Los Angeles Visionaries Association

THE CACOPHONY SOCIETY – ZONE SHOW  is Grand Central Art Center’s retrospective look at the Cacophony Society, a national collective of guerrilla artists, dada pranksters, and various eccentrics pursuing “experiences beyond the mainstream.” Dedicated to activities mocking societal expectations, sacred cows, and good taste, The Cacophony Society evolved from the San Francisco Suicide Club and its members were chief organizers of the Burning Man Festival in Northern Nevada. The Society’s pranking served as inspiration for the activities of Project Mayhem in Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club. The exhibition transforms the museum's main gallery into a wildly immersive environment filled with photos, graphics, video, props, costumes, and original art from Society events. Exhibition runs through April 15. FREE!

BLOCK PARTY: The Feburary 4th opening will be celebrated with a block party featuring carnivalesque music and performance from artists associated with the Society, art cars, competing protestors, dangerous stunts, an on-call ambulance, and other surprises. That is if the Department of Homeland Security doesn't shut us down!

Check http://intothezonemovie.com for updates and complete lineup TBA.  FREE!

L.A. in Focus: Images from the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection

Presented by Photo Friends. Writer and social historian Joan Renner explores the dark side of Southern California in a presentation focusing on crime photos from the Herald-Examiner collection, and drawn from the stories of legendary Los Angeles newswoman Agness Underwood.  Free and open to the public.

Los Angeles history comes alive at the 6th-annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar. Organized by L.A. as Subject and presented by the USC Libraries, the annual event celebrates the diversity of Southern California’s history. For scholarly researchers, journalists, history buffs, and those simply interested in exploring the stories of Los Angeles, discovery awaits everyone at the Archives Bazaar. This event is free and open to the public.

The Archives Bazaar draws its strength from the breadth and variety of its participants’ collections. Large institutions such as the Autry National Center of the American West and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will be represented at the bazaar along with smaller organizations and private collections whose materials fill the gaps left in the city’s official history. Other participating organizations include the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, the California African American Museum, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, and the Japanese American National Museum. In all, more than 70 archives are expected to be represented. The USC Libraries serve as the host institution for L.A. as Subject, an alliance of libraries, museums, and other archival and cultural organizations. The relationship complements the USC libraries’ strong Regional History Collection and is a natural outgrowth of the libraries’ efforts to preserve and expand access to the primary sources of L.A. history.

Numerous LAVA Visionaries will be on hand representing local history organizations, including Kim Cooper & Richard Schave of Esotouric, and Joan Renner of the Los Angeles Police Historical Society.

Schedule of Esotouric table programs

11:00am - 12:00pm - Using vintage photographs and film stills, Bunker Hill's native son Gordon Pattison leads a virtual walking tour of the lost neighborhood of his childhood, including the two iconic Victorian mansions owned by his family, The Salt Box and The Castle, which were the last two homes left standing before the hill was cleared. Bunker Hill is gone, but it lives on in the memories of the few remaining Angelenos who loved it and lived it. Join us to learn just how special this community was, straight from the heart of a boy who knew it well. 

1:00pm - 2:30pm - As a follow up to their sold-out LAVA walking tour The Flâneur & The City: Downtown Los Angeles in the age of digital reproduction, architectural historians Nathan Marsak and Richard Schave will be demonstrating the new video game L.A. Noire and taking visitors on a live journey through the downtown cityscape that has been digitally re-created in the game. Using rare vintage photographs, postcards and film clips and stills for comparison, they'll explore how Rockstar/Team Bondi's simulacrum of 1947 downtown Los Angeles holds up, where and how it succeeds and fails --  the game developers failed to build L.A.'s most iconic lost neighborhood, Bunker Hill -- and why you should care. Featured locations include the Spring Arcade, a 1923 reproduction of London’s iconic Burlington Arcade (1819), the Barclay Hotel (whose halls and color palate have been borrowed for various other places within the game), Clifton’s Brookdale, Angels Flight, and various historic sites which no longer remain, but which "live again" in one of the most ambitious video games ever released. Plus, see a side-by-side comparison of the game's virtual recreation of 1947 L.A. and the recently unearthed circa 1949 Columbia Pictures b-roll footage which has made quite a splash in the L.A. history community. Expose yourself to the review that L.A. Noire's publisher didn't want you to read. Nathan Marsak's April blog post at 1947project previewing the game by criticizing its architectural accuracy has been viewed by nearly 10,000 people, was widely discussed on game sites and history blogs and resulted in multiple requests from the game's publisher that it be removed from the internet. It remains the top search engine hit for "L.A. Noire accuracy."

Also featured at the Esotouric table, a raffle for free tickets for upcoming Esotouric bus adventures and a slide show of newly-discovered color images of Downtown's Main Street and Skid Row from the Union Rescue Mission's 1949 short film "Of Scrap and Steel," which is getting its first screening in fifty years on the roof of the URM on Thursday, October 20, with an introduction by Nathan Marsak and Richard Schave. The screening is free, but reservations are required from LAVA – The Los Angeles Visionaries Association.

Boyle Heights Paranormal Project along with The Linda Vista Hospital Paranormal Collaborative will offer a tour and investigation of this historic location in an effort to provide education and assistance to individuals who harbor an interest in paranormal research.

Opened in 1904 by the Santa Fe Railroad to serve the healthcare needs of its employees and closed down in 1991, only to be resurrected as a busy filming locale and currently known as one of the most reputedly haunted locations in the world. We invite you to discover Linda Vista's rich and terrifying history and to discover for yourself what remains...

$50 per person

You may pay, (Cash Only), at the gate the night of the event or purchase your ticket in advance at BHPP's office at Linda Vista Mon-Fri, 9:00 - 5:00.

To purchase a ticket for this special event, click here. If you'd like to be contacted when another crime lab tour and lecture are scheduled, subscribe to LAVA's occasional Crime Lab Newsletter.

Visionary Professor Donald Johnson, in association with LAVA and Esotouric, invites you to participate in a special four-hour event at LA’s regional crime laboratory, on the campus of Cal State LA. Space is very limited and pre-reservation required for this unprecedented opportunity to tour the crime lab, learn from working forensic investigators and educators, and discover the real art and science of crime scene investigation.

"Cracking the Case: Patrick Tillman / Industry Hills Sheraton" is an exploration of the scientific investigation of equivocal violent death, revealed through methods of evidence analysis and select case histories. Attendees will also have an opportunity to tour Cal State LA’s state-of the-art teaching and research facilities in the Criminalistics Department of the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center.

"Cracking The Case" consists of one crime investigation lecture by Forensic Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Michael I. Kelley, one crime investigation lecture by Professor Donald Johnson, and related breakout scientific workshops offering illustration of the concepts raised by both investigations. 

LECTURE #1 is Michael I. Kelley's presentation on his investigation of the 2004 death of Army Ranger Patrick Tillman in Afghanistan. Mr. Kelley an Adjunct Professor with the Forensic Science Department, California State University – Los Angeles and a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner with the Scientific Investigation Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Patrick Tillman was an American football player who left his professional sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Tillman proudly put his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals on hold to serve his country. He and his brother Kevin joined the U.S. Army in July 2002, committing to a three-year term, volunteering for Airborne (paratrooper) and Ranger training, plus volunteering for assignment to a Ranger Unit, the 2nd battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington. The Tillman brothers served tours in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. 

On April 22, 2004, Patrick Tillman was killed in action. Because initial investigations into the circumstances of his death had alleged inadequacies, the United States Congress and the Commander in Chief ordered the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command to conduct the investigation. In Spring 2006, Michael I. Kelley was selected as the team leader for the Army’s crime scene reconstruction investigation of the death incident of Corporal Tillman. Mr. Kelley planned the on-site actions for the scene reconstruction and proceed to the Afghanistan village of Tit located in the Khowst Province of Afghanistan near the Pakistan/Afghanistan border under the security of the US Army Infantry, where he conducted the reconstruction of the shooting incident two years to the hour from the date of Tillman's death. Mr. Kelley’s technical expertise in firearms and crime scene reconstruction proved invaluable during the reconstruction and was the main reason for the overall success of the mission.

It was determined that Ranger Corporal Patrick Tillman died as a result of friendly fire while his unit was engaged in combat with enemy forces. Tillman's platoon was ambushed with small arms and mortar fire at while conducting combat operations in Khowst, Afghanistan. When the Army unit was ambushed by enemy forces, part of the Ranger patrol (including Corporal Tillman) immediately responded. Tillman was shot and killed while responding to enemy fire without regard for his own safety. He focused his efforts on the elimination of enemy forces and the protection of his team members. There is an inherent degree of confusion in any firefight, particularly when a unit is ambushed, and especially under difficult light and terrain conditions which produce an environment that increases the likelihood of fratricide. The results of the investigation in no way diminish the bravery and sacrifice displayed by Corporal Tillman.

Mr. Kelley's presentation on his investigation into Patrick Tillman's death will offer fascinating insights into the little-known science of battlefield forensics and clear up many of the misconceptions that still linger from this controversial incident.

LECTURE #2 is Professor Donald Johnson's presentation on his crime scene reconstruction of the 1996 Industry Hills Sheraton incident. The case involved a woman who fell or was pushed to her death from her hotel balcony. Professor Johnson's reconstruction of her fall had great bearing on the criminal investigation.

In November 1996, Sandra Orellana and her married boss Robert Salazar traveled from Houston on a business trip to Los Angeles, staying the night in the Industry Hills Sheraton Hotel. They were seen behaving affectionately towards each other in the hotel bar. In the morning, Orellana's badly battered corpse was discovered on the ground beneath her room's balcony. Although Salazar initially denied knowing anything about her death, physical evidence indicated that he had undressed hastily in her room the night before. Salazar then changed his story, admitting he had sex with Orellana, but claiming it was consensual, and that she had accidentally fallen from the balcony and he had panicked. Professor Johnson's crime scene reconstruction takes the facts and evidence in a complex and confusing death narrative and determines what really happened on that balcony in 1996.

By the afternoon-s conclusion, attendees will have a deeper understanding of the real work that's done in the field by criminalists, and the tools and techniques used to interpret crime scenes for the benefit of investigating officers and juries. Come discover the reality, so different from and so much more interesting than, what you've seen on TV.

Cost: $36.50 per person. To reserve your spot, click here.  Please note that space is extremely limited for this special event.

A portion of the proceeds from this event supports the research of Criminalistics graduate students at Cal State Los Angeles.

Join Friends of the Los Angeles River for a special tour with HiddenLA:
Carpool tour (option to leave midday)
Led by Jenny Price

Everyone in Los Angeles has seen the LA River, and has heard that it's being revitalized. But who knows where it is, exactly--and what exactly is happening on its banks?

Join us as we walk and drive along the river, to talk about its central role in the city's history and the necessity of the ambitious revitalization projects to LA's future.

The tour convenes at the River Center  (570 W Ave. 26, near the 5/110--8:30am sharp!--for a 9:00 departure), where we form carpools, and stops at the verdant Glendale Narrows, the historic Arroyo Seco confluence, and the industrial downtown stretch that everyone's seen in movies and on TV.
 
We'll eat lunch at an excellent Boyle Heights taqueria en route (or feel free to bring your own)--and then we'll head into the even less well-known South, to the new Maywood Riverfront Park, an optional raspados stop in Bell, and the stunning new Dominguez Gap wetland in Long Beach.

Bring snacks and water and shoes that can get a little wet.  Dogs welcome.

DIRECTIONS TO RIVER CENTER:

http://www.lamountains.com/maps/riverCenter.pdf 

(or Metro Gold Line--Lincoln/Cypress exit, W 3 blocks on Ave. 26, entrance on S side 1/2 blk after Figueroa)

The Ukulady joins fellow LA Visionary, Eric Vollmer, of Public Works Improvisation Theatre, as well as performers Larry Hankin, Gary Gordon, Lee Boek, DJ Carlile, Doug Spitz and Kaitlin Ferrell for an evening of stories, music & Big Questions about the Cosmos!   At a delicious Polish eatery, Warszawa!  Join us and meep!

Tour LA's mighty River -- w/Friends of the LA River!

Led by Jenny Price

Everyone in Los Angeles has seen the LA River, and has heard that it's being revitalized. But who knows where it is, exactly--and what exactly is happening on its banks?

Join us as we walk and drive along the river, to talk about its central role in the city's history and the necessity of the ambitious revitalization projects to LA's future.

The tour convenes at the River Center  (570 W Ave. 26, near the 5/110--9:00am sharp!--for a 9:30 departure), where we form carpools, and stops at the verdant Glendale Narrows, the historic Arroyo Seco confluence, and the industrial downtown stretch that everyone's seen in movies and on TV. 
 
We'll eat lunch at an excellent Boyle Heights taqueria en route (or feel free to bring your own)--and then we'll head into the even less well-known South, to the new Maywood Riverfront Park and the stunning new Dominguez Gap wetland in Long Beach.

 Bring snacks and water and shoes that can get a little wet.  Dogs welcome.

Tour LA's mighty river!-- w/ Friends of the LA River.

Special water-in LA tour--with speakers from Santa Monica Baykeeper, Food & Water Watch, & Environment Now

Everyone in Los Angeles has seen the LA River, and has heard that it's being revitalized. But who knows where it is, exactly--and what exactly is happening on its banks?  On this carpool tour, we'll walk and drive along the river, as we talk about its central role in the city's history and the necessity of the ambitious revitalization to LA's future.

The tour convenes at the River Center, where we form carpools, and stops at the verdant Glendale Narrows, a new stormwater park in the same stretch, and the historic Arroyo Seco confluence, and the industrial downtown stretch that everyone's seen in movies and on TV.  We'll eat lunch at an excellent Boyle Heights taqueria en route (or you can bring your own)--and we'll head into the even less well-known South, to the new Maywood Riverfront Park and the stunning new Dominguez Gap wetland.

Led by Jenny Price.  Carpool tour-- Option to leave midday.
 
$25 adults, $20 students/seniors/nonprofits, kid rates. Family and group rates available.  

To sign up, and for more info, click HERE

Tour the mighty Los Angeles River!-- w/ with Friends of the LA River, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Food & Water Watch, and Environment Now.

Everyone in Los Angeles has seen the LA River, and has heard that it's being revitalized. But who knows where it is, exactly--and what exactly is happening on its banks?  On this carpool tour, we'll walk and drive along the river, as we talk about its central role in the city's history and the necessity of the ambitious revitalization to LA's future.

This special Water-in-LA tour convenes at the River Center (near the 5/100), where we form carpools. We'll visit the verdant Glendale Narrows, the historic Arroyo Seco confluence, the downtown spot you've seen in all the movies, a new park in Maywood, and the spectacular new Dominguez Gap wetland in Long Beach. We'll stop for lunch at a terrific taqueria near Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights--or feel free to bring your own.

Led by Jenny Price, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Food & Water Watch, & Environment Now. 

Option to leave midday.  Bring snacks and water and shoes that can get a little wet.  Dogs welcome.
 
$25 adults, $20 students/seniors/nonprofits, $5 kids. Family and group rates available.  

To sign up, and for more info, click HERE.