Native Intelligence

The question 'how hot is it?' once again will be answered by the landmark thermometer in the desert town of Baker.

With the Lakers worst-ever season in Los Angeles ending this week, it's time to look ahead. What should the Lakers do next to reverse their fortunes?

LA mayor Eric Garcetti has a narrative problem. The two stories he is telling about Los Angeles don't line up. Winning an Olympic bid could provide the deus ex machina the city needs in the absence of a heroic storyline.

Take My Picture Gary Leonard is a weekly feature of LA Observed.

Former President Bill Clinton brought his Clinton Global Initiative to LA for a workshop on "21st Century Infrastructure and Innovation for a Resilient Economy." Good, important stuff, but big questions remain about how to finance the investments we need urgently.

Photos from the preview of the new show at both the Geffen Contemporary and in MOCA's main space on Grand Avenue.

One of the best midsize venues for professional theater in LA County is on the stage of La Mirada Theatre, adjacent to the actors.

Dancer Melissa Barak learned from Tanaquil Le Clercq, the legendary ballet muse who is the subject of a new documentary.

Take My Picture Gary Leonard is a regular weekly feature at LA Observed.

Donna Perlmutter finds lively fare from Kronos Quartet, LA Chamber Orchestra and LA Ballet.

Spotted this weekend in Palm Springs: a star honoring the late photographer Julius Shulman, whose images helped elevate public admiration of mid-century modern homes and style.

Major General Anthony L. Jackson, USMC (Ret) may be the perfect leader to modernize the quasi-military corps of California State Parks, but can he transform the hidebound agency into an organization focused on understanding and satisfying its customers?

They look as different as day and night - "A Song at Twilight" at Pasadena Playhouse and "Reunion" at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. Yet they share a common bond.

Take My Picture Gary Leonard is a regular weekly event at LA Observed....

Some items on the recent rains, on baseball and of course on signs that just don't say what they should.

Take My Picture Gary Leonard runs on Thursdays at LA Observed.

"Harmony" is redeeming Center Theatre Group's stubborn faith in the subject of young guys' bands. It's by far the best of the lot.

An LA Times story, about one of city's most important environmental restoration projects ever, missed the backstory. Here it is.

If you think the desert of Southern California is dead, you're not alive. Some photos from a recent trip.

Take My Picture Gary Leonard runs on Thursdays at LA Observed. Gary Leonard archive....

A panel discussion at the Annenberg Space for Photography was a call to action, and to pursuing your dreams.

It's not easy to find someone whose right brain and left brain are each working overtime. But photographer Abelardo Morell is more than a creative spirit.

From his seat in the audience at REDCAT on Saturday, Randy Reinholz booed. He is the founding artistic director of Native Voices, the Native American theater company based at the Autry that is currently offering the premiere of "Stand-Off at Hwy #37."

Artist Lauren Bon has won approval from the LA City Council to build an enormous water wheel on the LA River near downtown. Bon will be discussing the project in a public conversation on March 22, World Water Day, in Lincoln Heights.

Misty Copeland, the only black female soloist dancing with the American Ballet Theater, will be back home in Los Angeles this week talking about her new memoir. The book explores her rise from a vagabond childhood to stature in the ballet world, where she found a surrogate family.