Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

When you see Tania Verafield at Swork Coffee or Trader Joe’s or other Eagle Rock venues, she is one of those people you think you have met before, because, in a way, you very well may have.

Verafield, 39, is an actor who moved to Eagle Rock from Echo Park when she was 10. She started acting locally as a child. Today she stars in “Anna in the Tropics,” a Pulitzer Prize winning play by Nilo Cruz at A Noise Within Theater in Pasadena. It’s a “must” see at an intimate “off-Broadway” theatre. Read on if you like, but get tickets now – the play moves on after this Sunday, April 17.

The Nation of Language will be at the Lodge Room in Highland Park on Saturday, Mar. 19 and Sunday, Mar. 20.

15 fun things to do around NELA this weekend and beyond

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By Pablo Nukaya Petralia and T. A. Hendrickson Whether you’re into food, theater, music, dance, art or books, there’s something for you in and near Northeast L.A. this weekend and in the weeks to come. Here’s a rundown: FOOD Tickets are on sale now for the 5th Masters of Taste food and beverage festival at […]

Activities in NELA this weekend kick off on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with the start of the York Blvd. Art Market.

11 fun things to do in NELA this weekend and beyond

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia [Editor’s note/Mar. 15: The Ty Segall performance at Zebulon on Mar. 18 has been cancelled.] Don’t stay home, but don’t leave town either. Here are 11 fun things to do in and around Northeast Los Angeles this weekend and in the week to come. The York Blvd. Art Market returns to Ave. […]

Nick Taggart with two of his paintings and a big smile | Photo by Allison Agsten, courtesy of Nick Taggart

Paintings by artist Nick Taggart, a longtime resident of Glassell Park, have been acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Art

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

Punk girls in a parking lot; desert landscapes in Beverly Hills; religious artifact shops.

This was the L.A., circa 1980, of Nick Taggart, an artist in Glassell Park who used bright plasticine colors, smooth textures and a personal, street-level attitude to paint the early days of L.A.’s underground art and music scene.

And now, some four decades later, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in downtown L.A has acquired two of Taggart’s paintings from that era — “Rochelle and Sandy” and “Fender Buddies.” Take a look / click on the photo above.

Street Food Cinema presents outdoor screenings of classic holiday movies at Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights from Dec. 18 to Dec. 23. | Image by Street Food Cinema

Six fun things to do in NELA from now ’til New Year’s Day

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia The time between now and New Year’s Day doesn’t have to be a rush. Here are six ways to chill and have fun in Northeast L.A. in the days and weeks ahead. Holiday movie nights for the whole family In the run up to Christmas, Eagle Rock-based Street Food Cinema and the […]

A scene from the New York premiere of “Seize the King.” The play is being performed at Occidental College this weekend. | Richard Termine/The New York Times

Five ways to have more fun this weekend

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

For theatergoers, record buffs, art lovers, film fans, here’s what’s happening in and near Northeast Los Angeles this weekend.

Several of the events are free though may require advance tickets. All the events are taking place in person; masking protocols apply.

Take part in art in NELA

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By Pablo-Nukaya Petralia Programs to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month and Los Angeles Textile Month, art that blurs the line between virtual and real, and live theater for a cause are just some of the art and culture offerings in NELA in the days and weeks ahead. Arroyo Seco Regional Library To celebrate Hispanic Heritage […]

The Independent Shakespeare Company is performing "The Tempest" in Griffith Park through Sept. 8.

Art and Culture in NELA: Picks for rest of August

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia
Theater, exhibitions and music making are taking place throughout Northeast L.A. during the rest of August. Many of these art-and-culture events in Northeast Los Angeles are free.
Click on the image for details.

Leticia Maldonado, a neon artist who lives in Highland Park, bends glass in her studio. | Photo by Lauren Noble

Get to know: Leticia Maldonado, local neon artist

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia In mid-July, as a one-woman show by neon artist Leticia Maldonado was set to open at Bermudez Projects gallery in Cypress Park, word went out that Maldonado’s next stop would be the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale, where she will have her first ever museum solo exhibition in September 2022. […]

Carlos Almaraz (1941-1989) is one of many significant Chicano artists who worked in studios in Highland Park. Efforts to secure historic cultural monument status for those studios will be discussed at a national conference this month on historic preservation. | Still from Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire.

Six ways to enjoy art and culture in NELA this August

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia Art and culture offerings in NELA in August include historic preservation events, a street fair, a live-music jam and outdoor theater performances. Here are six picks, including a reminder to artists and art nonprofits that applications for grants are now being taken by the Eastside Arts Initiative. Historic preservation/Rockhaven On Sunday, Aug. 8 at 2 […]

"Rochelle and Sandy" (1980) by Nick Taggert, one of several works on view at ODD ARK.

Happening Now: Art and Culture in NELA

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia The art and culture offerings in NELA in July range from new art exhibits, the return of live theatre, film and and a major new mural underway in Highland Park. ODD•ARK LA The Highland Park art gallery ODD ARK•LA will feature the work of artist Nick Taggert in the closing weeks of […]

"Rochelle and Sandy" (1980) by Nick Taggert, one of several works on view at ODD ARK.

Art and Culture in NELA, July 2021

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The prize in the L.A. River Public Art Project is named for the late Lewis MacAdams (shown above), the pioneering champion of L.A. River restoration. \ Photo from Patch.com

Art, Culture and You in NELA in June

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia As the economy reopens, opportunities are increasing to view and create art and participate in cultural activities. Here’s a sampling of what’s on offer in Northeast Los Angeles in June. L.A. River Public Art Project The LA River Public Art Project seeks artists, writers and makers to compete for the 2nd annual […]

"On Becoming," a new exhibition at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, explores what it means to break free from stereotypes, sexism and other forms of bias.

Art and Culture This Week in NELA

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

Highlights from the week of May 15 to May 22 include livestream concerts by local bands at local venues, the opening of a gallery exhibition featuring Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, a major museum reopening and the latest York Boulevard Cruise Nights car show.

There’s also still time to get out and view several ongoing exhibitions or pick up a new book by local writers and artists.

The puppets of Bob Baker Marionette Theater will put on a show on May 7 to to help raise money for the upcoming Vidiots opening in Eagle Rock.

Something for everyone: Art and culture in NELA in May

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

Puppets join forces with movie lovers this month in Northeast Los Angeles, and that’s just the start of ways to experience the arts this month in NELA.
There are also in-person exhibitions at museums and galleries, a new art installation and a new book out this month on L.A.’s parks, illustrated and authored by local artists and writers. Get the details here.

Artwork by Nicola L. on display at the Huntington as part of the "Made in LA 2020: a version" exhibition. | Photo by Joshua White/ JWPictures.com

Art and opera in NELA this week

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

A new exhibition opens and opera returns this week, along with several ongoing cultural events in NELA: You can view the work of contemporary local artists at Bermudez Projects in Cypress Park, the Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park and the Huntington Art Museum in San Marino. You can even enter your own art in a juried art show in Elysian Valley. Here’s the latest.

à bloc cafe in Highland Park plans to exhibit the work of student artists.

New opportunities to create and display art in NELA now

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By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia Update: We have expanded our art and culture listing for the month of March with the following three new opportunities to exhibit and view art in Northeast Los Angeles. Display your artwork à bloc cafe on York Blvd. currently seeks local student artists who are interested in having their work featured in […]

A look at "In Yarrow We Trust," a part of a new exhibit opening at Oxy Arts on York Blvd. Photo credit: Oxy Arts.

Your Guide to Art and Culture in NELA

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By Pablo Nukaya
As art and culture organizations have changed their ways in response to the pandemic, the result has been a creative outpouring of virtual exhibitions, online workshops and streaming performances.

Here are upcoming art and culture opportunities in Northeast Los Angeles, many of which are free and all of which can be experienced remotely or at a safe distance.