Discover the Arts in LA and save

In case you haven’t heard, many of LA’s top arts organizations are offering discounts and special offers through April 30, 2011. That’s because they’re participating in the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Discover The Arts in Los Angeles program.

KCRW Presents First Fridays 2011: Nostradamus Edition at the Natural History Museum

If you don’t have any plans yet for this Friday night, give this event some serious consideration. Public radio station KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) will present the First Fridays after hours series at the Natural History Museum, with KCRW DJs spinning throughout the evening in the African Mammal Hall lounge and musical performances by some of today’s best up and coming buzz bands.

Touring the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

I’ve always been fascinated by space exploration, which over the years has led me to regularly tune into space shuttle launches, follow the latest Mars rover news and read science fiction, just to name a few such activities. So when I learned that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) offers free public tours, I immediately signed up for one on the first Monday of the new year. What better way to start off 2011 than to visit a place that is doing such exciting work and helping us explore the Earth, the solar system and the universe beyond.

Free Community Conversation with Tenor Ben Heppner

Seldom does the public have the opportunity to hear a leading figure in the music world speak about his or her work in person. Rarer still is the opportunity to participate in such an event at no cost, which is why our community is so fortunate that the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus is presenting a free community conversation with internationally acclaimed tenor Ben Heppner.

L.A. Conservancy Holiday Matinee

Looking for something to do with your family this weekend? Want to see a movie in one of LA’s beautiful downtown theaters? Interested in exploring part of the Broadway Historic Theater District? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this event is for you.

Los Angeles History and Holiday Gifts All Under One Roof

This Saturday, The Studio for Southern California History is hosting a holiday book boutique and bake sale “featuring recent and memorable work related to Los Angeles history—from children’s books to advanced scholarship.” A number of local poets, historians, and children’s literature authors plan to attend this event and sign their books, such as Martin Cox and Gordon Ghareeb (Hollywood to Honolulu, The Story of the Los Angeles Steamship Company), William David Estrada (The Los Angeles Plaza: Sacred and Contested Space) and Olga Garcia Echeverria (Falling Angeles: Cuentos y Poemas), among others. For a complete list of participants, please check out this event flyer.

The 2nd Los Angeles Animation Festival International Is Here!

If you’re an animation fan like me, you won’t want to miss this event. The producers of LA’s own animation festival have teamed up with The Cinefamily to bring an exceptional selection of animated films to our community.