A buzzing chatter filled the glowing red Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer as guests eagerly found their seats with only minutes until the start of the public program Zackary Drucker and Her Friends: Films and Discussion on August 22. As I too found my seat, I looked around and saw what seemed to be friends meeting after a long separation. I then realized that many of these people were in fact just strangers welcoming one another with the warmest of greetings. Collaborators and couple Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst are artists featured in the exhibition Made in L.A. 2012, and the program drew a large audience from the queer community, as they are both transgender. And that is exactly what the audience of the program felt like… a community.

Still from "At least You Know: You Exist" (Zackary Drucker left, Flawless Sabrina right)

The lights dimmed along with the murmur of voices, and the series of three screenings began with Zackary Drucker’s At least You Know: You Exist (2011, dir. Zackary Drucker with Flawless Sabrina). Made in collaboration with renowned drag queen Flawless Sabrina, whom Drucker deems a mentor, the film is an artful product of two distinct eras and human beings. It begins with vivid and brilliant colors, almost shocking initially, maintaining a sometimes eerie but dreamlike quality. Drucker coalesces the rich imagery with self-narrated poetic lines throughout the sixteen-minute experience. There are a series of provocative images such as close-ups of Flawless Sabrina’s intense make up and goggle-eyed stare and Drucker’s daring nude appearance. The two are contrasted throughout their interactions in the film, while still complementing one another. Drucker represents a youthful and soft appeal of her generation while Flawless Sabrina bears a raw and theatrical essence that is so characteristic of drag in its beginnings. The film is a testament to the interconnectedness of all people, while transcending time and the gender binary.

Holly Woodlawn in "Broken Goddess"

Following this experimental film was the iconic Broken Goddess (1973, dir. Dallas) starring the once Warhol Factory-superstar, Holly Woodlawn. The silent film in black and white contrasted heavily with the stimulating film preceding it. It was an elegant and emotional twenty minute feature depicting a “damsel in distress.” Filmed at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park in New York City, the story is narrated in title cards drawn from the lyrics of Laura Nyro’s love songs which are embellished with a soundtrack of Claude Debussy’s resonant music. The film opens with Woodlawn draped in a black, flowing garb, descending a flight of stairs towards the fountains. The sight of this image drew a roar of applause and cheering from the audience. After depicting a dramatic struggle through explorations of body movements and a porcelain face crumbling with emotion, the broken goddess emerges a serene and composed woman at the end of the film. She turns her back towards the audience and symbolically ascends the same set of stairs from the start of the film, leaving behind her painful struggle.

Film cover of "The Queen"

The series of films ended with the critically acclaimed documentary, The Queen (1968, dir. Frank Simon), which features Jack Doroshow as Mother Flawless Sabrina. This documentary includes hour long footage of the Miss All-America Camp Beauty Pageant held in 1967 at Town Hall. While the film is entertaining and comedic in the way it captures the colorful personalities of the drag queens in the contest, it is also a marker of progression for the queer community. Through the actual dialogue of the contestants, the documentary clarifies many misunderstandings the general public has about drag queens. A candid conversation between two of the contestants shows their struggles as gay men, misinterpreted to be transvestites. They exclaim that although they enjoy the experience of being feminine in drag, it is only for temporary entertainment purposes and they would “never get the surgery!” The film captures the camaraderie, insecurities, hilarities, and dramatic disputes of the contest. The documentary aims to educate the audience about the culture of drag and to elucidate any misconceptions about the queer community.

In conversation with Holly Woodlawn (left), Zackary Drucker (center), and Flawless Sabrina (right).

The program ended with a conversation with Zackary Drucker and her two beloved mentors, Mother Flawless Sabrina whom Drucker calls Aunty and the spunky Holly Woodlawn. Each member of the trio contributed a distinct character to the conversation. While Woodlawn’s outrageous and witty demeanor resulted in cheering and laughter from the audience, Flawless Sabrina told of the historical significance and importance of the work which was shown. Flawless called herself a “gender clown” jokingly but went on to express that she felt “gender itself is a clown…the biggest men I’ve known are women.” Both Flawless Sabrina and Holly Woodlawn have had extremely intriguing lives, facing discrimination as well as legal consequences for their appearance and even their identities. Woodlawn made light of her struggles as she exclaimed in a humorous tone, “I’ve been humped, dumped, and thrown off a truck!” Drucker joked that the two were often referred to as the Witch of the East (Flawless Sabrina) and the Witch of the West (Holly Woodlawn) . Woodlawn was sure to clarify that neither were evil. The conversation closed with Flawless Sabrina answering a question about the future of the queer world by addressing today’s generation when she said, “Where we’re going is where you take it.”

-Jonaki Mehta, Communications Intern
Jonaki is currently a second year UCLA Student planning to major in Communication Studies.

Filed under: Events

Did you know that we offer free tours of Made in L.A. 2012? Not only at the Hammer but also at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery at Barnsdall Park.

Tours are short, free, and super informative. The art world can be a bit heady and hard to understand. But the work really opens up when you know a little more about the process and intentions behind it.

At the Hammer, our tour guides are current UCLA students who go through intensive training with staff, curators, and artists. Our student educators hail from a variety of majors so they all offer different perspectives about the work.

Hammer Student Educators take a trip to Barnsdall to learn a bit about their Made in L.A. counterparts.

The tours last for about 45 minutes and cover specific works the Educator has chosen to focus on for that day. Guests are encouraged to engage and ask questions or just listen quietly, and stay for all or part of the tour.

And wait, did I mention that tours are free?

Meet the Educators:

Jessica is a third year Physiological Sciences major. She interns with the UCLA Health System and serves as Department Coordinator for the Care Extenders Medical Internship program. Danielle is a 2nd year Art History major and Mathematics minor. She currently volunteers at the Fowler Museum and plays on the UCLA club soccer team. Jia is currently pursuing her Masters of Architecture at UCLA. During the summers Jia works at the Getty Center as a Family Art Lab Facilitator.

Emily is a third year Art History major who is also the Critical Essays Editor for H.S.A.’s GRAPHITE Interdisciplinary Journal of the Arts. Cheyenne, a 4th year Philosophy major, returns to the program for a second year. Zaid is studying History and Political Science. He is the president and a founding member of the Hindi-Urdu Log Student Club—he is fluent in both Hindi and Urdu.

Cristina is a third year Anthropology major and is interested in pursuing law and public health. She has been working with the Hammer for a while, previously as a museum security attendant. Amy is studying both English and Geography/Environmental Studies and plans to graduate in 2014. In the California Teach Program, Amy has served as a Teaching Assistant in elementary school classrooms. Sahar is studying English and Comparative Literature and will graduate next year. She recently founded the UCLA Opera Club and is part of the LA Opera’s College Advisory Committee.

Fatima is an Aquarius who’s conducting graduate studies in Comparative Literature and has her B.A. in South Asian Studies. She’s allergic to eggplant, but insists on still eating it because it’s so delicious. Erika is an Aries majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Art History. Last summer Erika went on an archaeological dig in Peru. Evan is a junior and majoring in Philosophy. As an Eagle Scout, Evan planned, implemented, and led the successful refurbishment of a 1943 train crane boom.

And over at Barnsdall…

Tours are conducted on Tuesdays at 7pm and Saturdays at 1pm by the lovely volunteers, Andie, Amber, Jenny, and Geena.

Amber is interested in how the general public interacts with and perceives contemporary artwork in the public space, after taking a course on art in the public realm. Geena, 22, Los Angeles native, is in the History and Theory of Contemporary Art program at the San Francisco Art Institute. She is “interested in the biennial as a form of exhibition that opens up dialogue between the public, artists, curators, gallerists, and anyone else who is a part of the contemporary art world. It is very exciting to be a part of this new form of biennial and contribute to the history of L.A. art.” Jenny is a recent graduate from California Institute of the Arts with a major in Photography & Media and a minor in Social Science. She is excited about all of the Made in L.A. events that take place beyond the typical gallery setting, particularly the Soundmap App. Not only do you get to survey the diverse scenes of Los Angeles, but you have access to it from so many different perspectives, anytime you want, and from what you do regularly every day in Los Angeles: drive!” Nancy grew up constantly on the move, living in and around Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, England and Peru. She studied Fashion and Communications at Meredith College in North Carolina and received her BA in Political Science from UCLA.

Andie, (not pictured), graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelors of Architecture. Most interested in how people move through and experience space, her thesis focused on the circulation and perception of a new museum/library as a means to promote interaction between stratified cultures in Koreatown, one of the most diverse neighborhoods of L.A.. As a native Angeleno, Andie is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the first Made in L.A. biennial and looks forward to seeing you in the tours!

TOURS SCHEDULE
HAMMER MUSEUM
Public tours of Made in L.A. 2012 at the Hammer Museum

Thursdays at 6:45PM (museum admission is free on Thursdays)
Saturdays at 2PM (this tour is free with museum admission)

Private group tours of Made in L.A. 2012 are also available at the Hammer Museum at reduced group rates. Please visit hammer.ucla.edu/visit or call 310-443-7041.

BARNSDALL PARK
Public tours of Made in L.A. 2012 at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (LAMAG)

Tuesdays at 7PM
Saturdays at 1PM

Admission is always free at LAMAG. For more information please call 323-644-6269.

-Miriam Newcomer, Communications Fellow

Filed under: Events, Featured

KCRW DJ Jason Bentley

In celebration of Made in L.A. 2012, the Hammer and KCRW 89.9 FM present Made in L.A. Music, seven Thursdays of free music at the Hammer Museum. KCRW DJs take up residence in the museum’s courtyard, selecting sets inspired by Made in L.A. and representing the wide array of music created in this city.

Jason Bentley, host of KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, launches the series on Thursday, June 28 at the Hammer Bash! with KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole and a special performance by Made in L.A. artist Scott Benzel at 7:30. Doors open at 7PM and admission to Made in L.A. 2012 is free! Come early to stroll through the galleries before the festivities begin.

The series runs June 28 through August 9. Here’s the full schedule:

Thursday, June 28. 7-11PM
Jason Bentley + Jeremy + Made in L.A. artist Scott Benzel

Thursday, July 5. 7-10PM
Chuck P

Thursday, July 12. 7-10PM
Anne Litt + special guests Allah-Las

Thursday, July 19. 7-10PM
Chris Douridas + guest DJ set by Poolside

Thursday, July 26. 7-10PM
Valida + Made in L.A. artist Simone Forti

Thursday, August 2. 7-10PM
Jeremy Sole + Made in L.A. artist Zac Monday

Thursday, August 9. 7-11PM
Anthony Valadez + special guests Chicano Batman

Filed under: Events, Featured

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to sit in on the very beginning of a rehearsal for Made in L.A. artist Kenyatta A. C. Hinkle’s “Kentifrica Is: An Ethnomusicology Performance,” which will be held tonight (June 14) at 7:30 p.m. at the Hammer, and performed once more on August 2 at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater.

I left before the full run through of the performance, since I didn’t want to miss out on the full effect of seeing it tonight, but watching this group set up has made me even more excited to see it. Kentifrica Is draws from Hinkle’s larger ethnographic project, Kentifrica, in which she explores the “creation of a continent where the history of Kentucky and the ancestral heritage of West Africa converge.”

This performance will be by Hinkle and ethnomusicologists studying Kentifrican musical forms; it is presented in collaboration with performer and composer Kevin Robinson as well as instrument maker Eugene Moon. One of the most interesting parts of the rehearsal was catching a glimpse of some of Hinkle’s original instruments, both on stage and in action:

I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a few preliminary costume ideas, as well as hear the instruments in action—and can’t wait to see the show when it comes together.

You can see the entire performance tonight (6/14) at 7:30 pm at the Hammer, or on August 2 at 7:30 pm at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater; admission is free!

–Salonee Bhaman, Communications & Public Engagement Getty Multicultural Intern

Filed under: Behind the Scenes, Events

During the June 6 Lunchtime Art Talk, Public Engagement Curatorial Associate Elizabeth Cline talked to us about D’Ette Nogle’s project for Made in L.A.2012: a meditation bell that chimes within the Hammer’s courtyard every 20 minutes.

Elizabeth noted that Nogle’s project was inspired by lunchtime meditation sessions at the Hammer with UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC). These sessions end with a chiming of a meditation bell to call practitioners into the moment and mindfulness. Nogle’s chime, resonant throughout the outdoor spaces of the museum, has a similarly startling effect—calling us to momentary attention. Elizabeth also mentioned that Nogle discovered that her students (she also teaches Special Ed at Fairfax High School) found the traditionally Buddhist concept of mindfulness really resonant and appealing when she invited MARC into her classroom.

One of the most interesting parts of this talk was considering the role of the museum within communities and in exploring cultural practices. Nogle’s meditation bell seems to straddle an interesting mix of worlds. As Elizabeth mentioned, while artwork became rapidly secularized and moved away from religious traditions during the 20^th century, the museum has evolved to become a space for cultural practice, community, and gathering rather than a static institution which exists solely to house great works.

Larry and Sharon Held, who stayed on after the talk to listen for the next chiming of Nogle’s bell. 

-Salonee Bhaman, Communications & Public Engagement Getty Multicultural Intern

Lunchtime Art Talks take place every Wednesday at 12:30pm. The Hammer’s curatorial department leads free 15-minute talks about works of art currently on view or from museum collections. Visit www.hammer.ucla.edu for a schedule of upcoming talks.

Filed under: Events

The fourth annual Bike Night at the Hammer was a wild success, breaking attendance records with over 1,200 bike enthusiasts enjoying the bike-centered activities, free Made in L.A. admission, and an overall free pass to take over the museum!

Our first bike of the night!

The good folks from the UCLA Bike Shop offered free bike repairs, dealing with anything from flat tires to gear rotation. My poor, rusted little bike has been in desperate need of a tune-up for months. Not anymore! The lovely Paul Bioche fixed the handle bars, filled the tires, and then personally took the bike for a few laps around the courtyard to make sure nothing else needed tuning. Thank you, Paul!

Incidentally, Paul’s hours at the bike shop are Mondays 10-12, Tuesdays 12-3, Thursdays 12-2, and Fridays 2-3. The shop itself is open Monday-Friday 12-3PM.

By 8PM the many bike racks were already overflowing.

Bikes lined up behind the museum on Lindbrook.

Bike activities included making your own reflector buttons, a curated rack of customized bikes, a bike runway, and (my personal favorite) a screening of Quicksilver—the lowest point of Kevin Bacon’s career according to Kevin Bacon.

Side-note: Not far into the film, there is a dance-off between a ballerina and Kevin Bacon on his bike, by far one of the best film dance scenes I have ever seen.

My newly tuned up bike, sporting its new spoke card.

Our homemade bike ramp.

Many took time out from the bike-centric activities to take advantage of free admission to Made in L.A. to register to vote for the Mohn Award.

A visitor sporting a Made in L.A. hoodie near Pearl C. Hsiung’s installation “Above it is not bright; From Below it is not Dark.”

Bike enthusiasts Kevin Roy, Rob McMickle, & John Puppo.

A bike bus of sorts?

Dustin Perlman

If you missed out, not to worry, only 364 days until Bike Night is back at the Hammer!

-Miriam Newcomer, Communications Fellow

Filed under: Events

Photo by Alan Stuart.

Opening weekend began with a Hammer members’ party at the Museum on Friday night, with a total of 2,700 people passing through the museum doors. Excitement was in the air as people strolled through the galleries, did a little shimmy and shake on the dance floor, and gabbed with friends until midnight.

Photo by Stefanie Keenan.

Photo by Stefanie Keenan.

The next day LAXART had its public opening in true Slanguage style, with a potluck in the back parking lot.

Photo by Stefanie Keenan.

In the main gallery at LAXART, Slanguage has a survey show installed, while the other gallery functions as a community space where workshops, public programs, and other special events will take place during the run of the show.

Representatives of the Slanguage team, with co-founders Karla Diaz (3rd from right) and Mario Ybarra Jr. (2nd from right). Photo by Stefanie Keenan.

As if that wasn’t enough, there was another public opening at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park on Sunday afternoon. The attendance here peaked at 3,500, the high for the weekend.

Nery Gabriel Lemus’s installation at the LAMAG entrance. Photo by Stefanie Keenan.

During the course of the opening, the carpet of colored sawdust was destroyed, which was part of Lemus’s performance. Lemus is drawing on a Venezuelan tradition held annually during Easter celebrations.

One of several of Zac Monday’s characters wandering the galleries during the LAMAG opening. Photo by Miriam Newcomer.

I have to admit, I have always been afraid of costume characters, thus I was avoiding Zac Monday’s crocheted wonders. Yet, I was inspired by the young children who were uninhibited by their approach.

Photo by Miriam Newcomer.

–Amanda Law, New Media Associate

Filed under: Events