Featured Events in Pasadena in December, 2024(November Updated)

For several decades, artist Cai Guo-Qiang has used gunpowder and pyrotechnics to create drawings, paintings, and explosion events. The exhibitionCai Guo-Qiang:A Material Odysseywill fill the first floor galleries at the USC Pacific Asia Museum. Based on years of research by the Getty Conservation Institute and the Getty Research Institute,A Material Odysseywill explore the nature and properties of gunpowder and chronicle its use by the artist. This explosive material, invented in China over 1,100 years ago, has come to define Cai’s work. Its unpredictable nature dictates his artistic process and determines the outcome. Through gunpowder, the artist invites uncontrollable forces to participate in the creation of his work. With an abundance of artworks and scientific displays, the exhibition will narrate the lifelong love story of Cai Guo-Qiang with gunpowder. Programs accompanyingA Material Odysseywill include videos illustrating the making of fireworks, the process of creating gunpowder paintings, interactive displays, and a variety of film screenings and conversations.

STADIUM TOURS The Rose Bowl Stadium opens its gates to the public for guided tours. Guests can delight in this unforgettable opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of 'America's Stadium' where countless moments in history have been made. Your tour guide will lead you through this National Historic Landmark, including the original 1922 locker room, current locker rooms, press box, Court of Champions and more. Throughout the tour, you will learn about the iconic history that has taken place here at the Rose Bowl Stadium, from the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame to Brandi Chastain’s game winning kick in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final. Tours will not only be an outdoor excursion, but a historical learning experience that you will never forget. RECOMMENDATIONS Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to tour start timePlease allow up to two hours for your visit here at the Rose Bowl StadiumComfortable walking shoes are recommendedProper attire, including shoes and shirts, must be worn at all times. In the spirit of a family friendly environment, we ask you to use your discretion in appropriate attire.Check the local weather report before you leave for the stadium since portions of the tour are outdoorsPlease keep in mind that all tour locations are subject to change. This can be due to stadium events and/or the stadium’s current construction project. Information Source: Rose Bowl Stadium Tours | eventbrite

Tylei Sade’s 25th Birthday Premiere: Metaverse Date: December 8th, 2024 Location: ARC Join us for a night of celebration at Tylei Sade’s 25th Birthday Premiere: Metaverse! Dive into the minds of various choreographers as they explore the Metaverse through movement! Stick around for a lovely reception after the show to hang out with the performers and the birthday girl! Information Source: eventbrite

Hollywood Scandal! Edith Head and Celanese “Star in Crepe”Thursday, December 12 | 7:00 pm A fashionable Hollywood scandal – what could be more scintillating? Kevin Jones, Senior Curator at the ASU FIDM Museum in downtown Los Angeles and sleuth of this story, takes us on a journey through the murky, mysterious history of a collection of fabulous 1930s-1940s-era film costumes. In 1960, rayon manufacturer Celanese teamed with Paramount Pictures’ Academy Award-winning costume designer Edith Head to launch a new synthetic material branded “Star in Crepe” by showcasing eleven original crepe gowns from Hollywood’s Golden Era in fashion shows held around the United States. In 1990, the gown collection came as a loan to FIDM from the City of Los Angeles, after being stored in an abandoned city jail for more than twenty years. Here, the plot thickens. While dressing the gowns for an exhibition, some of them did not look as they appeared in publicity photos. Half of the gowns looked spurious! Were these the same garments? Had they been altered? Are they the same gowns used for the Celanese promotion? If not, which famous dresses are these? Who were the legendary leading ladies who wore these beautiful creations? Curator/detective Kevin Jones clues us in on the unfolding drama. Presentation will begin at 7:00 pm; PMH Galleries will be open for viewing at 6:00 pm. Space is limited; advance reservations required. Image: Costume designer Edith Head. Photofest Information Source: Pasadena Museum of History | eventbrite

Film History Tour of the Fényes MansionThursday, November 14, Thursday, December 19, Thursday, January 23, and Thursday, February 6 | 11:00 am to 12:15 pm Join Lights, Camera, Action! Hollywood Magic in Pasadena curator Julia Long for an exclusive film history tour of the Fényes Mansion and its grounds. The Fényes Estate has been a popular filming location for over 100 years. Museum benefactor, Eva Scott Fényes was interested in the burgeoning art of filmmaking and invited directors like D.W. Griffith to film at the Fényes Estate – a tradition PMH continues to this day. Learn about the movies, television, music videos, and commercials that have been filmed at the Fényes Estate over the many years. Admission includes a docent-led Film History Tour and entrance into the Museum’s Lights, Camera, Action! Hollywood Magic in Pasadena exhibition. For exhibition information, click here. Please Note: This is not an introductory tour about the Fényes Mansion, art and architecture, or Eva Fényes and her family. For tickets and information on our general 1906 Fényes Mansion Tour, please click here. Space is limited; advance reservations required. Important Information:Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your tour. Check-in will be in the Museum Store. Tour begins promptly at 11:00 am. Latecomers cannot be admitted once the tour group has entered the Mansion and will be issued a refund or moved to another available date. This tour requires participants to stand for over an hour, please prepare accordingly. Comfortable footwear suggested. No high heeled shoes in the Mansion. Shoe covers are required. Complimentary shoe covers will be handed out before entering the Mansion. Backpacks, large bags and items, and strollers are not permitted in the Mansion. Please leave these items in your vehicle. Walkers and wheelchairs are allowed in the Mansion. Please note: the interior features a small set of stairs which will make it difficult to access two rooms. PMH does not provide wheelchairs or walkers. Please contact Education and Program Manager, Daniel Nevarez at dnevarez@pasadenahistory.org or 626-831-9044 on weekdays prior to your tour so that we can accommodate you as fully as possible. Personal/Non-commercial photography is allowed inside the Mansion. No video, selfie sticks, flash photography or commercial use. Refunds will be granted with a 24-hour advance notice before the tour. The Eventbrite processing fee is non-refundable. Images: Rehearsal for Western Blood starring Tom Mix, 1918; Fenyes Mansion; Pasadena Museum of History, MPC, PHS5-16; Scene from TV Movie Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years, circa 1977; Fenyes Mansion; Pasadena Museum of History, MPC, PHS5-34; Scene from the movie When Kings Were the Law (The Queen’s Necklace), directed by D.W. Griffith, 1912; Fenyes Estate; Pasadena Museum of History, MPC, PHS5-8; Scene from Virginia Slims commercial, November 1986; Fenyes Mansion; Pasadena Museum of History, MPC, PHS5-45; Scene from the shooting of a Universal Studios film, 1916; Fenyes Mansion; Pasadena Museum of History, MPC, PHS5-12 Information Source: Pasadena Museum of History | eventbrite