You See LA: December 2022
Five things to see and do in Culver City, handpicked by Brenda G. Williams
Brenda G. Williams is a local art advisor and independent curator specializing in emerging contemporary artists, and is the assistant to the chair of the Department of Design Media Arts. Brenda is currently one of five Culver City Cultural Affairs Commissioners. For this installment of You See LA, she picked five things to see and do in Culver City.
Located perfectly between the ocean and downtown LA is a small enclave called Culver City. We are a city of about 40,000 people, living less than five miles from the Pacific Ocean beach and just over five miles from the center of downtown Los Angeles.
THE CULVER STEPS
The Culver Steps are a new destination spot designed for everyone’s enjoyment. It’s become the latest hangout spot for residents and visitors alike. There is coffee, retail shopping, local events and restaurants. There are concrete and grassy spots for sitting and people watching. Meet your friends for coffee or drinks, sit and wind down your day or jump start your mornings with a quick walk for exercise up and down the stairs. Or stop by on a weekend afternoon to catch a programmed performance of dance, poetry, or theater.
CULVER CITY PUBLIC ART
Culver City is making its mark on LA with its commitment to public art. You can organize your own public art walking tour by getting a copy of the Art in Public Places Downtown Cultural Walking Tours guide. You can get the printed book, use the website or download an app with all the locations of public art up to 2019.
CULVER CITY ART SCENE
Culver City has been blessed with noted and well regarded galleries and museums. La Cienega and Washington Boulevards are graced with top tier galleries in Los Angeles: Blum & Poe, Roberts Projects, Walter Maciel, and Honor Fraser. You can also visit The Wende Museum, an art museum, cultural center, and archive of the Cold War that explores social, political, and cultural change.
CULVER CITY HISTORY – THE HEART OF SCREENLAND
Culver City is famous for being home to many movie studios in the early 20th century. Its founder, Harry H. Culver, from Milford, Nebraska, started plans for the city that carries his name in 1913, and it became an incorporated entity in 1917. He established the city along a rail transportation route, halfway between the growing pueblo of Los Angeles and Abbot Kinney's resort of Venice. If you are interested in Culver City’s historical contributions to the state, check out the Culver City Historical Society’s resources and events.
Or if you are looking for a good read over the LA winter months please pick up “West of Eden: An American Place” by Jean Stein. Ms. Stein is the daughter of Jules Stein, namesake of the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute. She’s an insider/outsider who researched the glory and the gory of Hollywood’s early years.
LA CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE
Finally, I teach a class at UCLA Extension titled “Contemporary Los Angeles Art.” For six weeks I take students around Los Angeles and visit as many museums, galleries, and artists’ studios as possible. All the while students learn about different types of contemporary art, the artists, the galleries, how to purchase art or build a collection, and what neighborhoods host which galleries. We also visit the homes of some of LA’s top collectors. I’d love to see as many of you as possible.
Stay engaged. Use #UCLAarts to stay connected.
