Nic Cha Kim
Nic Cha Kim is an Emmy-winning journalist, documentary filmmaker, and curator who thrives at the intersection of arts, culture, and storytelling in Southern California. As Senior Producer of Arts & Culture at PBS SoCal and producer of the acclaimed documentary series Artbound, Nic brings the spotlight to artists, arts leaders, and arts movements that often fly under the radar. When he's not crafting stories in front or behind the camera, Nic enjoys street photography, rescuing cats, and documenting his ebike rides through LA's numerous protected bike lanes.
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Every week, I highlight a few events across the SoCal region. This week, head to a museum dance party, celebrate Nisei Week, and more!
9:21
Color in Motion explores this history of color in film at the Academy Museum.
9:38
Future Imaginaries explores the rising use of Futurism in contemporary Indigenous art.
8:29
Natural History Museum restores famous diorama hall, celebrating its 100th anniversary.
9:30
Remote Sensing explores sound detection through tree antennas and copper wires in Hinkley, CA.
6:22
88 Cores, featured in Seeing the Unseeable, explores data visualization’s role in art and climate.
12:58
Counter/Surveillance traces the roots and art of covert surveillance devices and methods.
9:36
For Dear Life examines how illness and disability shape American art, featuring Katherine Sherwood.
11:46
A new exhibit retells the story and impact of George Washington Carver.
12:10
Energy Fields examines the science of vibration, sound and kinetic energy detection through art.
11:10
Designers imagine a single city for 10 billion people to restore the world.
12:04
In 1970s Compton, the Paul Robeson Players emerge as one of L.A.'s longest-running Black theaters.
4:08
#16 revives 1950s Case Study style, preserving its original steel and design.
4:41
West House showcases California culture with natural light and vintage materials for better living.
4:57
Case Study House #26, the Harrison House, is Northern California's only example, preserved today.
5:50
The Triad House in La Jolla shares its rich architectural history with future generations.
4:38
The Eames family preserves Case Study House #8, honoring its 1950s legacy and modern design.
5:54
The Stahl House preserves its legacy, with the family sharing its rich history and origins.
57:03
The life of the visionary musician, dancer and activist Nobuko Miyamoto.
56:38
Brockman Gallery was the center of a community of Black artists in L.A. from 1967-1990.
56:33
West Coast Modernism took hold in post-WWII with the “Case Study Houses” program.
56:59
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory transforms science into awe-inspiring creative projects.
57:08
Follow Cheech Marin's journey from comedy icon to Chicano art advocate.
9:33
Little Amal, a 12-ft-tall puppet of a Syrian refugee, learns ASL with Deaf West Theatre.
5:51
Prospering Backyards fights Exide lead soil contamination with art, science & community.
56:43
Chronicling the 58-year history of the longest running theatre of color in the U.S.
55:51
Angel City Press has been shaping and influencing public understanding of LA for decades.
56:39
Artists-In-Residence programs provide artists opportunities to create uninterrupted work.
56:40
Following the Watts Uprising, UCLA increased film program enrollment of students of color.
56:43
David Alfaro Siqueiros created Olvera Street’s popular mural with an innovative technique.
56:43
Two Chinese restaurants became the unlikely epicenter of L.A.’s burgeoning punk scene.
56:17
Rubén Ortiz-Torres explores his past and present in an uncertain socio-economic future.
56:28
Giant Robot was a bimonthly magazine that profoundly affected Asian American pop culture.
56:43
WPA projects live on in L.A. Explores what effect a similar program might have today.
56:49
Six Latinx artists in L.A. work to secure their place in American art.
56:59
When Marcel Duchamp came to Pasadena in 1963, he sent ripples down L.A.'s art scene.
56:43
A self-published comic book made by brothers from Oxnard, Ca. makes comic book history.
6:04
Artist Emily Barker sheds light on the systemic challenges of disabled people.
6:21
Lauren Lee McCarthy re-imagines human relationships amid the rise of NFTs.
6:22
Artist Phung Huynh illustrates the Cambodian American experience on pink donut boxes.
53:45
An LGBTQ nightclub event in L.A. called “Mustache Mondays” was an incubator for today’s exciting artists.
56:55
The Autry Museum is working to recontextualize a large mural, dating from the 1980s.
56:34
Site-specific desert art about land ownership, water scarcity and overlooked histories.
56:39
“Sweet Land” recasts this nation's story through the eyes of immigrants and the Indigenous
55:39
Ceramist Helen Jean Taylor crafted timeless works and helped others find peace in clay.
54:35
A tribute to Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara, a Chicano music pioneer.
58:00
Artbound visits Kathy Kobayashi who discusses the Shades of L.A. photography archive at the Downtown L.A. Library.
33:05
Songs in the Key of L.A. is a multi-platform collaboration.
27:59
With the rise of the super-temp, comes the increase income inequality. What happens when half the workforce are gig workers? SoCal Connected follows an Uber driver who lost his job and is struggling to support his family as an independent contractor. Ho
8:49
How Cisco Pinedo is building a brand, furniture and community all at the same time.
8:49
How one of L.A.'s most successful entrepreneurs, Cisco Pinedo, is building a brand, furniture and community all at the same time.
28:29
As new developments pop up all over L.A., many are asking, 'Who approved that?'
28:29
As new developments pop up all over L.A., many are asking, 'Who approved that?'
9:28
As new developments pop up all over L.A., many residents are asking, 'Who approved that?'
Where do L.A.’s dogs go when they’ve been accused of behaving badly? They can find themselves quarantined in an animal shelter while their owners may find themselves ordered to appear at Los Angeles Animal Services’ administrative hearings.
7:19
The California Condors were on the brink of extinction when Federal Fish and Wildlife officials took an aggressive approach to save one of the world's largest birds.
13:29
Can these Airbnb turf wars be settled by City Hall leaders?
24:30
Examine L.A.'s unregulated short-term housing market and an indoor marijuana facility employing veterans.
In its season premiere episode, SoCal Connected has found neighbors throughout L.A. filing lawsuits, restraining orders and calling the police on each other, all over the arrival of short term rentals. Can these Airbnb turf wars be settled by City Hall le
8:46
The residents of tiny Val Verde, Calif. wanted the landfill in their backyard to go away.
9:05
Are we loving our state and national parks to death? The popularity of the Joshua Tree National Park is bringing stress and damage to this beautiful area.
8:04
Thousands of homeless people live in their vans and cars. But finding a place to park overnight makes life even more difficult and dangerous.
8:52
A 10th century Persian tale of star-crossed lovers is the basis for a stunning production.
8:46
Traveling in a tube at 750 miles an hour would take you from LA to SFO in 30 minutes. It’s called the Hyperloop.
6:41
Food scraps from UC Irvine’s commissary used to be sent to landfills where it produced destructive greenhouse gases.
10:04
In a special report SoCal Connected explores L.A.'s tree canopy; the 10-million-plus trees that shade more than 20 percent of the city. Trees are a remarkable counter force against the concrete landscape that feeds rising temperatures.
7:08
More than 25 years in the making, artist Dominique Moody has created an exquisite tiny house on wheels. She calls it “The Nomad.”
6:45
Nic Cha Kim visits the Hollyhock House, one of L.A.'s most iconic homes designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1920s. After a recent $4.4 million dollar renovation project, many of the original features have been restored and are now vie...
5:32
Since 2010, hundreds of thousands of Angelenos have pedaled the streets of Los Angeles at one of the largest alternative transportation events in the nation.
7:25
Artist and collector Clare Graham is an expert at transforming recycled material into art reminiscent of fractal designs and elaborate patterns found in nature.
6:51
Esteemed radio host Art Laboe has spent decades taking song dedications and creating a space for inclusion and diversity. With his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the 89-year-old Armenian American radio personality has no plans to retire a...
5:52
Grand Central Market has become the dining destination for foodies. Much of its historic charm has remained untouched for decades, but it has undergone new changes over the past year.
7:40
In 2002, the city of Los Angeles placed a moratorium banning murals on private property. As a result of the ban, murals became illegal in Los Angeles. Many up and coming artists were forced to take down their murals, or have their artwork painted over.
5:56
Take a road trip to one of the most unique and historic landmarks along Route 66, just south of Barstow.
5:08
Explore a slew of books, classic records, and art at The Last Bookstore, downtown L.A.'s most celebrated independent bookstore.
7:35
Nic Cha Kim visits various parts of the village to ask business owners, residents, and stakeholders about the future of Leimert Park and whether gentrification will impact the neighborhood's culture.
4:47
Los Angeles is home to dozens of food trucks and beverages on wheels.
9:00
Residents of the resource-starved North Shore community on the Salton Sea hope a new plan for renewal and social practice art will promise a more sustainable future.
16:48
Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras began in 2008.
A recap of all of the performances from Songs in the Key of Los Angeles, bringing to life long-archived sheet music within the L.A. Public Library.
5:28
Songs in the Key of Los Angeles continues with L.A. musician Julia Holter's take on "Where The Mission Bells Are Chiming" -- bringing to life long archived sheet music within the L.A. Public Library.
7:00
Songs in the Key of Los Angeles continues with singer Aloe Blacc's take on "When The Girl You Love Lives in California" -- bringing to life long archived sheet music within the L.A. Public Library.
5:31
Songs in the Key of Los Angeles continues with L.A. band Petrojvic Blasting Company's take on "Strolling Neath The California Moon" -- bringing to life long-archived sheet music within the L.A. Public Library.
4:41
Songs in the Key of Los Angeles concludes with L.A. band La Santa Cecilia's take on "Chiapanecas" -- bringing to life long-archived sheet music within the L.A. Public Library.
Songs in the Key of Los Angeles explores a portion of the L.A. Public Library's sheet music collection, which is thought to be the world's only library collection of Southern California sheet music.
4:26
Thank You for Coming is a restaurant that is also an artist residency space that encompasses the worlds of sustainable farming, cooperative living, community-based activism, fine art, and design.