Frank Romero with one of his French paintings, in his home in the South of France. But every year, he and his wife Sharon throw a big studio sale for Christmas, and you're invited.; Credit: John Rabe

"Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" - Auntie Mame.

Your calendar is filling up, but here are four holiday events you'll want to make room for:

Every year, pioneering Chicano artist Frank Romero and his wife Sharon throw a big studio sale that includes works by a wide group of artists, and a lot of food and drink. It's just as much a party as a sales event, and Frank and the other artists are always there to meet and greet. And now that the couple is spending more time at their home in France, it's a chance for their old friends to catch up with them, so who knows who you'll see from L.A.'s arts community.

RELATED: See Frank's new works - French scenes with an East LA flavor

The Romero Studio annual Christmas party and sale is Saturday, Dec. 6, 6-10pm; and Sunday, Dec. 7, 1-5pm, at Plaza de la Raza, Boathouse Gallery, 3540 North Mission Rd., LA CA 90031 (in Lincoln Park across from the DMV — which BTW is a very good DMV).

Then, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4:30pm,  it's the Advent Procession of Lessons and Carols, at St. James Episcopal Church, which a friend describes as "one of the truly beautiful choral events of the season," and the highlight of the Choir of St. James' season. It's free and it's at St. James' Episcopal Church in Koreatown (3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010).
 

"Auntie Mame," the 1958 Rosalind Russell movie with more quotable quips than a weekend getaway with Oscar Wilde, has become something of a Christmas tradition. It's screening at the American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7:30. As delightful as this movie is any day of the week on your TV at home, this is a film to be seen in 35mm with a theater full of people reacting to every bon mot and heart-touching moment.

GO INSIDE: The Disney Hall organ, "Hurricane Mama," turns 10

Last year, my husband and I blindly went to Disney Hall for the Holiday Organ Spectacular. We expected some music and a little fun. But it really was spectacular. It's back this year, on Friday, Dec. 19, with organist David Higgs leading the evening from the console of Hurricane Mama.

If you've never seen or heard the organ in person, this is a great evening because Higgs — a teacher as well as master organist — gives you a guided tour of every stop, and every mood the organ can produce, from cathedral-loud to country-church-quiet. At the end of the night, he breaks the audience into parts to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and you may sing as loud as you like.

These are just a few curated selections, but they're just the tip of the iceberg in Southern California; please make your own holiday event recommendations in the comments below. 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In the recent 2-3 years, an increasing number of malls and retail chains have adopted real-time video analytics and facial recognition to enhance security, customer experience and footfall analysis.

Some of these technologies are showcased this week at the NRF Protect Conference in Long Beach, California.

Retail and property developer Central Pattana Plc (CPN) is planning to spend 2 billion baht on five new community malls and the renovation of 15 existing malls during 2025-2029 to capitalise on evolving consumer behaviours.

In the recent 2-3 years, an increasing number of malls and retail chains have adopted real-time video analytics and facial recognition to enhance security, customer experience and footfall analysis.

Retail leasing in India's top eight cities dipped slightly in the third quarter of 2024, driven by strong demand on main streets and limited mall supply. While overall leasing edged down 1%, main streets accounted for 68% of activity, pushing rental rates up in several cities.

A special committee has until January 15 to finalize the design, location and funding for a monument that will be erected on the lawn of the South Carolina State House

Of the three commercial property segments, the industrial market is the strongest performer in terms of activity, an FNB Commercial Property Broker Survey found.

Vukile Property Fund plans to build more solar farms to power its malls and reduce its reliance on Eskom's power by another 5% by the end of March 2023.

YouTube has officially launched YouTube Shopping in India, a feature designed to expand revenue opportunities for video creators by integrating e-commerce directly into their content.   Building on the success of similar launches in markets like South Korea and the U.S.,

Poor management practices have resulted in many malls across the country becoming unviable spaces.

Leasing of retail space in shopping malls and prominent high streets dropped 1 per cent to 1.63 million square feet during July-September across top eight cities, according to Cushman and Wakefield. The leasing stood at 1.63 million square feet in the year-ago period. Real estate consultant Cushman and Wakefield on Thursday released its Q3-2024 'Retail MarketBeat' report, which highlighted a sustained momentum across India's main streets, leading retail growth across the top 8 cities.

Islamabad: A meeting of Shopping Mall Association was held here under the chairmanship of Commodore Irfanul Haq to discuss problems being faced by owners due to closure of mega facilities across the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Islamabad: A meeting of Shopping Mall Association was held here under the chairmanship of Commodore Irfanul Haq to discuss problems being faced by owners due to closure of mega facilities across the country mainly non-payment of rents by tenants for the last nearly two monthsThe demand for waiver...

Lockdown effect: Retailers eye renegotiating contracts at malls

Frank Romero with one of his French paintings, in his home in the South of France. But every year, he and his wife Sharon throw a big studio sale for Christmas, and you're invited.; Credit: John Rabe

"Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" - Auntie Mame.

Your calendar is filling up, but here are four holiday events you'll want to make room for:

Every year, pioneering Chicano artist Frank Romero and his wife Sharon throw a big studio sale that includes works by a wide group of artists, and a lot of food and drink. It's just as much a party as a sales event, and Frank and the other artists are always there to meet and greet. And now that the couple is spending more time at their home in France, it's a chance for their old friends to catch up with them, so who knows who you'll see from L.A.'s arts community.

RELATED: See Frank's new works - French scenes with an East LA flavor

The Romero Studio annual Christmas party and sale is Saturday, Dec. 6, 6-10pm; and Sunday, Dec. 7, 1-5pm, at Plaza de la Raza, Boathouse Gallery, 3540 North Mission Rd., LA CA 90031 (in Lincoln Park across from the DMV — which BTW is a very good DMV).

Then, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4:30pm,  it's the Advent Procession of Lessons and Carols, at St. James Episcopal Church, which a friend describes as "one of the truly beautiful choral events of the season," and the highlight of the Choir of St. James' season. It's free and it's at St. James' Episcopal Church in Koreatown (3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010).
 

"Auntie Mame," the 1958 Rosalind Russell movie with more quotable quips than a weekend getaway with Oscar Wilde, has become something of a Christmas tradition. It's screening at the American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7:30. As delightful as this movie is any day of the week on your TV at home, this is a film to be seen in 35mm with a theater full of people reacting to every bon mot and heart-touching moment.

GO INSIDE: The Disney Hall organ, "Hurricane Mama," turns 10

Last year, my husband and I blindly went to Disney Hall for the Holiday Organ Spectacular. We expected some music and a little fun. But it really was spectacular. It's back this year, on Friday, Dec. 19, with organist David Higgs leading the evening from the console of Hurricane Mama.

If you've never seen or heard the organ in person, this is a great evening because Higgs — a teacher as well as master organist — gives you a guided tour of every stop, and every mood the organ can produce, from cathedral-loud to country-church-quiet. At the end of the night, he breaks the audience into parts to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and you may sing as loud as you like.

These are just a few curated selections, but they're just the tip of the iceberg in Southern California; please make your own holiday event recommendations in the comments below. 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Here are 10 historic shopping centers that are still thriving today.

With the inevitable onset of frustration and anger; providing adequate security for these facilities is a prudent measure to restoring any sense of normalcy should civil unrest occur

Major mall operators in the country risk losing 20-25% of their annual revenue due to the shutdown, as per a report by ICICI Securities.

Precautionary measures such as fever screening, keeping adjacent seats in theatres vacant being considered. Currently, retailers selling discretionary products from apparel to lifestyle merchandise are not allowed to open stores.

All malls have been shut since the lockdown began, and retailers in those malls are not in a position to pay rents because their outlets are shut. This in turn makes it difficult for the malls to pay the banks. About 85% of a mall’s revenue is dependent on rentals.

Around 75 retailers that operate 200 brands have written a letter to mall owners, seen by TOI, stating that revenue-share percentage should be a flat percentage depending on the category of stores. They suggested, for instance, revenue-sharing percentage for vanilla brands should be 10-12%, including common area maintenance (CAM), while for fast food brands and large format lifestyle stores, it should be 7-8%.

Last week, 195 retailers and restaurants including Future Group, Aditya Birla Fashion, Arvind Brands, Domino’s Pizza, Adidas and Levi’s wrote a common letter to mall owners for a “collaborative dialogue” between shopping centres and tenants.

Post lockdown relaxation, consumers say they will prefer buying items of need via local stores (instore or delivery) and ecommerce sites while only 4 per cent say will go to the mall to buy.

SCAI, which counts Nexus Malls, Prestige, Infiniti, DLF and Lulu among its members, has also proposed using only 50% of the parking areas and not allowing any events and promotions to take place in the common areas to prevent large gatherings.

While big-box retailers that enjoy a revenue-sharing model with malls will have some cushion to absorb the impact of the lockdown, smaller brands and restaurants may have to pay the price by reducing the number of outlets.

The government feels this will allow shopping and leisure activities to start up while maintaining physical distancing as traffic will be less than usual and easy to control. On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh notified retail stores to open from 6am until midnight.

Ikea is exploring possibilities of building shopping malls and entertainment facilities next to some of its upcoming standalone stores, or developing multi-storey shopping centres with Ikea as an anchor store, depending on land availability, they said. The company will lease out mall space to other brands and retailers.

The campaign debuts newest “Nearly Nude” style.

The coronavirus outbreak has closed malls and most stores. Disputes are brewing over rent. Retail may look quite different in the future, experts say.

Simon Property Group plans to reopen on Saturday Indiana malls shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a leaked internal memo.

Simon Property Group has published protocols to keep shoppers safe during coronavirus. Here's what changes the shopping mall owner is planning.

Indianapolis officials say they have concerns about Simon Property Group's timelines to reopen shopping malls in Marion County.

Simon Property Group has changed the opening date for malls in Indianapolis to May 16. Its other shopping centers in Indiana will reopen earlier.

Indiana is reopening its economy after its coronavirus closures. Here's what shoppers should know about how malls, stores, salons and gyms will return

Customers ranged from enthusiastic to wary on first day they were able to shop again at suburban Indianapolis malls during the coronavirus pandemic.

The NDP wants the Saskatchewan government to delay Phase 2 of its reopening plan, currently scheduled for May 19.

Denmark is set to reopen shopping malls, cafes and restaurants from next Monday (11 May) when older children will also return to school as the country enters the second phase of easing its coronavirus lockdown, Reuters reported. Daycare centres and primary schools were allowed to open their doors two weeks ago, followed by other small businesses. Daily infections and hospital admission have been steadily decreasing.

Ankara’s haste to reopen shopping malls may be an effort to revive sagging consumption, but it also has to do with a tight nexus between politicians and businesses in the country.

Shopping malls, gyms and amusement parks, considered high-density venues, are expected to reopen next if the number of new Covid-19 infections continues to drop for another week.

Department stores still represent about 60% of the anchor space within malls across the U.S. today, according to Green Street Advisors.

After a late night order on reopening of shops amid the Coronavirus lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday issued a clarification saying that only standalone shops are allowed to open. It further stated that the order does not apply to COVID-19 containment zones or liquor stores. "In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets/market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open," the ministry clarified.

The ministry clarified that sales by ecommerce companies will continue to be restricted to essential goods only. It also cleared that liquor stores will be shut as the relaxations do not apply to them. "Sale of liquor and other items continues to be prohibited as specified in the National Directives for COVID-19 management," it added.

Don't hurry: CAIT to traders
The largest traders' body Confederation of All India Traders lauded the decision, but issued a caution to the traders to follow orders by their state governments in the matter and also sanitise shops and market places before resuming business. CAIT's national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, "The central government has taken this decision only after fully assessing the present circumstances." "We appeal to traders across the country to not open their shops in their extreme enthusiasm. Since trade and shops is a state subject, only states governments are empowered to take the decision," Khandelwal added.

Shops to open in Gujarat
The Gujarat government on Saturday declared that all the individual shops, neighbourhood shops and other small commercial activities outside containment zones will be permitted from Sunday.

No gatherings in UP
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday made it clear that no public gatherings will be allowed in the state till June 30. "CM Adityanath has given strict instructions to the officers that no crowd of any kind can gather until June 30," Mrityunjay Kumar, media advisor to Aditynath, said on Saturday.

4 N-E states COVID-19 free
With the recovery of the second patient in Tripura on Saturday, four of the eight northeastern states—Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim—have become Coronavirus-free, officials said on Saturday morning. According to health officials, there are 15 active cases in Assam, 11 in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram, besides a 33-year-old trader from Dimapur, Nagaland, undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital since April 12.

'Halting DA unnecessary'
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday opposed the Central government's decision to cut back hike in dearness allowance of government employees and pensioners. In a video message released by the Congress, Singh said, "We should be on the side of people whose DA is being cut. I believe it is not necessary at this stage to enforce hardship on government servants and armed forces personnel."

Man kills wife over kids' future

A man in Delhi allegedly killed his wife after an argument over their children's future turned violent. The couple has nine children and the ongoing lockdown created uncertainty over their future. This was the second marriage for both of them. The accused himself informed the police about the incident. The incident took place in Madipur JJ Colony, which has been declared a containment zone by the authorities. The accused used a stick to kill her.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Too many big brands have been coasting for too long

American shoppers spent a record $34.4billion on Super Saturday, the biggest single day in American retail history, but the weekend was marred by violent incidents at several locations.

The four women came together to model the new Spring/Summer 2020 collection for the Italian brand.