February 15, 2025
Marciano Art Foundation
This was a different kind of show for us: an art show. I had seen this advertised when it was at the Music Center last fall but we never got there early enough to see it. So when I saw it advertised at Marciano Art Foundation, I made a reservation…and then that reservation was canceled because of the the fires burning in Alta Dena and the Palisades. That was probably for the best since Julie was in no kind of shape to go to a show. I never got any kind of notification about rescheduling, so I went to the website and saw there was another date available and made that reservation. And then as that day approached I got sick. I emailed to ask whether any other activations were planned but never got a reply. Should I have taken that as a sign? Maybe. I checked back a few weeks later, found an open activation and booked the reservation. NOTHING was going to stop us this time! There was very little information available on the website. I’d received an email confirmation of my reservation that said the activation would start promptly at 2:00 and suggesting we arrive at 1:30. We decided to start with lunch at the historic Farmer’s Market at Fairfax and 3rd (or The Grove if the Farmer’s Market didn’t work out). We decided on DuPar’s at 11 and I got stuck in awful traffic. Even after waiting in line, we still had plenty of time to eat (it was delish – highly recommend), shop the Farmer’s Market and drive over to the Marciano Art Foundation. We got there at 1:20 and they wouldn’t let us into the parking lot. No problem, there was plenty of street parking. So we parked and got out of our cars to go stand in line with the few other people who were waiting for them to let us in at 1:30. They led us into a large foyer and told us they would be opening the doors at 1:45 and to line up on the right side of the room. Once they let us in they gave some vague directions about where we were welcome to be. There were probably 30 or 40 chairs set up and I asked if we should sit in the chair. The usher (docent? whatever) said, “Those are for ADA”. Okay, so we wandered around the room trying to figure out where the best place to view the activation would be. Apparently what we were supposed to do is sit on the concrete floor. I am not a floor sitter. Julie finally talked me into sitting on the floor where there was plywood supporting a screen so we had something to prop our backs against. Just as the show started, the usher came and told us we could not lean against the plywood and had to move closer to the center of the room. It was NOT easy for me to get up off the floor, which is why I didn’t want to sit on the floor in the first place and now the show had started and I was annoyed. I may have had a different experience if I had not viewed this activation while in a state of pique, but here we are. I moved to a different place where I could stand sort of between screens and not be in anyone’s way and then the usher came and moved me 5 inches because he thought I was leaning against the screen. Then he came again and moved me 5 inches because he thought I was leaning against a screen which I was not. The third time he came by I hissed, “I am NOT leaning against the screen!” and he said, “You’re blocking the camera!” because a camera guy had stealthily appeared while I was trying to watch the show. He kept appearing and disappearing throughout. The guy practically laying down on the floor in front of me reeked of pot and eventually got up and left. So as I said, I was in a state of pique – all of which could have been avoided, mind you, with proper communication before it started.
The activation took place in a large soundstage like space. There were several screens set up in a circle around a plywood dais. The artist came out and introduced the piece and then 8 singers came out and took their places on the plywood risers. The piece consisted of a story told through film with various images shown on the different screens, all set to music. The live singers sang through headset mics and blended so well into the prerecorded music that honestly, it didn’t seem to add much that they were performing live. They were not singing the entire time. After a while I realized the cameraman was appearing when they were singing and then moving away when they weren’t. It lasted about an hour. I started looking at my watch around the half hour mark. The whole thing seemed arty and pretentious (but again – I was annoyed).
After the activation, we had a little time to explore the gallery on the 3rd floor. It was modern. If you like that kind of art, you should totally visit. There were great views of the Hollywood Hills and sign though, and it was not unpleasant. We made our way back down to the second floor and found the gallery of Masonic memorabilia. The Marciano is in a former Masonic lodge. Honestly, that was my favorite part. Well that and the trompe l’oeil paintings along the second floor balcony. It was painted to look like the view from a sidewalk with trees, bushes, parking meters, no parking signs, a payphone and a shopping cart. We had some fun taking pictures with the phone and the cart. I’m glad I went, but I wouldn’t go again.