Feb 12 2026
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Art

‘When Lightning Strikes’: Muralist and mentor Noni Olabisi’s first institutional exhibition comes to LMU

The idea for an art exhibition recognizing Noni Olabisi’s (1954 -2022) extraordinary career came to Karen Rapp, director and curator of Loyola Marymount University’s Laband Art Gallery, 15 years ago. She was introduced to the artist and muralist’s work through a slide presentation.

Noni Olabisi, c. 1995, painting her mural “To Protect and Serve” in Los Angeles.
Copyright held by the Estate of Noni Olabisi.

“Noni had applied for a visual artist grant, and I was a reviewing panelist,” Rapp said. “When I came to her images, I was completely spellbound by her murals. I didn’t know about them at the time, and I went and looked at them in person. She ended up getting the award from the California Community Foundation, and I had a chance to meet her and tell her what an impact her work had made on me. I talked to her about having a show.” 

Olabisi’s works have become defining centerpieces in neighborhoods and communities in South Los Angeles. The exhibition, “Noni Olabisi: When Lightning Strikes,” which hosted an opening reception this past Saturday and runs through March 28, includes more than 40 works created from 1984 to 2022. Olabisi is best known for three murals in Los Angeles: “Freedom Won’t Wait” (1992), “To Protect and Serve” (1995) and “Troubled Island” (2003). . . .

Read the entire article in The Argonaut.

Feb 12 2026
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Music

Jammin’ With Stanley: Locals’ Night at the Santa Monica Pier honors genre-defining jazz musicians

Every Third Thursday since September, the Santa Monica Pier has been presenting Locals’ Night, a free community curated series for locals, by locals. With performances through May, each monthly event brings a unique offering to the community. The Feb. 19 performance, curated by BroadStage, is Jazz Night, spotlighting four bands featuring talented emerging musicians who were mentored by five-time Grammy-winning bassist and composer Stanley Clarke while they were students at Santa Monica College (SMC) and Santa Monica High School (Samohi).

Photo by: Sea Sloat

Clarke, who has been the BroadStage Artist in Residence since August 2023, is a longtime supporter and mentor of young musicians. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Feb 09 2026
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Food

Top of the World: DTLA’s newest rooftop restaurant, The Hoxton’s Inanna Bar

On Sept. 12, 2025, the Hoxton Hotel debuted a new Mediterranean-themed restaurant, Inanna Bar, on its 34th floor. One of its best offerings is off the menu: panoramic skyline views of Los Angeles.

Photo by: Chris Mortenson

Darryl Jenkins, director of food and beverage for Inanna Bar, joined the team in August and was tasked with opening the concept that the owners had created.

“For the start of the project, we were serving mostly dips and snacks, and now we’re leaning into more entrees using our wood-fired grills,” Jenkins said. “We have grilled lamb chops on the menu, a beautiful branzino that’s cooked on our open fire. We’re doing roasted chicken breast and using the wood-fired grill to push the spring menu with lighter eats but still offering the hummus and dips. We’re making the menu a little more versatile and dinner forward.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Feb 09 2026
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Art

Downtown’s Creative Pulse: DTLA ArtNight celebrates culture community and local creativity

First Thursdays in DTLA might possibly be the liveliest night in all of L.A. It’s when galleries, vendors, exhibitions and street performers pop up throughout the Historic Core.

“It’s creativity. It’s community. It’s culture,” said Diana Barillas, the director of operations and creative strategy of DTLA ArtNight. “We highlight the creatives downtown and also the businesses. The more people we can bring down here through art, the more our community as a whole can expand and get better.”

The only exceptions are Fourth of July and New Year’s: “We will switch it out depending on how close it gets to the date,” she said. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Feb 05 2026
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Lifestyle

Waiting to Exhale: UpRising Yoga brings peace to juveniles

When Jill Weiss Ippolito leads yoga classes at juvenile halls, she often hears, “Yoga, what’s that? Then she sits down and says, “I was a kid in juvenile hall myself,” to which the response usually is, “What were you arrested for?”

Photo by: Robert Sturman

Ippolito responds, “I didn’t run fast enough.”

Ippolito admitted that she doesn’t look like somebody that the juveniles could relate to but that has not stopped her from remaining committed to UpRising Yoga’s (URY) mission: To offer yoga life skills programs for those incarcerated and underserved communities. . . .

Read the entire article in Pasadena Weekly.

Feb 05 2026
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Food

Amore at First Bite: Celebrate V-Day (or any day) at Santa Monica’s North Italia

North Italia is located right across the street from Garage 6 on Second Street in Santa Monica. In this part of town, directions are often given by where people can park. The authentic Italian restaurant is also just around the corner from the Promenade, which is nice, according to Regional Chef Sammy Sleman, “because we’re kind of tucked away, it makes us feel a little bit more neighborhood-y versus in a busy touristy spot.”

Photo by: Chris Mortenson

“The cool thing about Santa Monica is it’s a mix of everything,” he explained. “We have local residents who live close by, and we have a lot of tourists. They’re coming in from all over the world. We love that mix. It keeps us on our toes because we have new clientele that comes in often, a lot of first-time guests. We really like to wow them and make sure they have an awesome experience.”

Next year marks a decade that North Italia in Santa Monica has been open for business. Sleman joined the brand 13 years ago when it included just six restaurants. Today it consists of 50 nationwide. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Feb 05 2026
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Music

‘Looking Back, Looking Forward’: Los Angeles Children’s Chorus celebrates 40th anniversary

Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, artistic director of Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), has worked with children’s and youth choirs his entire career. He thoroughly enjoys leading youth ensembles and assures that there are many stereotypes about children in music.

“People say, as long as they are cute on stage, that’s all that matters, or they ask, are you a babysitter?” he said. “Children are absolutely capable of great artistry at the same level as adults.”

Malvar-Ruiz prefers working with children because “frankly, they are more honest artistically, and they’re also more honest in their interactions,” he shared. . . .

Read the entire article at Pasadena Weekly.

Feb 03 2026
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Health & Fitness

From “trap Zumba” to beginner yoga, how Inglewood is leading a grassroots fitness movement

As Nicole Steele got her music playlist ready on a recent Tuesday night in Inglewood, she reflected on how far the area’s fitness scene has come in the past decade or so.

Steele was getting ready to lead her weekly “trap Zumba” class, which she described as “a cardio dance workout where people get down to hip-hop, reggae and R&B.”

It’s not the kind of class that existed in Inglewood seven years ago, when she started Trapz*mba. It was a risk, but Steele hoped that reviving the 90s-era Latin dance cardio craze with an Atlanta-born rap subgenre would bring in people from her hometown. 

“[These workout routines] have been helpful to me over the years,” Steele told The LA Local. “I wanted to share those things with people because oftentimes folks don’t know where to start.” . . .

Read the entire article at The LA Local.

Feb 03 2026
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Dance

Boogie Frantick: Local Legend is a Master of Popping

If you did not read my January 29 review of “Versa-Style and Friends: Celebrating the Street Dance Community,” let me introduce you to Boogie Frantick.

“Boogie Frantick’s piece, ‘Chicano Power,’ illustrated why he’s a master. The local legend entered the stage in his signature slo-mo strut and with Carla Morrison’s hypnotic ‘Azúcar Morena’ playing, he combined all his styles—including animation, ticking and waving—into a riveting one-man statement.”

I met Frantick in 2013; his career was back on track after a brief hiatus. His resume lists TV, stage and screen appearances at the Academy Awards with the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers for the Hurt Locker score; with Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Hit-Boy and Egyptian Lover; and in the film Step Up 3D. He has collaborated with brands such as AT&T, Frito Lay, Microsoft, Red Bull and WSS. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Dance Chronicle.

Feb 02 2026
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Food

Say Oui to Wine: Sipping in the Social District’s The Wine Station

Thibaud Duccini grew up in Cannes, a city in the South of France that he refers to as hospitality-forward. He credits its “touristiness” with exposing him to what would become his career path, a passion that stayed with him when he moved to LA 16 years ago.

“There’s a lot of restaurants and hotels in Cannes,” explained Duccini, who opened The Wine Station in August 2025. “When you’re in high school, during the summertime you work in restaurants to make money and that’s how I got introduced to the hospitality business. I’ve worked in hospitality since I was 16.”

Duccini’s first job in LA was working with the Patina Group for 7 years, where he was put in charge of the wine program. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

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