From the Major Institions Set to Open Around Downtown Files comes new and welcome news: La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the comphrehensive center devoted to Mexican-American creative expression, history, and culture, will debut near Olvera Street on April 15 next year.
While the much-talked-about La Plaza's coming debut is no surprise, the opening date was just announced on Sept. 14, a day ahead of the major El Grito celebration at LA Live, which is a day ahead of the 200th anniversary of Mexico's independence.
The opening celebrations at the center aren't just happening on April 15, 2011, however; La Plaza's kick-off party is set for three full days. The restored Vickrey-Brunswig Building will house La Plaza; you've seen it on visits to Olvera Street, we're sure, and you've likely thought that the historic and oh-so-photographable landmark needs to house something great.
Done.
La Plaza's first show -- it's called "LA Starts Here!" -- remembers the Mexicans and Mexican-Americans who helped found our city centuries ago (and guided its formation along the way).
The Major Institutions Set to Open Around Downtown Files recently produced the news that the Broads have a contemporary museum coming to Grand Avenue; the Broad Collection will debut after La Plaza. And, because we know you like to have your LA museum acronyms down, La Plaza de Cultura ye Artes is going by LAPCA, in addition to just "La Plaza."
When you need to acronym-up in the cultural department, you can bet you live in a wonderful city indeed.
