on the Expo, expanded the exhibit hall space by 40%, according to the group’s new CEO, Ray Chiang.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...nap-story.html

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Juno set to arrive at Jupiter this 4th of July; celebration planned at Rose Bowl

For scientists at the Jet Propulsion Labratory (JPL) in Pasadena, this is the Super Bowl of science experiments.

The main engine of the solar-powered spacecraft is scheduled to be fired at 8:18 p.m. Monday to begin a 35-minute burn that will place it into orbit around Jupiter.

Attendees of the 90th annual AmericaFest at the Rose Bowl will get to celebrate its arrival with NASA -- followed by the fire works show.

http://www.foxla.com/news/local-news/169170150-story

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Downtown’s Music Center Plaza Is Getting a $30M Makeover

DTLA—Los Angeles County and Music Center officials on Monday revealed details for a major renovation of the 52-year-old Music Center Plaza, one that would allow for larger public events and strengthen connections with the neighboring Grand Park and Civic Center. If all goes according to plan, work on the $30 million project could start early next year and finish by the summer of 2018.

“What we want to see happening here is that this plaza will be transformed,” Solis told Los Angeles Downtown News. “They’re going to level [the plaza] off to have more ability to have more performances, and it will also lead very cleanly into the park, so we can have performances that really bring people through our Metro system, through bikes, walking, to converge here.”

A Q&A With Hilda Solis

The plan includes a number of elements, starting with eliminating the dips and rises in various parts of the plaza, which would improve connections to the Mark Taper Forum, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Ahmanson Theatre. This will also expand the event capacity from 1,500 to 2,500 people.

Another step involves widening the stairway at the Grand Avenue entrance. This will include the creation of a new water feature.

Moore said the work will open the stairs “way up, so you’ll be able to see straight up into what’s going on in the plaza.” She added, “We’re getting rid of the ‘tombstones’ which are on either side while widening the stairways all the way across, so it will be really easy to see from the street.”

Other elements of the overhaul include creating three new restaurants at a variety of price points. These will be enhanced by patio seating areas that also improve connections to the surrounding streets.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/m...f4c5cc277.html
http://la.curbed.com/2016/7/19/12221...-downtown-dtla

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LACMA Director Michael Govan on the Future of Museums
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/mi...terview-531611

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WEST HOLLYWOOD BELLTOWER
http://projects.tomwiscombe.com/filt...WOOD-BELLTOWER

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THE MAIN MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES ART
http://projects.tomwiscombe.com/filt...OS-ANGELES-ART
http://projects.tomwiscombe.com/filt...ured/BETA-MAIN

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Southern California's aerospace industry, long in decline, begins to stir

But analysts and industry leaders believe that the sector is poised to grow again, behind a new generation of entrepreneurial private space companies like SpaceX in Hawthorne and Virgin Galactic, and defense projects such as the B-21 long-range strike bomber, which could bring thousands of jobs to the area.

Southern California — with its ideal climate, open land and high-powered universities — has been a major player in the aerospace industry since the early 20th century.

The industry is now more diverse. Big programs include space launch-service providers and various satellite makers as well as drone manufacturers, such as Monrovia’s AeroVironment Inc.

The drone industry, in particular, is one of Southern California’s new strong points.

AeroVironment has emerged as the largest supplier of small, unmanned aircraft systems to the Pentagon, and spy drones such as Global Hawk and Triton are assembled by Northrop in Palmdale. Boeing’s unmanned undersea vehicles are made at its Phantom Works facility in Huntington Beach.

A more diverse customer base may help smooth the notorious employment downturns, which were usually driven by federal budget cuts or the end of big contracts. SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Los Angeles-based launch company Rocket Lab have all filled their satellite-launch manifests with both government and commercial contracts.

The industry also is geographically dispersed. Out in Mojave, Vulcan Aerospace is building Stratolaunch, a plane that will have the largest wingspan ever and is to launch satellites into orbit. Other companies like XCOR Aerospace Inc. and micro-satellite launch firm Vector Space Systems have established facilities in the desert city, where open land allows for rocket test firings.

Vector is based in Tucson but its engineering operations are in Huntington Beach, a decision made because of the deep knowledge of rocketry in the region, said Jim Cantrell, the company’s chief executive.

”There’s probably more rocket engine and launch vehicle expertise in Southern California than anywhere else in the United States or probably the world,” he said.

“L.A.’s got something different that nobody can compete with,” said Chad Anderson, managing director of Space Angels Network, an early-stage investor group in private space companies. “They’ve got a fantastic desert and an operational spaceport.”

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...nap-story.html

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UCLA prepares to move forward with new graduate art studios funded by Margo Leavin

When famed Los Angeles gallerist Margo Leavin announced in May that she would make a $20-million donation to UCLA to remake the school’s grungy graduate art studios, the move was celebrated for the investment it brought to an important public educational institution. Now the project is moving forward, as the UC Board of Regents gathers Tuesday to approve the plan.

“It’s crucial,” says Levin. “I don’t think public universities — or any university — has a problem raising funds for medicine, stem cell research, health, etc. But the arts do not have as wide of an audience. And UCLA is a jewel of a school.”

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...nap-story.html

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Desert Trip to nearly double the economic impact in Coachella Valley

The annual Coachella music blowout in Indio has become big business for the Palm Springs area, growing even bigger with the addition of the Stagecoach country music weekend in 2007.

But now a third music festival, targeting baby boomers and classic rock fans, is expected to nearly double the spending generated by the two established music celebrations.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival drew 250,000 music lovers to the Empire Polo Grounds over three weekends this spring, sparking an estimated economic impact of more than $403 million, according to a new economic study.

And with the addition of a third festival slated for October, dubbed Desert Trip, the projected economic impact of all the music celebrations combined will nearly double to $805 million, said Michael Bracken, managing partner and chief economist at Development Management Group, the contract economist for Goldenvoice, the promoter of the festivals.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...nap-story.html