The abundance of wildlife, greenery, blooms, beautiful warmer weather and the official opening of The LA River Recreation zones signals the start of the summer season Tomatoes. Let’s hear a “Yee Haw”! For you crafty Tomatoes out there, you might enjoy the “Candle-Pouring for Impact” workshops from the marvelous nonprofit “Made by DWC”. The “Fearless Fashion” Exhibit is a first for The Skirball Cultural Center and it looks awesome. Pittance Chamber Music is presenting “A Tale of Two Émigrés with James Conlon”. And, The Three Tomatoes Hats and Flats Garden Party was a resounding success and Lady Deborah is pleased.  Got the highlights for you Tomatoes. 

The Three Tomatoes LA Garden Party Highlights

Hosted by Lady Deborah at the beautiful Chatsworth Manor Garden, the “Hats & Flats Garden Party” was a blast! Lady Penelope knocked her first public performance out of the park! Lord Buttercup’s music was perfect. Mimosa’s were imbibed, tummies were full, wonderful conversations ensued, many laughs were shared, warm hugs were had and magical memories were made. Lady Deborah is pleased as punch and looking forward to next year.  Get the details.

Till Sept 30  River Fun

Well, ladies, the LA River Recreation Zones , are now open for the LA Recreation season in the Elysian Valley and the Sepulveda Basin, and FOLAR and their Frog Spot are hoppin’ with loads of fun. All provide access to recreate and explore the Los Angeles River with activities including boating, fishing, bird watching and kayaking. The flora, fauna and wildlife will remind you that it is, indeed, a real LA flourishing river Tomatoes.

Frog Spot is the beautiful entry point to the wonders of our city’s revitalized river and Folar, Friends of the Los Angeles River, funds this community oasis on the LA River.  A great place to celebrate your summer Tomatoes. They are bringing back everything that people loved before plus live music, community yoga, literary and educational events. Friends of the LA River partners with LA River Kayak Safari  to make Kayak trips available so everyone can enjoy a nature, rapids, wildlife and a kayak adventure smack dab in the middle of an urban jungle. Not to worry Tomatoes, I hear these guided kayak tours are perfect for beginners and the rapids are mild enough for everyone.  That includes you gals. Let’s get hoppin’ gals.

June 8, 22, 27. Candle Pouring for Impact

I love the idea of learning the art of candle-making led by artisans from the nonprofit “MADE  by DWC.” I also adore that these “Candle-Pouring for Impact” workshops give Tomatoes  not only the opportunity to learn about candle making, but also a chance to learn about “MADE’s” social impact. And they, do indeed, make a big impact Ladies.

Wouldn’t you love to learn the candle making process step by step? I think it might be time for me to learn as I love participating in creating art and crafts.  The workshop’s will be hosted by Penney Manning and Cynthia Basich, MADE’s very own production space artisans, who will discuss how their candles and other hand MADE products give women experiencing homelessness the chance to earn income and learn transferable job skills. Penney and Cynthia currently provide 1,200 + hours of training for up to 30 women annually as a part of their transitional employment program.  What a worthy and important mission!  For the price of $60 you’ll leave with 3 hand-poured, soy candles and a 25% discount on all in-store purchases at MADE’s adorbs Resale Boutique. Important to remember Tomatoes that 100% of your $60 for the workshop goes directly to Downtown Women’s Center.  No if’s, and’s or buts about that, so choose your date in June Tomatoes to start making candles and a social impact.  Woo Hoo!

Tomatoes, please note that The Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) is the only organization in Los Angeles focused exclusively on serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness and formerly homeless women. Founded in 1978, DWC envisions a Los Angeles with every woman housed and on a path to personal stability through housing, wellness, and advocacy. AND  MADE by DWC is a social enterprise operated by the DWC to provide job training and transitional employment in product and retail environments for women transitioning out of homelessness. By purchasing from MADE by DWC’s signature line of products, you directly contribute to ending women’s homelessness in Los Angeles. 

Till Sept 1. “Fearless Fashion”

I am tickled pink that the Skirball has, for the first time, ventured into the fashion arena with the fascinating exhibition “Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich”. Fashion Designer Rudi Gernreich, who fled from the Nazi’s and made LA his home, became a trail blazing designer who shattered expectations and championed freedom of expression through his fashion. You gotta see it Tomatoes!

Rudi Gernreich, , challenged the traditional stereotypes of beauty, identity and gender and was truly fearless. “There is no better time than now to tell this story because of Rudi Gernreich’s emphasis on inclusion, diversity and freedom,” says exhibition curator Bethany Montagano “This is not a retrospective, it’s about how he used fashion as a vehicle for social change.” In 1966 Rudi stated that, “A designer is not expected to say something other than ‘here is another dress’. But I would not be in this if that were the only thing required of me.” Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich” reveals how Rudi redefined style in ways that continue to influence fashion today.  LA should be very proud of Rudi Gernreich, Tomatoes.  I’m sure if you see the exhibit you will be very impressed.

June 15. A Tale of Two Emigres

Pittance Chamber Music presents “A Tale of Two Emigres” with LA Opera Music Director James Conlon curating and conducting a unique program that tells the tale of two remarkable Jewish composers, who escaped the Nazi’s and emigrated to Los Angeles, in this important concert Tomatoes. Important, inspiring and only $10. `.

This special program features E.W. Korngold’s Sextet, Op. 10 and Arnold Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony #1, Op. 9. The program will also include a talk by Maestro Conlon, who will also conduct works by Korngold and Schoenberg performed by a large ensemble from the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra.  According to Lisa Sutton, Pittance Chamber Music Artistic Director, “James and the musicians are very keen to do the Schoenberg work as there are not many opportunities to perform it, due to the unique instrumentation and size of the ensemble – 15 performers. The Korngold Sextet is also not often performed because it is an extremely demanding, complex work which requires many hours of rehearsals. Both pieces are extraordinary masterpieces of late romanticism, requiring a high level of virtuosity from the performers.” James Conlon is not only the Music Director of Los Angeles Opera and Principal Conductor of the Italian RAI National Symphony Orchestra among many other achievements, he is one of the world’s most important and successful advocates for the music of composers suppressed during the Nazi regime. He is the founder of the OREL Foundation, an organization created to encourage interest in and, especially, the performance of works by composers suppressed as a result of Nazi policies from 1933 to 1945 in order to allow the greater musical community of today and tomorrow the opportunity to determine the place of these composers and their works in the history and canon of twentieth-century music.

Founder and Artistic Director Lisa Sutton, who is the Assistant Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, formed “Pittance Chamber Music” in 2013 to shine the spotlight on these remarkable yet invisible artists, bringing them from the pit to the stage to perform in small ensembles, hence the name Pittance. Pittance Chamber Music showcases a roster of artists drawn from a large pool of talent including members of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra as well as Los Angeles Opera resident vocalists, resulting in a unique variety of repertoire not often heard together in one program.