The Museum of African American Art will showcase new photography by Camilo Cruz in the exhibit "Inside White Space: Portraits of Black and Brown Power in the Institution" through Aug. 29. The museum is on the third floor of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 4005 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. Exhibit hours will be Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free.
Shriner's Hospitals for Children will present the 2010 Rhythm on the Vine concert series, May through December, at South Coast Winery in Temecula. Proceeds benefit medical care for kids, 18 years and younger, at no cost to the patient or family. On May 14, Shriner's will present Stephanie Mills, featuring Najee in concert. Mills is a Grammy- and American Music Award-winning R&B performer and Broadway star who will be complemented by Najee's NAACP Image Award-winning contemporary jazz instrumentals.
Big league baseball is back, and Metro will offer Dodger Stadium Express bus service from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium throughout the regular 2010 baseball season under a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). The grant — $300,000 — will be used to offset the cost of fares for passengers with a Dodgers ticket. Service will be provided starting 90 minutes before games begin and will end 45 minutes after games finish.
A new exhibition titled "Stranger's Luggage," consisting of six vinyl reproductions of oil and encaustic paintings, will be on display at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) until July 25. Located in Terminal 3 in the baggage claim for public view, the art by Juanita Meneses puts a spotlight on the experience of travel, and particularly on the selection of objects people feel compelled to carry while in transit. Almost like self portraits, Meneses' imagery reveals how objects can identify and aid the public as it moves through the transformative experience of travel. By removing these objects from their usual domestic context, Meneses' artworks provide an opportunity to contemplate conventional, personal objects as they travel through the public sphere. The purpose of the Airport Arts Exhibition Program at LAX and LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) is to educate and entertain the traveling public, while emphasizing a cultural experience highlighting what makes Los Angeles memorable and interesting.
The University of Manners, where kids learn how to behave properly, takes place Wednesdays, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 6560 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Admission is $20.
Afro-Caribbean dance classes with dance ethnologist Kimberly Miguel Mullen are held on Wednesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Crenshaw Yoga and Dance, 5426 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, and on Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice. There is live drumming, and the class is for all levels.
The Inglewood Improv features sketch improvisation shows, stand-up comedians and improv performer open-mic showcases with audience participation Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. The Improv also provides weekly acting classes for youths ages 12 through 17, as well as adults. The Improv is at 2519 Manchester Blvd., Inglewood.
Registration is under way for the 2010 season of weekend excursions to Camp Seely in the San Bernardino mountains. The trips give families and other residents an opportunity to experience two days of outdoor activities, including hiking and other exploring, spending time with nature, or just relaxing. Indoor activities will also be available. Outings will be offered in 2010 on the weekends of March 13 to 14; April 17 to 18; May 15 to 16; June 5 to 6; Sept. 11 to 12; and Oct. 16 to 17. There are fees involved that cover the cost of meals as well as a heated sleeping cabin for each group and many activities.
"Master Your Mind for Success in 2010" is the theme of the Goal Achiever's Workshops that will be held Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturdays, 8:30 to 10 a.m., at the House of RA, 7823 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles.
KRST Unity Center of Spirituality will sponsor African-centered activities and programs including empowerment sessions, black gnostic studies, and more, Sundays at 10:30 a.m. The center is at 7825 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles.
For the eighth year, the South Coast Air Quality Management District's annual "Mow Down Air Pollution" program will give Southern California residents the opportunity to save money and help reduce air pollution by exchanging a working gasoline-powered lawn mower for a new electric mower at a discounted price.
This year's program will have 9,380 electric mowers available for only $100 to $165, depending on which of the four models a consumer chooses.
This year, residents will have four models to choose from:
• Neuton CE 5.4 (24V, 14-inch cutting width) $100 (retail price: $399).
• Neuton CE 6.4 (36V, 19-inch cutting width) $165 (retail price: $499).
• Black & Decker CMM1200 (24V, 19-inch cutting width) $100 (retail price: $349).
• Black & Decker CM 1936 (36V, 19-inch cutting width) $165 (retail price: $449).
AQMD will host 11 events across the Southland on Saturdays between May 8 and July 24. Residents living within AQMD's four-county jurisdiction must show proof of residency and can register for any event regardless of where they reside in the region.
To participate, residents must preregister for the mower of their choice at www.aqmd.gov or by calling (888) 425-6247.
All events will take place on Saturdays, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m., except the Palm Desert event, which will end at noon.
Singers and wanna-be singers are invited to "Step Up to the Mic" at open Karaoke Saturdays taking place June 26, July 17 and Aug. 28, 3 to 7 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall of Grace United Methodist Church, 4112 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles. Refreshments are available for purchase at each event and entry donations are $3 per person or $5 for a family of four. Children under 5 years old get free admission.
Celebrating Women in Business "Recognizing women entrepreneurs and celebrating their successes" with networking reception, awards ceremony and Women in Business Showcase Dorothy Chandler Pavilion $15/$20 for two.
The Organization of Black Screenwriters will present a screening of the independent feature "Runt" as part of its Tuesday Night Live! series on June 29, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., at the Locals Sports Bar & Grill, 5047 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. The film is the story of a Jamaican-American man, Christopher Davis, who confronts his ancestral demons to become the man he wants to be for his son. From Los Angeles, Christopher returns home to Jamaica when he feels his "snap" coming on. A "snap" is the moment the nice, gentle Jamaican man everyone knew all but disappears to reveal the headstrong, philandering, macho, prideful, violent male spirit that lives within. During his "healing." and through his childhood flashbacks, the audience discovers his true character.
Los Angeles Community Action Network (LACAN), Free
Vitello's Jazz & Supper Club will present Sally Kellerman "Blues & Jazz!" with pianist and music director Andy Langham, on June 30 at 8 p.m. Dinner seating is available starting at 7 p.m. Kellerman is the Academy Award-and Golden Globe award-nominated actress and singer who played the role of Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in Robert Altman's classic film, "M*A*S*H." Kellerman's current album is called "Sally," and was released in 2009. Kellerman is also featured in the new album "Corky Hale And Friends — I'm Glad There Is You."¨ Tickets for the show are $15 each; there is also a $13 food/drink minimum. Valet parking is available.
The California African American Museum, at 600 State Drive in Los Angeles, will screen "Soundtrack for a Revolution" on¨ June 30 at 7 p.m. This documentary tells the story of the American Civil Rights Movement through its music ¡X freedom songs and protest songs sung on picket lines, mass meetings, paddy wagons and jail cells. On July 7 at 7 p.m., CAAM will present "Soul Power," a concert documentary filmed in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1974 in light of the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman fight known as "The Rumble in the Jungle." The film features James Brown, B.B. King, Miriam Makeba and others. Admission is free, but parking is $8. RSVP for each film separately at (213) 744-2024. Also, on June 30 at 7 p.m., CAAM will present the culminating event for the "Dance Theatre of Harlem; 40 Years of Firsts," exhibition, which will include a public discussion featuring Arthur Mitchell, the first African American to be a permanent principal dancer with a major ballet company. RSVP by calling (213) 744-2056.
Learn public speaking skills (English), (Free parking at 3rd Street entrance), Free
"Lectures and discussions about art, the environment, economics, cultural history, and more", Free"
A Noise Within, the classical repertory theater company and arts education agent, will present "Summer with Shakespeare," a three-week summer program for youngsters ages 10 to 18 offering interactive classes on acting, improvisation, voice, speech, movement technique, textual analysis, stage combat and more. The classes will take place from July 6 to 24 at 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. This year's theme is "Shakespeare's Modern Family" as the camp focuses on the bard's scenes and monologues that explore the complex relationships between parents and children, brothers and sisters, and other family members, and the many twists and turns that accompany them. Led by professional faculty, the program's sessions run Monday through Friday and culminate in a presentation of scenes from the plays of Shakespeare. Two registration options are available: a full day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for $750 and a summer school special, from 1 to 4 p.m., for $600. The registration deadline is June 29 and space is limited. To register, call (818) 265-7961.
Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB), Free
Weekly meeting by non-profit organization dedicated to helping people improve their public-speaking skills. Free.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, at 3720 Stephen M. White Drive in San Pedro, will present its "Meet the Grunion" program on June 28, July 13 and 27. The aquarium will open at 8 p.m., and a film on grunion begins at 9 a.m. in the John M. Olguin Auditorium. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for seniors, students and children. Grunion are small sardine-sized fish that actually come ashore to lay their eggs on beaches.
