photo l.a.: The yearly gathering of galleries, fans, buyers, and lauded photographers who capture elaborate stories with one click has a big name for the bigness it encompasses. The Reef downtown is the setting for The 25th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Exposition will be flush with photos and tours and panels and everything that has anything to do with the camera, the lens, and the eye. You don't have to buy or attend one of the programs to enjoy a day; a one-day ticket to the Jan 22-24 snapshot spectacular is twenty bucks.
Remembering Otis Redding: Visionaries who melded sounds, styles, and fandoms don't come along every day, or even every year, but "The King of Soul" helped weave together many of the tenets of soul and rock in the '60s. The Grammy Museum will pay homage to the Grammy winner, an artist beloved for hits like "Try a Little Tenderness" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long." It's opening weekend, but the memorabilia-packed exhibit is on through mid-September.
Uncorked LA Wine Festival: If part of the pleasure of sipping a spicy vino is the surroundings or company, this inaugural party will have a lot of locations beat. It takes place at Union Station, so enjoy the food trucks and tastes from 50+ wineries while rocking on all of that Streamline/Art-Deco-ness. Even better than the famous setting, fun eats, and top-notch sips? Non-profit MOSTE receives some of the proceeds. Saturday, Jan. 23
National Hot Sauce Day: People who love their Scoville scale-worthy condiments have been known to shake a few drops -- er, spoonfuls? -- of the fiery stuff on everything from avocados to eggs. Celebrate the spicy at Le Jardin on Friday, Jan. 22 when Tabañero Hot Sauce throws a flavorful fete that is all about extreme heat. DJs, fire eaters, fancy cocktails, and more will pop up at the piquant party. It's free, but you'll need to register first, hot-saucing celebrators.
"The Artist's Garden": We may still have a few months to go with winter, but The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is flowering early via this traveling Impressionist-focused exhibit. It's "the only West Coast stop on a national tour" for this petal-pretty painting-filled feast for the eyes, and it is only at the San Marino institution through May 9. Is this just the dose of spring you need? Word has it El Niño isn't nearly over, so enjoy some flowery views now.
