Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Los Angeles
- 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Craft Contemporary’s opening reception puts monuments, memory and natural dyes in view
A bronze monument can be altered with basketry; a textile can carry knowledge of plants and fire. At Craft Contemporary’s November 14 opening reception, those approaches are part of a first look at three exhibitions connected by questions of history, material and change.
When a monument changes use
In Vandalismo Artesanal, Colombian artist Carlos Castro Arias brings bronze monument-making into contact with weaving and beading practices from communities across Colombia. Some sculptures rework busts of conquistadors with basketry or Inga symbols, setting the authority of a commemorative object against other ways of making and remembering.
The baskets also give some sculptures a practical function. During the exhibition, they are planned to hold changing selections of produce, available free to visitors through a partnership with Hollywood Food Coalition. That is an exhibition feature, rather than a confirmed reception-night offering. Curated by Frida Cano, the show is Castro Arias’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.
Further reading: Carlos Castro Arias: Vandalismo Artesanal - Craft Contemporary ↗
Fire, inheritance and the work of making
Embers of Generational Memory takes a different route through questions of history. Curator Marvella Muro brings together the nine artists in the California Community Foundation’s 2026–2027 Fellowship for Visual Artists cohort, including Kimberly Robertson (Mvskoke), Reynaldo Rivera and Carla Jay Harris. Photography, beadwork, painting, sculpture and social practice are among the forms used to address personal and collective memory.
The exhibition considers fire as a force associated with regeneration as well as destruction. Its themes include colonized land and resources, gender violence and cultural persistence. It is part of Craft Contemporary’s broader exhibition series on craft and the natural elements.
For Laboratorio Fuego Medicinal, Meztli Projects—a collective of contemporary Indigenous artists led by Joel Garcia—focuses on natural dyes and textiles, with attention to California native plants and minerals. The museum’s Maker-in-Residence program is designed to bring visitors closer to makers and their processes through on-site work and conversation.
The residency plans dyeing, weaving, beading and basketry activities during its run. Those are separate from the reception: no particular workshop or demonstration is listed for opening night.
Further reading: Embers of Generational Memory - Craft Contemporary ↗ · Maker-in-Residence: Meztli Projects - Craft Contemporary ↗ · Opening Reception: Vandalismo Artesanal, Embers of Generational Memory, and Maker-in-Residence, Meztli Projects: Laboratorio Fuego Medicinal - Craft Contemporary ↗
Planning the reception
Member access starts earlier
On Saturday, November 14, 2026, members may enter from 5 p.m. The ticketed public reception runs from 7 to 9 p.m.
Opening Reception: Vandalismo Artesanal, Embers of Generational Memory, and Maker-in-Residence, Meztli Projects: Laboratorio Fuego Medicinal - Craft Contemporary ↗ · Opening Reception: Vandalismo Artesanal, Embers of Generational Memory, and Laboratorio Fuego MedicinalHumanitix logoClose iconClose iconClose iconClose iconClose iconHumanitix logoClose iconHumanitix logoHumanitix logoClose icon ↗
Choose the appropriate admission
General public admission is $12; Humanitix also lists $10 tickets for seniors 65 and older, students and educators. Members are free. Public entry is ticketed; book through Humanitix.
Opening Reception: Vandalismo Artesanal, Embers of Generational Memory, and Maker-in-Residence, Meztli Projects: Laboratorio Fuego Medicinal - Craft Contemporary ↗ · Opening Reception: Vandalismo Artesanal, Embers of Generational Memory, and Laboratorio Fuego MedicinalHumanitix logoClose iconClose iconClose iconClose iconClose iconHumanitix logoClose iconHumanitix logoHumanitix logoClose icon ↗
The exhibitions continue after the preview
All three exhibitions open November 15. Vandalismo Artesanal continues through May 2, 2027; Embers of Generational Memory and Laboratorio Fuego Medicinal continue through May 9, 2027.
Carlos Castro Arias: Vandalismo Artesanal - Craft Contemporary ↗ · Embers of Generational Memory - Craft Contemporary ↗
Getting to Craft Contemporary
Wilshire Boulevard and parking
The reception is at Craft Contemporary, 5814 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036. The map links can calculate directions from your starting point.
The museum lists metered and two-hour street parking within a block; check posted restrictions. It also lists parking at Museum Square and Wilshire Courtyard, without validation.
Opening Reception: Vandalismo Artesanal, Embers of Generational Memory, and Laboratorio Fuego MedicinalHumanitix logoClose iconClose iconClose iconClose iconClose iconHumanitix logoClose iconHumanitix logoHumanitix logoClose icon ↗ · Visit - Craft Contemporary ↗
Gallery access
Craft Contemporary says its building is ADA accessible and has an elevator serving all three gallery floors. One wheelchair is available on site.
Before you make a plan
Can nonmembers attend the opening reception?
Yes. The public reception runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and requires a ticket; members have free early access beginning at 5 p.m.
Are discounted tickets available?
Humanitix lists $10 tickets for seniors 65 and older, students and educators, alongside $12 general public admission. Members are free.
Is there a workshop at the reception?
No workshop or demonstration is specified for opening night. Meztli Projects plans activities during the exhibition period.
Opening Reception: Vandalismo Artesanal, Embers of Generational Memory, and Maker-in-Residence, Meztli Projects: Laboratorio Fuego Medicinal - Craft Contemporary ↗ · Maker-in-Residence: Meztli Projects - Craft Contemporary ↗
Can I see the exhibitions on another day?
Yes. They open November 15, 2026. Vandalismo Artesanal runs through May 2, 2027, and the other two exhibitions through May 9.
Carlos Castro Arias: Vandalismo Artesanal - Craft Contemporary ↗ · Embers of Generational Memory - Craft Contemporary ↗
Location & Google Maps
Craft Contemporary
5814 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.