Nerd Nite Los Angeles - April 2024
Event description
Nerd Nite is fun-yet-informative lectures at a bar. It's like TED Talks...but with beer.
We all know that learning is more fun when you’re drinking with friends and colleagues. Thus, Nerd Nite is a monthly event held in more than 100 cities across the globe during which several folks give 20-minute fun-yet-informative and easily accessible presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along.
FAQ's:
- Doors open at 7pm. Intro at 7:45pm. Presentations at 8pm.
- The Brewyard Beer Company is a 21+ venue.
- There is free street parking surrounding the bar, but we recommend utilizing a ride share service.
PRESENTATION LINE-UP:
PRESENTATION #1: Hollywood Signs: The Golden Age of Glittering Graphics and Glowing Neon
By Kathy Kikkert
Summary: Join author and graphic designer Kathy Kikkert as she guides us back to a dazzling time to when a vibrant sea of neon signs illuminated the glamorous streets of Hollywood. Discover the Lost Signs of the Hollywood Hills, revisit the beloved Grauman’s Chinese Theatre’s Neon Dragons that hovered over Hollywood Blvd for decades, and delight in the exuberant typography of Googie coffee shops and bowling alleys. Accompanied by rare photos, mesmerizing video, and fun stories, Kikkert's celebration of sign design will guarantee that you’ll never see Hollywood the same way again!
Bio: Kathy Kikkert is a graphic designer specializing in book design, restaurant branding, and illustration. Before moving to Hollywood, she was an art director at Doubleday and book designer at Simon & Schuster in New York. Her retro-modern flair is expressed in the books, brands, and signs she has designed. She has a BA in Art History from New York University and has been photographing vintage neon signs for over twenty years. Hollywood Signs is her first book.
PRESENTATION #2: Harriet Burns: The Woman, The Myth, the Legend... The 1st Lady of Walt Disney Imagineering
By Haley Clair
Summary: Voiceover artist and actor Haley Clair takes you down the rabbit hole of Disney Herstory with stories about her legendary grandmother, Harriet Burns, Walt Disney’s first female Imagineer. From soldering in designer dresses and heels, to "Rolly Crump drew WHAT?!", to pushing around Walt Disney himself in a wheely office chair, the stories of how the iconic magic was created back in the day go on and on! Get ready for laughs, and maybe one or two secrets, about the creation of the Happiest Place on Earth!
Bio: Haley Clair, the youngest granddaughter of Harriet Burns, is an actor, singer, dancer, and voice over artist whose voice can be heard in numerous national commercials for brands including Citizen’s Bank, Michael’s, Kohl’s, David’s Bridal, and many more! She holds a BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory, and after spending 8 years in NYC, recently moved back to the Best Coast where she spends most (*all*) of her free time (*and money*) in her favorite place, Disneyland.
PRESENTATION #3: The Art of the Process: An Art Career Chat with Sculptor Jim McKenzie + Screening of His Short Film 'Potato Face'
By Jim McKenzie
Summary: From commercial animator to a full-time fine artist, creative professional Jim McKenzie will discuss the highs and lows of his inventive career that has spanned fifteen years. During this time, he has displayed his art in galleries worldwide, built a giant fifty-foot animatronic scarecrow that stalked the streets of Italy, and showcased his unique sculpting style to his 577,000 followers on Youtube. Along with insight on how to sell original work to the masses, McKenzie will also be treating Nerd Nite to a special screening of his latest art process film, "Potato Face" - which was shot at Brewyard Beer Company!
Bio: Jim McKenzie is a world renowned artist, animator, and director based in Burbank California. His vast body of work ranges from surrealist paintings, to stop motion films and drawings, paintings and designer toys. McKenzie is best known for his detailed character-based sculptures and cinematic art process videos. Though his whimsical esthetic is visually vibrant and at times satirical, McKenzie’s characters share underlying themes of distress, and melancholia, stemming from everyday life.