LA’S NEIGHBORHOODS--On Saturday, October 17, 2015 and Sunday, October 18, 2015, the non-profit LA Commons will host its 5th annual Found L.A: Festival of Neighborhoods. Following last year’s tie to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s 'Great Streets' program, this year’s theme is driven by the idea of mapping one’s own Los Angeles. The weekend of tours is inspired by the new Heyday release LAtitudes: An Angeleno's Atlas, which brings 19 diverse local writers together with a cartographer to explore aspects of the city’s geography, history, and culture. The essays range from quirky to provocative, but each is grounded by the physical, societal and perceived boundaries and neighborhoods of Los Angeles, which often foretell the city’s future.
A selection of authors will lead some of the October 17-18 weekend’s tours. A KPCC live event, on October 8 at Angel City Brewery, will present a dynamic evening with three LAtitudes essayists to explore “the hitherto terra incognita of our city.”
“LAtitudes immediately caught my attention with each of these great local authors’ takes on their personal mapping of the vast area we call L.A.,” states Karen Mack, Executive Director of L.A. Commons. “Connecting Angelenos to the people and places that make up the city is central to LA Commons’ mission, and our annual Found L.A. tours embody that. This year, we are thrilled to bring to life these authors’ writings as they lead tours, alongside many other terrific volunteer-lead neighborhood tours.”
Found L.A. is a FREE, annual citywide event that showcases culturally dynamic neighborhoods through the eyes of residents, public figures and renowned artists, who volunteer to share their unique perspective and passion for their neighborhood. Found L.A. is open to anyone who wants to organize a tour of their neighborhood, and anyone who wants to learn more about the vast expanse that is Los Angeles.
As part of Found LA, culture seekers explore historic boulevards, sample delicious foods in unknown corridors, and hear little known stories, among many other adventures in communities all around the city. During the weekend of October 17-18, tourgoers will have the opportunity, through the LAtitudes authors, to get a personal perspective on the natural history of L.A. with Teddy Varno, a fresh take on LA’s (ugly) buildings from Wendy Gilmartin, a different lens on the trajectory of LA’s gay community with Sylvia Sukop, and more. Full details and the growing list of tours will be regularly updated on the website.
LAtitudes essayists Rosten Woo, Sylvia Sukop and Michael Jaime-Becerra will present excerpts from the book and sit down with Oscar Garza, senior producer of The Frame, for a casual conversation at the Angel City Brewery in downtown Los Angeles on October 8 at 8 p.m. The evening will serve as a prelude to L.A. Commons’ fifth annual Found L.A. festival. For more information, please visit kpcc.org/forum.
LAtitudes editor Patricia Wakida explains that “the maps and essays in the book were our way of telling stories about the relationships of points in geographic space. We are delighted to partner with Found L.A. and to put the essays and their authors onto the streets and into the neighborhoods with readers and tourgoers. We hope that this year's LAtitudes-inspired Found L.A. will stimulate and awaken a sense of wonder and surprise about the city and its surroundings, opening avenues for Angelenos to roam, adding their own experiences and memories to the stories, and searching out the Los Angeles that holds the deepest meanings to them."
Found L.A. 2014, teaming with the Mayor’s 'Great Streets' program, took people on journeys down the eclectic boulevards that crisscrossed the city. On Reseda Boulevard, there were discoveries of Bauhaus Murals; on Central Avenue people stepped back into the Jazz History of L.A.; and on Western Ave., there were samplings of delicious Korean buns.
All tours are open and FREE to the public; people may sign up for multiple tours. For more information on signing up for tours, please “Like” the LA Commons Facebook page or visit the website http://www.lacommons.org/programs/found-la/. For information on how to offer a tour, please contact Karen Mack at LA Commons: [email protected].
This program, produced in conjunction with Heyday, is made possible by funding from The California Endowment and the Goldhirsh Foundation.{module [1177]}
FOR CALENDARS / EVENT LISTINGS:
DATE: Sat., October 17, 2014 & Sun., October 18, 2014
TIME: Various times between 9am – 5pm
WHERE: Tours are neighborhood specific. Check here for updates: http://www.lacommons.org/programs/found-la/
COST: The tours are FREE of cost, but RSVP is required and space is limited.
INFO: For additional information, please visit www.lacommons.org (click on Found LA) or contact Karen Mack at [email protected]. L.A. Commons general info: 3230640-2524.
MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Du Brow, J[email protected] or 310-922-11301, to schedule previews, tour attendance, or interviews.
About L.A. Commons (www.lacommons.org)
L.A. Commons, a project of Community Partners, works in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, facilitating artistic processes, open to all, that result in highly visible public art projects that tell dynamic neighborhood stories. L.A. Commons builds community by validating the importance of local narratives, enhancing the sense of belonging felt by a broad range of stakeholders and encouraging stronger ties between the people and places of Los Angeles.
About Heyday (www.heydaybooks.com)
Heyday is an independent, nonprofit publisher and unique cultural institution. We promote widespread awareness and celebration of California’s many cultures, landscapes, and boundary-breaking ideas. Through our well-crafted books, public events, and innovative outreach programs, we are building a vibrant community of readers, writers, and thinkers.
-CW
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 76
Pub: Sep 18, 2015
