“Under the skylight of a 10-foot industrial ceiling is a cold, foreboding blacksmith’s forge — which, on an active day, would heat up to 2,500 degrees — surrounded by uncut, conical metal templates awaiting manipulation. On a workbench nearby, sea mine-shaped lamps stand on metal casts of hawk feet alongside caged bubble glass lanterns that appear as if they might burst from internal pressure. Outside is a serene garden under a canopy of branches weighed down by iridescent copper bells, all handmade.”
Today in the Los Angeles Times, Christopher Buchanan writes about Evan Chambers. The article covers Chambers’ early years making glass art, his role in moving new(old) houses to Altadena, and his political activism after the Eaton Fire took his home and community. ❤️ A beautiful piece. View Chambers’ art in person here at Gold Bug.
@latimes@kayla.bartkowski@evanchambersobjects
Evan Chambers’s practice joins metalwork and glassblowing to produce characterful, complex sculpted pieces, inspired by the natural world. His copper and bronze lamp pieces resemble birds, whales, dandelions, and more. Illuminated from the inside, these chimeric creatures radiate a life force of their own.
Come see “Cicada Lamp, Before & After,” part of Post-Fire 1, at Des Artistes from now through June 1.
#culvercityart #laarts #glassblowing
About earlier this week…the Conservancy’s Preservation Awards Celebration at The Ebell (swipe ⬅️)…this year’s winners ask an uncomfortable, necessary question: if preservation can deliver housing, safety, equity, climate action, and happiness, what excuse do we have not to do more of it?…
#moreofthis #victorylaps
The Los Angeles Conservancy didn’t just hand out preservation awards this week; it sketched a roadmap for the future of the county. These projects show that saving places isn’t nostalgia—it’s strategy.
Consider the Historic House Relocation Project, where at-risk older homes are literally put on wheels and turned into housing for families displaced by wildfires. What used to be landfill-bound debris is now stability, dignity, and helping people get back into homes. Across town, the Charlotte and Robert Disney Bungalow quietly reminds us that world-changing ideas often begin in modest rooms (or, in this case, a garage); preserving them keeps creative possibility tangible, not abstract.
El Rodeo Elementary School and UCLA’s Powell Library prove that “historic” and “safe” aren’t opposites, marrying seismic resilience with architectural integrity so students and scholars inherit buildings that are both inspiring and stand the test of time. Little Tokyo Towers and The Union on Garey go further, treating preservation as social infrastructure—protecting elders, anchoring and supporting communities, and making sure long-term residents aren’t edited out of the urban story.
Then there’s joy. Stanley Burke’s gleams again in neon Googie optimism, ready to franchise a distinctly Angeleno sense of fun, while El Paradiso and the USC Dick Wolf Drama Center turn high design and adaptive reuse into working laboratories for how we want to live, learn, and create together. Our tribute to Diane Keaton celebrates how one person’s passion can create lasting change and inspire others to make a difference.
Taken together, this year’s winners ask an uncomfortable, necessary question: if preservation can deliver housing, safety, equity, climate action, and happiness, what excuse do we have not to do more of it?
*Welcome to #LAPlaceKeeping, an ongoing series that explores Los Angeles through the people and places that matter—written by Adrian Scott Fine, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy.
📸: Photos by Gary Leonard.
Such a huge honor for the Historic House Relocation Project from @laconservancy last night! Big love to the brain trust @omgivning_ , @66olds , @shenanigans_21 , our incredible GC @mr_sapp_real_estate_developer , and the fearless trailblazers of Houses 1 and 2 @evanchambersobjects and @ck_chambers and @gwen_sukeena .
Pinky was the third home to move and she’s gearing up for an exciting week! Foundation rebar and forms should be ready for inspection early next week, final building review for drainage and grading is coming through (hopefully today! 🙏), and once she’s lowered we’ll pour the pads and jump straight into roof framing (vaulted ceilings here we come!). Interior cleanup is underway now and trades are lining up to start.
It’s a process but it’s happening. Grateful, proud, and excited to keep going 🩷🩷🩷 #2026preservationawards #PreservationAwarss #HistoricPreservation #laconservancy #altadenahomes
We’re proud to recognize the Historic House Relocation Project as our 2026 Chair Award recipient at today’s Preservation Awards Celebration!
In January 2025, the Eaton and Palisades fires brought unimaginable loss to Los Angeles County. As the long recovery process began, fire-affected families looked at their options: rebuild or move. Architects, preservationists, and community advocates began asking if there was another recovery option that could honor what was lost and support preservation while offering a more cost-effective, sustainable, and faster rebuilding solution.
The Historic House Relocation Project was born from these conversations—an innovative house-moving program that saves at-risk older houses from demolition and turns them into homes for families displaced by wildfires.
Each year, many older houses are needlessly demolished as neighborhoods change and redevelopment pressures increase. The house-moving initiative, launched by architecture and preservation firm Omgivning, identifies houses scheduled for demolition and gives them another life by relocating them to properties where families are rebuilding. Through careful coordination and extensive planning with a network of house movers, structural engineers, and builders, the homes are moved, restored, and adapted for continued use.
By connecting threatened houses with families working to rebuild, the Historic House Relocation Project demonstrates how preservation can support both community recovery and the future of L.A. We’re honoring this forward-thinking and innovative initiative with the Conservancy’s Chair Award at our 2026 Preservation Awards today, celebrating the Historic House Relocation Project as it continues rolling along in Los Angeles County, providing hope and much-needed housing 🏡🚚❤️
“Post Fire 1” at @6006_arts a group show of artists affected by Eaton Fire, which destroyed Altadena. Excellent curation. The works reflect a hopeful spirit and optimism over year after the devastating fire.
Post-Fire 1
One Year Later: 22 Artists Reflect
Group Show
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Friday, March 13, 6-10 pm
Des Artistes
6006 Washington Blvd, Culver City
Through June 1, 2026
•••••
Des Artistes is proud to present Post-Fire 1, the inaugural exhibition in a planned four-year series. One year after the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, 22 artists reflect on the impact of these events and forge a new way forward.
The Post-Fire series is designed to showcase and support artists who have experienced the traumatic loss of homes and studios. In support of the creative community, all proceeds from sales go directly to the artists, with Des Artistes taking no sales commission. The exhibition serves as both a reflection on loss and a testament to artistic resilience.
The participating artists include Eddie Aparicio, citizenbong, Maura Brewer, Jamison Carter, Evan Chambers, Kevin Cooley, Kenturah Davis, Eberhard Blum, Margaret Ross Griffith, Olivia Hill, Knuth Studio, Alice Konitz, T. Kelly Mason, Ana Rodriguez, Adam Ross, razinkovy_nos, Risky Business, Ross Simonini, Viking Street, Camilla Taylor, Diana Thater, and The Melancholy Spring.
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#laart #laartscene #losangelesart #losangelesartscene #thingstodoinla #artopenings #artopeningsla #artcontemporary #artwatchers #artcollections #madeinla #artcollectorworld #artcollectorsoninstagram #contemporaryartcollectors #contemporaryartlosangeles #desartistes #postfire1 #postfireseries #altadena #CulverCityArt @track16gallery@6006_arts@eddieraparicio@citizenbong@maurabrewer@jamisonhcarter@evanchambersobjects@kevincooley_@kenturah@eberharb@margaretrossgriffith@olivia_hill_studio@knuthstudio@alice_konitz_studio@tkellymason@ana_paints@therealadamrossaltadena@camillataylor@business__risky@rosssimonini@vikingstreet@dianathaterstudio@themelancholyspring
Last month, @agrobbonta announced a historic civil rights investigation into the disparate impact of the Eaton Fire response west of Lake in Altadena. Community members are now being contacted by the DOJ and this investigation is active and real. It was organized into existence not by any electeds or community "leaders" but by us.
In the spirit of International Women’s Month, talking about how this happened is important. This campaign was initiated and led by Black and female fire survivors working together as @altadenaforaccountability . Grieving, displaced, navigating insurance battles, caring for families, and still building strategy, gathering data, and refusing to be ignored. We carried this fight when it was uncertain, when speaking this truth was unpopular, and when there were no cameras or microphones around to bear witness.
The stories and data we brought to our meeting with the AG had not appeared in any county or state report. 18 of 19 lives lost were west of Lake. One fire engine was sent west when dozens went east. Evacuation warnings never came west.
For those unfamiliar with our history, west of Lake is Altadena’s historic redlining line and home to one of LA’s most significant historic Black communities.
Now that the announcement has been made, it seems many are eager to associate themselves with the outcome. Adopting our messaging, referencing our data, talking to the press. This is a victory for ALL of Altadena to celebrate, but we cannot allow the women — especially the Black women — who birthed this campaign from nothing to be erased from that story.
Our work as community organizers and activists does not end here. Too many neighbors remain displaced. Renters and seniors have no pathway home. Families are battling insurance. Serious questions remain about contaminated soil and an incomplete cleanup.
There is no rebuilding without trust. And no trust without accountability. So this month, I’m celebrating us. This amazing group of people I could not be not be more proud to stand with and the women who refused to be sidelined, silenced, or forgotten. As @agrobbonta said, we turned our pain into purpose. And we are just getting started.
So much gratitude for everyone who messaged, emailed or called the AG's office, who showed up at our events, who lended support in any way. we started this campaign a year ago, in a miasma of rage and disbelief, not ready to "move on". the support you've shown has made such a difference in the community and in the lives of our neighbors.
