Magic and Love in Rhythms of the City at the Rendon

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There are art experiences, there are music experiences, there are performances, installations, and walk- throughs. Sometimes, in a city as diverse and exciting artistically as Los Angeles, you get a mix of the visual and aural in one cool package, tied up with a metaphorical bow.

But it is a rare event to have something as haunting – the score is still in my head from Sunday’s performance – as lush, loving, and soul-stirring as Rhythms of the City at the Rendon Hotel in DTLA. On top of the beauty of the program, which included music, dance, and installation art, the event itself had a beautiful purpose – 100% of the proceeds from Rhythms of the City benefitted Play with Music, an LA-based nonprofit bringing music and tech education to underserved youth, connecting them to eight- week mentorship programs.

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The magic and love inherent in the experience shold draw you – fast, fast – to any future Art at the Rendon production.  Produced by Cindy Schwarzstein, participants hummed, danced, swayed, and stood in awe of the multi-room production.

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Composed by the extremely gifted Heitor Pereira, and directed by Ralph Ziman, with creative direction from Maria Greenshields-Ziman, and music direction from John Leftwich, attendees were invited onto both the second and third levels to watch the central starting point – repeating every 15 minutes – of the program.  This took place in an inner courtyard visible from both floors. Opera singers Anna Gregory and Rachel Staples Guettler, accompanied by rapper Jordan NliteN Tolbert performed the piece, from which harmonies, melodies, and reinterpretations spun out in all the rooms of the hotel. Guettler and Gregory’s dulcet vocals were like spun silk; Tolbert’s work was a rich, deeper counterpoint – the two styles merging into a seamless tapestry.

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Leaving the courtyard area and pausing fairly briefly in each room, we were able to take in each of the riffs and expansions of the central piece; my only disappointment was that there was no time left at the end of the captivating performance to go back and revisit some of our favorite rooms.

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That said, it’s also hard to play favorites. There were flaminco dancers, a gifted belly dancer, ballet, and jazz dance.

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Music was wide ranging in style and approach.

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There was African rhythm and rap; the alternative singing and guitar of Michelle Shocked (whose radio hits a few years back were favorites of mine); ipad techno, synthesizer, Native American sounds, Indian Raga, Hip Hop, the sounds of Peru, and even the use of Industrial and Found objects. 

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Shocked, above; Klezmer performers Ted Falcon Gypsy, below

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From a digiridoo to steel drum, to Klezmer, jazz, and electromagnetic field recordings of the sounds of the city, the audience would be hard put to not find “their” type of music, whether that meant music from their personal heritage, or just their favorite sounds and styles.

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Tom Freund, above; Marcus Lundqvist Trio, below

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Personal highlights included the sublime blues performed by Tom Freund; the vibrant rock of the Marcus Lundqvist Trio; the Rio Trio with Kleber Jorge Pimenta, Marco Dos Santos, and Rodrigo Galvao; and the riveting rhythm of Mexico performed by Elizabeth Sanchez Martinez, Claudia Lugue, and Geovanni Suarez. Elle Lewis played an ethereal solo flute; John Leftwich thundered his bass. Mike Dupree’s hip hop was passionate and compelling.

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Above, Elizabeth Sanchez Martinez, Claudia Lugue, and Geovanni Suarez

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Lewis on flute, above; Mike Dupree plays below

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The production was beautifully mixed, with speakers providing the central melody in each hallway.

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Several rooms had video monitors, others were hung with fabric, one was thatched with branches.

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The result was inspirational, exciting, and filled the admiring audience with longing to repeat the experience. Described as an immersive, collaborative performance, that is just the beginning. It’s kind of literally the stuff of dreams.

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If you haven’t supported Art at the Rendon before, be sure to do so whenever their next production comes around – this was my third “stay” at the old hotel; and each one gets better — more exciting, more profound.

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The evening ended with the chance to get two free glasses of beer, wine, or soda at the dark and cool speakeasy in the hotel’s basement, and mull over the musical magic.

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Visit www.artattherendon.com to find out more about past and upcoming events.

  • Genie Davis; photos: Genie Davis

Art at the Rendon // Stories: One Weekend

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This coming weekend, Art at the Rendon/Stories comes to the vacant hotel in DTLA that was home to an innovative series of art installations last June.

Activating the site November 9th through 11th, director Ralph Ziman and creative director Maria Greenshields-Ziman are offering an immersive experience that will turn the hotel into a stage and screen, exploring a fictionalized version of the building’s history.

The pair started brainstorming the idea in September, and found the large-scale installation a vast undertaking.

The most satisfying aspect of the project, Ziman says is “Definitely the innovative aspect of working with a group of like-minded people. From the performers to the production crew, we are blown away by the passion and enthusiasm Art at the Rendon has generated with Stories. Because of the organic nature of the collaboration, each person brings something new and exciting to the table, wholeheartedly investing their unique set of skills, imagination, and creativity. We planted a seed and it grew,” he enthuses.

Ziman adds “Putting on a public event is complicated, because there are so many elements. Each production issue that we solved seems to bring up another. Cindy Schwartzstein from Cartwheel Art has been at the helm of production logistics and without her we couldn’t do any of this. She and her team don’t ever seem to sleep.”

Schwartzstein curated and produced Art at the Rendon’s inaugural event, Hidden Rooms, and continues to direct The Rendon’s art programming. Other integral collaborators include production designer Jennifer A. Davis, cinematographer Stevie George, and media producer Nolan Silverstein.

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According to Greenshields-Ziman,  the exhibit’s inspiration was the character and history of the building, which served as the main catalyst. “We want to show glimpses into the lives of the people we imagined might have lived there. We wanted to activate the building from the inside and from outside. In addition to the scenarios within the walls of the hotel, there will also be projection mapping on the exterior. The mapping will combine a human analogue element with more surreal elements.”

The pair most want readers to explore the building in a “voyeuristic way, peeking into the lives of the inhabitants – characters – in each room. We want them to wonder:  How did this person get here? Where did they come from? Why are they acting the way they do? What will happen to them when I leave the room? We want to fire the audience’s curiosity.”

Ziman says the installation builds on the previous Art at the Rendon experience, Hidden Rooms, held in June. “The two events are similar in that they are both collaborative and immersive, with the rooms of the hotel and the dive bar as the main focus. Hidden Rooms was interactive and all about communication, in that the artists hung out and met with the patrons to talk about their work. Stories is mostly non-interactive. The guests are voyeurs, walking through the hotel.”

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Above, Hidden Rooms

Greenshields-Ziman notes “They can enter the threshold of each room but no further than a few feet. The performers carry on in the rooms as if they were at home in their own spaces, without interacting with anyone outside the performance. The audience and performers will have time to meet, have a drink, and converse in the bar after each show.”

The audience can move freely through two floors of the hotel, experiencing each room. Opera singer Rachel Staples Guettler will also perform live at the event.

Downstairs, the hotel’s corner dive bar, Licha’s Bar and Grill, is reimagined as a 1920s speakeasy with libations by Angel City Brewery, Infuse Spirits and Pali Wine. There will also be live music by The Vignes Rooftop Revival. All are based in the Arts District.

“Art at The Rendon seeks to bring communities together to celebrate the arts and the spirit of the district. Storieslike Hidden Rooms, is a fundraiser for local arts organizations. We brought together all sorts of local performers and creatives—including actors, musicians, and filmmakers, and we’ve had many DTLA Arts District businesses join us as community partners. It’s exciting to see so many coming together in a way that benefits the community, because that’s what Art at the Rendon is all about,” Ziman explains. 

STORIES continues Art at The Rendon’s commitment to the local arts community.  100% of proceeds benefit local arts organizations Inner-City Arts and Cornerstone Theater Company.

Don’t miss. Tickets available via Eventbrite, here. 
ART AT THE RENDON // STORIES
Friday, November 9 (7 – 10 pm)
Saturday, November 10 (7 – 10 pm)
Sunday, November 11 (6 – 9 pm)

The Rendon

2055 E. 7th Street
Downtown Los Angeles Arts District

 

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Art at the Rendon: Checking In to Check It Out

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From outdoor art shrine to indoor glitter, the Rendon Hotel became the pop-up art spot to beat all pop-ups in LA this past weekend.

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You might not want to book at stay at the Rendon, a former single occupancy hotel just off 7th in DTLA. But if you checked out the first in a series of Art at the Rendon events this past weekend, it was all the same a terrific place to spend the night.

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Over 40 artists took over the hotel, creating immersive, individual rooms, some featuring performance art, some unspooling video images, some with the artists holding court, explaining the genesis of their work. Astonishingly beautiful, Hidden Rooms, curated by Cindy Schwarzstein of Cartwheel Art (below), brought DTLA-affiliated artists together to conceptualize all three floors of the building.

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Guests climbed the slightly-shaky metal fire escapes to access each floor, and wandered narrow halls to view the rooms.

Artists had just around 3 weeks to complete their works – and the results were stunning.

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Above, Davia King and Lisa Schulte, artists.

From magical neon to sheer, diaphanous fabric with haunting images of the city; light and the use of light was one key element that recurred in the rooms.

Below, artist Teale Hatheway lets the wind carry her work.

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Below, purple light infuses artist Jeff Ho’s room.

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Texture was also a key element of installations: below, Guerin Swing gives us a silver room with the walls of a celestial, alien cave.

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Faux fur on the bed, beaded lamp dangles above.

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The Baker’s Son conjured up outsize, tasty, tactile treats, below.

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Constructs of wood redefine space in the work of Susan Feldman Tucker, who bisected her room with wood and small sparkling lights, below.

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And what is the texture of money? As Warren Zevon once sang, “bring lawyers, guns, and money…” the lawyers were temporarily missing.

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The weapon worship of America was touched upon in several spaces, including this haunting installation by Clinton Bopp, below, referencing Arthurian times.

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From evoking ocean breezes to calling up something much darker, rooms also shaped distinct notions of place and time.

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Other images were harsher.

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Or haunted…as with filmed images from the hotel by Natasa Prosenc Stearns, below.

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Marcel “SEL” Blanco, below, gracefully took flight.

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Joseph Manuel Montalvo (NUKE) created the room of a Zoot-suited dancer, who interacted with hotel guests. Performance, below, by Pachuco Chino.

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Politics came in many forms – butterflies were one, emblematic of migration, below, from Maria Greenshields Ziman.

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A White House built of sand in the jungle… it is all a bit Apocalypse Now these days… from INDECLINE.

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Street artist Paradox gives us predictions of the future and a look at cool Sacrosanct Society clothing.

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Whatever door viewers stepped through, there was a transformation.

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Participating artists included:  ABCNT, Abel Alejandre Studio, AISEBORN – Visual Artist, Atlas, Kofie, Baker’s Son, Big Sleeps, Beau Stanton, Bisco Smith, Calder Greenwood, California Locos, Cassie Zhang, Christina Angelina (aka Starfighter), Clinton Bopp, Chaz Bojorquez, Darcy Yates, Dave Lovejoy, Dave Tourjé, Davia King, Dytch66, CBS, Emmeric Konrad, Francesca Quintano, Gabriella Fash, Gary Wong, Guerin Swing, INDECLINE, James P. Scott, Jacqueline Palafox, Jeff Ho, Johnny Cubert White, John Van Hamersveld, Joseph Manuel Montalvo (NUKE), Joe Prime Reza (K2S), Josh Everhorn, Josh Webb (aka Joex2), Kelcey Fisher (aka KFiSH), Kelly Graval (RISK), Keya Tama, Lisa Schulte, Man One, Marcel “SEL” Blanco, Maria Greenshields-Ziman, Mark Dean Veca, Michael Torquato DeNicola, MYMO (aka Mimo Ilie Mali), Moncho 1929, Deejay Trixter, Nataša Prosenc Stearns, Nicholas Bonamy, Norton Wisdom, Ralph Ziman (aka Afrika47), Restitution Press, RETNA, RhoXRose, Robert Sticky Shaw, Sarah K. Walsh, Shrine (Brent Allen Spears), Sma Litzsinger, Stephen Seemayer, Susan Feldman Tucker, Tanner Goldbeck, Teale Hatheway, VALTD, Vanessa Chow.

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On the ground level, music rocked the dive-bar, while sculptures, an art car, and food truck took over the courtyard. 

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Hidden Rooms was the first event in the Art at the Rendon series, which is planned to bring both art and music to the vacant hotel before it is renovated — and after the renovation. The idea is to  continue art programming and offer artist residencies.

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We wished there was an extended checkout, but unfortunately, this was just a weekend staycation.

  • Genie Davis; Photos: Genie Davis