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Best Things to Do in SoCal and LA This Week: March 2-8, 2026

Every week, I highlight a few events across the SoCal region. This week, watch whales and shop for ceramics in Orange County, experience a museum turned into an instrument, and celebrate Black history and cyberpunk through art.

A Cathedral of sound

For one night only, The Broad transforms its lobby into an instrument as electroacoustic and minimalist organist Sarah Davachi and conceptual sound and contemporary electronic music artist Robert Takahashi Novak premiere specially commissioned, site-specific compositions that activate the museum’s unique cathedral-link architecture through immersive spatial sound. Presented in conjunction with "Robert Therrien: This is a Story," Davachi's and Novak’s individual works explore how scale, memory, and perception shift in relation to physical space. To learn more about the work of Robert Takahashi Novak, watch the PST ART: Fusing Art & Science episode, Energy Fields: Vibrations of the Pacific.

Sarah Davachi, Robert Takahashi Novak
The Broad
221 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Saturday, March 7, 7:30 PM
$25
Includes access to Robert Therrien: This is a Story

A weekend of clay and glass

One of Orange County’s most celebrated art traditions returns as Grand Central Art Center hosts its annual Ceramics and Glass Show and Sale. This free event brings together an exceptional lineup of regional artists working in clay and glass, offering collectors a chance to browse and discover beautifully crafted works straight from the artist. This year’s roster includes Silvia Alvarez Ritterling, Ava Arteaga, Emily Brash, Tien Do, Diana Donaldson, Jose Flores Nava, among many others. The show highlights the depth and diversity of SoCal’s contemporary craft scene so come meet the makers and support local talent.

Ceramics and Glass Show and Sale, picture of a display of pottery works in a gallery space.
Grand Central Art Center
125 N. Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Sunday, March 8, 11:00 AM
Free

Halos and heroes

Altadena based artist Mark Steven Greenfield unveils his latest body of work in "Venerated," a striking new exhibition at the Boone Family Gallery at Pasadena City College. Known for reimaging historical Black figures as icons and saints, the figurative paintings adorned with acrylic and gold leaf question race, erasure, and systems of power by amplifying forgotten histories as sources of inspiration. The artist-in-residence with the City of Pasadena, the exhibit is a continuation of Greenfield’s HALO series of portraits with an eye toward themes of representation, reclamation, and reverence. To learn more about the artist, watch the Artbound documentary Black Art: A Brockman Gallery Legacy.

"Venerated" by Mark Steven Greenfield Opening Reception
The Galleries at Pasadena City College
1570 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
Thursday, March 5, 5:00 PM
Free

A world on the edge of tomorrow

Join the closing reception of "Planetary Imaginaries" by director and worldbuilder Liam Young at SCI-Arc Gallery, a sweeping exhibition that blurs architecture, science fiction, and mythmaking. Expanding his visionary worldbuilding through collaborations with acclaimed sci-fi writers from around the world, Young imagines cinematic futures where oil rigs turn to coral and megacities fold into planetary parks. Through films, miniatures, ceremonial costumes, action figures, and speculative artifacts, the exhibit maps a constellation of possible worlds, asking viewers to reimagine what survival and resistance look like at the edge of an ecological crisis. To learn more about the artist, watch the PST ART: Fusing Art & Science episode, Views of Planet City.

Planetary Imaginaries by Liam Young
Southern California Institute of Architecture
960 E 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Sunday, March 8, 9:00 AM
Free

A weekend of whale watching

Dana Point celebrates the 55th Annual Festival of Whales, a beloved seaside tradition honoring the majestic whales that migrate along Southern California’s coast each year. This free, family-friendly festival features whale-watching excursions, marine conservation talks, marine-themed activities, and educational exhibits that capture the wonder of our deep-sea neighbors.

55th Annual Dana Point Festival of Whale
Dana Point Harbor
34571 Golden Lantern
Dana Point, CA 92629
Friday, March 6, 6:00 PM
Free

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