{"id":6933,"date":"2017-12-06T08:37:27","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T13:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vweisfeld.com\/?p=6933"},"modified":"2017-12-18T06:16:14","modified_gmt":"2017-12-18T11:16:14","slug":"la-cultural-forays-travel-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vweisfeld.com\/?p=6933","title":{"rendered":"LA Cultural Forays – Travel Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles is more than surfing dudes and starlets. But you knew that. Our recent visit included a toe-dip into some truly world-class cultural institutions.<\/p>\n

The Museums<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"LACMA\"

Streetlamps on Parade<\/p><\/div>\n

In conjunction with a visit to the adjacent LaBrea Tar Pits, we visited three museums in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art<\/a> (LACMA) complex. We wandered down the serene walkway of the Pavilion for Japanese Art vaguely reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s sinuous Guggenheim\u2014a sure cure for I-10 traffic stresses. We didn\u2019t allow time (perhaps a week-and-a-half!) to fully take in the other buildings\u2019 exhibits, but did hook up with a Resnick Pavilion tour of a temporary exhibit about artistic cross-fertilization between SoCal and Mexico, \u201cFound in Translation: Design in California and Mexico: 1915-1985.\u201d Led by a knowledgeable and interesting docent, we got a lot out of it.<\/p>\n

We walked through the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, happening upon Chris Burden\u2019s delightful Metropolis II (see it in frenetic action here<\/a>), which actually runs only limited weekend hours. Even at a standstill, amazing.<\/p>\n

On another visit, I want to check out the Craft and Folk Art Museum, the Museum of Tolerance, and the Automotive Museum, all of which are in LACMA\u2019s vicinity.<\/p>\n

12\/12 UPDATE – The Getty Center reopened 12\/8 after a two-day closure due to wildfires in the vicinity. Buildings were kept closed to protect the collection. Why the art can stay.<\/a>
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\"Getty

Bougainvillea bouquets at the Getty<\/p><\/div>\n

The lengthy trip (in terms of time, not distance) to the Getty Center<\/a> ends at a tram stop, from which you\u2019re whisked uphill to the art museums proper. Again, there are multiple buildings, with views to the hills, the Pacific, and downtown in between them. We took a grounds tour, learning about the architecture and construction choices, as well as the landscaping, which is equally part of the complex\u2019s design. The \u201cmuseum highlights\u201d tour sounded like an efficient idea, but is totally dependent on the current whims of its docent-leader. Ours had a deep affinity for Saint Jerome. Even so, she got us in and out of several buildings. Paintings are distributed over the top floors of several of the pavilions, where they can get better light, and decorative arts occupy the bottom floors. A temporary exhibit I gladly spent time in was \u201cGolden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas.\u201d (One of my many odd passions.) So much was lost, and what was saved is so remarkable.<\/p>\n

Music and Theater<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"WaltWe weren\u2019t willing to take out a new mortgage on our house, so did not purchase tickets for a concert at the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall<\/a>. However, we took the acoustiguide tour of its several floors, which allowed us to see many parts of the building, excluding the auditorium itself\u2014too much demand for rehearsals, they say. Beautiful, and the building’s curved aluminum skin changes color and appearance as the light changes. (You can take a virtual tour at the website above.) And within walking distance, theoretically, to our hotel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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One evening we attended a performance at the Ahmanson Theatre, across the street from the Disney Concert Hall. The theaters in the complex<\/a> have a full season of opera, plays, and other performances. We saw the musical Bright Star<\/em>, written by Edie Brickell and Steven Martin (yes, that one). The story was more than a bit predictable, but the production and cast were first-rate.<\/p>\n

So You Shouldn\u2019t Starve<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Patina, a $$$$$ restaurant in the performing arts complex serves delicious food, with (more of a rarity these days) impeccably gracious service. It was our gastro-splurge. We had a nice lunch at the Getty, as well.<\/p>\n

Books to Toss in Your Suitcase<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n