Craig Owens – What Makes L.A. History So Bizarre

Join us on Thursday, August 24th 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Adobe Museum as Craig Owens Presents: “What Makes Los Angeles History So Bizarre.” Los Angeles-based photographer Craig Owens first fell in love with history and the paranormal in 1972. At that time, he was as a seven-year-old boy playing on the grounds of a Southern plantation known as Waverley, located outside of West Point, Mississippi. While Waverley’s owners admitted to seeing and hearing the ghost of a young female child, Craig never encountered her. Yet the atmosphere and history of Waverley stayed with him long after his family moved to Texas.

In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles and began to work freelance in the film and television industry. His production credits include Fudge (1995), The Christmas Box (1995), Wag the Dog (1997), Phone Booth (2002), and The Gilmore Girls (2000-2001). In 2002, Craig left film production to work for the Century City Chamber of Commerce and later the International Cinematographers Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 600. While working for the chamber of commerce, he contributed articles for the Century City View and wrote the History of Century City. In 2009, Craig began staging vintage style photo shoots at haunted hotels as an idea for an Old Hollywood themed project. While on location, he experienced paranormal activity. This left him wondering if his photo shoots were somehow triggering paranormal activity. The following year, he launched his Facebook blog, Bizarre Los Angeles, a page dedicated to Los Angeles’ forgotten history. He also continued to hold vintage photo shoots at haunted locations. Little did he know that his love for haunted hotels would find media attention.

In 2013, he appeared on My Ghost Story: Caught on Film after he unintentionally photographed an apparition at the Palomar Inn in Old Town Temecula. The following year, the online magazine, The Verge, published an article on his paranormal experiences at the Aztec Hotel. Craig Owens has now gained notoriety for his photography and his passion for historical research. While he firmly believes that ghosts do exist, he is reluctant to accept all paranormal stories. He instead approaches the subject with a good deal of skepticism, preferring to err on the side of not believing enough. He also encourages his readers to form their own opinions as to whether ghosts exist, and warns people not to believe in ghost legends unless the legends are supported by historical fact. Craig Owens is graduate from Southern Methodist University with a B.F.A. in Communications.

This event is FREE and open to the public at the Andrés Pico Adobe in Mission Hills. There will be a free door prize drawing and light refreshments. Donations are encouraged and greatly appreciated. Limited parking. Please carpool or use Lyft or public transportation. Address: 10940 Sepulveda Blvd, Mission Hills, CA 91345.