Helms Design District

Arcana Book Signing + Discussion with Photographer Luisa Opalesky: Big City Nobody
2025-04-26 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
On Saturday, April 26th from 4 until 6 PM, Arcana: Books on the Arts will proudly host the photographer Luisa Opalesky in conversation with director Luke Gilford to celebrate her new book Big City Nobody. The talk will be followed by the chance to get your copy signed by Luisa herself!
Luisa Opalesky (b. 1987) is an artist whose practice seeks to connect with all walks of life through photography, dance, and film. Originally from Philadelphia, she earned a BFA in photography under the mentorship of George Pitts at Parsons New School for Design. She draws inspiration from her elders, multicultural background, glamour, squalor, going to the cinema three times a week, and her home downtown in New York City. Her work is consistently characterized by its vibrant color, hazard, and comedic relief.
Big City Nobody is Opalesky’s debut photography book. Published by Spotz Studios and featuring work created between 2020 and 2024, the photographs in the book reveal glimpses of daily life, vibrancy of nightlife, and outtakes from assignments commissioned by the New York Times and Interview magazine. The collection unfolds with a flow reminiscent of walking crosstown caffeinated and immersed in the pulse of the city. The book includes writings by Alissa Bennett, Susie Essman, Daniel Arnold, and Teardrop.
If you cannot attend and would like to purchase a SIGNED copy of Big City Nobody, please place your order below.
Join Arcana on April 26th for good talk, good books, and free libations. All are welcome!

PURCHASE BOOK

Fresh Perks: May Instagram Giveaway
2025-05-01 08:00 - 2025-05-31 17:00 | Online, CA
Kori Lidded Hamper from Room & Board
Enter May 1 – May 31
We are excited to announce this month’s Fresh Perks Giveaway from Room & Board! Add a little organization to your home this spring and Enter-to-Win this 22” Kori lidded hamper in charcoal. Crafted in Rhode Island, these modern hampers are made from a braided wool-blend fabric that’s exceptionally durable. Use them to provide versatile and stylish storage in your bedroom or laundry area.
This Fresh Perks giveaway runs from May 1st at 9:00 am through May 31st at 5:00 pm. One lucky winner will be contacted after the end of the giveaway.
We appreciate you for choosing Helms Design District as your go-to design hub, your shopping destination, and a favorite spot to dine. Thank you for spending time with us throughout the entire year and thank you for always showing up.

To enter is simple:
(1) You must Follow us on Instagram.
(2) Tag two friends in your comment so they can follow us and enter too.
(3) This answer isn’t mandatory, but tell us your tips and tricks for staying organized.
Sign up for our newsletter and automatically be entered for a second chance to win.
Plus, you’ll find out when the next Helms Fresh Perk drops. Good luck!

ENTER ON INSTAGRAM

Rules & Regs
No purchase is required to enter.
Winners will be selected randomly, contacted after each giveaway closes, and announced in our comments on Instagram.
Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. By entering, entrants confirm they are at least 18+ years of age.
This is a “GIVEAWAY” and is not eligible for return, refund, or exchange at any of our showrooms or restaurants.
The “Fresh Perks” giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram. Entrants release Instagram and all brands of all responsibility and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
One entry per Instagram user. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
This giveaway is open to residents of Los Angeles County.

LA Center of Photography Art Exhibition
2025-05-01 18:30 - 20:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
Join us in welcoming Los Angeles Center of Photography for the opening reception and panel discussion of Thresholds 2025: The Bold Edition on Thursday, May 1st from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The exhibition features works by international street photographers and offers an expanded view of the world and street photography as a practice. This juried annual open call brings together sights and visions for a virtual exhibition and a month-long projection-based exhibition at the Helms Design Center in Culver City, to be viewed street side every night from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am.
Top Prize Winners
First Place – Thouly Dosios
Second Place – Gordon Ownby
Third Place – Josh Bergeron
Honorable Mentions
Anna Rose Barker, Blanca Cruz, Chris Gamez, Danielle Goldstein, James T Gunderson, Rohitha Gunetilleke, Kate Hassett, Nina Quỳnh-Anh Hồ, Jasmine Hsu, Mark Indig, James Kao, Paul Kessel, Suz Lipman, Greg Lutze, Nina Menconi, Chad Nelson, John Nilsson, Rollence Patugan, Kausik Paul, michael rababy, Leslie Rosenthal, Karen Safer, Jason Santiago, William Mark Sommer, Jay G. Thornton, Edwin Umana, Jon Wollenhaupt
Juror
Kara Felt, Ph.D., is the Lawrence S. Friedman Curator of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art
Photo Credit: First Place Winner, Thouly Dosios, MLK Day Parade

RSVP AND MORE INFO

Arcana x Burntsienna Artbook Review
2025-05-03 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-06-07 11:00 - 13:00 | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
Join Arcana: Books on the Arts for an artbook review with Jason E.C. Wright, Director of Burntsienna Research Society.
This installation focuses on Architecture, Fashion, or Product Design (special artbooks or periodicals), a programme for artbook collectors and creative professionals to engage with collected artbooks and each other. Guests are invited to bring up to two (2) artbooks, design books, or periodicals from their own collections to share on Arcana’s long display tables.
Each programme begins with a formal review of two (2) books from the Burntsienna Research Library – moderated by Jason E.C. Wright – followed by each guest sharing a bit about what they’ve brought, and how each title offers special reference or inspiration for their practice. For the remaining time you’re invited to flip through the books on display, to read quietly, to make notes or take reference photos, and to personally engage with creative professionals of different disciplines.
We look forward to welcoming you at Arcana Books and Helms Bakery District.
This is a ticketed event: $25, limited to 18 spaces.
Guest passes for design students available; request here.
Ticket proceeds benefit the Burntsienna Research Library and Collections.

PURCHASE TICKETS

UPLIFT: A Fire Relief Art Exhibition and Benefit
2025-05-13 16:00 - 20:00 | Washington Corridor Gallery, 8723 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232, United States
Please join us at the Washington Corridor Gallery on May 13th from 4:00 to 8:00 pm for the opening of UPLIFT, a fire relief art exhibition and benefit with works from the national membership of the Society of Layerists in Multi-Media (SLMM). UPLIFT includes 12”x12” works on paper from the national membership of the SLMM and additional works by L.A. artists.
100% of artwork sales will be donated to provide direct relief to artists affected by the Palisades, Altadena, and Malibu Fires.
Opening Reception: Tuesday, May 13th, 4:00 to 8:00 pm
Closing Reception: Sunday, May 18th, 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Exhibition Dates: May 14 to May 17, by appointment. Contact Rachel X via email at rachelxarts@gmail.com.
Artwork Credit:”Ascend” by Rachel X

Sunshine Makers Market Pops Up on May 17
2025-05-17 11:00 - 16:00 | Helms Walk, 3270 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90034
Sunshine Makers Market pops up at Helms Design District on Saturday, May 17th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you haven’t stopped by during one of our market days, you are in for a treat! Their collective of fabulous artisans and makers creates a wonderful day of shopping small and local. Plus enjoy music from DJ Benofficial, who will be mixing it up on Helms Avenue to keep things fun and the energy flowing.
This event is free and open to the public.

A partial list of participating artisans and activations:
Little Chimes
Fox & The Empress Tarot
Chain of Influence
Candle By Design
Robyn Rhodes jewelry
Hey Taylor Gage
Gabriela Michele
Blooming Barista LA
Wuitusu
Oven & Eve
Gypsy Moon House
My Ceramic Zoo
Titty City Design
Be bindaas
Linda’s Crafts
My Tea Therapy
Terra Art Shop

Upcoming Dates
June 28th
July 19th
August 16th
September 20th
October 18th (Culver City Art Walk)
November 22nd
December 20th

UPLIFT: A Fire Relief Art Exhibition Closing Event
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Washington Corridor Gallery, 8723 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232, United States
Please join us at the Washington Corridor Gallery on May 18th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm for the closing of UPLIFT, a fire relief art exhibition and benefit with works from the national membership of the Society of Layerists in Multi-Media (SLMM). UPLIFT includes 12”x12” works on paper from the national membership of the SLMM and additional works by L.A. artists.
100% of artwork sales will be donated to provide direct relief to artists affected by the Palisades, Altadena, and Malibu Fires.
Closing Reception: Sunday, May 18th, 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Exhibition Dates: May 14 to May 17, by appointment. Contact Rachel X via email at rachelxarts@gmail.com.
Artwork Credit:”Ascend” by Rachel X

A reception, lecture, and Q+A discussion with Sam Pepper and Justin Cua of Lincoln Property Company
2025-05-20 18:30 - 20:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
Please join us on Tuesday, May 20th, 6:30-8:30 pm, for a reception, lecture, and Q+A discussion with Sam Pepper and Justin Cua of Lincoln Property Company.
In collaboration with the Helms Design District and the Cal Poly SLO/LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design
Helms Design Center
8745 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Free Parking is available at the corner of Helms Ave. and Venice Blvd.
Lecture is Free and Open to the Public with RSVP
RSVP

Sam Pepper and Justin Cua
Sam Pepper, Vice President of Development at Lincoln Property Company, co-leads development across the Los Angeles region. He is responsible for managing the execution of ground-up projects including entitlements, design, permitting and construction, across a range of product types including mixed-use, residential, and commercial. He plays a key role in advancing Lincoln’s development pipeline and cultivating strategic partnerships throughout Los Angeles.
With over 14 years of experience in commercial real estate, Sam brings a unique blend of development, design, and project management expertise. Prior to joining Lincoln, he worked at Alloy Development and SHoP Architects in New York City, where he led the design and delivery of large-scale urban infill projects. Sam holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Real Estate Development and Finance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been a licensed architect in the State of New York since 2018.
Justin Cua, Vice President of Development at Lincoln Property Company, co-leads Lincoln’s development business in the Los Angeles region, focusing on the execution of first- and third-party projects. He is responsible for leadings teams, expanding the business, and managing the due diligence, design, entitlements, permitting, and construction phases for commercial developments. During his time at the company, he has managed over 3M square feet of multifamily, industrial, and athletic facility ground-up projects, totaling in over $1B in development budgets.
Prior to joining Lincoln, Justin worked as an architect at award-winning firms in Los Angeles. As an architect, he designed large ground-up mixed-use developments for institutional real estate clients in across the country. He received his Master’s of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California and his Bachelor’s of Architecture Degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is a licensed architect is the state of California.
Founded in Dallas, Texas in 1965, Lincoln Property Company consistently ranks among the top managers and top developers of office, industrial, retail, and mixed-use properties in major global markets, and is a leading, trusted advisor for investors and occupiers across industries.

Introduced and moderated by Stephen Phillips, FAIA, PhD, of Stephen Phillips Architects (SPARCHS) and professor, director, Cal Poly LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo).

Photos (top) C06 Welcome Center; (above) Sam Pepper and Justin Cua

SPONSORED BY

Design Talk: Poul Henningsen
2025-05-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
Join us for a conversation with landscape architect, Lisa Gimmy on the innovative and multi-faceted career of Danish design icon, architect, inventor, provocateur and placemaker, Poul Henningsen.
Refreshments will be served. RSVP below or email afrederiksen@plpsocal.com.

RSVP HERE

ABOUT LISA GIMMY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Since its founding in 1992, LGLA has been responsible for the planning and design of a wide range of projects including campuses, healthcare facilities, boutique hotels and many private gardens.
Founding principal Lisa Gimmy’s passion for design history led to LGLA’s selection to create landscapes for modernist homes by Carl Maston, Richard Neutra, Rob Quigley, and Eugene Kinn Choy, and to the creation of a courtyard garden for an 18th century building in Antigua, Guatemala. LGLA helmed the landscape restoration of the landmark Hindry House and recently completed the renovation of the landscape for a 1910 Sylvanus Marston Craftsman home, both in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Pasadena, California. LGLA has long promoted sustainable and regionally appropriate solutions to projects regardless of complexity or scale. Designs evolve from a respect for cultural and historical contexts and reflect the qualities of the site and client goals.

CANCELLED: At a Crossroads: Rethinking Our Regional Approach to Homelessness
2025-05-29 07:45 - 09:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, Westside Urban Forum must cancel this event. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
On Thursday, May 29, please join Westside Urban Forum inside the Helms Design Center, for a discussion of the tectonic shifts that are transforming the region’s current approach to managing homelessness. From funding cuts and executive scrutiny to new innovations and administrative overhaul, one thing is certain: things are changing, and changing fast.
7:45 – 8:30 AM: Breakfast and Networking
8:30 – 9:30 AM: Panel
The panelists will debate whether these changes are a net negative or positive for the region and what we should expect to see in the coming months and years.
Panelists:
Brittney Weissman, Executive Director, Hollywood 4WRD
Kathleen Rawson, President & CEO, The Hollywood Partnership
Louis Abramson, Adjust Staff Member, RAND Corporation
Steve Sawicki, Senior Director of Housing Development, The People Concern
Tickets: $65

PURCHASE TICKETS

A reception, lecture, and Q+A discussion with Barbara Bestor of Bestor Architecture
2025-05-29 18:30 - 20:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
Please join us on Thursday, May 29th, 6:30-8:30 pm, for a reception, lecture, and Q+A discussion with Barbara Bestor.
In collaboration with the Helms Design District and the Cal Poly SLO/LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design
Helms Design Center
8745 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Free Parking is available at the corner of Helms Ave. and Venice Blvd.
Lecture is Free and Open to the Public with RSVP

Barbara Bestor, FAIA is the principal and founder of Bestor Architecture. Barbara’s award-winning studio is recognized for experimental architecture that engages the city through design, art, and urbanism. She believes that good design creates an engaged urban life by creating “strange beauty” that enhances everyday life experience.
The studio’s work reinterprets modernism for contemporary living and cultural activities. Projects include: Ashes & Diamonds Winery in Napa, LACMA’s Scandinavian Design and the US exhibit, Intelligentsia in Silverlake, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, the new Summaeverthang Community Center in South LA, the restoration of Lautner, Schindler, and other iconic modern masterpieces, and new buildings at the historic Sunnylands compound in Rancho Mirage.
Barbara’s career is punctuated with inventive projects in a wide breadth of typologies. She has designed new ways of creating accessible urbanism in her “stealth density” Blackbirds housing, retail and restaurant flagships, dynamic workspaces for Beats By Dre and Snap, and pioneering arts projects that are deeply rooted in their communities and cultural context.
She received her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, studied at the Architecture Association in London and received a MARCH at SCI-Arc. She is the author of Bohemian Modern, Living in Silver Lake.
See more of her work at bestorarchitecture.com

Introduced and moderated by Stephen Phillips, FAIA, PhD, of Stephen Phillips Architects (SPARCHS) and professor, director, Cal Poly LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo).

Photos: (Top) Blackbirds by Bestor Architecture; (Above, left to right): Barbara Bestor © Joshua White; Hilltop Residence © Bruce Damonte

SPONSORED BY

Fresh Perks: June Instagram Giveaway
2025-06-01 09:00 - 2025-06-30 17:00 | Online, CA
Donuts & Mugs from Helms Bakery
Enter June 1 – June 30
Our Fresh Perks Giveaway for June comes from our friends at Helms Bakery, in celebration of National Donut Day. Enter-to-Win a dozen donuts and two Helms Bakery mugs, the perfect cup for your hot beverage of choice. Helms Bakery offers delicious options for your coffee break, lunch break or any-time-break, with a large selection of pastries, pies, cakes, cookies, and more!
This Fresh Perks giveaway runs from June 1st at 9:00 am through June 30th at 5:00 pm. One lucky winner will be contacted after the end of the giveaway.
We appreciate you for choosing Helms Design District as your go-to design hub, your shopping destination, and a favorite spot to dine. Thank you for spending time with us throughout the entire year and thank you for always showing up.

To enter is simple:
(1) You must Follow us on Instagram.
(2) Tag two friends in your comment so they can follow us and enter too.
(3) This answer isn’t mandatory, but tell us your all-time favorite type of donut.
Sign up for our newsletter and automatically be entered for a second chance to win.
Plus, you’ll find out when the next Helms Fresh Perk drops. Good luck!

ENTER ON INSTAGRAM

Rules & Regs
No purchase is required to enter.
Winners will be selected randomly, contacted after each giveaway closes, and announced in our comments on Instagram.
Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. By entering, entrants confirm they are at least 18+ years of age.
This is a “GIVEAWAY” and is not eligible for return, refund, or exchange at any of our showrooms or restaurants.
The “Fresh Perks” giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram. Entrants release Instagram and all brands of all responsibility and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
One entry per Instagram user. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
This giveaway is open to residents of Los Angeles County.

A reception, lecture, and Q+A discussion with Leon Rost, AIA of BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group
2025-06-05 18:30 - 20:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
Please join us on Thursday, June 5th, 6:30-8:30 pm, for a reception, lecture, and Q+A discussion with Leon Rost, Partner at Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).
In collaboration with the Helms Design District and the Cal Poly SLO/LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design
Helms Design Center
8745 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Free Parking is available at the corner of Helms Ave. and Venice Blvd.
Lecture is Free and Open to the Public with RSVP

Leon Rost, AIA is a Partner at Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and leads the Los Angeles office, overseeing projects that span large-scale masterplans, workplaces, higher education, and residential design.
He oversaw the design of 3 million square feet within Google’s next-generation campus—home to Google Gemini—reimagining the Silicon Valley workplace as a flexible, sustainable, and human-centered environment. He also played a key role in the Athletics Ballpark Masterplan, shaping a vision for an integrated sports district. Additionally, Leon led the visioning of Toyota’s Woven City, a prototype smart city exploring the future of mobility, robotics, and urban life.
His expertise in institutional and campus planning includes work on the UC San Diego and Claremont McKenna College campuses, integrating architecture with campus design. His leadership on the Johns Hopkins University Student Center, the university’s first mass timber structure, has shaped a dynamic hub for academic and social life.
Beyond large-scale projects, Leon has a strong focus on residential and hospitality design. His work on private homes along the Pacific Coast and Not A Hotel in Setouchi, Japan, creates bespoke spaces deeply connected to their surroundings.
Leon’s projects shape how people live, learn, work, and gather, from urban-scale developments to private homes.

Introduced and moderated by Stephen Phillips, FAIA, PhD, of Stephen Phillips Architects (SPARCHS) and professor, director, Cal Poly LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo).

Photos: (Top) Google Bay View © Iwan Baan; (Above, left to right) Leon Rost © Bruce Damonte; Toyota Woven City © Squint Opera Ltd; (Below) Johns Hopkins Student Center ©BIG

SPONSORED BY

Arcana Book Signing + Discussion with Photographer Eric Kroll: Hardcore: A Photo/Journal
2025-06-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
On Saturday, June 7th from 4 until 6 PM, Arcana: Books on the Arts will host esteemed photographer Eric Kroll to celebrate the publication of HARDCORE: A Photo/Journal — a striking new photobook by Eric Kroll featuring rare and intimate photographs taken during the shooting of Paul Schrader’s cult 1979 film. This new publication from Timeless Edition takes you deep into the world behind the camera: the set, the atmosphere, and the many individuals — technicians, casting director, actors and non-actors alike — that accompanied or inspired Kroll throughout the shoot. More than a simple behind-the-scenes document, HARDCORE also includes the photographer’s own reflections, commentary and a recent interview he conducted with adult film actress Serena. The book also features a foreword from Paul Schrader accompanied by a rare text he penned in 1978 for a publishing project about the film that was never completed. Together, these elements reveal a deeply personal and unexpectedly intimate perspective on the film and on the porn film industry at the end of the 1970s.
If you cannot attend and would like to purchase a SIGNED copy of Hardcore, please place your order below.
Join Arcana on June 7th for good talk, good books, and free libations. All are welcome!

PURCHASE BOOK

Cars & Coffee - Summer 2025 Edition
2025-06-08 08:00 - 10:00 | Helms Bakery, 3220 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90034, United States
Do you love cars? Meet fellow enthusiasts and collectors at the next Cars & Coffee event at the Helms Bakery, hosted by Chef Sang Yoon and Jonny Lieberman. Helms has lots of free, onsite parking available.
What a great way to spend a Sunday morning. Get here early to secure a spot for your cool whip!

Join L.A. GOAL for Junktion, an Integrated Art Exhibition
2025-06-21 11:00 - 16:00 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
L.A. GOAL, Inside Out Productions, and Helms Design District team up to host Junktion, an Integrated Art Show on Saturday, June 21st from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, celebrating innovation and sustainability in artmaking. We believe in the power of the arts to transform lives and proudly host the exhibition that highlights artists of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds.
Join us at this very special, one day exhibition. For more information, as well as information on how to submit your piece for Junktion, please click the link below.
Art submissions for Junktion are open from March 28th to May 25th

ART SUBMISSION FORM & MORE INFO

Los Angeles Design Festival 2025
2025-06-26 - 2025-06-29 | Helms Design District, 8800 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90034, United States
Helms Design District is proud to be the Westside anchor for the 2025 Los Angeles Design Festival: Design Futurism, taking place June 26-29 at locations across the city.

Design Futurism isn’t about predicting the future—it’s about creating it.
When envisioning the future, design is inherently a part of our collective imagination: a tool for reimagining how we connect, create, and challenge existing narratives. This concept expands beyond the exploration of technological spectacle. Design Futurism is a solution-oriented exploration of human potential.In 2025, LADF invites you to explore Design Futurism through various lenses of our collective human experiences.
Design informs every aspect of our present lives, guiding us towards and through thoughtful experiences. The impact of forward thinking design is tangible in the smallest portions of our everyday practices through global experiences and products.
We’re gathering the misfits, the dreamers, and the radical thinkers who recognize design as a key to unlock the possibilities of an intentional future. Design Futurism is more than a concept; it’s a multidisciplinary call to action to explore connections between past, present and the creation of an optimistic future.We’re inviting the LA community to, to show up curious, to experiment, and to make connections between what is and what could be.
Join us to create a future where creativity meets purpose, and design is the key to unlocking new possibilities.

Click below for a full schedule of events and activities at Helms!

HELMS EVENT SCHEDULE

Visit the LA Design Festival site for a list of events at all locations citywide.

LA DESIGN FESTIVAL SITE

Sunshine Makers Market Pops Up on June 28
2025-06-28 11:00 - 16:00 | Helms Walk, 3270 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90034
Sunshine Makers Market pops up at Helms Design District for a special Saturday event during LA Design Festival. Their collective of fabulous artisans and makers create a wonderful day of shopping small and local.
This event is free and open to the public.

A partial list of participating artisans and activations:
Argyle Apothecary
Be Bindaas
Choice Blooms
Cosa
DIPHDA
Fox & The Empress Tarot
Gifted by FreeFrom
Gray Dog Studios
Gypsy Moon House
Hey Taylor Gage
Julie Griffin Design
Linda’s Crafts
Little Chimes
My Ceramic Zoo
Olive Blanche Handmade
Robyn Rhodes jewelry
The Whole 9
Xtraordinary Flair

Upcoming Dates
July 19th
August 16th
September 20th
October 18th (Culver City Art Walk)
November 22nd
December 20th

Fresh Perks: July Instagram Giveaway
2025-07-01 09:00 - 2025-07-31 17:00 | Online, CA
Eames Plywood Mobile by Vitra, from Jules Seltzer Associates
Enter July 1 – July 31
Our Fresh Perks Giveaway for July comes from our friends at Jules Seltzer Associates. Enter-to-Win this striking Plywood Mobile from Vitra, designed by Charles and Ray Eames.
In the early 1940s, Charles and Ray Eames conducted a series of experiments for the purpose of refining their plywood moulding techniques. These investigations led to the creation of two objects whose biomorphic shapes are strongly reminiscent of Ray’s artwork and graphics. The Eameses hung them as mobiles from the ceiling of their Los Angeles apartment.
Each Plywood Mobile consists of two abstract, organically shaped plywood elements that playfully revolve around one another.

This Fresh Perks giveaway runs from July 1st at 9:00 am through July 31st at 5:00 pm. One lucky winner will be contacted after the end of the giveaway.
We appreciate you for choosing Helms Design District as your go-to design hub, your shopping destination, and a favorite spot to dine. Thank you for spending time with us throughout the entire year and thank you for always showing up.

To enter is simple:
(1) You must Follow us on Instagram.
(2) Tag two friends in your comment so they can follow us and enter too.
(3) This answer isn’t mandatory, but tell us your favorite Eames product or project.
Sign up for our newsletter and automatically be entered for a second chance to win.
Plus, you’ll find out when the next Helms Fresh Perk drops. Good luck!

ENTER ON INSTAGRAM

Rules & Regs
No purchase is required to enter.
Winners will be selected randomly, contacted after each giveaway closes, and announced in our comments on Instagram.
Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. By entering, entrants confirm they are at least 18+ years of age.
This is a “GIVEAWAY” and is not eligible for return, refund, or exchange at any of our showrooms or restaurants.
The “Fresh Perks” giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram. Entrants release Instagram and all brands of all responsibility and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
One entry per Instagram user. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
This giveaway is open to residents of Los Angeles County.

Sunshine Makers Market Pops Up on July 19
2025-07-19 11:00 - 16:00 | Helms Walk, 3270 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90034
Sunshine Makers Market pops up at Helms Design District every third Saturday. Their collective of fabulous artisans and makers create a wonderful day of shopping small and local.
This event is free and open to the public.

Sign up for this special Makers Class happening during the Market.
Join us for our newest installment of #MakersClasses at Helms Design District with our exciting new collaboration with Corey Kraft of Proudly Krafted — they’ll be setting up at our market on July 19th with a table of ceramics for you to scratch out your own designs on and make your own creation!
Space is limited. Click for tickets.

A partial list of participating artisans and activations:
Little Chimes
Fox & The Empress Tarot
My Pretty Babi
Made by Good Karma
Cindy Tolhurst
By Loren
Hey Taylor Gage
Mana Bakery
NEFER BEAUTY
Elisha Holden Studio
MADE by DWC
Gabriela Michele
Zlata Key
Kelsea’s Craft Table
Mara the Label
Blonde Peacock
Mahogany Dreams
DIPHDA
Recyclicious
Lucky Locks LA
Upcoming Dates
August 16th
September 20th
October 18th (Culver City Art Walk)
November 22nd
December 20th

Westside Urban Forum Discussion: Habitat Los Angeles
2025-07-24 07:45 - 09:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
On Thursday, July 24 at 7:45 am, please join Westside Urban Forum as they go behind the scenes on Habitat—a new mixed-use development featuring a 12-story, 260-unit building and a 6-story, 230,000 SF commercial building at the La Cienega E Line Station.
Hear from the team behind the project as they unpack:

The vision that guided the project design,
The strategy to entitlements and environmental review,
The construction hurdles they overcame, and
The lessons learned getting a project from concept to construction.

Panelists to be announced.

MEMBER TICKETS

NON-MEMBER TICKETS

Arcana Book Signing + Discussion with photographer Richard Misrach: Cargo
2025-07-26 16:00 - 18:00 | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
On Saturday, July 26th, between 4:00 and 6:00 PM Arcana: Books on the Arts welcomes longtime friend, legendary photographer Richard Misrach to celebrate the release of his exquisite new Aperture monograph, Cargo. In addition to signing copies, he will give a brief talk about this thought-provoking body of work beginning at 5:00 PM sharp.
“Harkening back to his Golden Gate Bridge series — which the artist produced from his front porch over the course of four years beginning in 1997 — Cargo centers on the light, water, and weather of the San Francisco Bay. Misrach began creating this body of work in 2021 amid the pandemic and its attendant lockdowns. Captured at different times of day from a single location in San Francisco, these photographs speak to his enduring interest in bearing witness to the world around him from a singular vantage point over the course of months or years. The photographer describes this series as a meditation on and celebration of the setting of the San Francisco Bay. With these works, he also contemplates the design, function, and history of the ships in the bay, and all of the thousands of workers implied in the images. Behind these ships, there is a remarkable — if invisible —global workforce that builds them, and inhabits them, that packs and unloads them, that maneuvers them over oceans and canals, sometimes in dangerous situations, toward their eventual berths. Along with the extraordinary achievement and value these cargo ships symbolize, they also represent the complex, challenging side of our critical, intertwined, international commerce. In this historical moment, they allude to the threat that is global warming.”
If you cannot attend and would like to purchase your very own signed copy of Cargo, please place your order below.

Richard Misrach (b. 1949) is one of the most influential and internationally recognized photographers working today. He is best known for his epic project on the deserts of the American West and his On the Beach series, both of which explore his unique perspective on man’s place in nature. By exploring the social, political, environmental, and cultural characteristics of the places he photographs, Misrach has expanded the notion of traditional landscape photographic practice. His previous subjects have included manmade floods and fires, military bombing ranges, isolated swimmers in a vast ocean, sublime night skies, and details of paintings housed in the museums of the Southwest.
Misrach has exhibited extensively in the United States and abroad. Recent museum exhibitions include Border Cantos, made in collaboration with the experimental composer Guillermo Galindao, which was exhibited at Amon Carter Museum of Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and San Jose Museum of Art in 2016-2017. His work is represented in many prominent collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California, and The Getty Museum of Art, California. Misrach is a recipient of numerous awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship and four National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships. In 2001, he received the Knight Purchase Award for Photographic Media from the Akron Art Museum, and in 2002, the Kulturpreis for Lifetime Achievement in Photography from the German Society of Photography. He lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife, Myriam.

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Fresh Perks: August Instagram Giveaway
2025-08-01 09:00 - 2025-08-31 17:00 | Online, CA
Father’s Office – $50 Gift Certificate
Enter August 1 – August 31
August’s Fresh Perks Giveaway is here—and it’s a good one. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Father’s Office, the acclaimed gastropub from chef Sang Yoon, to give one lucky winner a $50 gift certificate—perfect for a summer night out.
Home of the legendary Office Burger, Father’s Office blends the bold flavors of European bar culture with SoCal’s freshest ingredients. Pair your meal with one of 36 rotating craft beers on tap, a small-batch spirit, or a glass of something unexpected from their esoteric wine list.
Enter now for your chance to indulge in one of L.A.’s most iconic food-and-drink spots.

This Fresh Perks giveaway runs from August 1st at 9:00 am through August 31st at 5:00 pm. One lucky winner will be contacted after the end of the giveaway.
We appreciate you for choosing Helms Design District as your go-to design hub, your shopping destination, and a favorite spot to dine. Thank you for spending time with us throughout the entire year and thank you for always showing up.

To enter is simple:
(1) You must Follow us on Instagram.
(2) Tag two friends in your comment so they can follow us and enter too.
(3) This answer isn’t mandatory, but tell us your favorite beer on a warm summer night.
Sign up for our newsletter and automatically be entered for a second chance to win.
Plus, you’ll find out when the next Helms Fresh Perk drops. Good luck!
See #linkinbio for complete Rules & Regs

ENTER ON INSTAGRAM

Rules & Regs
No purchase is required to enter.
Winners will be selected randomly, contacted after each giveaway closes, and announced in our comments on Instagram.
Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. By entering, entrants confirm they are at least 18+ years of age.
This is a “GIVEAWAY” and is not eligible for return, refund, or exchange at any of our showrooms or restaurants.
The “Fresh Perks” giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram. Entrants release Instagram and all brands of all responsibility and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
One entry per Instagram user. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The gift certificate will be sent via email, so even if you’re not located in Los Angeles, feel free to gift it to someone who is—or save it for your next visit to Southern California!

Sunshine Makers Market Pops Up on August 16
2025-08-16 11:00 - 16:00 | Helms Walk, 3270 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90034
Sunshine Makers Market pops up at Helms Design District every third Saturday. Their collective of fabulous artisans and makers create a wonderful day of shopping small and local.
This event is free and open to the public.

A partial list of participating artisans and activations:
Little Chimes
Fox & The Empress Tarot
Jack of Cups
Made by Good Karma
Bunny House Creations
Sun & Sanctuary
CEREMONIA
In Love with Stiching
Hey Taylor Gage
Tofulift Athletic Apparel
Paintings by Jess

Upcoming Dates
September 20th
October 18th (Culver City Art Walk)
November 22nd
December 20th

Arcana Book Signing + Discussion with photographer Todd Hido: Intimate Distance
2025-08-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
Please join Arcana: Books on the Arts on Saturday, August 16th, between 4:00 and 6:00 PM as they welcome iconic photographer Todd Hido to celebrate the release of his updated and expanded Aperture monograph Intimate Distance, Over Thirty Years of Photographs, A Chronological Album. In addition to signing copies, he will engage in a discussion of the book and his work with fellow Bay Area artist Marina Luz.
“Well known for his photography of landscapes and suburban housing, and for his use of detail and luminous color, acclaimed American photographer Todd Hido casts a distinctly cinematic eye across all that he photographs, digging deep into his memory and imagination for inspiration. Newly revised and expanded, Intimate Distance: Over Thirty Years of Photographs, A Chronological Album includes ten years of new work since the book’s first publication, among them new images from his travels to Iceland, Norway, and Japan. Though Hido has published many smaller monographs of individual bodies of work, this gathers his most iconic images, along with several unpublished works, to provide the most complete and comprehensive monograph charting his career. The book is organized chronologically, showing how his series overlap in exciting ways. David Campany introduces the work and looks at the kind of cinematic spectatorship that Hido’s images demand. Katya Tylevich muses on the making of each of his major monographs, writing, “The photographs lead as far as human-made roads go. They reach the periphery of utility wires, footprints, and paths already taken.” From exterior to interior, surface observations to subconscious investigations, landscapes to nudes, and from America to beyond, this midcareer collection reveals how Hido’s unique focus has developed and shifted over time. Assembled collectively in this volume, his familiar and new images demonstrate how the tension between distance and intimacy that he explores has remained constant throughout his practice.”
A brand new, most handsome example of the newly updated and expanded edition of this vital document.
If you cannot attend and would like to purchase your very own signed copy of Intimate Distance, please place your order here!
320pp, 324 illustrations in color and b&w. Designed by Bob Awfuldish, Awfuldish & Warriner.

Todd Hido (born in Kent, Ohio, 1968) is a San Francisco Bay Area–based artist whose work has been featured in Artforum, the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Elephant, Foam, and Vanity Fair. His photographs are in the permanent collections of over fifty museums, including the Getty Center, Los Angeles; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He has authored over a dozen books, including House Hunting (2001), Excerpts from Silver Meadows (2013), Todd Hido on Landscapes, Interiors, and the Nude (Aperture, 2014), and The End Sends Advance Warning (2024). Hido is also an avid photobook collector with a library of over 8,500 titles.
Marina Luz is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Vice, and ProPublica, among other publications. She runs her illustration and design studio Honeylux out of Oakland, California.

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Arcana Book Signing + Discussion with photographer Arthur Jafa: Live Evil
2025-08-23 16:00 - 18:00 | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
Please join Arcana: Books on the Arts this Saturday, August 23rd, between 4:00 and 6:00 PM as we welcome Los Angeles’ own renowned Arthur Jafa to celebrate the release of his new publication Live Evil. In addition to signing copies, he will engage in a discussion of the book and his work with art historian Julian Myers.
“Having worked in film and music for decades, American artist Arthur Jafa garnered acclaim in the art world in 2016 for his video work “Love is the Message, the Message is Death.” Composed of found images and videos, his oeuvre revolves around Black American culture, the history of slavery, and ongoing structural and physical violence against Black Americans. As Jafa put it in his 2003 text “My Black Death”: “The central conundrum of black being (the double bind of our ontological existence) lies in the fact that common misery both defines and limits who we are. Such that our efforts to eliminate those forces which constrain also function to dissipate much which gives us our specificity, our uniqueness, our flavor by destroying the binds that define we will cease to be, but this is the good death (boa morte) to be embraced.” Bringing together affective memories that touch on US history, violence, repression, modalities of survival and how these exist in the production and dissemination of images, music, sound and time-based media, Jafa reflects on the ontology of race and Blackness. This richly illustrated catalog reproduces key works from Jafa’s wide-ranging oeuvre and explores the philosophical, historical and artistic implications of his practice, featuring essays and a series of conversations between Jafa and key practitioners working in the fields of cinema, arts and theory.”
If you cannot attend and would like to purchase your very own signed copy of Live Evil, please place your order here!

Due to a limited supply of books being air freighted for the event, Arcana has had to cease taking pre-orders. If you would like them to let you know if they have signed copies left after the event, please email them. Books will be available at the event, one per person, first come – first served.
Thanks for your understanding!

Arthur Jafa (born 1960) grew up in Mississippi, where his lifelong fascination with found imagery manifested in his childhood hobby of assembling binders of photographs culled from various sources. Jafa has developed a dynamic practice comprising films, artefacts, and happenings that reference and question the universal and specific articulations of Black being. Underscoring the many facets of the artist’s practice is a recurring question: how can visual media, such as objects, static and moving images, transmit the equivalent “power, beauty and alienation” embedded within forms of Black music in US culture? As a cinematographer and director of photography, Jafa has collaborated with Stanley Kubrick, Solange Knowles and Spike Lee, among many others. His work on Julie Dash’s 1991 film Daughters of the Dust won him the Best Cinematography award at Sundance. In 2019 he was awarded the Golden Lion for the Best Participant of the 58th Venice Biennale “May You Live in Interesting Times.”
Julian Myers is an art historian, editor, and researcher based in Los Angeles. Their essays on contemporary art and exhibitions have appeared academic publications, exhibition catalogues, and more, and include essays on Edgar Arceneaux, Trisha Donnelly, Christina Fernandez, Nancy Holt, Arthur Jafa, Sterling Ruby, and Harald Szeemann. Myers was founding faculty in the department of Curatorial Practice at California College of the Arts, and was senior editor of The Exhibitionist, a journal of exhibition making, from 2014 to 2017. Since 2011, Myers has worked with Joanna Szupinska in the collaboration grupa o.k., which has produced projects and writing for art institutions worldwide.

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Fresh Perks: September Instagram Giveaway
2025-09-01 09:00 - 2025-09-30 17:00 | Online, CA
September’s Fresh Perks Giveaway is here—and book lovers, this one’s for you.
Enter September 1 – September 30
We’ve partnered with our friends at Arcana: Books on the Arts, the beloved Culver City destination for rare and beautiful books, to give one lucky winner a handpicked title from their collection — Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers. Whether you’re a design devotee, an art enthusiast, or a photography aficionado, Arcana is a treasure trove of visual inspiration and cultural discovery.
Enter now for your chance to bring home this stunning book that will elevate your shelves and fill your fall season with loads of design inspiration.

This Fresh Perks giveaway runs from September 1st at 9:00 am through September 30th at 5:00 pm.
One lucky winner will be contacted after the giveaway ends.
Thank you for making Helms Design District your go-to hub for creativity, design, and discovery. We’re grateful you continue to explore, shop, and gather with us all year long.

To enter is simple:
(1) Follow us on Instagram
(2) Tag two friends in the comments so they can follow us and enter too
(3) Optional but encouraged: What’s your go-to read for fall?
Sign up for our newsletter and automatically be entered for a second chance to win.
Plus, you’ll find out when the next Helms Fresh Perk drops. Good luck!

ENTER ON INSTAGRAM

Rules & Regs
No purchase is required to enter.
Winners will be selected randomly, contacted after each giveaway closes, and announced in our comments on Instagram.
Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. By entering, entrants confirm they are at least 18+ years of age.
This is a “GIVEAWAY” and is not eligible for return, refund, or exchange at any of our showrooms or restaurants.
The “Fresh Perks” giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram. Entrants release Instagram and all brands of all responsibility and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
One entry per Instagram user. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
This giveaway is open to residents of Los Angeles County.

CANCELED: Sunshine Makers Market on September 20
2025-09-20 11:00 - 16:00 | Helms Walk, 3270 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90034
Event Update: Sunshine Makers Market Canceled
We regret to share that this month’s Sunshine Makers Market at Helms Design District, originally scheduled for the third Saturday, has been canceled.
We appreciate your continued support of our local artisans and makers, and we look forward to welcoming you back on October 18th for another wonderful day of shopping small and local PLUS our annual Art Walk & Roll Festival.
Stay tuned for updates, and thank you for being part of our community!

A partial list of participating artisans and activations:
Coming Soon!

Upcoming Dates
October 18th (Culver City Art Walk)
November 22nd – TBD
December 20th

Arcana Book Signing + Discussion with David Alekhuogie: A Reprise
2025-09-20 16:00 - 18:00 | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
Please join Arcana: Books on the Arts on Saturday, September 20th, between 4:00 and 6:00 PM as they welcome Los Angeles artist David Alekhuogie to celebrate the release of his new Aperture publication, A Reprise. In addition to signing copies, he will engage in a discussion of the book and his work with fellow Los Angeles artist Awol Erizku.
“A Reprise, David Alekhuogie’s first monograph, confronts the intriguing legacy of narrative and authorship behind Western presentations of African art, and poses timely questions about how Black aesthetics are circulated, accessed, valued, and interpreted today. In 1935, Walker Evans was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, to photograph hundreds of African sculptures for the exhibition African Negro Art. Nearly ninety years later, Alekhuogie began investigating Evans’s images, provocatively remixing them into his own vibrant and multilayered photographic collages. Transposing facsimiles of Evans’s original images onto cardboard or paper structures of his own making, Alekhuogie rephotographs these image-sculptures against striking backdrops — often using East and West African textiles — thereby inviting multiple dimensions of viewership. Alekhuogie’s images draw upon the musical idiom of the reprise — a performance of repetition — and stake a claim to crucial, restorative ideas around Black antiquity by questioning our relationship to what we consider fake or original, art or archive.”
The discussion will begin at 4:20 PM. If you cannot attend and would like to order a signed copy of David Alekhuogie’s A Reprise, or Awol Erizku’s brilliant Aperture monograph, Mystic Parallax, please place your order here!

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David Alekhuogie received his MFA from Yale University and post-bac BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work was included in “Companion Pieces,” the 2020 iteration of MoMA’s biannual New Photography exhibition, and in “Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth” at the California African American Art Museum in Los Angeles. In 2019, he was the recipient of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation Emerging Artist Grant. Alekhuogie has had solo exhibitions at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, CA (2019); Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles, CA (2019); Skibum MacArthur, Los Angeles, CA (2017); and at the Chicago Artist Coalition (2016). His work has been published in The New Yorker, the New York Times, Time Magazine, Timeout, Chicago, Vice, and The Los Angeles Times.”
Born in Gondar, Ethiopia, in 1988, Awol Erizku is a multidisciplinary artist working in photography, film, sculpture and installation, creating a new vernacular that bridges the gap between African and African American visual culture. Erizku’s work refers to subjects as diverse as art history, hip-hop, and spirituality, rejecting Eurocentric notions of art and beauty in favor of building an Afrocentric aesthetic, something he refers to as “Afro-esotericism.” With a distinctive emphasis on reclaiming and reinterpreting historical narratives within a contemporary context, the artist’s work challenges viewers to reconsider conventional perspectives on art and society through a lens that merges personal narrative with broader socio-political commentary. Erizku received a BFA from The Cooper Union, New York, in 2010, and an MFA from the Yale School of Art, New Haven, in 2014. His work has been exhibited at prominent institutions including Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Arkansas; Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; The Studio Museum, Harlem; Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto; FLAG Art Foundation, New York; and SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah. Erizku also brings high concept to commercial photography highlighting cultural and creative leaders for publications such as The New Yorker, New York Magazine, GQ, and Vanity Fair.
