What to Know
- The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles is helming a share-it-on-social happening, all May long
- Fans are invited to post more offbeat peaks at local art deco
- A free Zoom talk on May 2 will help inspire photographers and discuss what to look for while out and about
Stating that Los Angeles is a big city won't prompt too many eyebrows to cock in disagreement, nor would the assertion that some of this big city's biggest buildings all hail from a particular era, meaning they have a certain shared verve.
That tony time period?
We're coming up on its centennial, in just a few years, for the structures we're citing all rose (and rose and rose) around our region in the late '20s and early 1930s.
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It's the 100th anniversary of art deco we're inching up on, of course, and a person only need look to Griffith Observatory, The Wiltern, or the Eastern Columbia Building, plus hundreds of other notable addresses, to know that this elegant style still holds a strong, streamlined sway over our city's architectural imagination.
To celebrate our megalopolis and its deco-tastic character, the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles will celebrate art deco all May long, with a participate-from-home component.
Well, not "from home" exactly, but deco devotees are invited to snap photos of some of their favorite flourishes, details, doorways, stairways, and such, and then share those pictures on social media with a host of tags, including #ShowUsYourArtDeco.
It's all part of an initiative called the 31 Days of Deco.
But here's a twist: While you may have a dozen Wiltern pictures on your phone, the deco-loving society is looking for something a bit different.
"We all know the grand movie palaces and skyscrapers, but our aim is to discover astonishing specimens that are off the beaten path," shared a post on the ADSLA site. "Maybe even a building worthy of being our next candidate for an historic cultural monument nomination!"
Call this a prompt to get outside in May, and around your part of town (or beyond), with a small mystery to solve: What are the art deco gems of your area, or areas you frequent, that could use some love and attention?
To help jumpstart this go-at-your-own-pace, share-what-you-like happening, there is a free Zoom event on Sunday, May 2.
It's called "A Toast to L.A. Art Deco Architecture," and it will include tips on documenting deco finds in a zazzy fashion, what to look for, and, yes, a cocktail-making component, too.
May is Preservation Month, and the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles is asking locals to help possibly preserve the smaller gems they adore, the ones that don't always make the magazine covers but should definitely be known and admired by a broader audience.
For more details on both the May 2 happening (you'll want to register, do note), as well as the May-long share-your-pics-on-social event, make a streamline, er, beeline for this info-packed page now.
