art

East L.A. Meets Napa 

Mona Day art, Chefs, Dine, Food & Wine Events, Restaurants

AltaMed Foundation will host its premier food and wine East L.A. Meets Napa in the grand ticket concourse of Los Angeles Union Station on Friday, July 31, 2026, marking over two decades of celebrating the profound impact of Latino vintners and chefs on California’s culinary landscape  while serving as a critical fundraiser to support AltaMed Health Services in providing quality healthcare to underserved communities across Southern California.

The culinary lineup of over 50 top-tier chefs serving gourmet samples includes Macheen, Porto’s Bakery, Yuca’s LA, King Taco, El Tepeyac Café, Chichen Itza, Guerrilla Tacos, Taco María, Coni’Seafood, and La Monarca Bakery. The expansive food pavilion also proudly features The Knotted Apron, Tortas Chago, Mama Cheesecake LA, El Paisa Colombian Restaurant, Arctic Penguinitis, La Fonda de Los Camperos, Tepeyac & Tequila, El Coraloense, La Huasteca, Ricardo’s Place, The Nixon Chops & Whiskey, Maestro Pasadena, Salazar Frogtown, Chalio’s Mexican Restaurant, and Juan’s Restaurante.

The viticultural pavilion will showcase highly regarded, family-owned estates pouring award-winning varietals.  The lineup includes Ceja Vineyards, Maldonado Family Vineyards, Renteria Wines, Robledo Family Winery, Aldina Vineyards, Bazán Cellars, Delgadillo Cellars, Encanto Vineyards, Herencia del Valle, Honrama Cellars, Justicia Wines, Llamas Family Wines, Mi Sueño Winery, Reynoso Family Vineyards, Rios Wine Company, Esfuerzo Wines, Lemus Family Wines, and Vintner’s Diary. 

A diverse selection of artisanal beverage creators will include craft spirits from Pochteca Spirits, premium blends from Señor Sangria  along with local craft breweries, 

Desserts will include signature Cuban pastries and cakes from Porto’s Bakery, traditional pan dulce and Mexican pastries from La Monarca Bakery,  gourmet bites from Mama Cheesecake, Mascarpone Cheesecakes,  conchas from Con Azucar Café, and frozen treats from Arctic Penguinitis.

Live musical acts will include contemporary Latin fusion and traditional sounds from world-renowned acts like Ozomatli,  classic Afro-Cuban beats and Latin jazz arrangements from  groups like Mongorama, alongside an array of local salsa bands, mariachi ensembles, and DJs spinning modern beats.

Curated exhibitions will showcase striking Chicano and Latino art, celebrating the deep-rooted creative spirit of the local community.  

Interactive photo booths,  multimedia step-and-repeats hosted by local corporate sponsors and and live wine-pairing demonstrations with master sommeliers add to the fun.

A VIP Reception at 6:00pm offers early entry, along with exclusive premium wine pours, intimate chef meet-and-greets, and a private lounge experience. The Main Event at 7:00pm grants full access to all standard food and wine tasting stations, live musical performances, and art pavilions.

All proceeds from ticket sales, auctions, and corporate sponsorships directly benefit the AltaMed Foundation, funding mobile medical units, community clinics, and bilingual health programs for families in need.

For updates, more information and tickets, please visit https://altamedfoodwine.org

 LA Art Show

Mona Day art, art, See

The LA Art Show,  LA’s largest and longest-running fair, The LA Art Show, returns to the LA Convention Center for its 31st edition  January 7 – 11.  Led by director and producer Kassandra Voyagis, it will feature over 90 exhibitors from around the world. 

This year’s edition features international highlights include Ireland’s first time participation with Dublin’s Oliver Sears Gallery and Palm Beach’s Provident Fine Art with a solo presentation of Sylvester Stallone’s abstract works. 

Highlighting the intersection of music and contemporary art, this year’s fair will feature works by two notable British musicians: Paul Simonon of The Clash and Chris Rivers of Heaven’s Basement. 

In another first, Art of Contemporary Africa is presenting works from Dr Esther Mahlangu, a contemporary artist whose 8 decades of art has made her a beloved cultural ambassador of the Ndebele nation. 

Other notable exhibitions include the first public showing in over four decades of Karl A. Meyer’s 1980s woodcut prints at Switzerland’s LICHT FELD Gallery, and cinematic figurative works by Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri presented by Corridor Contemporary. A strong Korean presence continues with J&J Art’s “Elegant Freedom” by Jinny Suh, whose Hanji-based works reinterpret Korean tradition through a contemporary lens.

The fair will debut its new Latin American Pavilion curated by Marisa Caichiolo-who was recently selected to co-curate Chile’s pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Centered on themes of memory, migration and identity, the pavilion explores representation, provenance and the evolving trajectory of Latin American art.  The Pavillion is a timely reminder of the challenges posed by immigration issues for Latin American communities and their artists. 

The fair’s signature non-commercial platform, DIVERSEartLA curated by Marisa Caichiolo returns with the theme The Biennials, Art Institutions and Museums in the Contemporary Art Ecosystem exploring the evolution of contemporary art through global biennials and museums, and how the two  complement and challenge one another. The platform highlights their shared roles in artistic innovation, public engagement, and cultural dialogue.

The American Heart Association is again the charity beneficiary, receiving 15% of proceeds from every ticket sold for their Life is Why ™ campaign. 

For more information and tickets, please visit www.laartshow.com

LA Art Show

Mona Day art, Design, See

LA Art Show returns to the LA Convention Center on Feb 19-23, marking its 30th anniversary with over 100 global exhibitors.  The show has sought to democratize art by offering a range of mediums and price points to ensure accessibility while also catering to established art collectors.

As LA’s largest and longest-running fair, LA Art Show has played a significant role in the City’s emergence as a global art epicenter and its ever-expanding global reach will be on full display with exhibitors from Turkey, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Canada, France, Taiwan, London, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.  Highlights include:

                  • LICHT FELD GALLERY (SWITZERLAND): Multidisciplinary artist and bestselling poet, Arch Hades – named the highest paid living poet in the world in 2021 – presents her sculpture the ‘Isle,’ a tribute to the island of San Michele in Veneto, where the entire island is a cemetery known as the ‘island of the dead’. This sculpture features poetry ‘poems are like gravestones, marking where love lies’ in Hades’ handwriting on the black, polished ‘lagoon’ plane) and the ‘graves’ of the island represented by many books forming the sculptures.

                  • SNISARENKO GALLERY (UKRAINE): “She, Unbroken” brings together Ukrainian-born female artists whose works express their war experience, resilience and strength.

                  • CORAL GALLERY (MIAMI) will showcase Roberto Vivo’s sculptural works like “The Human Tribe Totem,” a large 77 x 95 inch bronze sculpture expressing human unity and diversity.  Inviting contemplation on form, space, and harmony,  it debuted at the 2024 Venice Biennale.  

                  •  CASTERLINE|GOODMAN GALLERY (ASPEN): Young American artist, Daniel Yocum who has gained recognition for his unique approach to figurative abstract expressionism infused with hip-hop aesthetics, often incorporates imagery of cars and flowers amidst vivid colors and black marks. 

                  

                  •  ART IN DONGSAN (SOUTH KOREA):  Sculptural works from Steel Che (Youngkwan Choi) repurpose industrial materials into artistic forms. The exhibition’s centerpiece Steam Robot demonstrates his mastery of traditional craftsmanship.

                  • COLUMBIA ROAD GALLERY (LONDON, UK):  Capturing East London’s vibrant art scene, the gallery showcases up-and-coming UK artists Kate Boxer, Thomas Gosebruch, Hannah Ludnow, and Jonathan Schofield.

                  •  DANUBIANA MUSESUM (SLOVAKIA): Viktor Freso’s breathtaking 30-foot Bear sculpture  symbolizing power and resilience, will be displayed in the lobby setting the tone for the event as bigger, and more ambitious.

To amplify marginalized perspectives,the show will include a non-commercial section DIVERSEartLA curated by Marisa Caichiolo featuring 8 famed art institutions representing  diversity and inclusion in the arts.  They include Celebrating Diversity by Chiachio & Giannone curated by Gabriela Urtiaga, Chief Curator at MOLAA,  Dactiloscopia Rosa: Video Art and QUEER Constructions curated by Nestor Prieto and presented by Museo La Neomudejar (Madrid, Spain), and Carlos Martiel | Cauce/Riverbed curated By Marisa Caichiolo

For more information and tickets, please visit www.laartshow.com;  15% of proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association’s Life is Why campaign.