300 person gallery openings, Ojai roadtrips--you know, just dad stuff

Photo credit: Serafina LoGiacco

For Jay Ezra Nayssan, Founding Director and Chief Curator of arts nonprofit Del Vaz Projects, and Dr. Max Goldstein, a practicing family medicine physician and founder of holistic family skincare brand Dr. Max’s, building a child-friendly life has always been part of the plan.

Jay: “We both wanted children our entire lives, so I feel that even before we met, we were unconsciously shaping our lives to welcome both a partnership and a family. Once we were together, we continued building a life that could support that vision.

For me, becoming a parent has only strengthened my desire to bring beauty and life into the world, knowing that this is the environment our daughter will grow up in. Even when it feels overwhelming to run an arts nonprofit from our home—to host exhibitions, performances, talks, and even 300-person parties while our daughter is asleep upstairs—I still find myself thinking, “What an amazing world for her to grow up in.”

We spoke with Jay and Dr. Max about building a creative life with a baby—from backyard chickens to gallery openings and beyond.

Max: “There are so many incredible resources. Solid Starts is fantastic for families introducing solids. Beyond that, I always encourage parents to take advantage of community spaces. Farmers’ markets are wonderful—you can let your kids see, touch, taste, and sample fresh fruits and vegetables while talking with vendors. It gets children genuinely excited about food.

Los Angeles also has so many parks with free music programs that expose kids to art, nature, and community. We love watching The Sun Canyon Band at Palisades Park on Sundays.

Honestly, though, one of the greatest resources is other parents. Traditional healthcare doesn’t always provide guidance on everyday nutrition, outdoor play, or family life, but connecting with other families expands your idea of healthcare beyond what happens inside a doctor’s office.”

Max: “We have chickens in our backyard, along with a rabbit and a cat, and we’re constantly talking to plants with Esther. Whenever we’re out walking and see a flower, we stop to say hello and get excited about it.

Ideally, nature isn’t something separate that you schedule. It should simply be part of everyday life. There’s always something growing around you—a leaf, a flower, the bark of a tree—and if you get excited about it, your child will too.”

Jay: “We spend a lot of time walking around our neighborhood and visiting beaches throughout Los Angeles. As an avid horse rider, I’ve also always dreamed of taking Esther to the Will Rogers horse stables, although they’re currently being rebuilt after the fires.”

Max: “The Santa Monica Farmers Market every Wednesday is a must. Douglas Park has ducks, turtles, and a beautiful new playground. We also love Will Rogers State Beach and some of the horse ranches in Malibu. Most of our adventures stay on the Westside since that’s where we live or along the coast because we love the ocean.”

Jay: “It really hasn’t slowed us down. If anything, it’s made us even more excited about creating a beautiful life—not only for our daughter, but also for everyone in our community.”

Max: “We love the Ventura River Preserve in the Meiners Oaks neighborhood of Ojai. Montecito is another favorite, as is San Luis Obispo. We always stop at the Madonna Inn after hiking Montaña de Oro State Park. Staying there with Esther is definitely on our bucket list.”

Jay: “We’re planning a Father’s Day trip to Ganna Walska Lotusland and the Santa Barbara Zoo.”

Jay: “It only gets easier. Getting a baby into the car isn’t always simple, but children build those habits surprisingly quickly. The earlier you start, the easier it becomes.”

Max: “Kids are incredibly adaptable. If they’re used to little outings from infancy, it’s much easier to gradually expand those adventures. Waiting until they’re two or three before taking a road trip can make the transition harder.”

Jay: “We’ve definitely had our share of meltdowns, and we started traveling very early—including a three-hour drive home from the hospital when Esther was just two days old. I’m a big believer in simply pulling over. Take her out of the car seat, listen to some music, crack a few jokes, spend twenty minutes together, and then continue.

Most places outside Los Angeles are beautiful anyway. Once, driving between Montecito and Ojai, we stopped during a meltdown in Carpinteria and ended up gazing at the endless rows of fruit trees. It turned into one of our favorite memories.”

Max: “Jay really taught me that. Just pull over and take a twenty-minute reset.”

Jay: “Over the past five or six years, Del Vaz Projects has evolved into a research collective—not only because I enjoy collaboration, but because I knew that one day I would need to share the work.

Our team has been incredibly supportive. One of our team members is actually the daughter of our doula, who also organizes monthly music classes for kids in our garden.

That feeling of multiple families working together has become really important. Parenthood has made priorities much clearer. Creative work often presents dozens of equally compelling tasks, but having a child forces you to ask: What absolutely needs my attention today, and what can I trust someone else to do?”

Jay: “My curatorial practice has always been somewhat resistant to the traditional white-cube gallery. Whenever we organize exhibitions or programs—whether at Del Vaz Projects or off-site—we think carefully about creating spaces that welcome families and visitors of all ages.

Between Max and I, we share ten nieces and nephews who are deeply woven into our creative lives. Naturally, many of our programs combine performances, screenings, food, and community gatherings where children have room to move and play.

We’ve taken our nieces and nephews to performances by the Puerto Rican puppet collective Poncili Creación, and recently Esther had her first visit to the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which she absolutely loved.

We’re also fortunate to have collegial partnership access to programming at both the Ford Theatre and the Hollywood Bowl, and we’re really excited to experience those performances together as a family.”

What’s Happening This Weekend

Friday, June 26th

Start the weekend off strong by celebrating LA history and heritage at the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Heritage Festival. This weekend long World Cup linked celebration features live music from Ozomatli and Poncho Sanchez, tasty treats (shout out Cielito Lindo!), and cultural events for all.

This one’s for the big kids and night owls, but once a month Living Earth hosts a moonlight hike at Tree People that’s nothing short of magical. Watch the sunset, sip some tea, take in some live music, then stroll in the moonlight.

Saturday, June 27th

It’s still pride month baby, and what better way to celebrate than with an all ages dance party? Hosted at York Manor in Highland Park, this sliding-scale event will feature a sparkly, sweaty rainbow workout by Hyperbody!, and a caffeinated beverage pop-up by Play Grounds.

In Leimert Park, the team at LA Commons is hosting their 2026 Day of the Ancestors this weekend, kicking off on Saturday with a Festival of Masks. This year’s theme is Nea Onnim, the African Adinkra symbol representing lifelong education and the continued quest for knowledge. There will be West African dance, ancestral mask making, and African drumming, as well as a libation ceremony and procession.

Out in Irvine, the Langson Orange County Art Museum is throwing a Summer 2026 Public Opening, a free, all-ages, all-day event with tours, hands-on art making, including what sounds like a very cool flipbook and thaumatropes making session, plus live music all day long. Also it’s not on the weekend, but this upcoming Wednesday they’re having a BYOB (Bring Your Own Baby) hang, which I think is the cutest thing in the universe. More museums do this please!

Or take the train to the La Brea tar pits for Tarfest, a free music and arts festival featuring live music from us here at KCRW, dance performances, live painting, an artisan marketplace, site-specific installations, and family friendly creative activities.

Sunday, June 28th

We love a CicLAvia event—when else in this city do you get to experience bike traffic?--and this weekend they’re closing down the streets for a Leimert Park meets Expo Park event. Hop on your bike, trike, or wagon, and let the good times roll.

The Huntington is hosting their THIS LAND IS ... Community Festival, a free with admission event where there will be performances, dancing, storytelling, artmaking, film screenings, and exhibition spotlights.

For more music + moonlight (truly, is there any better combination?), Clockshop is hosting a Listening by Moonrise event with Kiyo Gutiérrez and Eva Aguila sharing a magical ritual-performance honoring the Pacific lamprey on the inclined banks of the LA river.