Art and Design in LA includes:
Eames House, Case Study #8: In the latter half of the 20th century, the husband and wife team of Ray and Charles Eames had a tremendous influence on design in the United States. Their creativity touched the design area of furniture, films, museum exhibitions, graphics, industrial design, photography, toys and architecture. The house was one of 25 homes built as part of the Case Study Program from the mid-1940’s to the mid-1960’s through the efforts of Joseph Entenza, publisher of Arts and Architecture Magazine. The Eames liked it so much that they moved in themselves. It is well-worth the drive to 203 Chautauqua Blvd., in Pacific Palisades, to see the grounds and easily view the interior of the house from the outside. Reservations are required. Interior tours are available but are expensive.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art/LACMA: Located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, this is the largest art museum in the western United States, and contains over 100,000 objects dating from ancient times to the present. The museum’s collections encompass the geographic world and virtually the entire history of art. Among the museum’s special strengths are its holdings of Asian art, housed in part in the Bruce Goff-designed Pavilion for Japanese Art; Latin American art, ranging from pre-Colombian masterpieces to works by leading modern and contemporary artists including Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and José Clemente Orozco; and Islamic art, of which LACMA hosts one of the most significant collections in the world.
Today, LACMA occupies a seven-building complex located on twenty acres in the heart of Los Angeles, at Wilshire and Fairfax. I enjoyed a great exhibition on California Design in addition to the permanent collection where I saw works by Diego Rivera, Rene Magritte and Picasso.
The Getty Center/The J. Paul Getty Museum: This is a museum that is not to be missed! The Getty Center, at 1200 Getty Center Dr., is the location of the Getty’s collection of European and American art from the Middle Ages to the present. The architecture is contemporary and dramatic plus the views are wonderful. If you have time, make sure to visit the Getty Villa in Malibu which is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts of cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. It is on my list for my next trip. You need to get your tickets online beforehand.
Museum of Contemporary Art/MOCA: At 250 S. Grand, this is home to a fine collection of American and European art created since 1940. The collection of over 5,000 objects includes examples of all visual media ranging from abstract expressionism to pop art. There is a second location downtown, The Geffen Contemporary, at 152 Central Ave. in Little Tokyo, which primarily features temporary exhibitions. Check out the website for the current schedule.