World Floral Expo is Coming Soon & I Want To Be There

The World Floral Expo is in March 2015 and it’s happening right in my backyard! A little hyperbolic, but it’s a short train ride away from me, so I’m very excited about this. Just the idea of having flower growers from all over the world in my city is making me giddy. One of my biggest joys is going the Flower District in DTLA (or this one) and just taking in all the sights, talking to the vendors and learning. Always learning.

As a child in Kansas City, I used to love going to the flower mart with my grandmother. I visit the Flower District here in Los Angeles sometimes to buy, sometimes to people watch. The vendors are so friendly and helpful. As a home gardener, I’ve received tips on the flowers I grow, from seed to the vase. One thing I love the most is that you can hear dozens upon dozens of different languages, but the expressions on people’s faces are always the same: Smiles and sheer delight.

As I work on building up the Start With a Seed site and store, I’m posting things here and writing articles for future use. What a great opportunity it would be to be able to meet actual growers!

Institutional Racism: Why LACMA is Losing My Family

Over the past 20 years, in some capacity, I’ve been an employee, visitor or member of LACMA. After my last visit, it may all end. The way I’m treated every single time I visit is so annoying that it ruins my entire trip. It doesn’t matter if I’m alone or with my kids; there will be at least one security guard who approaches me while I’m just looking at a piece and acts like I’ve never been to a museum before.

LACMA’s lip service

On the left are 2 DMs I received from LACMA over this ongoing issue. As you can see, the first was sent nearly five years ago in 2010. The 2nd one was from March of 2014.  The DM responses are rare. If there is any response at all on Twitter, they usually just apologize. Nothing has every gotten fixed. We visit LACMA at least 6 times a year (usually more often) and for the past SIX years, someone has decided to approach me to yell at me, tell me I can’t do something I wasn’t doing or to alert me to basic rules.

A Day at the Museums

On Saturday (and Sunday), 20 LA County museums participated in the Free-For-All, opening their doors to citizens interested in viewing their offerings. As an avid museum attendee, it’s wonderful to see the museums full of people being wowed by the excellent exhibits on display. As an avid museum attendee it’s frustrating to see the museums full of people being wowed by the excellent exhibits on display.

My son and I headed to Pasadena in the early morning. USC’s Pacific Asian Museum is always a treat and this year, they had their Lunar New Year celebration to coincide with festivities. This year, they offered more craft booths for the kids. Besides the calligraphy booth, the kids could make beautiful lanterns or paper firecrackers. To celebrate the Year of the Sheep, a wooden cut-out was set up to hold New Year’s wishes.

Museum Free-For-All This Weekend!

One of the best things about living in Los Angeles are the high number of museums we have with quality exhibits. Add in that the entrance fees are ridiculously affordable, it’s a wonder that anyone would live anywhere else. On Jan. 31st, 20 LA area museums are participating the Museum Free-For-All [PDF]. Granted, a good chunk of the museums listed are free everyday or at least offer a free day per month, but this is an opportunity too good to miss.

Below is a list of participating museums and their caveats:

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
• Annenberg Space for Photography
• Armory Center for the Arts
• California African American Museum
• California Science Center (Offer valid for general admission only. Does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions. Timed reservations are required for space shuttle Endeavour.)
• Chinese American Museum Craft
• Folk & Art Museum
• Fowler Museum at UCLA
• The Getty Center
• The Getty Villa (Timed tickets are required. Visit http://www.getty.edu.)
• Hammer Museum
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Offer valid for general admission only. Does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions.)
• Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial (Hollywood and San Pedro locations)
• The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
• Museum of Latin American Art
• Museum of Tolerance (Closed on Saturdays, offering free admission on Sunday, February 1, 2015 as part of Museums Free-for-All.)
• The Paley Center for Media
• The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
• Pasadena Museum of California Art
• Santa Monica Museum of Art
• Skirball Cultural Center (Noah’s Ark timed tickets will be available first-come, first-served, subject to availability.)
• The Torrance Art Museum
• USC Pacific Asia Museum
• William S. Hart Museum
• Zimmer Children’s Museum (Closed on Saturdays, offering free admission on Sunday, February 1, 2015 as part of Museums Free-for-All.)

There is parking at all the museums. While fees vary by location, why not hop on Metro to participate?