All posts tagged: Local

ART OF FREELANCE

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As artists and freelance creatives, we know it is not always easy to self-motivate, show up for your art and produce the work that has been calling out from deep within. So we’re gonna let you in on the little secret that has helped us each catapult our creative goals forward over the past two years. Allow us to formally introduce you to Art of Freelance—a bi-annual 10-week workshop that provides the structure, accountability and community to take your dream projects and make them a reality. Officially billed as “an accelerator for creatives who want to push themselves to the next level”, Art of Freelance encourages you to make the work you want to get hired for—by becoming your own ideal client first. We have benefited so immensely from doing this work that we didn’t want to just keep it to ourselves. We want to share it now with you, our awesome reader, in case you’ve had a dream drumming in your heart or a creative vision simmering away on the back burner and you …

Descanso Gardens~ Enchanted: Forest of Light

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Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by  Sarah Prikryl // Contributing Photography by: Gina Cholick Our favorite Winter Wonderland is back! Grab your loved ones, bundle up with a hot cup of cocoa and prepare to be totally Enchanted by light!!  Two simple white string lights illuminate the long dirt path that leads to the entrance of Descanso Gardens. Despite being sold out tonight, I find myself alone on the path with only the sound of my own footsteps as my companion in the inky dark night. I can see my breath clearer with each step I take, amazed at this simple joy that almost never happens in LA as I practice blowing clouds around me, giggling in delight. A full moon peeks through wisps of mist above, a feeling of magic fills the air—and I’ve barely left the parking lot. My fellow Sirens await at the front, all bundled up for a surprisingly chilly Los Angeles evening. We’ve been drawn here by the promise of light. Enchanting light, to be exact. Never ones to turn down an opportunity for …

Sunset Swim~ The Annenberg Community Beach House

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Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by Sarah Prikryl Our favorite summer swim nights are back at The Annenberg Community Beach House! Don’t miss the first of three adult swim parties beginning in August!  If you ever wished you could’ve been alive in the days when you drove your woodie down to the beach for a surfin’ safari and a little beach blanket bingo, then your time has finally come. The Annenberg Community Beach House is a throwback to the days when cool guys and gals gathered on the shores to enjoy some California fun in the sun. Open daily to the public during the summer months, the Annenberg Community Beach House is still somehow one of LA’s best-kept secrets. A gorgeous pool. On the beach. Right in the heart of Santa Monica. Open to everyone. It’s almost too good to be true. It has a rich history, too. The Beach House is actually on the old Marion Davies Estate, the beachside love pad built by William Randolph Hearst for his silent film starlet mistress back in the …

The 14th Factory

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Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by Sarah Prikryl  If you ever wished you could combine a haunted Halloween funhouse with a large-scale multi-media international modern art installation (minus the chainsaws and hulking guys in masks breathing down your neck), your wish has finally come true. Full of thrilling discoveries and suspense around each new darkened corner, The 14th Factory is an art-lover’s moody paradise—combining video, sound design and both static and interactive immersive environments to create an art experience truly unlike any other. Envisioned by British-born, Hong Kong-based artist Simon Birch in collaboration with global artists from China, Hong Kong, the US, the UK and Canada, The 14th Factory asks you to step inside a nondescript seemingly abandoned warehouse located in a forgotten part of Los Angeles and follow the path it leads you down…armed with little more than the promise of experiencing a Hero’s Journey. The black box entrance greets you with a brief introduction written on the walls where you are handed a map and then let loose to discover what secrets await. Funneling onto …

Waterfall Hikes in LA ~ San Gabriel Mountains

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Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by Sarah Prikryl Spring has officially sprung in LA! After one of our wettest winters in recent history, the waterfalls of LA are overflowing! Located just 30 minutes from the heart of the city, there are no excuses not to get out there and enjoy them. Grab your dog, grab your friends, go run around the mountains and splash in some waterfall pools like kids again. Added bonus: the hills are alive with spring wildflowers of every color! So let your inner Fräulein Maria out to play…mountaintop twirling totally optional. SWITZER FALLS~ Just a few miles into the San Gabriel Mountains past La Cañada Flintridge near Mt. Wilson, Switzer Falls is one of the most impressive waterfalls in Los Angeles. The mostly shaded Gabrielino Trail winds you next to and through a gushing stream in Arroyo Seco Canyon for the first part of the hike. (HOT TIP: you criss-cross the stream continually on your hike. Wear proper footwear and be prepared to get your feet wet…it’s part of the fun!) When you …

Descanso Gardens ~ Enchanted: Forest of Light

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Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by  Sarah Prikryl // Contributing Photography by: Gina Cholick Two simple white string lights illuminate the long dirt path that leads to the entrance of Descanso Gardens. Despite being sold out tonight, I find myself alone on the path with only the sound of my own footsteps as my companion in the inky dark night. I can see my breath clearer with each step I take, amazed at this simple joy that almost never happens in LA as I practice blowing clouds around me, giggling in delight. A full moon peeks through wisps of mist above, a feeling of magic fills the air—and I’ve barely left the parking lot. My fellow Sirens await at the front, all bundled up for a surprisingly chilly Los Angeles evening. We’ve been drawn here by the promise of light. Enchanting light, to be exact. Never ones to turn down an opportunity for enchantment, we dive in…ready to be immersed in some light magic. The moment we step foot inside Descanso Gardens’ “Enchanted: Forest of Light”, the world suddenly …

Sunset Swim ~ The Annenberg Community Beach House

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If you ever wished you could’ve been alive in the days when you drove your woodie down to the beach for a surfin’ safari and a little beach blanket bingo, then your time has finally come. The Annenberg Community Beach House is a throwback to the days when cool guys and gals gathered on the shores to enjoy some California fun in the sun. Open daily to the public during the summer months, the Annenberg Community Beach House is still somehow one of LA’s best-kept secrets. A gorgeous pool. On the beach. Right in the heart of Santa Monica. Open to everyone. It’s almost too good to be true. It has a rich history, too. The Beach House is actually on the old Marion Davies Estate, the beachside love pad built by William Randolph Hearst for his silent film starlet mistress back in the Golden Age of Hollywood. The pool is the estate’s original, all marble and tile refurbished by hand. Marion’s lavish guest house still stands and you can tour it during the day. …

Kensington Presents at The York Manor

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As a native Angeleno and unabashed lover of Los Angeles, I’m always curious how transplants feel about our great city. One common theme seems to emerge when I ask people how they’ve been faring here…they like the city but miss the feeling of community. We’ve all heard it: LA is huge, friends are spread all over the place, it can be hard to find what feels like “home”. Well then, please allow us to introduce you to Kensington. We’ve written before about Kensington’s concert series at the Viaduct as the best secret party in LA (and it’s true). But they actually started out much smaller—showcasing live music on the porch of their own backyard. You really can’t get any more “neighborhood” than that. What’s remarkable is how Kensington has been able to create that same incredibly intimate feeling even as their event spaces grow and expand. Whether it’s a backyard porch, a park under the bridge Downtown or a refurbished church in Highland Park, it all just feels like hanging out at your coolest friend’s …

Highland Park Bowl ~ Highland Park, CA

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In a city that habitually tears down our beloved historic spaces in favor of erecting yet another strip mall full of dry cleaners and spray tan salons, we gladly give our full support to any business that stands for the preservation of our architectural history. So when we heard that Highland Park Bowl had recently opened after a major preservation project, we knew we had to take the new digs for a spin and go knock some pins around. Located on Figueroa in a burgeoning strip of Highland Park, Highland Park Bowl really does feel like stepping back in time. From the moment you enter the wrought iron gates under the peeling-paint façade, it’s as if the decades instantly begin to roll away behind you with each step until you find yourself right smack in the middle of a bygone era, perhaps meeting Nick Carraway for some tales and a stiff one over a game of tenpin. The original establishment dates back to 1927, giving it the unique distinction of being the oldest bowling alley …

Hidden Malibu ~ Malibu Hills, CA

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Cruising along PCH with the top down, laying on golden sandy beaches with the sun on your skin, surfing the crashing waves of the Pacific, strolling into a romantic ocean sunset…that’s usually what comes to mind when people suggest a trip out to Malibu. As Cali girls, we’re naturally big fans of the beach—that just goes with the territory. But what if we were to tell you that our absolute favorite parts of Malibu are nowhere even close to sand or sea? That tucked in the mountains far away from the ocean crowds are countless secret treasures just waiting to be explored? There is, in fact, gold up in them there hills! So come take a little trip with us to discover…Hidden Malibu. MULHOLLAND WINE COUNTRY Did you know that Napa Valley exists right here in the middle of LA? Deep within the Malibu Hills just off of Kanan, a couple-mile strip of Mulholland turns into Los Angeles Wine Country. As you hit the mountain crest, suddenly little green vineyards begin to stretch across the …

Eat|See|Hear ~ LA Outdoor Movie Night

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Summertime is all about combining the two things LA does best: movies and the outdoors. At the start of summer, we created your Los Angeles Outdoor Movie Guide, which we continue to update with new films from our favorite outdoor movie venues. We recently checked out Eat|See|Hear’s screening of Dazed and Confused at The Autry in Griffith Park. There could not be a better way to celebrate the fact that school’s out for summer than kicking back with our friends, pups and some good food and hopping into that slowride to party at the Moon Tower. Eat|See|Hear screens films every Saturday night in multiple venues across town from Silverlake to Santa Monica throughout the season. This was our first time heading to The Autry for a screening and we gotta say, we were really impressed. Our $15.76 ticket got us free entry into the Autry Museum. Their fantastic new exhibit Revolutionary Vision: Group f/64 showcases the stunning work of the California photo-modernist collective that included Ansel Adams and is definitely worth checking out. The main grounds are …

Free Live Music ~ Amoeba Hollywood

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For music lovers, LA is a musical paradise. We are so lucky to have plenty of great live music here any night of the week. But for those times when you get tired of ticketing agencies doubling the price of your ticket, it’s nice to know that you can always find some awesome free music right outside your door. One of our favorite places to catch a free live show is Amoeba Music in Hollywood. With a great mix of bands and DJ’s coming through, including some pretty big heavy-hitters, it’s worth bookmarking their schedule and keeping it in your concert-going rotation. We recently caught a live set from Band of Horses, one of our favorite live bands. We’ve seen BOH play all over Southern California—The Masonic Lodge, The Majestic Ventura Theater, The Observatory—and they have never ceased to blow us away with their pure heart, soul and grace on stage. So when the chance came to see them up close and personal right at home, we jumped on it. There are a couple ways …

Kensington Presents Fantastic Negrito ~ The Viaduct

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If you’ve ever dreamt of somehow being invited to the coolest secret party in all of Los Angeles, you’re in luck! Consider this your invitation. After eight long months of waiting, we’re thrilled to share the good news that Kensington is finally returning on May 19th, bringing LA’s best secret concert series back to The Viaduct! We were fortunate enough to go to last year’s summer concert featuring The Dustbowl Revival and our minds were collectively blown. The whole experience feels like you’ve followed the White Rabbit to Party Town, sans any of the annoying things about parties or that huge not-to-be-named music festival that may have just happened in the desert (ahem!). Filled with genuine music lovers gathered together to celebrate live music, dance and just have a great time, Kensington at The Viaduct is a magical night out that just has to be experienced to be fully understood. It’s a feeling. It’s a peak music moment. And you should be there. This year, they’re presenting Fantastic Negrito, last year’s winner of the NPR Tiny Desk Concert contest, …

Malibu Farm ~ Malibu, CA

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With Spring upon us and Summer close behind, the Southern California beaches are calling! Though it’s not quite warm enough for basking on the sand and splashing in the surf, you can still enjoy a day of seaside fun at the recently renovated Malibu Pier. What was once a run-down ramshackle fishing spot with less-than-stellar dining options has transformed into Malibu’s go-to destination for fresh, farm-to-table eats and treats. Over the past few years, local rancher Helene Henderson bought up the restaurants on either end of the pier, creating Malibu Farm Restaurant and Malibu Farm Pier Café for your dining pleasure. Both establishments specialize in organic fare fresh from local farms. With overlapping menus, the main difference is that you get to choose your own dining style. When you enter onto the pier, Malibu Farm Restaurant is first up. Split onto two sides and decorated in cheery bright beach whites, you can sit at an indoor or outdoor table and be served by their friendly wait staff. If you don’t want to wait to be …

Paramount Ranch ~ Agoura Hills, CA

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Tired of hearing the word “Runyon” after your friends invite you on a hike? Can’t handle the crowds of actors posting vaguely inspirational (mis)quotes as an excuse to sneak in another almost-naked photo of themselves hiking the go-to trail? Well, breathe a giant sigh of relief because we’re here to tell you that you never have to step foot on that over-run Tinder trail again. Plus, it’ll be closed April through July for repairs—so what better time to expand your horizons? For genuine hiking enthusiasts, LA offers endless gorgeous trails throughout all of our many mountain ranges. If you’re looking for something truly unique, then hightail it out to Paramount Ranch. Located just off Kanan on the way to Malibu, Paramount Ranch is part of the Santa Monica Mountains and is overseen by the National Park Service. Most importantly, it’s also an Old West ghost town. Or, more specifically, an Old West Tinsel Town ghost town. Built by Paramount Studios back in the 1920’s to shoot their Western “talkies”, the Wild West facade set has …

Downtown Field Trip

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Earlier this month, we invited our readers to cut class and ditch work with your resident Ferris Buellers for our first official Sirens & Scoundrels Field Trip. We were beyond thrilled to have an awesome group of artists and innovators come together for a rogue weekday art, food & culture adventure to Downtown LA! Who knew Tuesdays could be so cool? We started our adventure at the new Broad contemporary art museum on Grand. We first wrote about the Broad in our December article: HERE. Many readers wanted to check it out for themselves afterwards, but were surprised that tickets were booked out months in advance. So we decided we’d make it really easy: secure a bunch of tickets and invite people to just show up. This is the best way for you to do it with your friends, too. Tickets are free and you can reserve up to nine at a time, so we suggest that you just take the initiative for your gang and book the earliest date available online: HERE. The good news is …

Wolf Connection ~ Acton, CA

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Does the Month of Love have you feeling the call of the wild? Looking for that perfect hot date to get your blood pumping and make your temperature rise? Wanna let your inner beast out to play? Well, we’ve got just what you need to satisfy your cravings. If you’re ready to TRULY take a walk on the wild side, then grab the one you love (or the one you’d like to love) and head over to the Wolf Connection for their once-a-month Hike With the Pack. Located in Acton just 45 minutes north of LA, the Wolf Connection rescues and rehabilitates wolves and wolf dogs from across the country. The sanctuary is home to about 30 wolves, most of which are neglected and abused domestic rescues from owners who didn’t get that wolves and dogs are not the same thing. But luckily, the incredible staff here at the Wolf Connection is dedicated to making sure that their adoptees get a second chance at life, nursing them back to health and heartiness with loving care …

Museum Free-For-All

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If one of your resolutions was to get up close and personal with more art this year, congratulations! Your hour has come! This Saturday, January 30th, you and your friends can get into over 30 museums in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas totally free as part of the 11th Annual Museums Free-For-All. It’s the perfect opportunity to check out that museum you’ve always been curious about but never tried or visit an old favorite and explore their collections. General admission is free, but special exhibition tickets are not included and parking fees are still required where applicable. Here is the official list of participating museums from So Cal Museums: Annenberg Space for Photography Armory Space for Photography Autry Museum of the American West (Includes free admission to the Autry in Griffith Park & Autry’s historic Southwest Museum Mt. Washington campus) The Broad California African American Museum California Science Center (Does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions or IMAX films. Timed reservations are required for space shuttle Endeavour.) Craft & Folk Art Museum (Sun, January …

The Broad ~ Downtown LA

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If you’ve been wondering about those mysterious photos of your friends seemingly floating amongst infinite cosmic light that have been popping up all over your feeds this fall, it’s time to trot yourself down to The Broad (like “road” with a “b”) museum and experience it for yourself. The newest arrival on the contemporary art scene, The Broad is already a hot-ticket destination for the city’s trendsetters, who flock through the doors each day to take in the likes of Warhol, Basquiat, Lichtenstein and Koons, amongst a plethora of modern art heavy hitters. Built from scratch to host the 2000-piece art collection of Eli and Edythe Broad, the museum opened in September 2015 and has become an architectural destination in and of itself. Located adjacent to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown LA, the Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed museum boasts a huge looming perforated metallic “honeycomb” exterior that adds even more wow factor to your walk down Grand Avenue—the two enormous landmarks at once opposing and complimentary. The interior is everything a modern …

Go Rogue! ~ Opt Outside on Black Friday

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This Friday, instead of facing the real-life version of The Walking Dead at your local retailers–witnessing throngs of people stampeding each other in a crazed daze for a cheap(er) wide-screen TV…why not reclaim your sanity (and your humanity) and Opt Outside instead? REI started this inspired movement by pledging to close its doors on Black Friday and #OptOutside in an effort to get families to bond out in nature instead of under glaring fluorescent lights buying a bunch of crap no one needs. You can find awesome hikes in your area just by entering your zip code here. Save the Redwoods League has even upped the ante—offering free day passes to 49 California State Redwood Parks in Northern California. Happily, there has been an overwhelming response to this rogue reclaiming of the day after Thanksgiving and some park passes have already sold out. But there are still plenty of parks available. You can find a list here. For those of us in Southern California looking for a place to spend November 27 in peace, we have some …

Rain Room ~ LACMA

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For a city in the midst of a Megadrought, there is something strangely poetic about going to a museum to visit the rain. In Rain Room, LACMA’s latest interactive environment exhibit from their Art + Technology initiative, that’s essentially what we’re doing. When Random International originated the concept in London in 2012, followed by an insanely popular run at MoMA in NYC, it’s probably not what they had in mind. But just as every great work of art changes in relationship to its environment, this is no exception. What could be just a really cool sensory experience anywhere else, within the context of Los Angeles begins to take on a larger meaning. Our first piece of advice is to go in knowing as little as possible. So honestly, you should just stop reading right now, buy yourself a ticket through this link and go. Trust us on this one… Still reading? Okay, so you like to be prepared. In that case, we’ll let you in on a few key tips for getting the most out …

Kensington Presents The Dustbowl Revival at The Viaduct

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Stepping into The Viaduct feels like unlocking the door to The Secret Garden—if that garden was a tiny park and entertainment venue hidden under Downtown’s Buena Vista Bridge beside the LA River with the MTA line zooming like a silver bullet overhead. If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like if Downtown LA itself invited you to it’s “closest friends only” living room party, this is it. Located deep in the far end of Los Angeles State Historic Park with the sweeping cityscape twinkling in the background, it really doesn’t get much cooler than this. Kensington, the folks behind the Angeleno Heights free porch concert series, has teamed up with the California State Parks Department to bring completely unique one-of-a-kind nights to this intimate space. We checked out their summer concert event, featuring local Americana roots faves The Dustbowl Revival and openers The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers. Dustbowl had the crowd on its feet all night–stomping, jumping and dancing along in a full-blown LA hootenanny. We chowed down on BBQ ribs from Earlez Grille …