✨ Rat Redesign ✨
November 15-30
Every so often you come across a rat that really gets the vision. That’s each of you, of course, but I’m speaking particularly about my friend Lorin, one of my favorite designers and illustrators, who felt called to help build our mischief (n/: group of rats) the home we deserve. Feast your beady, beautiful eyes on the new and improved RatPlay!
One of my biggest concerns about living here on bland ole’ Substack was Ratplay feeling dull and flat given the platform’s limitations, but Lorin (a fellow virgo) is stubborn and always finds workarounds. That’s the spirit and grit of a true rat: we’ll make any dumpster a home!
So, without further ado, here’s what’s kickin’ for the next two weeks: we’ve got museum parties, holiday markets, Japanese flower arranging, meditation sessions, and a sweeeeet new Vintage furniture shop in Echo Park.
CARLA: Winter Issue Launch Party
Thursday, 11/16 @ 7-9PM (add to cal)
ICA LA (Downtown)
Free 🐀
Who’s Carla, you might ask? Well, she’s only the most accessible woman in all of LA, and she’s working hard to keep it that way. Her birth name? The Contemporary Art Review of Los Angeles. And she’s wide open to the entire city this Thursday at the ICA for her Winter Issue Launch Party. You’ll be able to check out the new Barbara T Smith: Proof exhibit while you’re there, with free bevs for the rats by Zaddy’s 🤑🤑 #keepratplayraunchy
Rest and Receive: Yoga Asana and Sound Bath
Friday, 11/17 @ 6:30-9PM (add to cal)
SIBLING Studio (Atwater)
$45-90 Sliding Scale (tickets here)
The title of this event reminds me of a bible verse oft quoted at my Christian horse camp (you’ll never know every version of me 💋), “Ask and you shall receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” I’ve gone and adapted this quote for all of us, the California progressive rats committed to spirituality and inner peace: “Ask and you shall receive; another yoga session and soundbath.” Seems more fitting! 15% of proceeds will be donated to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, so this event is mandatory 💌
Saturday 11/18 @ 2-4pm (add to cal)
Known Studio (Mid-City)
$59.50 (tickets here)
Rat Resident Selina Che is hosting an Ikebana workshop at her gallery Known Studio this Saturday. This one is for the refined rats…the ones with class and an eye for design (or the desire for one). Pinkies up, as Selina’s bringing Rat Resident Ruyi on board to serve tea and pastries.
Saturday, 11/18 @ 7-11PM (add to cal)
$15 (tickets here)
There’s something so sweet to me about couples jumping into creative projects together. But the sweetness comes to a sugary peak when both individuals come from entirely different culinary backgrounds and then merge their respective flavors to create culinary nirvana (in this case, Chinese x Peruvian). Is there the cynical/afflicted part of me that worries about the potential codependency of it all? Yes, but honestly fuck it!! Make delicious food together and get married! Have an annual party like this one to celebrate the fruit of your union! Love is love :)
Sunday Morning at the Synth Museum
Sunday, 10/26 @ 10:30-11:30am (add to cal)
Vintage Synthesizer Museum (Highland Park)
$33 (tickets here)
If Listening to Music Outside in the Daylight Under a Tree too outdoorsy, maybe consider Sunday Morning at the Synth Museum for those of you who prefer to nest inside. Think about this like a synthy soundbath where you follow your fearless sonic voyager Daniel Wyche into the mindful abyss. Shrooms not included.
Sunday, 11/26 @ 12-6pm (add to cal)
Common Space Brewery (Hawthorne)
Free 🐀
We’re indebted to AAPI creatives for offering some of the city’s best food, art, and other delightful goods, and now we owe them perhaps the name of our first born rat-child for bringing all these things together in one place for the Mayumi Market Holiday Market. I don’t know about y’all but I’m going to need some really thoughtful gifts to soften the inevitable tension brought on by the literal ROSTER of topics we have to fight about at the Xmas dinner table this year. I’ll meet you at the scented dessert candles table skskskks.
p.s. Keep an eye out forSan and Wolves Bakeshop andSalted Cow to get your little treats fix.
After using a shitty office chair for so long that I’ll likely endure life-long debilitating back issues, I finally decided to suck it up and buy a fancy secondhand ergonomic from a place downtown called The Hunt Vintage. I handed the owner Michael the cash and went to wheel it away, but he encouraged me to sit down it in to make sure that I liked it. Naturally, I didn’t get up for the next two hours because once two procrastinating gabbers meet, sparks fly! We talked a lot about Michael’s (at that point imminent) move to Echo Park, what it means to become part of a new community as a small business owner, and Michael being a big time IG influencer (time to move to TikTok, old man!!)
Without further ado, meet my friend and Aristocrat Michael, founder and owner of The Hunt Vintage.
So– how’d you get into vintage furniture?
Well not that you have to do what your parents do, but my mother has been a vintage dealer my whole life. And she is 88 and still is doing it! Once this is in your blood, you can’t stop! It’s such a fun business! [Editor’s note: Michael talks with this many exclamation points in real life!]
You have a big audience, with nearly 60k IG followers and counting. What keeps people hooked on the Hunt?
Possibly the stories. I love sharing the stories about each piece. Where I got the piece, from whom, its history. People seem to enjoy the stories as much as the finds. Sometimes the stories are insane!
Where do you source your pieces?
Besides being raised in this business, I’ve had a shop for 14 years so I have a lot of contacts. I’m juggling all of this myself so I don’t get to “hunt” as much as I would like. I get offered things everyday by “pickers” and customers and already in echo park, neighbors are offering. But I LOVE flea markets! I used to look for treasures at thrift shops– I’d rarely find anything, but it was exciting nonetheless. eBay is tough because shipping makes it cost prohibitive.
Neighboring businesses you’d be most excited to collaborate with?
I’m a dad of twins, so I’m very interested in working with any schools in the area. I haven’t figured out what yet. An art show by kids? If a school rep, teacher or student is reading this, please reach out!
And any other business–if you have ideas, I’m listening. I’m definitely looking forward to Echo Park Rising, which I missed this year.
What do you hope for The Hunt’s place in the greater Echo Park community?
I want to be a good neighbor to residents and businesses alike. A place for people to visit, not just buy. Come hang at The Hunt. Talk about art and food and what’s going on in the community. A hub. This sounds made up, but if you make the time to meet me, you’ll see what I’m about.
Visit Mike on IG, or preferably, at The Hunt’s new store in Echo Park. Do make sure to say hello–30 seconds in and you’ll know you’re talking to one of us 🐀
I’m getting so many of these from y’all that I figured I’d just start dropping in all of the best ones–submit them to me at @ciaralkeane or @ratplayla and get featured for the whole mischief to see 😎 I always give credit!
That’s it for now! This rat is joining Jewish Voices for Peace tomorrow at an action calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, at De Longpre Park in Hollywood. If you need a buddy, respond to this email we can all meet up!
CK
