IN THE NEWS
OVERVIEW​
"In the News" features press clips highlighting arts and culture events and programs in the City of Glendale. Learn about the unique experiences and opportunities Glendale offers to artists and the general public while accomplishing its goal of becoming an arts and culture destination.
Author Talk with Nancy Kricorian
Glendale Central Library​​
April 2, 2025​
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Glendale Library, Arts & Culture hosted a conversation with Nancy Kricorian and Shahé Mankerian to discuss her latest book, The Burning Heart of the World. In vivid, poetic prose, Nancy Kricorian’s The Burning Heart of the World tells the story of a Beirut Armenian family before, during, and after the Lebanese Civil War. Leavened with humor and imbued with the timelessness of a folktale, The Burning Heart of the World is a sweeping saga that takes readers on an epic journey from the mountains of Cilicia to contemporary New York City.
Embracing Diasporic Art: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn
ReflectSpace Gallery in Glendale Central Library​​
On exhibit from March 22 - May 23, 2025​
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Embracing Diasporic Art: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn at ReflectSpace presents thirty-five original portraits of Quinn made by diasporic, immigrant, and culturally diverse artists. Selected from Quinn’s personal art collection and archive of over three hundred works, the exhibition highlights a distinct part of each artists’ unique story and how they capture Quinn’s vital and enduring presence. The exhibition extends into the PassageWay, where Quinn’s own snapshots reveal her instinct for documenting intimate moments with legendary figures like Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Lessa Kanani′opua Pelayo-Lozada Appointed as Director of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture
Announced March 4, 2025​​​
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The City of Glendale is proud to announce the promotion of Lessa Kanani′opua Pelayo-Lozada as the new Director of the Library, Arts & Culture Department. With a deep appreciation for Glendale’s cultural vibrancy and diversity, Lessa brings a wealth of experience and a passion for community engagement to her new role. Lessa aims to further enhance the Library’s presence in the community, strengthen outreach efforts with the library’s newly unveiled electric Bookmobile, and expand programs that seamlessly integrate library services, arts, and culture. With her leadership, the department looks forward to continuing its mission of enriching the lives of Glendale residents through knowledge, creativity, and cultural engagement.
Adams Square Mini Park Gas Station Exhibits
Adams Square Mini Park​
Ongoing​
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The Adams Square Mini Park project was completed by the City of Glendale in an effort to create a green space in the center of the business district for the densely populated Adams Hill neighborhood and to incorporate the historic 1936 Streamline Moderne Gas Station. The Adams Square Mini Park Gas Station is 12’x12’x12' cube with acrylic windows on all four sides. Exhibits are displayed on a rotational basis every six weeks.
PERSEVERANCE: 20 Years of Thinkspace
Brand Library & Art Center​​
On exhibit from February 1 - March 29, 2025​
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Glendale Library, Arts & Culture and Brand Library & Art Center present PERSEVERANCE: 20 Years of Thinkspace in collaboration with Thinkspace Projects, a Los Angeles-based gallery. Featuring over 70 artists, PERSERVERANCE celebrates the 20th anniversary of the gallery with a presentation of new works by local artists as well as site-specific murals. PERSEVERANCE is the fifth collaboration between Brand Library & Art Center and Thinkspace Projects.
Between War and Nostalgia: A Ukrainian Trajectory
ReflectSpace Gallery in Glendale Central Library​​
On exhibit from December 21, 2024 - March 9, 2025​
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Between War and Nostalgia: A Ukrainian Trajectory is a group exhibition that considers and reflects on Ukraine’s recent history and its emergence as a post-Soviet nation while grappling with invasion and war. The artists in the exhibit stare directly at Russia’s assaults on their homeland and the ravages it has wreaked on their communities, psyche, and property while articulating their relationship to their homeland through memory, family, and return. Collectively, the artists construct a vision of Ukrainian resilience and defiance.
Arts Vibrancy Index 2024
Released December 12, 2024​
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In its ninth release, the Arts Vibrancy Index 2024 (AVI) analyzes over 900 unique communities across the United States on measurements related to overall arts vibrancy. In research conducted by SMU DataArts, the top 40 most arts-vibrant communities nationwide were ranked considering factors like supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture, along with adjustments for cost of living and population size. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale ranks at number 12 in the list of 20 most arts-vibrant large communities in the nation.
Central Library Youth Spaces Grand Opening
Glendale Central Library​​
Saturday, November 23 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
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The unveiling of Central Library's newly renovated Children's Space, Teen Space & Sound Space took place on Saturday November 23. The newly redesigned Children’s Space highlights Central Library's vibrant collections focused on age-appropriate materials, a versatile programming space, and a new reading area. In the new Teen Space, teens will get to socialize, study, game, and create in a soundproof communal area. Central Library's state-of-the-art Sound Space is where the public can learn how to record a podcast, music, and programs.
Projecting L.A. 2024
ReflectSpace Gallery in Glendale Central Library ​​
On exhibit from October 5 - December 8, 2024​
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Glendale Library, Arts & Culture and ReflectSpace are proud to present Projecting L.A. 2024, a unique photographic project that presents an intimate and kaleidoscopic view of Los Angeles, its diverse communities, and unwieldy streets. The brainchild of Julia Dean - photographer, educator, writer, and founder of the Los Angeles Center of Photography - Projecting L.A. brings together a vast spectrum of photographers to tell the story of Los Angeles through photojournalism, documentary, and street photography.
Jewel City Concert Series
Artsakh Paseo​​
Performances ran from September 28 - October 26, 2024​
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The Jewel City Concert Series is an outdoor concert series located in the Downtown Arts & Entertainment District. Live, family-friendly performances take place on Saturday evenings. The Jewel City Concert Series began in 2017 to celebrate the renovation and reopening of Glendale's Downtown Central Library, and is sponsored by the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission through funding from the Urban Art Program and with support from the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture.
Blended Worlds: Experiments in Interplanetary Imagination
Brand Library & Art Center​​
On exhibit from September 21, 2024 - January 4, 2025
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Blended Worlds: Experi fostered civic dialogue on some of today's most pressing issues by examining the intersections of art and science through a series of exhibitions, public programs, and various resources. Topics included climate change, environmental justice, the future of artificial intelligence, and alternative medicine.
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Blended Worlds was among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of the landmark regional event, PST ART: Art & Science Collide.
(Be)Longing: Asian Diasporic Crossings
ReflectSpace Gallery in Glendale Central Library ​​
On exhibit from July 20 - September 22, 2024​
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Glendale Library, Arts & Culture and ReflectSpace Gallery are excited to present (Be)Longing: Asian Diasporic Crossings, an exhibition exploring the multi-generational impacts of war and displacement and the creation of Asian diasporic communities across East and West. The exhibition includes maps, sculptures, photography, archives, video, and layered materiality, featuring artists from the US, South Korea, and China.
Brand 52: Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper
Brand Library & Art Center​
On exhibit from June 15 - August 9, 2024
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Brand Library & Art Center and the Brand Associates are proud to present Brand 52: Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper. This year's exhibition showcases over 100 artworks from across the country, selected by juror Shana Nys Dambrot, a distinguished art critic, author, and curator. The exhibition features both new and returning artists, offering a unique opportunity to explore the versatility of the paper medium.
Before, After: Reflections on the Armenian Genocide
Reflect Space Gallery in Glendale Central Library​
On exhibit from April 20 - July 7, 2024
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Before, After: Reflections on the Armenian Genocide explored generations of Armenian resilience, focusing on themes of loss and survival. The exhibition examined connections passed down through blood, migration, and history, from genocide to diaspora to a sense of belonging. Before, After integrated artifacts with abstract art, witness accounts with recreations, and old materials repurposed into new forms. The Armenian experience, both past and present, was showcased through a variety of mediums and practices, reflecting the recurring patterns of grief, healing, and reflection.
Brand Associates Dance Series
Brand Library & Art Center​
On exhibit from April 27 - May 18, 2024
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The Brand Associates Dance Series, curated by the renowned choreographer, teacher, and producer Jamie Nichols, features leading dance companies from Southern California performing site-specific works in unique spaces around the Brand Library & Art Center. This series, which started in the 1960s, aligns with the Brand Library & Art Center's mission to promote all facets of art.
SUMMERTIME: SUPERCOLLIDER + Students of Glendale Unified School District
Brand Library & Art Center​
On exhibit from March 23 - May 18, 2024
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SUMMERTIME was a collaboration between SUPERCOLLIDER and students of Glendale Unified School District. Curated by Marcela Vieira, SUMMERTIME explored the landscape as a product of human activity, transformed from its natural state. The exhibition examined how topography has been divided, fragmented, and modified due to social, economic, and aesthetic factors. Artists presented works using diverse materials, creating unique configurations that interacted with the gallery space. SUMMERTIME aimed to investigate the reality and possibilities of representation, using fiction to imagine alternative landscapes.