SurveyLA Launches April 4th

Attend "MYhistoricLA," a special event to kick off SurveyLA, the City of Los Angeles' first-ever comprehensive survey of its historic resources, on Saturday, April 4 at the Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles.

Join historians frpom around the City and share your knowledge of L.A.'s hidden gems, view a screening of the SurveyLA video, attend lively panel discussions with city officials, preservationists, community organizers and developers regarding this historic survey.

Saturday, April 4
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Los Angeles Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium
630 W. 5th St., Downtown

85% of the City has never been surveyed to identify significant historic places.The City needs need your historical knowledge about L.A. City neighborhoods to help conduct the survey.

For more information visit http://preservation.lacity.org/survey or call the Office of Historic Resources, Department of City Planning at (213) 978-1200.

L.A. Heritage Day: A Smashing Success!

Thanks to over 65 heritage groups and almost 1000 attendees, the Los Angeles Heritage Alliance's 2nd Annual L.A. Heritage Day was a great success! As the event got underway, the clouds parted to reveal a day of networking, marketing, and promotion. There was a general energy throughout Heritage Square Museum as heritage groups and history fans shared a passion for the Los Angeles region and its past... and future!

We had two informative panel discussions; one focused on preservation strategies from a city's perspective and the other presented funding and fundraising strategies.

A special thanks again goes out to the LAHD steering committee members -- John Bwarie of the L.A. Heritage Alliance, Carmela Gomes of Highland Park Heritage Trust, Laura Meyers of West Adams Heritage, Cindy Olnick of The Los Angeles Conservancy, Brian Sheridan of Heritage Square Museum, and Valerie Yaros of Hollywood Heritage -- and of course the L.A.H.D. sponsors: Project Restore, Preservation Arts, and Spectra Company.

Though it may have been a bit windy on March 22, the rain subsided and the day was welcoming to all attendees!

Click here what others said about the event and even more event photos can be found here.

And so, the planning starts for the 3rd Annual Heritage Day!

Pictures on this page courtesy of John Freeman.

California’s Living New Deal Project Needs Your Help!

California’s Living New Deal Project needs local experts' help to reveal the impact of the New Deal on Southern California. The project, launched last year, needs information & images related to WPA projects constructed in L.A.
From their site:

"In order to identify New Deal projects in local communities we are asking interested historical societies, libraries, museums, and individual citizens to help provide information. If you know of a New Deal project in your community please complete [this form].

Once your information is received, we will confirm the project and conduct further research if necessary. Once the New Deal project is verified it will be added to the California’s Living New Deal Project website map."

About California’s Living New Deal Project:

California’s Living New Deal Project is a collaborative venture documenting and interpreting the impact of New Deal programs on the State. We invite you to join the California Historical Society, the California Studies Center, and U.C.Berkeley's Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library in identifying and discussing these indispensable public buildings and sites. Through this rediscovery, we will explore the history of the New Deal and consider timeless questions of civics in a living democracy.

Free Workshop for Non-Profits on Volunteers

The current nationwide economic downturn is taking a significant toll on California’s nonprofit sector. But you can lead your organization through these tough times and have greater impact than ever! California Volunteers, in partnership with Bank of America, the Taproot Foundation, and local partners across the state, has developed a series of FREE one-day conferences providing nonprofits access to key training and resources to help them effectively manage – and THRIVE – during the economic downturn.

Learn About:
-Leveraging the Full Spectrum of Volunteers
-Financial and Operational Tactics for Tough Times
-Knowing Your Donors and Strategic Implications for Today
-Data to Inform Your Strategy – State and Local Perspectives
-Resources to Help You Succeed
More information & Registration can be found at http://californiavolunteers.org/index.php/nosub/st.

California Preservation Foundation Conference: Register Now!

The California Preservation Foundation, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of California's diverse cultural and architectural heritage, is hosting its34th Annual California Preservation Conference, "The Culture of Leisure--Rethinking the California Dream", April 16-19, 2009, in Southern California.

If you want to get in on this exciting statewide event, get your spot on the coolest tours, participate in cutting-edge workshops, and attend unforgettable events, register now online at their website: http://www.californiapreservation.org/.

LAST CHANCE FOR ROOMS: A new block of rooms were added at the Spa Hotel! The Coachella Valley Music Festival occurs on the same weekend and rooms in the area are being booked now. Click here. Rooms are only held through 4/2/09!

The mission of The California Preservation Foundation is to "provide statewide leadership, advocacy and education to ensure the protection of California's diverse cultural heritage and historic places."

L.A. Heritage Day: Rain or Shine!

This Sunday's L.A. Heritage Day will go on as planned, rain or shine. So make the journey into Los Angeles' past and plan to attend between 11am and 4pm! Don't miss this annual opportunity!

Click here for more details.

Also, be aware that the rescheduled (from the fall) Pasadena Marathon will take place Sunday, too. There will only be minor delays before 10am if you are trying to get to the 110 south from the 210. Details of road closures can be found here.

L.A. Heritage Day This Sunday, March 22

As a final reminder, L.A. Heritage Day, the Los Angeles Heritage Alliance's largest annual event, will be held this Sunday, March 22, from 11am to 4pm at Heritage Square Museum.

Some final details...

For the updated list of attendees, click here.

To download and print the flyer for free admission, click here.

For directions and information for Heritage Square Museum, click here.

Don't miss this fun day with special presentations on fundraising and local preservation at 12pm and 3pm, respectively, as well as family activities, crafts, food for sale, and tours of the historic homes at this 40-year-old museum. Parking is free, or "Go Metro" to the Heritage Square Gold Line station and ride a classic car to the event!

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Project Restore
L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes
Preservation Arts
The Spectra Company

See you there!

This Weekend!
"City of the Seekers" Tour Explores Historic Religious Sites
Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Join the Los Angeles Conservancy and its Modern Committee for a special, one-time tour of historic sites related to spiritual organizations that are deeply woven into the history of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles has long been considered a place of reinvention and creation, be it in the arts, architecture, personal identity, spirituality, or virtually any other aspect of life. The city is home to a number of religious sites and organizations, many of whom started or took root here. “City of the Seekers” will celebrate this unique identity and the historic, often innovative architecture that embodies it. Tour stops include:

• Angelus Temple (1923) in Echo Park, one of the most recognizable religious sites in Los Angeles, home of Aimee Semple McPherson’s Foursquare Gospel church, and one of only seven Los Angeles structures designated as a National Historic Landmark (the highest form of designation in the U.S.)


• Bonnie Brae House (1896) in Historic Filipinotown, whose modern façade belies its significance as the birthplace of the modern Pentecostal movement in North America


• Chapel of the Jesus Ethic (1966) in Glendale, a modern gem located on the Glendale campus of the Foundation of Niscience (which means “knowing”)


• Philosophical Research Society (1936) in Los Feliz, a Mayan Revival complex designed by architect Robert Stacy-Judd and home to the nonprofit Philosophical Research Society, founded in 1934 by Manly P. Hall


• Self-Realization Fellowship Mother Center (1909) in the former Mount Washington Hotel, which since 1925 has been the international headquarters of the Self-Realization Fellowship founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, widely considered the father of Yoga in the West

Tickets are $30, $25 for Los Angeles Conservancy members, and $10 for kids twelve and under. All proceeds benefit the L.A. Conservancy's efforts to safeguard the historic resources of L.A. County.

For details and tickets, visit laconservancy.org. If you have questions, call (213) 623-2489 or e-mail info@laconservancy.org.

Hope to see you there!

Don't Miss L.A. Heritage Day

With over 65 groups joining for L.A. Heritage day on Sunday, March 22, 2009, you don't want to miss this annual event.

This open-air festival brings together dozens of local heritage groups to reconnect the public with greater Los Angeles’ vast range of cultural institutions and resources. Admission is free for anyone who downloads the flyer, and $5 without the flyer.

L.A. Heritage Day offers something for everyone— historic homes; a scavenger hunt and other activities for kids and families; panel discussions about culture, preservation, and tips for promoting local heritage; and the chance to learn about a variety of local preservation organizations, museums, and historical societies.

For an area widely misperceived as having no "real" history, the Los Angeles region has more than 200 historical organizations, societies, and museums dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich and varied pasts of various regions, industries, and individuals. The L.A. Heritage Alliance is a network of these groups formed in 2008 to unify and leverage their efforts.

Heritage Square Museum is located along the Arroyo Seco in northeast Los Angeles. This living history museum tells the story of Los Angeles’ development through historic structures that were relocated to the site to save them from demolition. For more information, visit www.heritagesquare.org or call 323-225-2700 x221.

Over 60 Heritage Groups Join Together

On March 22, 2009, over 60 65 groups from across Greater Los Angeles will joing together for L.A. Heritage Day.

Come for free (with the printed flyer) to meet, join, quiz, and mix with the following organizations:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum
Adam's Forge
African American Firefighter Museum
Alhambra Preservation Group
American Cinematheque
Arroyo Arts Collective
Art Deco Society of Los Angeles
Associated Historical Societies of Los Angeles County
Autry National Center's Southwest Museum
Azusa Street Mission & Historical Society
Boyle Heights Historical Society
California Art Club
California Preservation Foundation
Canoga Park-Owensmouth Historical Society
City of Los Angeles, Office of Historic Resources
Claremont Heritage
Culinary Historians of Southern California
Cultural Heritage Foundation of Southern California
Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum
Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society
Echo Park Historical Society
Friends of La Laguna
Friends of the Gamble House
Friends of the Southwest Museum
Grier Musser Museum
Heritage Park
Heritage Square Museum
Highland Park Heritage Trust
Historic Adamson House/Malibu Lagoon Museum
Historical Society of Southern California
Hollywood Heritage
Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles
Lanterman House Museum
Las Angelitas del Pueblo
Latino Heritage
Leonis Adobe
Little Landers Historical Society
Long Beach Heritage
Los Angeles City Historical Society
Los Angeles Conservancy
Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation
Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust
Los Encinos Docent Association
Montebello Historical Society
Monterey Park City Historical Society
Muckenthaler Cultural Center
Museum of the San Fernando Valley
Olmsted District Preservation Association
Point Fermin Lighthouse
Pomona Heritage
Rancho Los Alamitos
Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site
San Fernando Valley Historical Society
San Marino Heritage
San Marino Historical Society
Santa Monica Conservancy
Society of Architectural Historians - Southern California Chapter
Southern Pacific Historical and Technical Society
Venice Historical Society
West Adams Heritage Association
Western Educators, Shooters, and Troopers
Whittier Conservancy
William S. Hart Park and Museum
Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society
The Yesteryears Dancers

L.A. Heritage Day is presented by the Los Angeles Heritage Alliance and is sponsored by Project Restore, Preservation Arts, L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes, and the Spectra Company.