Jessica Gelt is an arts and culture writer for the Los Angeles Times. She also co-writes the paper’s twice-weekly Essential Arts newsletter. In her career at the paper she has served as assistant style editor for the Sunday magazine, co-edited the Daily Dish food blog, written a nightlife column called “The Enabler” and regularly covered red carpets and backstage events at the Emmys, Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes. She has penned cultural commentary and reams of celebrity profiles, as well as investigated claims of sexual misconduct in music and the arts. Over the years, she has written in-depth features about theater, television, film, music, movies, books, art, fashion, food, travel and more. Her award-winning work has appeared in the New York Observer, the L.A. Weekly and Vulture, among others.
Latest From This Author
The Kennedy Center downplays CPAC comments from longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon that a choir composed of Jan. 6 rioters will perform at the Kennedy Center.
Parker Gallery’s inaugural exhibitions, ‘Importance of Being Earnest’ screenings, a world-premiere opera and more Essential Arts headlines and happenings.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic unveils the Hollywood Bowl’s 2025 season lineup, including Cynthia Erivo in “Jesus Christ Superstar” as well as Gustavo Dudamel’s penultimate season.
President Trump makes alarming changes at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; meanwhile, Frieze Los Angeles, the LA Art Show and the visual arts take the spotlight in L.A this week.
A benefit exhibition for artists who’ve been impacted by the wildfires, Batsheva Dance Company’s U.S. premiere and more arts headlines and happenings.
A new board of Trump allies makes him chairman of the Kennedy Center and fires the arts organization’s longtime leader, Deborah Rutter.
How a flood of executive orders are impacting the arts, plus high-definition chamber music from Camerata Pacifica and the Oscar-nominated documentary “Sugarcane” at the Museum of Tolerance.
President Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint himself chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The org says it has ‘received no official communications’ about Trump’s plan.
Celebrations of Alice Coltrane in Los Angeles and Orange County, plus a free play reading in Studio City and “Old Friends” in downtown.
The fires, which Grammy organizers pledged to make the focus of the awards, became prop and backdrop, losing the human depth and scale of the tragedy.