Events

my hands are monsters who believe in magic is a group exhibition that explores an artist’s capacity for the radical reimagination of the self through a process of unmaking and remaking. Featuring contemporary photography, video, and ceramics by ten artists from the Asian diaspora—Alex Anderson, Tommy Kha, Maggie Lee, Jarod Lew, Cathy C. Lu, Diane Severin Nguyen, Miraj Patel, Leonard Suryajaya, Guanyu Xu, and Amia Yokoyama—the exhibition highlights the liberatory possibilities of self-construction and reinvention. The works on view navigate the endless, messy, contradictory, and sometimes grotesque process of understanding oneself in relation to history, materiality, and community. The title of the exhibition quotes a line from Ocean Vuong’s poem “Dear Sara” in Time Is a Mother. my hands are monsters who believe in magic is organized by guest curator Kris Kuramitsu.

Opening Public Celebration
Sunday, May 4
1:00 to 3:30 PM

Join us for the opening celebration on May 4, which includes a drop-in, all-ages artmaking workshop led by Armory Teaching Artist Lark Crable. Participants will create and take home their own "Clay Monster." This event and workshop are free and open to everyone.

About the Curator
Kris Kuramitsu is an independent curator and educator in Los Angeles. As Senior Curator at The Mistake Room in Los Angeles, she organized exhibitions such as Matsumi Kanemitsu: Metamorphic Effects (2014); Cao Fei: Shadow Plays (2015); A Tender Spot: Sky Hopinka and Karrabing Film Collective (2018); and Gaëlle Choisne: Temple of Love – ADORABLE (2019), among others. She curates the Candlewood Arts Festival, a program of temporary public art projects in the Anza Borrego Desert for the Under the Sun Foundation. Additionally, she has organized exhibitions for institutions such as the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College, Claremont, CA; LAXART, Los Angeles; Instituto Cervantes, Madrid; and the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles. She has taught at Harvey Mudd College and was the 2022 curatorial resident at Occidental College, where she organized the exhibition Voice a Wild Dream: Moments in Asian American Art and Activism, 1968-2022. She is the recipient of the 2024 Call to Dream Sam Francis Fellowship.

Pasadena Heritage is celebrating the fantastic indoor and outdoor spaces of the Gilded Age with a Victorian Weekend from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1.  Old Pasadena takes the stage on Friday, May 30, for a special evening of Victorian Splendor.

Join Pasadena Heritage for an immersive three-day celebration of Victorian architecture, leisure, and life. From Pasadena’s iconic Castle Green to the Adena Mansion not open to the public in two decades, to the charming Doctors House in Glendale, this weekend will transport you to the Gilded Age through exclusive tours, classic lawn games, and a sunset lawn bowling dinner experience.

FRIDAY MAY 30, 2025, 4:00-8:00 PM
Evening of Victorian Splendor + Dinner in Old Pasadena

TICKETS:
(Only 30 tickets will be sold, including a dinner)

• Before May 5: Sold only as part of the Package ticket for the entire weekend, with only 30 tickets available
• Starting May 5 (If available): $65 nonmember / $52 member (20% discount, not eligible for Golden Ticket)

4:00 – 4:30 PM | History Walk at Central Park
Begin with a brief walking tour of Central Park in the heart of the Old Pasadena Management District to set the stage for the evening.

4:30 – 5:15 PM | Castle Green Tour
Explore this 1887 marvel of Moorish, Spanish, and Victorian design that helped put Pasadena on the map as a destination for the wealthy.

5:30 – 7:30 PM | Sunset Lawn Bowling & Picnic Dinner
Head to the Pasadena Lawn Bowling & Croquet Club—founded in 1921 and the oldest of its kind west of the Mississippi—for an unforgettable evening of Victorian pastimes.
🏆 Enjoy a picnic dinner featuring Mexican food, chicken, and pie!
🎩 Victorian garb or lawn whites + straw hats encouraged!

Pasadena Heritage offers their popular Old Pasadena Walking Tour and Old Pasadena Management District is a proud sponsor of these educational and enjoyable tours of our historic district. 

This summer, the Pasadena Museum of History invites residents and visitors alike to take a step back in time with a series of immersive walking tours that bring the city’s rich cultural and architectural heritage to life.

ARROYO TERRACE & PROSPECT PARK
SAT JUN 14 - 10am - 12pm
The first tour, Arroyo Terrace & Prospect Park, takes place on Saturday, June 14, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and explores Pasadena’s pivotal role in the American Arts & Crafts movement. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Arroyo Seco and its surrounding hills buzzed with creative energy. Artists, craftspeople, and wealthy patrons helped establish Pasadena as one of the movement’s three national hubs. Participants will follow in the footsteps of influential figures like tilemaker Ernest Batchelder and renowned architects Charles and Henry Greene, discovering the multicultural influences and artistic passions that shaped the city’s identity. The tour begins at the historic Court of Appeals/Vista del Arroyo building (125 S. Grand Ave.) and ends at Orange Grove and California.

• For those unable to make the walk, historian Julia Long will offer an illustrated lecture on Thursday, May 15, at 7:00 pm at the Pasadena Museum of History.

EXPLORING PASADENA ON FOOT
SAT JUN 14 - 10am - 12pm
The second tour, Exploring Pasadena on Foot: Arroyo Terrace & Prospect Park, also scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, offers a different perspective. Highlighting early residential developments like Westmoreland Place and the tree-lined Prospect Park, the walk showcases homes designed by architectural giants such as Wallace Neff, Myron Hunt, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

• This route starts and ends at the Pasadena Museum of History (470 W. Walnut St.).

SALOONS & SPEAKEASIES
SAT JUL 12 - 10am - 12pm
Rounding out the series on Saturday, July 12, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, is Saloons & Speakeasies, a lively tour through Old Pasadena’s spirited history with alcohol. From the city’s early stance as a “dry” community to the inevitable rebellion of speakeasies and saloons, this walk promises an entertaining dive into Pasadena’s more mischievous side.

• The tour begins at 34 Union St. and concludes next to Lucky Baldwin’s Pub (17 S. Raymond Ave).

Note: All walking tours involve steep inclines and declines. For details and ticketing, visit the Events Calendar at pasadenahistory.org.

In honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, the City of Pasadena once again raised the Progress Pride Flag on Saturday, June 1, at Centennial Square, Pasadena City Hall.

LGBT Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, where activists and patrons of the Stonewall Inn pushed back against police harassment and persecution to which LGBT Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marks the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBT Americans.

Today, organizations around the country honor June as Pride Month and dedicate celebrations, ceremonies, and memorials in recognition of the contributions made by LGBTQ individuals—locally, nationally, and internationally.

Love, Loud & Proud! Celebration

Saturday, June 21 ~ 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Join us at iconic Pasadena City Hall as we champion our diverse LGBTQ+ community. This free event features drag performances and story time,  photo op area, vaccine clinic, community resources, and food for purchase. For more information, call (626) 744-7500.

Armoery Center for the Arts will join in the fun with Austyn De Lugo-Liston, Armory Teaching Artist, leading an art-making activity for all ages. 

Attendees also have the opportunity to meet representatives from many of these local LGBTQ+ organizations, community partners, and allies:

• San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center
• Planned Parenthood
• PFLAG
• Free Mom Hugs SoCal
• First Baptist Church of Pasadena Pride Group
• Pasadena Tournament of Roses
• Pasadena Public Library
• Pasadena Police Department
• Pasadena Fire Department
• Stars: Illuminate. Educate. Advocate.
• Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity
• Foothill Family
• Armory Center for the Arts
• Pasadena Playhouse
• San Gabriel Valley Pride, Inc.