Helms Design District

Join L.A. GOAL for Junktion, an Integrated Art Exhibition
2025-06-21 11:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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.

Helms Bakery Cars & Coffee
2025-09-21 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, presented by Cars & Bids. 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!

Designing Togetherness: Sport by Design
2025-09-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
As Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympic Games, we welcome Paris-based designer Gabriel Fontana in conversation with Frances Anderton for an evening on how design can redefine sport to foster inclusivity, empathy, solidarity, and accessibility.
Drawing on Gabriel’s acclaimed project Multiform—the first queer sport to enter MoMA’s collection—this conversation will explore how sport can be reshaped to reflect the values of today’s generation: mental well-being, fluid identity, and social justice. At a time when many sports remain largely unchanged since the first modern Olympics in 1896, they will discuss how design can challenge tradition and create more inclusive, relevant, and transformative experiences.
This event is co-curated by Villa Albertine and the Los Angeles Design Festival, with the support from Helms Design District.
Valet parking for guests is available at 8723 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, inside the interior parking garage adjacent to the event venue.
Photo by Giacomo Bianco

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ABOUT GABRIEL
Gabriel Fontana is a Paris-based designer and current resident of the Villa Albertine of Los Angeles. He is known for his innovative approach to social design, focusing on reshaping society through the creation of new sports games tailored for today’s world. Gabriel has received international acclaim in the fields of education, culture, and the sports industry. His games have been integrated into school programs across Europe, showcased at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and recently entered MoMA permanent collection. He curated the Dutch Pavilion for the Venice Architecture Biennale this year.
ABOUT FRANCES
Frances Anderton is a writer, broadcaster, and curator, known for her deep expertise in Los Angeles’ built environment. She is the author of the book Common Ground: Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles and previously spent many years as the host of KCRW’s DnA: Design and Architecture. She recently collaborated with Friends of Residential Treasures Los Angeles (FORT: LA) on an installation for the US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2025, illustrating the theme PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity. Honors include the Esther McCoy Award, from the USC Architectural Guild, for her work educating the public about architecture and urbanism.

Arcana Book Signing + Discussion with Lauri Gaffin: Moving Still: A Cinematic Life Frame-By-Frame
2025-09-27 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 27th, between 4:00 and 6:00 PM as they welcome Los Angeles’ own Lauri Gaffin to celebrate the release of her new Damiani publication, Moving Still: A Cinematic Life Frame-By-Frame!
Moving Still… is a personal portrait of filmmaking from set decorator Lauri Gaffin. With four decades of experience, Gaffin intertwines stunning behind-the-scenes photographs and intimate narrative to provide a rare glimpse into the fascinating world of cinema. The book highlights life on set for indie gems Fargo and The Pursuit of Happyness as well as blockbuster hits such as Charlie’s Angels, Iron Man and Thor.
Through her photographs and engaging anecdotes, Gaffin unveils the collaborative spirit that binds directors, actors, production designers and crew members together. The contrast of her thriving career and her complex emotional life are a throughline in the book. Gaffin’s photography remains a steadfast beacon of inspiration even as she navigates the demands of production — deadlines, budgets and politics — and her family’s escalating turmoil.
So be here at Arcana on Sept. 27th to meet and greet Lauri and pick up her fabulous new book! If you cannot attend and would like to purchase a signed copy of Moving Still: A Cinematic Life Frame-By-Frame, please place your order here!

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Fresh Perks: October Instagram Giveaway
2025-10-01 09:00 - 2025-10-31 17:00 | Online, CA
Bring a little glow into your autumn during our October Fresh Perks Giveaway!
Enter October 1 – October 31
This month, we’ve partnered with our friends at Scandinavian Designs, the modern home destination for timeless furniture and accents, to gift one lucky winner a set of two elegant Fina Candlesticks. With their sculptural form and minimalist beauty, these candlesticks are the perfect way to create a cozy glow at your table or living space this fall.
Enter now for your chance to welcome this stunning set into your home and celebrate the season with style.

The giveaway runs from October 1st at 9:00 am through October 31st at 5:00 pm.
One winner will be contacted after the giveaway ends.
We’re delighted to share these monthly Fresh Perks with you! Thank you for continuing to make Helms Design District a place where design, creativity, and community thrive.

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: Where would you light your Fina Candlesticks at home?
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.

WUF Hosts the 2025 California Legislative Roundup
2025-10-16 07:30 - 09:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
On Thursday, October 16 from 7:45 am to 9:30 am, Westside Urban Forum hosts the 2025 California Legislature Roundup: Insights into Sacramento breakfast panel discussion.
In recent years, the California legislature has been at the forefront of shaping land use, housing, and environmental policy through state law, taking increasingly bold steps to address the housing crisis and related urban challenges. The 2025 session continued this trend, advancing a suite of consequential bills on housing production, land use reform, and environmental protections—many of which are now before Governor Newsom for signature or veto by the October 12 deadline.
The 2025 legislative session produced headline-grabbing housing bills and significant shifts in climate policy. AB 130, signed in June, streamlines CEQA review for infill housing projects; it also places a six-year moratorium on new residential building code changes. SB 79, pending the governor’s signature, would legalize more multifamily housing near transit. On the climate side, lawmakers extended the state’s Cap & Invest program through 2046, and advanced a package of wildfire measures—including $18 billion in new utility wildfire funding and stronger zone zero regulations.
Join WUF for an engaging and informative panel discussion to review the significant legislation passed—and not passed—in the 2025 session. The panel will break down the key takeaways, analyze the likely impacts on Los Angeles and the wider region, and provide valuable insights for government officials, urban planners, developers, and community advocates alike.
Moderator
Lauren Chang, Partner, Sheppard Mullin
Panelists
Jesse Zwick, Southern California Director, Housing Action Coalition / Councilmember, City of Santa Monica
Mahdi Manji, Director of Public Policy,
Inner City Law Center
Michael Rochmes, Policy & Advocacy Coordinator,
US Green Building Council California
Event Time
7:45 am – 9:30 am
7:45 am – Registration & Light Breakfast
8:30 am – Panel Discussion
Location
Member Tickets: $25
Non-Member Tickets: $60

WUF MEMBER TICKETS

NON-MEMBER TICKETS

Directions
Avoid the stress of rush hour and skip traffic! The Helms Design Center at 8745 Washington Blvd in Culver City is conveniently located a short, pleasant walk from a number of transit lines, including:
Metro Rail “E” (Expo) Line Culver City Station (1 block west at Washington and National Blvds), and
Culver City Bus “1” and “1C1” lines (at the adjacent Washington Blvd/Helms Avenue street corner).
Protected bike lanes along Washington Blvd. connecting to Culver City’s larger bike lane network also provide a convenient, safe way to get to the Design Center.
If you choose to drive, street level parking is available throughout the Helms campus.
Sponsor Provided Tickets
Thanks to the generosity of our annual Sponsors, WUF has a small number of free tickets available to members of the community. If you are not able to join as a member or purchase a ticket for this month’s panel presentation, but would like to join us, please write us at info@westsideurbanforum to inquire if we have any remaining sponsor provided tickets.

Sunshine Makers Market Pops Up for Art Walk on October 18
2025-10-18 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
Robyn Rhodes Jewelry
Xtraordinary Flair
Candle By Design
BẠC – Fine Vietnamese Silver Jewelry
Gabriela Michele
The Happinest Collection
Hey Taylor Gage
Unfinished Stories
Made by Good Karma
Shoppe 815
My Pretty Babi
Creatiive Natiive
BECAUSE I ROCK
Proudly Krafted
My Pretty Babi
Pup Culture Rescue

Upcoming Dates
November 22nd – TBD
December 20th

Join us for the Culver City Art Walk & Roll Festival
2025-10-18 11:00 - 18:00 | Helms Design District, 8800 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90034, United States
Art Walk & Roll FestivalSaturday, October 18, 2025Culver City Arts District x Helms Design District
Join us for the return of the Art Walk & Roll Festival, a vibrant celebration of creativity, community, and culture in the heart of Culver City!
Helms Design District will host a full day of artistic activations and pop-ups, including:
Sunshine Makers Market – Shop small and local with a curated collective of talented artisans and makers.
Beyond the Glitter: A Portrait of Los Angeles – A compelling photography exhibition capturing the diverse spirit of L.A.
Art Exhibition by Architect John Maloney – Explore the intersection of architecture and fine art in this assemblage of work.
Film Screening – In partnership with the Architecture & Design Film Festival, experience a curated film celebrating architecture, design, and culture.
Surprise Family-Friendly Installation – A playful, interactive experience (details coming soon!).
This free community event is open to all and perfect for families, art lovers, and curious minds alike. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details!

Pastries, Puppy Kisses and Community
2025-10-25 10:00 - 15:00 | Helms Walk, 3270 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90034
This Saturday, Helms Bakery is teaming up with @lovejoyfoundation for Pups & Pastries, a pet adoption event on Helms Avenue, sponsored by @smashboxcosmetics and @gogomabakes.
Stop by for tail wags, puppy kisses, and maybe your forever companion. Enjoy dog treat samples, delicious pastries, and 100 free OG Primer goodie bags, plus gifts for every new pet parent from Smashbox Cosmetics.
Come for the cuddles, stay for the community.

Book Signing with Photographer STILLZ at Arcana Books
2025-10-26 16:00 - 18:00 | Arcana: Books on the Arts, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90232
Stop in Arcana: Books on the Arts this Sunday, October 26 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm for a special book signing with photographer STILLZ.
“Bad Bunny by STILLZ is a recently published photography collection showcasing six years of close-up portraits of the Puerto Rican icon. This volume is the work of Colombian-American filmmaker and photographer STILLZ, a longtime collaborator and trusted confidant of the artist”.
A brand new example of the first edition of this fantastic, sure-to-disappear-quickly collection of Polaroid portraits perfect for the Bad Bunny completist additionally SIGNED by photographer STILLZ.

PURCHASE THE BOOK

Fresh Perks: November Instagram Giveaway
2025-11-01 09:00 - 2025-11-30 17:00 | Online, CA
Wrap yourself in design-forward softness this month!
Enter November 1 – November 30
We’ve partnered with our friends at Rejuvenation to give away two luxe terracotta bath towels from their Organic Cotton Heathered collection, the perfect balance of rich color and everyday comfort.
We’re thrilled to offer another Fresh Perk. Thanks for being part of what makes Helms Design District a place where design, creativity, and community thrive.
Good luck and happy styling!

To enter:
(1) Follow us on Instagram.
(2) In the comments of our giveaway post, tag two friends who deserve a design upgrade too.
(3) Tell us: Where in your home would you style these terracotta towels? (Optional but encouraged)

ENTER ON INSTAGRAM

Giveaway details:
Entries accepted from November 1 at 9:00 a.m. through November 30 at 5:00 p.m.
One winner will receive the set of two towels. The winner will be contacted directly via message after the giveaway closes.
Open to U.S. residents 18 + only. No purchase necessary. The giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
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!

AWA+D Hosts a Panel Discussion: The Path to Licensure
2025-11-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
On Wednesday, November 5th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, please join AWA+D and fellow design professionals for a panel discussion inside the Helms Design Center as they share their journeys to licensure.
Hear real stories and strategies about how to plan effectively, stay motivated, discover your ideal study style, and pick up practical tips for navigating the licensing exams. Whether you’re just getting started or deep into the process, you’ll walk away with valuable insights and inspiration for your own path.

REGISTER FOR THE TALK

Celebrate 40 Years of Dance with Donna Sternberg & Dancers
2025-11-08 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-11-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Helms Design Center, 8745 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232
Celebrating its 40th year anniversary, Donna Sternberg & Dancers presents Thriving, a performance honoring mature choreographers and dancers who have made a significant contribution to the greater Los Angeles dance community.
Thriving celebrates the artistry of elders and dispels stereotypes of aging. The performance is an antidote to preconceived notions of aging by portraying the depth of experience, artistry and vitality that each choreographer/dancer brings. While not the same dancers as in their youth, age has brought a different but no less arresting richness to their dancing. Thriving testifies to the wonders of the human body, to the endurance of the human spirit and to the humanity that binds us together. The performance will be followed by a discussion and audience participation with the artists.
Ticket Pricing
$25 General Admission
$20 for Students and Seniors

PURCHASE TICKETS

The participants come from diverse cultural backgrounds and dance forms, reflecting the greater Los Angeles area. They include:
Ramya Harishankar, Artistic Director and founder of Arpana Dance Company, specializing in Bharatanatyam dance.
Jeff Slayton, co-founder of LA Dance Chronicle danced for renowned modern dance companies Merce Cunningham and Viola Farber as well as his own company, Jeff Slayton & Dancers.
Oguri, the founder of Body Weather Lab Los Angeles, specializes in the Japanese dance form of butoh. The connection of the human body to nature is the foundation of his art.
Donna Sternberg, a contemporary choreographer, danced with several companies including with Donald Byrd before founding DS&D in 1985. DS&Ds younger dancers will explore what aging means to them, in a career where youth is prized.
Thriving will be presented November 8 at 8:00 PM and November 9 at 3:00 PM at the Helms Design Center located at 8745 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232. Parking is available in any of the Helms street level parking lots.
This performance is made possible in part by the City of Culver City and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles Arts Commission.

Book Signing + Discussion with Photographer Daniel Arnold at Arcana Books
2025-11-22 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, November 22nd between 4:00 and 6:00 PM as they welcome iconic New York-based photographer Daniel Arnold to celebrate the release of his new Loose Joints monograph, You Are What You Do.
Daniel will be signing his new book following an in-person discussion conducted by Arcana manager and longtime Arnold-associate Jesse Pearson. For the curious, here is the Apology Podcast’s lengthy 2022 conversation between the two.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday for an engaging conversation and the opportunity to pick up Mr. Arnold’s epic new book! If you cannot attend and would like to purchase a signed copy of You Are What You Do, please place your order here!
Thanks to our friends at Open Brewing and Las Jaras Wines for their liquid support.

PURCHASE THE BOOK

12 Days of Fresh Perks
2025-12-01 - 2025-12-23 | Online, CA
12 Days. 12 Giveaways. Endless Good Cheer.
We’re celebrating the season of giving with our 12 Days of Fresh Perks, a festive lineup of design-forward gifts, culinary treats, and cozy comforts from our Helms Design District showrooms and restaurants.
Follow along on Instagram for your chance to win something special every other day through December 23rd.
Want an extra chance to snag a prize? Sign up for our newsletter for a second entry into every giveaway.
Fresh finds, local favorites, and holiday joy, all wrapped up, Helms-style.
Come for the perfect gift. Stay for the everything.

The Rules are simple. To be entered:
(1) You must Follow us on Instagram,
(2) Tell us why you’re feeling grateful (fave emojis are always welcome!),
(3) and Tag 2 friends in your comment so they can follow us and enter too!
The Giveaway begins December 1 and ends on December 23 at 4:00 pm PST. Helms swag includes a Cookie Tin from Helms Bakery, a Terrafirma Catch-All Tray from Rejuvenation, an Irvine Throw Blanket from Room & Board, a L’Oiseau Cork Bird from Jules Seltzer Associates, a Paul Smith Birdsong Pillow from Maharam and so much more!
We have 12 items to give away all month long, so be sure to check back with us often.
May the Holidays bring you joy and delight. Plus a little dose of giveaway luck!

Rules & Regs
(4) No purchase is required to enter.
(5) Winners will be selected randomly, contacted after each giveaway closes, and announced in our comments on Instagram.
(6) Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. By entering, entrants confirm they are at least 18+ years of age.
(7) This is a “Giftable Giveaway” and is not eligible for return, refund, or exchange at any of our showrooms or restaurants.
(8) The Helms Bakery District #GiftableGiveaway 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.
(9) One entry per day per Instagram user. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
(10) This giveaway is open to residents of Los Angeles County. Items must be picked up at Helms Bakery District (we will not ship).

12 Days. 12 Giveaways. Endless Good Cheer.
We’re celebrating the season of giving with our 12 Days of Fresh Perks, a festive lineup of design-forward gifts, culinary treats, and cozy comforts from our Helms Design District showrooms and restaurants.
Follow along on Instagram for your chance to win something special every other day through December 23rd.
Want an extra chance to snag a prize? Sign up for our newsletter for a second entry into every giveaway.
Fresh finds, local favorites, and holiday joy, all wrapped up, Helms-style.
Come for the perfect gift. Stay for the everything.

The Rules are simple. To be entered:
(1) You must Follow us on Instagram,
(2) Tell us why you’re feeling grateful (fave emojis are always welcome!),
(3) and Tag 2 friends in your comment so they can follow us and enter too!
The Giveaway begins December 1 and ends on December 23 at 4:00 pm PST. Helms swag includes a Cookie Tin from Helms Bakery, a Terrafirma Catch-All Tray from Rejuvenation, an Irvine Throw Blanket from Room & Board, a L’Oiseau Cork Bird from Jules Seltzer Associates, a Paul Smith Birdsong Pillow from Maharam and so much more!
We have 12 items to give away all month long, so be sure to check back with us often.
May the Holidays bring you joy and delight. Plus a little dose of giveaway luck!

Rules & Regs
(4) No purchase is required to enter.
(5) Winners will be selected randomly, contacted after each giveaway closes, and announced in our comments on Instagram.
(6) Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. By entering, entrants confirm they are at least 18+ years of age.
(7) This is a “Giftable Giveaway” and is not eligible for return, refund, or exchange at any of our showrooms or restaurants.
(8) The Helms Bakery District #GiftableGiveaway 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.
(9) One entry per day per Instagram user. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
(10) This giveaway is open to residents of Los Angeles County. Items must be picked up at Helms Bakery District (we will not ship).

Book Signing with Senon Williams: Scrapyard at Arcana Books
2025-12-13 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, December 13th between 4:00 and 6:00 PM as we welcome esteemed Los Angeles-based artist, musician, and author Senon Williams to celebrate the release of his new Hat & Beard Press publication, Scrapyard.
“The book forms a graveyard or a scrapyard of items one might typically discard. In our time of extreme wastefulness, assembling the detritus from his art-making into a scrapbook gives each of these items a collective home and value. Gathered from Williams’ day-to-day studio practice, they are thoughts jotted down, remnants of materials used, random receipts, which suggest a sense of care, like acts of preservation, mending and repurposing. Each piece is held, suspended from its final dissolution, forming a new place in which to exist. Interspersed within the pages are vignettes looking at the histories of scrapbooking and ephemeral collection over time by Richelle Munkhoff and Beth Ann Whittaker of Plain Sight Archive. There is a long legacy and history of this artistic action and this publication represents now another documentation of time and place.”
We look forward to seeing you Saturday for the opportunity to meet and greet Senon – and to pick up his engaging new book! If you cannot attend and would like to purchase a signed copy of Scrapyard, his hot-off-the-press limited edition etching Everything Must Go, or a selection of older titles, please place your order here!

PURCHASE BOOKS

Senon Williams is a lifelong visual artist and musician, and a Los Angeles native. Ranging in media from paintings on paper and canvas, to wood sculpture and assemblage. Senon explores poignant visualization of the inherent human struggle both ancient and contemporary. He finds space in the natural world, exposing stages of human evolution. His love of language play, sounds, textures, and associations of word and object often explore the triumphs and conflicts inherent in identity, history, and community. Senon’s search for truth leaves him amazed and baffled. Creating art is his meditation on meaning, or no meaning in the face of our turbulent existence. The written word and poetry is a consistent part of his practice.
