August art, history, baseball, music, birthdays, politics and more
Although a lot of people were away in August, there was a heck of a lot going on here in town involving locals in the arts and social scenes. Political, too. Beginning on Aug. 1, there was a gorgeous downtown art
GALLERY in the USC Art and Design graduate building in the Arts District. At left are Ed Roski and Ruth Weisberg.
opening for the exhibit, “Resonance: Paintings and Prints by Gayle Garner Roski and Ruth Weisberg.” Roski grew up on Hudson Avenue in Hancock Park and was a noted patron of the arts and painter of local scenes. She passed away in 2020. The School of Art and Design at USC is named in her honor. Not as well known is the school’s graduate school building and gallery, located at 1262 Palmetto St. (with a convenient adjacent parking structure) in the heart of the vibrant Downtown Arts District. That was the scene of a showing of some of Roski’s works, along with those of Ruth Weisberg. The latter was a longtime professor of art at USC and served as the dean of the art school from 1995 to 2010. Weisberg recently retired from the university. Both she and Ed Roski spoke at the gathering on Aug. 1. The exhibit is open, by appointment only, through Aug. 31. Call 213-740-2787 or e-mail roski@usc.edu.
ED ROSKI speaks at the art show opening in DTLA.
CONNIE RICHEY checks in member Deborah Cadis at Society meeting and barbecue.
Two days later, the beautiful Windsor Square backyard of June Bilgore was the setting for the 49th annual meeting of the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society. In addition to a tasty Santa Maria barbecue dinner, there was a full meeting agenda, including introducing new members of the board of trustees and the new president, Joseph Guidera, who has taken over from Richard Battaglia (remaining as a vice president, events). Adrian Scott Fine, the new president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy, spoke. Historic Landmark Awards (Numbers 128 and 129) wereawarded to the neighborhood commercial building at 119 N. Larchmont Blvd., now the home of Larchmont Jewelers, and 553 S. Windsor Blvd., a prominent house on the corner of Sixth Street described as a hybrid of Craftsman and English or Tudor design. The handsome house was the 1914 creation of the prominent, and locally active,
HISTORICAL SOCIETY presidents past and present, Richard Battaglia (left) and Joseph Guidera.
SILENT AUCTION items are examined by Historical Society VP Jane Gilman.
architectural firm Milwaukee Building Company.
Then, in the middle of the month, tens of thousands of people gathered at Dodger Stadium for an August 10 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates (the Dodgers won!). For many in attendance, the highlights were the pregame activities because it was Dodgers Alumni Day, and more than 40 members of the historic franchise were there on the field. A special feature of the day was that famous former
PETER O’MALLEY addresses Dodger Stadium audience on behalf of his family before the unveiling of the Dodgers Ring of Honor tribute to Walter O’Malley.
PRECEDING the unveiling, from left, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Erin Scully and Laura Lasorda stand ready.
owner of the Dodgers (and longtime Hancock Park resident), the late Walter O’Malley, had his name mounted as the 15th person installed on the Dodgers Ring of Honor on the front of the Club Level above left field. O’Malley’s sign is right outside of his old office. At the ceremony, the O’Malley family was represented by Walter’s son, Peter, also a Hancock Park resident. Other O’Malleys at the game included Peter’s sister, Terry Seidler, and Peter’s three children, Kevin, Brian and Katherine, plus numerous grandchildren. The Walter O’Malley sign was unveiled by Ann Meyers Drysdale (Don’s widow), Erin Scully (Vin’s daughter) and Laura Lasorda (daughter of Tommy).
WALTER O’MALLEY addition to the Ring of Honor on the front of the Club Level of Dodger Stadium is right outside his old office.
FOLAR CEO Candice Dickens Russell welcomes guests before world music band Los Silverbacks begins to play.
The next day, hundreds of Angelenos gathered for music, food and fun in the Los Angeles State Historic Park (Downtown, north of Chinatown) for the third annual River Fest organized by FOLAR (Friends of the Los Angeles River). The group was founded in 1986 by poet and activist Lewis MacAdams. Among those on the VIP supporters list for the Aug. 11 event were architect Michael Lehrer and landscape architect Mia Lehrer (whose Studio-MLA team donated the design work for the now-grown-in and water-wise Centennial Garden plantings at local Fire Station 29 in Windsor Square) and M.K. O’Connell, who grew up in Hancock Park and volunteers as treasurer of the nonprofit FOLAR.
A BRIDGE ENTRANCE welcomes visitors to the Los Angeles State Historic Park, 32 acres of public space created from the former Southern Pacific River Station railroad yard north of DTLA’s Chinatown.
On Aug. 13, a group of locals honored another landscape designer, who grew up in Hancock Park and Windsor Square, who had two beautifully landscaped homes in Windsor Square, and who now resides in Beachwood Canyon.
JUNE BILGORE garden was the setting for WSHPHS annual meeting and dinner.
Honoring the natal day of Judy Horton in her lovely garden were friends including Brooke Anderson, Patty Lombard, Vicky Martin, Patsy Lowry, Cheryl Lerner, Helen Hartung, Mary Pickhardt, Ginger Lincoln, Diane Hawley, Jennifer Fain, and more.
Before heading to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, Speaker of the House Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) was in Windsor Village on Aug.15. She was in Los Angeles to promote her new book, “The Art of Power.” Pelosi was welcomed by a full-house Ebell Theatre audience.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — a Windsor Square resident — and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, 1st District, introduced Pelosi. Each had served with Pelosi in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Tracee Ellis Ross interviewed the author. Writers Bloc was co-presenter of the event with The Ebell.
The latter part of the month saw a lot of people gathering on the roof of the Anderson Munger YMCA to celebrate 10 years since the facility opened. More about that happy event on Aug. 23 is on Page 10 of this issue.
Two days later, on the 25th, Mary and Kevin O’Connell gathered about 40 neighbors and friends at their beautiful Paul Williams-designed Hancock Park home for a brunch in support of U.S. Congressional candidate Laura Friedman, who is on the Nov. 5 ballot with opponent Alex Balekian.
And now you’re in the Larchmont know!
Category: Entertainment