Featured Events in Los Angeles in May, 2025 (January Updated)

In his luscious paintings, Ana Segovia (b. 1991, Mexico City, where he lives) twists assumptions of masculinity through a queer lens. Working with an aggressive palette of neon colors, daring compositions, and cinematographic framing and cropping, Segovia undermines the gendered basis of Mexican national identity built around male stereotypes standardized by film. The artist often develops specific display strategies for his paintings, borrowing from the language of installation, theater, dance, and video art to effectively situate them in the exhibition space. MOCA Focus: Ana Segovia will feature a new painting commissioned for the exhibition plus two recent bodies of work, including I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You (2023), a suite of eight paintings depicting film stills from a non-existent queer film the artist wished to have seen in his formative years.

The exhibition aims to show the evolution of the Photorealism movement in the 1970s and further explore works related to Photorealism today, presenting works by figurative painters such as Gina Beavers and Serge Gomez.

Over the last four decades, image-editing software has radically transformed our visual world. The ease with which images and text can be digitally generated and altered has enabled new forms of creative experimentation, while also sparking philosophical debates about the very nature of representation. Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film examines the impact of digital manipulation tools from the 1980s to the present, for the first time assessing simultaneous developments and debates in the fields of photography, graphic design, and visual effects. Featuring over 150 works, the exhibition traces the emergence of distinctive digital aesthetic strategies, relationships to realism, and storytelling modes. The nearly 200 artists, designers, and makers in Digital Witness illuminate today's visual culture where digital editing tools are easier to access than ever before.

Over the last four decades, image-editing software has radically transformed our visual world. The ease with which images and text can be digitally generated and altered has enabled new forms of creative experimentation, while also sparking philosophical debates about the very nature of representation. Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film examines the impact of digital manipulation tools from the 1980s to the present, for the first time assessing simultaneous developments and debates in the fields of photography, graphic design, and visual effects. Featuring over 150 works, the exhibition traces the emergence of distinctive digital aesthetic strategies, relationships to realism, and storytelling modes. The nearly 200 artists, designers, and makers in Digital Witness illuminate today's visual culture where digital editing tools are easier to access than ever before.

Over the last four decades, image-editing software has radically transformed our visual world. The ease with which images and text can be digitally generated and altered has enabled new forms of creative experimentation, while also sparking philosophical debates about the very nature of representation. Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film examines the impact of digital manipulation tools from the 1980s to the present, for the first time assessing simultaneous developments and debates in the fields of photography, graphic design, and visual effects. Featuring over 150 works, the exhibition traces the emergence of distinctive digital aesthetic strategies, relationships to realism, and storytelling modes. The nearly 200 artists, designers, and makers in Digital Witness illuminate today's visual culture where digital editing tools are easier to access than ever before.

The exhibition explores the aesthetic connections between nearly 60 artists from Africa, Europe and America. The 70 paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper are divided into several different themes, including speech and silence, movement and transformation, imagination and expression.

In 2025, the Norton Simon Museum marks the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1975. The exhibition Retrospect: 50 Years at the Norton Simon Museum, on view in the main-level Focus Gallery from February 14, 2025, to January 12, 2026, celebrates five decades of art, education, research and community. Coinciding with the Exterior Improvement Project, which will transform the Museum’s gardens and grounds, Retrospect offers not only a reflective view of the past but also one of the horizon for decades to come.

Diary of Flowers: Artists and their Worlds brings together over 80 artworks from MOCA’s renowned collection, demonstrating how artists create their own worlds through their art–building networks, circles, and mythologies. Embracing the boundaries between the personal and the social, public and private lives, as well as emotional and psychological states, works in the show privilege sites of creativity and the place of the imagination to conjure new worlds and possibilities. Friendship, love, and intimacy become important starting points for artistic expression. The exhibition features work in all media across different geographies, cultures, and periods, by artists including Belkis Ayón, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Mona Hatoum, Candice Lin, Annette Messeger, Wangechi Mutu, Lucas Samaras, Mohammed Sami, Tunga, and Haegue Yang, as well as a gallery dedicated to Nan Goldin.

Join the UCLA AUD Spring 2025 event featuring Frederick Fisher (MArch ‘75) as he discusses the theme of "Themes". The event will take place on May 12, 2025, at UCLA's Architecture & Urban Design venue located at 1317 Perloff Hall, DeCafe (Room 1302), Los Angeles, CA 90095. Admission is free, offering attendees the opportunity to engage with the renowned architect and gain valuable insights into the world of architecture and design. Don't miss this enlightening event in the heart of Los Angeles.

On May 21, 2025, the iconic SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, will host an unforgettable evening featuring Kendrick Lamar and SZA. This highly anticipated event promises to be a monumental experience, drawing fans from far and wide to witness the unparalleled talent of these two musical powerhouses. With ticket prices ranging from $50 to $280, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a diverse range of seating options, ensuring a memorable night for all. Kendrick Lamar, known for his profound lyrical prowess and dynamic performances, alongside SZA, whose soulful voice and captivating stage presence have garnered critical acclaim, will undoubtedly deliver a show that resonates deeply with the audience. As the clock strikes 7:00 PM, the energy at SoFi Stadium will be electric, marking a significant cultural moment in Inglewood's vibrant music scene.

K-POP IdolsStray KidsAnnounce 20 New Shows in Latin America, North America, Europe, and the UK! The highly anticipated Stray Kids World Tour will be held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on May 31 and June 1, 2025.

The third annual YOU ARE ENOUGH Run/Walk 5K is a mental health and wellness event that brings people together from all over Los Angeles and even throughout the country to help one another feel worthy, seen, and supported. We will be holding the event at the amazing Hermosa and Manhattan Beach cities on the 3.1 mile course on the Strand between the two beach city piers. We will have a live DJ, food and beverages, awesome grab bags, awards for the top three winners, and a lot of smiles and hugs. We will also have pre-event wellness sessions in the South Bay where you can learn how to care that much more for your well being. Partial proceeds from the event will go towards raising billboards in LA County. Last year we raised four billboards in Redondo Beach, Gardena, West Hollywood, and Inglewood. These billboards are saving lives while also giving folks help and a sense of self and belonging. This campaign is all about sharing the love forward and letting folks know that they are seen and worthy, even if they may not feel ok. We've got your back and hope that you can join us on May 31st! Information Source: Giving Purpose Organization | eventbrite