{"id":2219989,"date":"2026-01-02T16:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T16:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2219989"},"modified":"2026-01-02T16:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T16:04:10","slug":"the-artists-we-lost-in-2025-l-a-arts-and-culture-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-artists-we-lost-in-2025-l-a-arts-and-culture-this-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"The artists we lost in 2025: L.A. arts and culture this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s the second day of a brand new year, and I\u2019d like to take a moment to look back at some of the towering talent we lost in 2025 through the appreciations and obituaries written by the arts staff.<\/p>\n

A caveat: The Times strives to acknowledge significant figures in arts and culture when they die, but due to the fast-paced nature of daily news, we often miss people we wish we hadn\u2019t, so this list is far from inclusive.<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciation: Frank Gehry was the architect who changed music,\u201d<\/a> Times classical music critic Mark Swed on the unique way that Gehry\u2019s designs interacted with \u2014 and elevated \u2014 sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiane Keaton, film legend, fashion trendsetter and champion of L.A.\u2019s past, dead at 79,\u201d<\/a> Keaton, who appeared on Broadway in \u201cHair\u201d and \u201cPlay It Again, Sam\u201d before becoming a movie star, didn\u2019t consider herself an artist, but she was a patron and published several books that captured her longtime interest in photography and collage-making. <\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciation: Richard Foreman, an auteur of consciousness, did things his way,\u201d<\/a> writes Times theater critic Charles McNulty of the experimental playwright.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaywright Richard Greenberg, the Mozart of verbal arias, brought an exquisite fluency to the American stage,\u201d<\/a> an appreciation by McNulty.<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciation: Tom Stoppard reinvigorated the comedy of ideas,\u201d <\/a>McNulty on the genius of the playwright.<\/p>\n

\u201cElizabeth Franz, Tony-winning \u2018Death of a Salesman\u2019 actor, dies at 84,\u201d<\/a> an obituary of the prolific stage actor whose career spanned more than five decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciation: Playwright Athol Fugard proved the pen could be mightier than the sword,\u201d<\/a> McNulty on the 92-year-old dramatist\u2019s career and its deep impact on South Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciation: Joe Goode beautifully blurred the lines of the art world,\u201d<\/a> Times art critic Christopher Knight on how the artist helped establish the vibrant Los Angeles art scene of the 1960s.<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciation: Robert Wilson, who changed everything he touched, was the most influential theater artist of our time,\u201d<\/a> Swed on the lasting importance of the avante-garde theater maker who collaborated closely with Philip Glass.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lasting legacy of L.A.-born ceramicist Michael Frimkess,\u201d<\/a> a look at the legacy of the Boyle Heights-born artist who died at 88.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt inviting you to join me on a journey of remembrance. Here\u2019s your arts and culture news for the week.<\/p>\n

The year in pictures<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/picture>\n
\n

Cynthia Erivo, April 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

(Jason Armond \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

We recently shared The Times\u2019 best entertainment photos of 2025<\/a> and the year in news photography<\/a>. Here are some of the most interesting images we\u2019ve captured this year in the arts world.<\/p>\n

\n
\"LACMA <\/picture>\n
\n

A preview of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art\u2019s Geffen Galleries, June 26, 2025.<\/p>\n

(Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

\n
\"Singer <\/picture>\n
\n

Singer Angelique Kidjo performs with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Hollywood Bowl.<\/p>\n

(Hon Wing Chiu \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

\n
\"The <\/picture>\n
\n

The cast of \u201cJaja\u2019s African Hair Braiding\u201d: Bisserat Tseggai, left, Jordan Rice, Victoire Charles and Claudia Logan, Oct. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

\n
\"Edward <\/picture>\n
\n

Edward V. Valentine\u2019s \u201cJefferson Davis,\u201d at the \u201cMONUMENTS\u201d exhibit at MOCA, Oct. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

(Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

\n
\"Gustavo <\/picture>\n
\n

Gustavo Dudamel conducts Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, Oct. 11, 2025, in Inglewood.<\/p>\n

(Etienne Laurent \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

\n
\"June <\/picture>\n
\n

June Squibb, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City.<\/p>\n

(Evelyn Freja \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

\n
\"Ben <\/picture>\n
\n

Ben Platt, Dec. 4, 2025, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

The SoCal scene<\/h2>\n
\n
\"The <\/picture>\n
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The exhibition floor at the LA Art Show in 2022.<\/p>\n

(LA Art Show)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Art for 2026<\/b>
The first big art event of the new year kicks off Wednesday when the 31st edition of the LA Art Show<\/a> opens downtown. Galleries and institutions from around the world will exhibit art across the vast spaces of the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year\u2019s program includes the debut of an invitation-only Latin American Pavilion, curated by Marisa Caichiolo, who also curates the DIVERSEartLA program. Among the other featured presentations are works by Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri and South African artist Esther Mahlangu, plus a solo exhibition of abstract paintings by Sylvester Stallone. The show continues through Jan. 11.<\/p>\n

\n
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Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Culture news<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Idris <\/picture>\n
\n

Idris Elba arriving at the 2004 Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater.<\/p>\n

(Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

That\u2019s Sir<\/i> Idris to you<\/b><\/p>\n

Actors Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo were among the more than 1,100 people on King Charles III\u2019s annual New Year Honours List<\/a> released this week. The British tradition recognizes people who have \u201cmade achievements in public life\u201d and \u201ccommitted themselves to serving and helping the UK.\u201d Elba, known for television roles in \u201cThe Wire\u201d and \u201cLuther\u201d and movies including \u201cBeasts of No Nation\u201d and \u201cThor,\u201d was knighted for services to young people. \u201cWicked\u201d star Erivo, a Tony and Grammy winner and three-time Oscar nominee, received a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, for services to music and drama. <\/p>\n

Freedom from fascism<\/b>
On a recent fall day, Catherine Rampell of the Bulwark was given a guided tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., by the artist\u2019s granddaughter Daisy Rockwell. In an article published this week, \u201cThe MAGAfication of Norman Rockwell,\u201d<\/a> Daisy expressed her displeasure with the Trump administration\u2019s misappropriation of her grandfather\u2019s work to promote the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s anti-immigrant operations. \u201cNorman Rockwell was antifa,\u201d Daisy told Rampell. \u201cThey used [the paintings] \u2026 as though his work aligned with their values, i.e., promoting this segregationist vision of America. And so of course we were upset by this, because Norman Rockwell was really very clearly anti-segregationist.\u201d Through most of Rockwell\u2019s career, he depicted American life largely through a white lens, but eventually came to a reckoning with some of his own views, chronicling some of the most significant moments of the civil rights movement. In November, the Rockwell family published a letter in USA Today<\/a> detailing how the artist\u2019s \u201cefforts to eradicate prejudices both within himself and others led him to explore issues of racism, violence and segregation well into his 70s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russia reopens Mariupol theater where hundreds died<\/b>
In March 2022, a Russian air strike killed more than 600 civilians sheltering inside a historic theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This week, the Associated Press reported that Moscow-installed authorities in the now occupied region reopened the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater<\/a> with a gala concert on the building\u2019s newly rebuilt main stage. Russian state media outlets shared images of the building\u2019s marbled pillars and staircases as dancers, wearing kokoshniks, traditional Russian headdresses, performed. Mariupol\u2019s Ukrainian city council, which left the city when it became occupied, denounced the \u201crestoration,\u201d calling it \u201ca cynical attempt to conceal the traces of a war crime\u201d in a statement on Telegram.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kevin Crust<\/p>\n

And last but not least<\/h2>\n
\n
\""Twelfth <\/picture>\n
\n

\u201cTwelfth Night,\u201d with Moses Sumney, left, Kapil Talwalkar, Junior Nyong\u2019o and Lupita Nyong\u2019o at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, which was broadcast on PBS\u2019 \u201cGreat Performances\u201d in November and is available to stream via PBS Passport.<\/p>\n

(Joseph Sinnott)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Times television critic Robert Lloyd wrapped his year with an essay, \u201c6 ways public broadcasting will improve your life. And that\u2019s a promise.\u201d<\/a> One suggestion is to make a tax-deductible $5-a-month donation to PBS. That gifts gets you \u201cPBS Passport,\u201d public television\u2019s all-access streaming platform, which offers an endless bounty of quality programming. Key among the offerings of interest to readers of this newsletter are programs such as \u201cGreat Performances,\u201d \u201cAustin City Limits\u201d and \u201cArtbound,\u201d plus a rabbit hole of regional arts programming with something for every taste. As Lloyd wrote, \u201cIf you can\u2019t find something to watch or listen to here, you are simply an incurious person.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.latimes.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the second day of a brand new year, and I\u2019d like to take a moment to look back at some of the towering talent we lost in 2025 through the appreciations and obituaries written by the arts staff. A caveat: The Times strives to acknowledge significant figures in arts and culture when they die, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2219990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2219989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The-artists-we-lost-in-2025-LA-arts-and-culture.com2Fa82Fe52Fcda91672455db854c3973720.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2219989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2219989"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2219989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2219991,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2219989\/revisions\/2219991"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2219990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2219989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2219989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2219989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}