LACMA 3 8-21-15LACMA at night (August 2015)

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or “LACMA” for short, is considered the largest art museum in the West of the United States. Besides having over 150,000 works among its many floors and buildings, it also draws one million people– locals and tourists alike– to its entrance every year. The museum has an expansive collection of just about any sort of art in any culture, from pre-Columbian and Latin American art to contemporary American art, and one could spend a whole day seeing and admiring every art piece that LACMA has to offer.

LACMA was established in 1961, and it’s located along the Miracle Mile neighborhood, specifically in the district known as “Museum Row.” LACMA is one of the many museums in this part of Los Angeles, and some others include the La Brea Tar Pits and the Petersen Automotive Museum. This area of Los Angeles, especially with the museums being on the important Wilshire Boulevard, is the perfect middle ground for getting between the Westside (Santa Monica, Beverly Hills) to Downtown Los Angeles in the east. Might as well stop at a museum while you’re at it!

The museum is an eclectic blend of various artworks, from the classic “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” painting by Belgian painter René Magritte to the pop art of “Campbell Soup Cans” by American artist Andy Warhol. However, what draws visitors to LACMA is the public art display outside of its entrance, the Urban Light by Chris Burden: installed in 2008, it’s a collection of 202 street lamps collected all throughout Los Angeles, many dating to the 1920’s and 1930’s. It’s a renown spot to stop to admire and take photos, and over the decade it’s been up, Urban Light has become synonymous with the museum itself.

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I have been to the LACMA a handful of times, during my time as a university student and after graduation. The museum was a popular hang-out for students, especially in the evening when admission was free (after 15h00) and the Urban Light turned on for a luminescent glow. I’ve also gone during the day with friends and my partner, and it costs $20 USD to enter. However, with so many art pieces and buildings to check out, spending a whole day there can make the purchase worth it.

Although I’m not a huge museum-goer, I can appreciate that LACMA is a lovely museum to check out, especially if you’re in Los Angeles. Besides the distinctive Urban Light display to admire, the museum houses so many art works, mainly in the contemporary period of the US, that it’s worth checking out. After all, Los Angeles is nothing short of modern and cultural arts, and personally, I’d be happy to return to LACMA for another go.

Thanks for reading! 🙂

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

38 thoughts on “Lost in LA: LACMA”

      1. The “Campbell Soup Cans” series by Warhol are quirky, but a significant contribution to pop culture art in the 20th century. LACMA really showcases it!

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    1. To be fair, us Angelenos can spend practically our whole lives in the city and not see the famous sites! It took me until my college years to make it to LACMA, but it paid off in the end. 🙂

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  6. A very cool museum to visit, Rebecca, with some quite iconic art works. I love the light installation, while the idea of collecting and preserving vintage street lamps is charming. I commend the museum on making afternoon and evening visits free – art should be available to everyone.

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    1. Exactly! It’s one thing to have an admission fee in order to preserve the museum and its artwork, but also to make it free in order to make it accessible to the entire public. LACMA certainly does both!

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    1. Similarly, I’m not really into museums, but I appreciate art wherever it is. LACMA offers not just contemporary art to admire from afar, but also interactive ones (e.g. Urban Light) that you can touch and take photos with!

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  8. I had no idea LACMA had such a vast collection, including the beautiful lights. I will have to visit next time I’m in LA. Your post reminded me a humorous scene in the movie LA Story, where Steve Martin roller skates in the museum; very funny. Thanks Rebecca, for sharing!

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    1. I didn’t know LACMA was featured in LA Story, although to be fair, it’s set in LA! 😆 Urban Light wasn’t around when the film came out, but in any case, the museum is an icon to the City of Angels!

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  12. A few years ago, a theme park here in Indonesia was on the spotlight for their alleged plagiarism when they put something similar with Urban Light within their premises. That was when I first learned about this artwork at LACMA. It sounds like an interesting place, especially since it also displays pre-Columbian art as well. By the way, I like that you use the French style of writing the time!

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    1. I had no idea! Plagiarism or not, perhaps it was an homage to Urban Light, as it’s so well-renown! Haha, I got used to writing military time, since I have readers from all over the world! Thanks for reading. 🙂

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