Starting your own art collection? Corey Helford Gallery is here to help

Jennifer Coolidge is now on TikTok. Out of all the celebrities who have joined the video-sharing app, hers has to be one of the most memorable entries. She came with a pal (Jennifer Lopez) and a poem — “Jenny From the Block” — by the woman who “used to have a little, now [has] a lot.” I’m Steven Vargas, your L.A. Goes Out host, and while we wait for her next video to drop, let’s check out these weekend recommendations from the crew:

Weekly Countdown

“The Valiant Deed” by Travis Lampe.

(Corey Helford Gallery)

1. “Art Collector Starter Kit IX”
Looking to start your art collection but don’t have an art collector budget? Corey Helford Gallery in downtown Los Angeles will be hosting its ninth annual “Art Collector Starter Kit” group show, where you can purchase an affordable 12-inch by 12-inch work from emerging and established artists. Artists include HUSH, Hikari Shimoda, Brandi Milne, Eric Joyner, Miho Hirano and Troy Brooks. This show, recommended by The Times’ Deborah Vankin, opens Saturday with a reception 7 to 11 p.m. that’s free to the public. “ACSK IX” opens alongside Richard Ahnert’s “While We Wait” exhibition, which explores the kinship between humans and animals. How? Take a look at this image of a panda on a rocket to get an idea of what’s to come. The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Takács Quartet.

(Amanda Tipton)

2. Takács Quartet at Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Founded in 1975, Takács Quartet is starting off its 48th year with touring performances. Next stop: Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The quartet consists of Edward Dusinberre and Harumi Rhodes on violin, Richard O’Neill on viola and András Fejér on cello. The program, recommended by The Times’ classical music critic Mark Swed, includes work by Britten, Bartók and Dvorák. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and includes a pre-show talk with musicologist Dr. Byron Adams. Tickets range from $39 to $89 and can be found on Segerstrom’s website.

Hugo Crosthwaite, “Caravan Group No. 18,” 2022. Suite of five ceramic figurines, wood pedestal, stop-motion animated video.

(Luis De Jesus)

3. Hugo Crosthwaite, “Caravan”
This show, 20 years in the making, follows Hugo Crosthwaite, a Tijuana artist who draws from his experience as a citizen living on the Mexico–U.S. border, sharing what he observed of the landscape and politics. For his new exhibit “Caravan,” at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Crosthwaite spent days with a camera and sketchbook, capturing portraits and stories of the thousands of migrants and refugees trekking the border. The show includes paintings, sculptures and videos that are inspired by the stories he witnessed. This recommendation from The Times’ art and design columnist Carolina Miranda is currently open and runs until March 4. The gallery is free and open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. More details can be found on the gallery’s website.

“Still.”

(Studio Space)

4. “Still”
Caught in the middle of sound, light and movement, there is stillness. “Still” is an inaugural performance exhibition for Studio Space — co-founded by Kellen Kauffman and Rose Zhang — in the Arts District of Los Angeles. The show — running for four days, from Thursday through Friday — includes new choreography by Sara Silkin, an immersive musical score by Eric Van Thyne, a light sequence designed by Michael Roseman and a structure design by Ash Hanson. Combined, they all feed into the theme of stillness and bring to life an experiential exhibition worth investigating. Tickets are available for performances at 11 a.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. Sunday. Tickets cost up to $19 for general admission; details can be found on Eventbrite.

J. Elijah Cho in “Mr. Yunioshi,” opening Jan. 27 at Sierra Madre Playhouse.

(Rob Slaven)

5. “Mr. Yunioshi”
This isn’t the Mr. Yunioshi you may remember from the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” This time around, instead of the character being portrayed by Mickey Rooney in yellowface, J. Elijah Cho steps in to question the ethics of playing a character outside of your own race. Cho, who wrote, directed and will be performing in the solo show at Sierra Madre Playhouse, asks whether an actor could play any role. The story follows Rooney’s inner conflict taking on the character of Mr. Yunioshi after being tapped to play the latter role instead of the lead. The show opens Friday and tickets range from $25 to $45. The show runs until Feb. 5 with performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays. More details on “Mr. Yunioshi” can be found on the show’s website.

Bonus round: “Liquid Clay” by Patrick Jackson opens François Ghebaly’s new gallery in West Hollywood

The exterior of François Ghebaly’s new gallery in West Hollywood.

(François Ghebaly)

New galleries have been opening in West Hollywood left and right, including Hauser & Wirth’s new location opening Feb. 15 and Mey Gallery, which opened last week. Now, François Ghebaly will be opening a new gallery location in the same area of Los Angeles with a show/intervention by L.A. artist Patrick Jackson titled “Liquid Clay.” The gallery opens Feb. 4, a Saturday, with Jackson’s work that investigates invisible labor and mass consumption. The show perfectly fits the new location — previously a commodities warehouse — allowing Jackson to create an immersive inaugural show for François Ghebaly’s new space. The free gallery is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and details can be found on the gallery’s website.

Your L.A. weekend, all mapped out

For a more comprehensive roundup of exhibitions, concerts, screenings, festivals and other events, check out Matt Cooper’s Culture Guide. The mapped list is a go-to for those of you who make plans based on the commute, and it also can be filtered by type of event and by price.

On my mind

Gibney Company artistic associate Alexander Anderson and Gibney Company artistic apprentice Jordan Powell.

(Michael Slobodian)

On Friday, I saw the Gibney Company perform at USC. The New York City-based company had its Los Angeles premiere at the Bovard Auditorium on campus with a program that consisted of Yue Yin’s “A Measurable Existence” and Ohad Naharin’s “Yag 2022.”

“A Measurable Existence” was 16 minutes of nonstop movement performed by artistic associates Kevin Pajarillaga and Jacob Thoman. Pajarillaga and Thoman were practically in constant contact with each other, tumbling and turning over each other’s bodies. Their energy ebbed and flowed as one would carry the other over the shoulder, and then vice versa. And just when you thought the torturous tango was as volatile as it could get, a batten holding a pair of lights partially fell. The audience gasped. We all wondered if it was part of the show. Ultimately, it was, bathing the stage in red and halting the performance for a second before they moved with the architecture. After watching a relationship grow onstage between the two performers, there is a mutual understanding of their dependence on each other. In the final moments, we see them walk parallel to each other. One performer steps forward and looks toward the audience while the other steps back and turns away from the audience. They step back and forth, switching positions. Finally, one leaves and the constant flow of movement ends.

The second part of the program was taken up by Naharin’s 1996 work reimagined by the company in 2022. Throughout the piece, we are introduced to a family: a mother (Jie-Hung Connie Shiau), a father (Jesse Obremski), a grandfather (Jake Tribus), two daughters (Jordan Powell and Alicia Delgadillo) and a son (Scott Autry). The catch? The parents are dead. We are constantly reminded of their imminent death throughout the performance, and each foreshadowing is followed up with the phrase, “once my family loved, really loved, really really loved … to dance.”

The movement was supple and rich, which is characteristic of Naharin’s work. The beauty of his choreography is felt in the roll of the hip and the torso’s shake. The specificity of movement continues as each character assumes their own movement language. For example, Autry moves quickly from tableau to tableau, digging deep into each extension and stretch. Obremski, meanwhile, hops and flounders across the stage.

We watch as this family, which is initially timid and average, slowly devolves into chaos. The audience was captivated as Delgadillo placed fortune cookies diagonally across the stage and Tribus slowly stepped over them, crushing them. He’s followed by Obremski and Autry, the father and son. Suddenly, a male lineage is crushing the family’s fortune and hopes on the stage. And each crunch and crash resounds in the silence. At the same time, Powell and Shiau are at the center, following the same movements, as if the mother is teaching her daughter the way to move — the way to be a woman. Once Delgadillo finishes placing the cookies down, she eats one, tosses the fortune, and thrusts her pelvis forward over and over until Powell and Shiau join. It’s a family affair where the mother follows her daughter’s lead and the son follows the father’s. The crunching gets louder and louder as Powell shouts, “Once my family loved, really loved, really really loved to dance.”

She stands still, in pain, struck by the words she spoke as if she never intended to utter them. Powell was a standout performer: her interpretation of her character was poignant, leading into the family’s downfall — the father sexually abuses his daughter. As he adds a new step or two to the same dance the mother did with Powell, the tension rises. It ends with a family portrait, the same one we saw at the beginning, but this time the portrait reflects an internal turmoil.

“The 2nd” by Emma Colton.

(Dance Camera West)

Saturday night, I attended the third screening of international shorts at Dance Camera West in Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. The films were innovative in finding ways to highlight movement on camera. But what stuck out that night was a film by Emma Colton titled “The 2nd.” It begins calmly, with people walking on and off the screen. Suddenly, there is a gunshot and the steps grow frantic. Performers are tugged back and forth in panic, or stand still in shock. Bodies fall, others rise and the calmness begins once again. It ends with the names of locations on the screen. The air in the theater grows thick as memories of news coverage and vigils come to mind. “The story of American gun violence is unsurprising” stays on the screen.

That same night, a mass shooting left 11 dead in Monterey Park at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where people had gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year. It’s devastating to think that dance was used to protest gun violence in one part of the city, while in another part of the city, gun violence ravaged a dance institution. Fast forward: Just two days after the shooting in Monterey Park and the screening of “The 2nd,” there was another shooting at Half Moon Bay, killing seven people. The rushing bodies on screen at Dance Camera West still haunt me, along with the statement: “The story of American gun violence is unsurprising.”

Insights: Need a break from the city? Here are some out-of-town arts openings to turn into a day trip.

The Cast of “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci,” written and directed by Mary Zimmerman, at the Old Globe in San Diego.

(Jim Cox)

If you’re looking for guidance on arts events, even on your weekend outside L.A., I’ve got you covered. Here’s how to turn your relaxing day trip into an arts adventure.

• “Inside – Out: Katherine Sherwood and Cynthia Ona Innis” — Xela Institute of Art in Long Beach is opening an exhibit Saturday with work by Sherwood and Innis. The remarkable show includes Sherwood’s work in which she creates art out of MRI scans of her brain that show a cerebral hemorrhage. Out of these MRI scans, she displays the beauty of flowers. Meanwhile, Innis plays with memory to create fragmented landscapes, with each section displaying a new abstracted memory. The gallery is free and open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
• “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci” — The Old Globe in San Diego just opened “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci,” adapted and directed by Tony winner Mary Zimmerman. The show tells the story of Da Vinci through his notebooks. Tickets range from $29 to $101 and can be found on the Old Globe’s website.
• “Staged” — Rita Rudner and Mike McShane will lead a show about a Broadway team’s divorce at Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. Co-written by Martin Bergman and Rudner, this show is a world premiere performance that is full of laughs. It opens today and tickets cost up to $75. More details can be found on the playhouse’s website.

Go out speed round

Reverend Goddess Magora Kennedy.

(Karsten Thormaehlen)

Go out for free: Take a glimpse into the lives of LGBTQ senior citizens with this free public exhibit, opening at the Watermark at Westwood Village on Saturday. “Not Another Second” tells untold stories of 12 LGBTQ individuals’ contributions to history and provides a reminder about the societal pressures of their time. The exhibition features photography by Karsten Thormaehlen in addition to the subjects’ stories. RSVP in advance on the project’s website.

Go out before it closes: Join in on the immersive experience of “40 Watts From Nowhere” before its closing performance Sunday. The interactive performance tells the true story of Sue Carpenter, who operated Silver Lake’s pirate radio station KBLT. The immersive experience in Silver Lake takes audiences into Sue’s DJ booth and highlights the underground community she fostered. Tickets cost $70 and details can be found on Mister and Mischief’s website.

Go out and learn: What’s the difference between blanco and cristalino tequila? Find out with the North End’s Hollywood Tequila Tasting on Saturday. Bartenders will offer four tastings of top-selling and top-shelf tequilas in a 1 1/2-hour private tasting class, teaching what sets each flavor apart. The class is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and tickets range from $55 to $105. Details can be found on the bar’s Eventbrite.

Go out with the kids: Bluey is coming to Los Angeles! When Dad decides to spend Sunday on the beanbag, Bluey and Bingo do anything they can to get Dad’s pep back in his step. “Bluey’s Big Play” will be at the Dolby Theatre from Friday to Sunday, and tickets range from $39 to $190. More details can be found on Broadway in Hollywood’s website.

Go out on a date: Take your date out to the Fonda Theatre for a performance by Ali Sethi. The Pakistani singer-songwriter is best known for the song “Pasoori,” which he sang with Shae Gill for Coke Studio Season 14. The remaining tickets range from $30 to $40 and can be found on the Fonda Theatre’s website.

Go out all night: Uncorked Wine Festival will be hosting LA Wine Fest on Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Union Station. The four-hour event includes over 150 wines and bubblies, local food trucks, a DJ and more. Spend the afternoon with your friends for a night of wine and games. Tickets range from $65 to $80 and can be found on Uncorked Wine Festival’s Eventbrite.

Go out for a late night: Keep the night going with a performance by Kaash Paige at the Roxy in West Hollywood at 9 p.m. Saturday. The singer-songwriter signed to Se Lavi Productions and Def Jam Recordings. Her most popular song, “Love Songs,” from her 2019 album “Parked Car Convos,” went viral on social media and spent quite some time on Spotify’s global charts. Not to mention, she was also featured in Don Toliver’s 2020 album “Heaven or Hell” on the track “Euphoria.” Tickets are $22.50 and can be purchased on AXS.

Go out and wander: Wander through the Official Bob Marley One Love Experience opening in L.A. on Friday. The exhibition at Ovation Hollywood shares photographs and memorabilia of the profound reggae singer and musician. Tickets range from $34 to $75 for a 40- to 50-minute session. More details can be found on Fever.

Go out to something viral: JVKE went viral on TikTok after playing his song “Golden Hour” for his childhood piano teacher. The video garnered over 11 million likes and 67 million views. And now, you can witness just what that teacher did on Tuesday when he makes his way to the Fonda Theatre. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show cost $100 and can be found on the Fonda Theatre’s website.

Go out and protest with art: Pussy Riot is bringing its radical performance art to Jeffrey Deitch’s Hollywood gallery with “Putin’s Ashes.” In August 2022, Pussy Riot burned a 10-foot portrait of Vladimir Putin. The ashes were bottled and will be part of the exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch, presented alongside a short film titled “Putin’s Ashes.” While the opening reception is sold out, the exhibition will run until Feb. 3. Details to the free event can be found on Jeffrey Deitch’s website and the gallery is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

More from the crew here

Tired of the gym but still want a workout? Try one of these 8 exhilarating (and free!) outdoor workout spots in L.A.

When you get hungry taking those day trips to see art in a new area, check out these 9 must-try Vietnamese restaurants in the SGV — for stonepot pho and more.

If you’re looking to take a weekend hike but don’t want to deal with the traffic, here are 8 L.A. hikes you can get to from Union Station.

If you’re like me and love spicy food, check out these 18 mapo tofu spots guaranteed to numb your tongue.

I’m all ears!

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Follow our feed of recommendations and itineraries on Instagram and Twitter, and if you have recs of your own, send them to [email protected].