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Art & Architecture
Introduction
Celebrating the impulse to create, build—and rebuild.
Alta Q&A: “I’m Interested in Delivering”
Frank Gehry is renowned for a design language that is instantly recognizable yet deeply thoughtful and rooted in both art and architecture. The Californian reflects on defying convention and why he’s still working at 96. By Will Hearst
5 Leading Architects on Gehry’s Influence
By Ed Leibowitz
In the Studio: Vincent Fecteau
A San Francisco sculptor on intuition, fashion, and the power of taking a break. By Brent Hatcher • Photos by Penni Gladstone
The Cult of Eichler
The houses of this mid-century modern developer are hotter than ever. But renovating one can require joining an online support group. By Jack Boulware • Photos by Christie Hemm Klok
In the Studio: Josh Tafoya
A textile artist in Ranchos de Taos combines his background in fashion with traditional weaving. By Steven Vargas • Photos by Minesh Bacrania
“We Get to Start from Scratch”
Three prominent architects lost their Altadena homes in the Eaton Fire. Now, with little guidance from the county, they’re rebuilding. By Christopher Hawthorne • Photos by Philip Cheung
In the Studio: Reynaldo Rivera
A Los Angeles photographer converted his home bathroom into a darkroom. By Anna Merlan • Photos by Christina Gandolfo
Alta Picks: Art Happens in Vegas
From contemporary installations to museum-worthy collections, Las Vegas hotels are turning their lobbies and grounds into unexpected art destinations. By India Brown
At the Wheel and Over the Hood
Rose B. Simpson’s mixed-media sculptures offer an exuberant blending of ancestral and contemporary culture. By Jessica Zack • Photos by Kate Russell
In the Studio: Andie Dinkin
The fine artist paints colorful canvases with intricate scenes in her Los Angeles home studio. By Emily Wilson • Photos by Christina Gandolfo
A Friendship Forged Between Mountains
Chiura Obata and Ansel Adams met as artists drawn to the same peaks—but their views of the West soon diverged. By Carolina A. Miranda
In the Studio: Yuri Kinoshita
The light sculptor uses paper and kimonos to build intricate lamps in her Seattle studio. By Paula Mejía • Photos by John Lok
Features
More Flop Than Blockbuster
Mired in budget overruns, clumsy politics, and curatorial missteps, the Academy Museum has lost its plot. By Michael Callahan • Photos by Tod Seelie
Why Not Live Like This?
Sometimes you need to build a 7,000-pound raft in Sweden and drift. By Chris Colin • Photos by Colin Tennant
Dispatches
Boots, Bucks, and Drag
Inside the world of gay rodeo, a dazzling tradition with a painful past. By Daniel Rothberg • Photos by Rambo Elliott
Letter From Cambridge: AI Solutions for Real Problems
Boston prefers profits to prophets. By Michael F. Fitzgerald
The Playwright Who Found His Stage
Philip Kan Gotanda and the legacy of East West Players. By Robert Ito
Books
Why I Write: A Calling to See the World
By John Freeman • Photo by Colin Tennant
Why You Should Read This: California Rewritten
By David L. Ulin
Why I Write: Toward Belonging
By Ada Limón • Photo by Carolyn Fong
Why You Should Read This: Startlement
By David L. Ulin
Why I Write: To Help Us Know the Past
By Lisa See • Photo by Dustin Snipes
Why You Should Read This: On Gold Mountain
By David L. Ulin
‘A Diamond and Safire Bracelet Lasts Forever’
The hardscrabble origin story of Anita Loos’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the bestselling 1925 novel that spawned a smash Broadway musical and the iconic Marilyn Monroe film. By Joy Lanzendorfer • Illustration by Anita Kunz
Upcoming Releases: Autumn Feuilletons and Wonders
Appetizing offerings for the mind and spirit. By Paul Wilner
The Black Hole at the Center
Jean Stein, who wrote the searing oral history West of Eden, listened to others while evading herself. By Sam Wasson • Illustration by Anita Kunz
Recently Reviewed: From Airplane Obsession to Accomplices
Highlights from our Monday Book Review newsletter.
A Wild Life
Lance Richardson’s biography of Peter Matthiessen captures the affairs, betrayals, and brilliance of the prolific writer whose award-winning books argued for a defense of the environment and of Indigenous people’s rights. By Terry McDonell
A Peter Matthiessen Primer
Peter Matthiessen’s first novel, Race Rock, was released in 1954. Over the next 60 years, he published more than 30 works of fiction and nonfiction, winning three National Book Awards. Here are five essential reads by the author.
Writer’s Room: Friendship As a Prism
Angela Flournoy discusses how her second novel, The Wilderness, came to be. By Anita Felicelli
Culture
Poetry: “Point Reyes”
By Maw Shein Win
For the Joy of It
Music, community, and weirdness take center stage at the Alaska Folk Festival. By Meredith Lawrence • Photos by Christopher S. Miller
Poetry: “Poem”
By Aram Saroyan
Fiction: “Former Colleagues, Nothing More”
By Maceo Montoya • Illustrations by Victor Juhasz
In Every Issue
Publisher’s Note: Building a Culture of Art
By Will Hearst
Ask a Californian: Golden State Goodies (and Baddies)
Our advice columnists tackle readers’ queries about kids’ names, infamous killers, and quintessential California cuisine. By Gustavo Arellano and Stacey Grenrock Woods
Crossword: Frame Job
Master the art of the word game. By Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa
