The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Culminating Weekend

LAND (Los Angeles Nomadic Division) presented a long weekend from June 24-28, 2015 of artist programs, readings, screenings, performances, installations, conversations, city explorations, and other happenings across Los Angeles to conclude The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project, LAND’s cross-country exhibition of 100 artist-produced billboards and activations, which unfolded along on Interstate 10 in 10 consecutive artist chapters beginning in October 2013. The weekend events explored the themes of the project in relation to Los Angeles’ history, development, and continuing evolution. The culminating weekend coincided with the launch of the final chapter of the project, with billboards by artist Matthew Brannon.

All programs were free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

ONGOING EVENTS:

• Exhibition of billboards from the entire journey across I-10
• Artist city guide and audio guide
• Chapter #10 billboards on view by artist Matthew Brannon throughout LA
• Pop-up shop at Ace Hotel Downtown LA
• Tumblr archive
• City explorations

DAILY SCHEDULE:

TUESDAY, JUNE 23:

The Fainting Club Dinner

6:30pm

Home of Cris McCall, address provided upon RSVP. Tickets sold out

The fifth Los Angeles Fainting Club dinner, hosted by LAND, Zoe Crosher, and Cris McCall, was inspired by the ten chapters of the cross-country billboard exhibition.  Artist Sarah Beadle created Stellar Cues, ten gestures that unfolded gastronomically throughout the evening.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24:

Opening Reception: The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Exhibition hosted by Los Angeles Confidential 

7-9pm

6820 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038. RSVP suggested

LAND and Los Angeles Confidential invited guests to celebrate the launch of the culminating weekend and the opening of the billboard exhibition, featuring billboards from all ten chapters of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project!

THURSDAY, JUNE 25:

The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Exhibition

12-6pm

6820 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038

This ongoing exhibition featured billboards from all ten chapters of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project and a sound installation by artist Scott Benzel.

Taste the 10: Food Tour of Grand Central Market

12:30-2:30pm

Grand Central Market: 317 South Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013

Taste the cuisines that make up Interstate 10’s span across the country from the diverse vendors of the Grand Central Market!

Screening of Matthew Brannon’s Undivided Attention (Antelope) and Jeremy Shaw’s Quickeners

7-8pm followed by Artist Reception

Velaslavasay Panorama: 1122 West 24^th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007. RSVP suggested. 

Matthew Brannon’s film is not recommended for those under the age of 17.

Artists Matthew Brannon and Jeremy Shaw screened recent films at the historic Velaslavasay Panorama in West Adams. The panorama, which was built in the 1910s, is an exhibition hall and theater inspired by the 18^th and 19^th century tradition of presenting dioramas and paintings in the round. An artist reception followed the screening.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26:

The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Exhibition

12-6pm

6820 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038

This ongoing exhibition featured billboards from all ten chapters of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project and a sound installation by artist Scott Benzel.

LAND Pop-Up Shop

12-7pm

Upstairs at Ace Hotel Downtown LA: 929 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015

The pop-up shop Upstairs at Ace Hotel Downtown LA featured LAND merchandise and special items created by the artists of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project. All purchases supported LAND’s mission to create site-specific public art exhibitions in Los Angeles and beyond.

 Tour of Empire and Liberty: The Civil War and the West

12pm, meet at the Visitor Services desk at 11:45am

Autry National Center: 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027

$8 includes museum admission; limited space, RSVP required

LAND invited guests to join us for a tour of Empire and Liberty: The Civil War and the West, the first major museum exhibition to illuminate the causes and legacies of the American Civil War from the vantage point of Westward expansion.

A Night of Art Films and Music

8pm-1am

Ace Hotel Downtown LA: 929 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015. RSVP Required

Artists Sanford Biggers, Zoe Crosher/Jason Underhill, Eve Fowler, Daniel R. Small, and Bobbi Woods screened short films at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. DJ sets from the LA-based collective dublab and visuals curated by LAND followed the screening.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27:

The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Exhibition

12-6pm

6820 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038

This ongoing exhibition featured billboards from all ten chapters of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project and a sound installation by artist Scott Benzel.

LAND Pop-Up Shop

12-7pm

Upstairs at Ace Hotel Downtown LA: 929 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015

The pop-up shop Upstairs at Ace Hotel Downtown LA featured LAND merchandise and special items created by the artists of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project. All purchases supported LAND’s mission to create site-specific public art exhibitions in Los Angeles and beyond. 

Hollywood Bus Tour

12:30-1:30pm

Meet at the Starline trolley pick-up stop at the TCL Chinese Theater, 6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Limited space, RSVP required

Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance.  Purchase a ticket HERE before Thursday, June 25 at 4:30 pm. No tickets will be available for purchase onsite.

Ever wondered what it is like to experience Hollywood as a tourist? LAND invited guests to join us for a one-hour Starline trolley tour, where we discussed the hopes, dreams, and failings of the timeless lure of Hollywood.

Bus tour with Esotouric: Weird West Adams

12-4pm, Meet at 11:30am

Departs from Benny H. Potter West Park: 2413 2nd Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90018 (the intersection of 3rd Avenue and West 25th Street in West Adams)

Get $10 off tickets ($48, normally $58) with the coupon code LAND-WESTADAMS2015 HERE

This quarterly bus tour, created and presented by Esotouric, happened to coincide with The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Culminating Weekend! Weird West Adams was a tour that delves into various little known stories of one of the most historical Los Angeles neighborhoods abutting Interstate 10.

“In Search of a City”

Panel Discussion and Signing for the new book, Both Sides of Sunset, featuring Zoe Crosher, presented by Artbook | DAP and MOCA

3pm

MOCA Grand Avenue, 250 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012. RSVP Required

In conjunction with the release of Both Sides of Sunset: Photographing Los Angeles, a sequel to the acclaimed collection Looking at Los Angeles, the Los Angeles-based artists Zoe Crosher, Bettina Hubby, Michael Light, Ed Templeton, and Michael Shields shared their distinct visions of the city’s visual landscape in a panel discussion moderated by David L. Ulin of the Los Angeles Times. Proceeds from the sale of the book benefit Inner-City Arts, an arts education center located in the heart of Skid Row.

“Ribbon-Tying” Ceremony with Shana Lutker

6pm

Meet outside of Mariasol: 401 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Discounted unlimited ride wristbands for Pacific Park will be available for sale to LAND guests for $12

Artist Shana Lutker hosted a ribbon-tying ceremony, designed to mirror her ribbon-cutting ceremony at the start of the project in Jacksonville, FL, to symbolically close The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project.

Artist Panel and Reception hosted by Sotheby’s Institute of Art

7-9pm

Carousel at the Santa Monica Pier: 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401. RSVP suggested

Discounted unlimited ride wristbands for Pacific Park will be available for sale to LAND guests for $12

Ed Schad, Assistant Curator at The Broad Art Foundation, moderated a panel discussion with artists Shana Lutker, Jeremy Shaw, Daniel R. Small, and Mario Ybarra Jr., hosted by Sotheby’s Institute of Art. A cocktail reception followed the panel discussion.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28:

The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Exhibition

12-6pm

6820 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038

This ongoing exhibition featured billboards from all ten chapters of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project and a sound installation by artist Scott Benzel.

LAND Pop-Up Shop

12-7pm

Upstairs at Ace Hotel Downtown LA: 929 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015

The pop-up shop Upstairs at Ace Hotel Downtown LA featuredLAND merchandise and special items created by the artists of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project. All purchases supported LAND’s mission to create site-specific public art exhibitions in Los Angeles and beyond.

Create Your Ideal Freeway through Art and Play: Interactive Workshop with James Rojas

1-2pm

6820 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038

All ages, RSVP suggested

By tapping into the the imagination and freeway experiences of all ages, Los Angeles-based educator James Rojas led participants through an innovative design-based transportation planning tool that uses lived mobility experiences to generate discussion, solutions and consensus through art and play. This workshop began by having each participant build their freeway experience with a medley of recycled materials, which helped o articulate ideas in physical terms.  In a short amount of time, participants assembled their ideas and share them with the group. The group membersreflected on what they heard and saw to start to develop consensus for opportunities and challenges.

The participants were placed in teams, which worked together to build their ideal freeway in 20 minutes.  Hence, the participants on each team collaborated, negotiated, compromised and developed concepts for the greater good of the community and freeway. Each team then presented their solutions to the other groups. After the each team presentation, students were able to comment on the solutions.

Chapter #10: Matthew Brannon Billboard Viewing

All afternoon at your leisure

Along Interstate 10

LAND invited participants to check out the final chapter of The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project, featuring new billboards by Matthew Brannon. Map of the locations here.

Slouching Towards Los Angeles Reading and Perfume Workshop

5-8pm

Private Home, Address provided upon RSVP. 

Event at capacity, to get on the waiting list please email rsvp@nomadicdivision.org

Journalist and writer Steffie Nelson hosted a reading featuring various writers’ responses to notions of Manifest Destiny and their conceptions of Los Angeles, as guided by/in response to the work of Joan Didion. Writers included memoirist Jillian Lauren, TV writer Tracy McMillan, and arts writer Jori Finkel, among others.

In addition, Zoe Crosher lead a perfume-making workshop with The Institute of Art and Olfaction. Crosher has created ten perfumes inspired by the locations of each billboard project chapter and at the event, with the input of guests, she created the scent of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Filmforum: Forward to Distant Times: New Visions of the West

7:30pm

The Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian: 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Tickets available here; LAND guests receive discounted tickets of $6 (Enter Discount Code: Nomadic)

Los Angeles Filmforum presented “Forward to Distant Times,” a program of extraordinary experimental examinations of the history, mythology, and landscape of the American west.  Drawing on diverse traditions ranging from the city symphony to the film diary, the filmmakers featured in the program look at the western United States with fresh eyes, examining the visual residue of history, the iconography of the west and the continuing impact of redevelopment. Filmmakers Amy Halpern, Kate Lain, Eve-Lauryn LaFountain, Lee Anne Schmitt and Penelope Uribe-Abee were present!

EXHIBITION CO-CURATOR ZOE CROSHER AND ARTISTS ON THE MANIFEST DESTINY BILLBOARD PROJECT

SHANA LUTKER, MARIO YBARRA JR., SANFORD BIGGERS, EVE FOWLER, JEREMY SHAW, DANIEL R. SMALL, BOBBI WOODS, MATTHEW BRANNON 

The Manifest Destiny Billboard Project Culminating Weekend is made possible with support from National Endowment for the Arts, the Offield Family Foundation, Sotheby’s Instate of Art, Christopher Yin & John Yoon, Sarah Conley Odenkirk, Brenda Potter, and Darren Weinstock.  

Special thanks to Absolut Elyx, Ace Hotel Downtown LA, Canada Council for the Arts, Los Angeles Confidential, Los Angeles Filmforum, Santa Monica Pier, Steve Turner, and the Velaslavasay Panorama.

Thank you to Kickstarter, the Art Basel Crowdfunding Initiative, and all of our 153 phenomenal individual project campaign backers for making this weekend possible:

Advertising Capital LLC, Kate Adams, Karen Adelman, Allison Agsten, Claressinka Anderson, Anna Ayeroff, Brianna Bakke, Barry Belkin, Andrew Berardini,  Luiza Brenner, Bruce & Carl, Sarah Cain, Wesley Chen, Eva Chimento, Cadien Clark, Lee Clark, Anne Corlett, Paul Costa,  Zoe Crosher, Sydney Croskery, George Dath, Lucia Davis,  Lynette Dodds, Tomory Dodge, Bob Dornberger, Sylvia Engelman, Andrea Feldman Falcione, Rob Fischer,  Jesse Fleming,  Anna Flinn, Jordan Ford, Fredrick Fulmer, Erin Fussell, Damon Gambuto, Lucy Gellman, John Geresi, Louise Girling, Mara Gladstone, Jane Glassman,  Jason Goble,  Sonny Ruscha Granade,  Megan Green, Leta Grzan, Deana Haggag, Lindsey Hale, Dave Harper,  Craig Hensala, Jessica Hodin, Kirsten Hudson, Henriette Huldisch, Kelly Johnson,  Jennifer Joy, Tony Karman, Owen Katz, Caitlin Kelly,  Christine Y. Kim,  Sylvia Kim,  Marnie Klein, Paul Kopeikin, Jeanine Jablonski, Laura Lambert, Rebecca Leonard, Tiffiny Lendrum, Megan Liberty, Chris Lin, Debbie Long, Jennifer Luce, Regina Mamou, Make Future Stuff, Lauren Maley, Iris Marden, Hilary Maslon, Cris McCall, Carol McClain, Lee Michel, Mackenzie Millan, Alison Miller, Madeline Miller, Laurie Mitchell,  Tracey Savage Mollenholt, Sarah Murkett,  Nicholas Musolino, Alexandra Nazari,  Maria Nazari, Melissa Netecke, Inga Newsom,  Thao Nguyen, Tracy O’Brien,  Pauli Ochi, Alison O’Daniel, Sarah Odenkirk, Susan Offield, Kelsey Lee Offield,  William R. Parks, Stephanie Parrish,  Cynthia Pearson, Stephanie Pereira,  Tammy Phan, Colin Pinegar, Job Piston, Niina Pollari, Pamela Popeson, Brenda R. Potter, Matt Quan, Pat Quan, Fay Ray, Derek Redd,  Renee Lynn Reizman, Samantha Rhulen, Juliana Rico,  Megan Riley, Victoria Rogers, Emily Rosenblum, Rebekah Ross,  Chad Rutter, Mark Sandelson, Debra Scacco, Bryan Scrivner, Scott Seely,  Nicolas Shake, Jamie Sher, Kevin Showkat, Tabitha Soren, Yancey Strickler, Jay Stuckey, Stephanie Swagerty, Julie Swoope, Ardeshir Tabrizi,  Amanda Tasse, Rebecca Taylor, Julio Terra, Sean Tilley, Galiano Tiramani, Amy Thoner, Jessica Trimble, Fat Tsai,  Audrey Landreth Viola,  Zoe Weinberg, Reto Wey, Kevin Wong,  Julie Wood, Jisi Yang, Christopher Yin & John Yoon, Karen Zukowski